SmartSearch, the anti-money laundering specialist, is now providing its customer verification system to Alto, the cloud-based software for agents, which forms part of Zoopla.

The new partnership will result in Alto benefiting from the customer verification platform, which identifies customers. SmartSearch’s system also negates the need to use physical copies of documents, as it uses electronic verification to identify each client.

The SmartSearch system uses credit reference data, combined with public sources to generate a composite digital identity that it says is near impossible to fake. All it needs is the name and address of the customer, date of birth is optional, and the system will return a pass or fail.

For Alto customers, this means they can streamline the AML process and meet their legal requirements, without leaving the software platform. In turn, their agency is protected against fraud and money laundering.

John Dobson, CEO of SmartSearch, explained it is essential that those involved in property transactions are using the latest technology to prevent money laundering and fraud.

He said: “Criminals are using cutting-edge technology to create fraudulent documents and it’s imperative that everyone involved in the property purchase process is using the most effective methods to prevent money laundering.

“As a disruptor which has successfully changed the property industry, the Zoopla family of brands has constantly been at the forefront of developing new technology. Its system is designed to make the process of finding a house as simple and efficient as possible.

“This philosophy completely matches with our ethos at SmartSearch, as our customer verification platform is designed to make the process of on-boarding new clients as effective as possible.”

Andy Marshall, chief commercial officer at Zoopla added: “ The customer experience is imperative to Alto’s functionality. Designed to deliver a seamless service to our agent partners who use Alto, this integration with SmartSearch is a real milestone on our journey.

“We’ve been very impressed by the ease of use of the SmartSearch system; it provides a one-stop-shop for our anti-money laundering checks and the searches can be completed in seconds, providing a big benefit to our customers.”