| TheHouseShop | Rightmove | |
|---|---|---|
| Type: | Property portal | Property portal |
| Covers: | Sales, Lettings, New Homes, Accessible Housing, Flat Shares, International | Sales, Lettings, New Homes, Students, Overseas, Commercial |
| Caters to: | private sellers/landlords, online agents, High Street agents & developers | High Street agents & Online Estate Agents |
| Fees: |
Free to advertise for everyone - both professional estate agents and private sellers/landlords |
Fees vary but average cost per agency in 2015 was £740 per month |
| Launched: | March 2015 | January 2000 |
| Website: | www.thehouseshop.com | www.rightmove.co.uk |
| Blog: | TheHouseShop Property Blog | Rightmove Property Blog |
| Social Media: |
Twitter: @TheHouseShopUK Facebook: /TheHouseShopdotcom |
Twitter: @Rightmove Facebook: /Rightmove.co.uk |
| Advertising Restrictions: | none | Individuals cannot advertise directly |
Rightmove.co.uk is a UK-based property website commonly known as a "property portal". Estate agents from all over the UK use Rightmove to market their clients properties for sale and to rent to millions of buyers and tenants each month. Buyers and tenants can search for property on the Rightmove website and will find homes being sold and let by both online estate agents and High Street estate agents. Rightmove is the largest, and arguably the most well known, property portal in the UK and the majority of sellers and landlords will usually want their properties advertised on the portal because of the huge numbers of buyers and tenants who visit the website each day.
A property portal is a website or online platform that collects property listings from multiple sources and displays them all in once place. Property portals have become more popular over the past 5 to 10 years as buyers and tenants got tired of searching through dozens of individual estate agents websites to find homes for sale and to rent. The main property portals in the UK are Rightmove, Zoopla and Prime Location, and they offer massive combined exposure for property ads.
There are a number of different models for property portals, but Rightmove and Zoopla charge estate agents a monthly fee to advertise all their properties. A property portal is essentially an advertising platform meaning the portal itself does not normally own or represent the properties listed on its website. If you want to make an enquiry about a property that you find on a portal, you will usually be directed to contact the agency or individual who is marketing the property, and not the portal themselves.
The majority of property portals in the UK are agent-only, meaning you will only find properties for sale or to rent listed by estate agents. However, a new breed of "whole market" portal has emerged recently and you can now find portals like TheHouseShop.com which showcase listings from anyone and everyone selling or letting property, including private landlords, private sellers, high street agents, online agents, property developers.
Rightmove has a huge selection of property for sale from High Street estate agents, Online estate agents and property developers across the UK. Buyers and investors can find houses, flats, maisonettes, studios, bungalows and more at a range of prices by using Rightmove's property search. Buyers can search for property in a specific town, city, area, postcode or near a specific station and can then refine their search by using filters for the number of bedrooms, price range, type of property and when the listing was first uploaded to Rightmove.
Find Property For Sale on Rightmove here
Find Property For Sale on TheHouseShop here
Rightmove is a popular advertising platform for new homes developers and the website has a dedicated New Homes For Sale page where users can browse tens of thousands of new build properties for sale from across the UK. New build properties have become increasingly popular over the past few years and there are a number of Government incentive schemes to encourage First Time Buyers to look at new homes. Rightmove work with some of the largest and most respected property developers in the UK, so you will find brand new homes for sale from big name builders.
Find New Homes For Sale on Rightmove here
Find New Homes For Sale on TheHouseShop here
The UK has an ageing population and demand for accessible or adaptable retirement homes is going to increase rapidly over the next 10 years. New homes developers often build developments specifically for the retirement market and buyers can benefit from properties designed specifically for older people. Rightmove have a selection of retirement homes on their website which users can search by location, number of bedrooms, price range and property type.
As well as specific retirement developments, buyers should also consider looking at accessible or adaptable properties in mixed use developments. In London, property developers must provide 10% of all units in new developments as wheelchair accessible homes, which can provide an excellent option for some older buyers prefer to avoid retirement communities. You can search accessible homes for sale here.
Find Retirement Homes For Sale on Rightmove here
Find Wheelchair Accessible Homes on TheHouseShop here
Rightmove has become a popular advertising platform for commercial as well as residential properties. The website claims that it currently has over 40,000 commercial property listings advertised by commercial property agents, chartered surveyors and property owners, including shops, hotels, land, offices, warehouses, industrial property and development opprtunities.
Find Commercial Property For Sale on Rightmove here
Rightmove also has an Overseas section where users can browse properties for sale and to rent throughout Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and other popular locations. The Overseas section of the site also has guides and advice on buying and renting property overseas which can be incredibly useful for people who are not sure about the different norms and practices in the country they want to live in.
Find Overseas Property For Sale on Rightmove here
Find Overseas Property For Sale on TheHouseShop here
If you are selling or renting out your property you will only be able to advertise on Rightmove if you are represented by an estate agent. Rightmove works with both High Street estate agents and online estate agents to advertise their properties for sale and to rent on the portal, but private individuals cannot advertise.
To advertise your house on Rightmove you will need to instruct either a traditional local agent or an online estate agent.
