The previous two years were busier than ever for property transactions, and the National Land Survey of Finland (NLS) received 20 per cent more title registration applications than in a normal year. The NLS responded to this congestion by recruiting dozens of new handlers at the beginning of 2022. The development of the Residential and Commercial Property Information System is also proceeding as planned.
Regarding apartments, application processing times have decreased from three to two months. In registrations of properties and rights of lease, processing times are about four months, because the number of applications is many times higher than for apartments. However, decisions on mortgage applications that do not involve any other applications are made in less than a month and, in the Property Transaction Service, decisions on the confirmation of mortgaging and the transfer of electronic mortgage deeds are even made directly after submitting an application.
Use online services whenever possible
You should always submit your property registration application to the NLS using online services. Online services offer a secure and fast way to send documents for processing. If the required attachments are included immediately, your application will be processed even more quickly. However, if any additions are required, they can also be sent through online services.
‘We hope property registration applications will only be sent by email in situations where this is not yet possible using the online services. However, these situations are very rare in practice. Regular people can take care of practically every property-related matter in our online services,’ says director Janne Murtoniemi.
Even though some attachments are still required as originals, applications can still be submitted online. The original documents can be sent by post, and they will be returned without delay. It is also possible to visit one of our customer service points and show the documents.
Recruitment to continue, the Residential and Commercial Property Information System keeping the NLS busy
Recruitment will be continued, because more employees are needed in property registrations. Recruitment marks a proactive step towards the future, because all Finnish housing companies must transfer their list of shares to the Residential and Commercial Property Information System by the end of 2023. New registration secretaries typically come to the NLS from the banking or real estate brokerage sectors.
‘During the previous round of recruitment, we received many applications for our vacancies, and we are particularly happy to see how attractive the NLS is as an employer. People enjoy working here, and we offer varied tasks. Our employees can also transfer to other interesting positions inside our organisation. We have harmonised our induction processes across the country, which has received positive feedback from both new employees and trainers. Our aim is for everyone to have as uncomplicated a start as possible in their new position,’ Murtoniemi says.
More effectiveness through automation and new working methods
In addition to new people, property registrations are accelerated by a robot that reminds customers to pay their capital transfer tax. When taxes are in order, decisions can be made more quickly.
‘So far, we have received nothing but positive experiences in robotics. We will analyse the results during this spring and consider expanding the use of robots. For example, robots can produce significant benefits in the processing of apartment registrations, and we are investigating their opportunities in detail,’ Murtoniemi says.
Contact
Director Janne Murtoniemi, 040 710 8862, janne.murtoniemi@maanmittauslaitos.fi