Digital technology including the rise of online agents is sweeping through the property sector, a senior figure at the UK’s largest estate agency group has said.

Paul Wareham, managing director of Countrywide Surveying and Conveyancing Services, said that the firm has introduced digital methods of conducting both on- and off-site valuations.

Wareham said that these enhancements helped Countrywide sign contracts with Virgin Money and Leeds Building Society.

He said Countrywide will have completed over 350,000 valuations last year.

He said: “Countrywide has this year not only proved that we are an innovative and imaginative organisation, but also that our peers judge us to be at the top of our game.”

He said 2017 would be remembered as the year when technology really took off in the home-moving sector.

He said: “Digital tech has been sweeping through our business world fast, including the rise of online estate agents, the digitalisation of the Land Registry, block chain going mainstream, more sophisticated automated valuation models and new mortgage lending platforms, to name a few.”

His comments came after speculation that Countrywide has pressed the stop button on its roll-out of its digital estate agency offering.

Separately, LSL Property Services has announced that its surveying business, e.Surv, has extended its contract as lead provider of valuation services to Santander.