Selling your property with a traditional High Street estate agent is a great option for people who want a comprehensive service that takes all the work off their hands. This route to market is typically the most expensive way to sell a property and your estate agent will charge you a commission fee based on a fixed percentage of the final sale price. Typical commission fees range from 1.5% - 3% depeneding on the circumstances of the sale and the type of property.
The vast majority of traditional estate agents will advertise their properties on all the major portals, including Rightmove and Zoopla, but it is always sensible to ask your agent where they will be advertising your property before you agree to list with them. The introduction of a new agent-owned portal called OnTheMarket has imposed advertising restrictions on some agents who use the service under their "one other portal" rule, so make sure to ask if your agent uses OnTheMarket.
If you want to sell using a High Street estate agent it is always a good idea to invite at least 3 local agents to come and value your property so that you make sure you get the best deal. Having multiple agents competing for your instruction will ensure that you end up with the lowest fee possible.
TheHouseShop can help you compare the best estate agents in your area & review their performance so you get the best deal!
Compare Local Estate Agents NowOnline estate agents have become increasingly popular in recent years and offer a low cost, fixed-fee service to sell your home. They are significantly cheaper than High Street agents and can still give you access to the major property portals, including Rightmove and Zoopla. Online agents do not have a physical office which reduces their overhead costs and allows them to charge sellers hundreds, instead of thousands, of pounds.
If you want to make sure that you benefit from expert local knowledge then you should consider selling with a "hybrid" online estate agent like Purplebricks. These "hybrid" agents combine elements of an online-only service with local property experts who help guide you through the sales process from start to finish.
Compare the best online estate agents and find the perfect online agent to sell your property on Rightmove
Compare Online Estate Agents NowSadly, private individuals cannot advertise on Rightmove directly. This is because Rightmove makes its money by charging the estate agent representing the property, instead of the owner of the property. Estate agents often feel threatened by private sellers or DIY sellers because they feel that the private sales model is a threat to their business, so Rightmove deliberately exclude private individuals to avoid annoying their core agent membership.
If you want to advertise privately on Rightmove, then your best bet is to use an online-only agent who can give you access to Rightmove and the other major portals for a fraction of the cost of a traditional High Street estate agent. Should you choose to sell with an online agent, you will need to write a description for your property advert, take and upload photos, source and upload an EPC and floor plan, handle enquiries from buyers, conduct viewings and negotiate offers. Essentially, an online agency service is similar to a private house sale, but unlike a private sale, you will be able to advertise on Rightmove.
Ultimately, you cannot sell or let privately on Rightmove without an online estate agent. But there are other popular and effective property websites which allow sellers and landlords to advertise their properties directly. Property classifieds site, TheHouseShop.com, will let you create a property advert and upload it to their site free of charge. They will also distribute your ad to dozens of other busy, prominent property websites, putting your property in front of tens of thousands of buyers and tenants each day.
As we mentioned earlier, Rightmove charge their members a monthly fee to advertise their clients' properties on the portal. Prices vary depending on a range of factors, but estimates show Rightmove charge roughly £650-£700 per agency branch, per month on average.
By comparison, Zoopla charge on average roughly £350 per branch, per month, and OnTheMarket charge roughly £288 per branch, per month, making Rightmove the most expensive out of the UK's major portals.
Rightmove and Zoopla's fees have risen significantly over the past few years and many smaller estate agents are struggling to cover the costs. Because of this, many estate agents are starting to diversify their marketing tactics and are looking at new ways to advertise their clients' properties. Free-to-use property portals like TheHouseShop.com are growing in popularity rapidly, especially with the smaller agencies who feel stretched by the major portals ever-rising fees, but it will still be a while until free portals achieve the success and popularity of the big players.
The Rightmove website is packed full of useful tools and information to help you get to grips with every aspect of the property market. One particularly popular tool is Rightmove's Mortgage Calculator which helps prospective buyers work out their costs and budget. Mortgage lenders use different methods to calculate how much you can borrow, but most will take into account you income, the property value, your deposit amount, your regular expenditure and your credit rating as a bare minimum.
Rightmove has two useful calculator tools for working out how much you might be able to borrow and what you could expect to pay in monthly mortgage payments. Here is a little more detail about each calculator and what information you will need.
How Much You Can Borrow - This handy mortgage calculator will allow you to get an estimate of how much money you could borrow based on your income and the size of your deposit. You will need to enter either your 'Monthly Repayment Budget' or your 'Annual Salary', as well as your maximum deposit amount. You can also choose whether you will be paying off the mortgage on your own, or if you will be making joint payments with someone else (perhaps a partner or friend). Find out how much you can borrow now
What Your Mortgage Will Cost - This calculator tool quickly and easily works out roughly how much your monthly mortgage payments would be for a given property. You will need to know the value of the property you are interested in (you can use free online valuation tools to quickly get an estimate), your maximum deposit amount and if you plan to make the payments on your own or jointly with another person. Find out what your mortgage will cost now
Rightmove also offer a mortgage calculator tool for people looking to buy property in another country in their Overseas section. The Rightmove Overseas Calculator will show you the property value, your maximum available mortgage, the current interest rate, the monthly repayment and the monthly costs for an interest-only mortgage. You simply need to enter the value of the property you are interested in, the length of your mortgage (10 to 30 years) and the country where the property is located. Try the Overseas Mortgage Calculator now
Rightmove's Moving Cost Calculator asks for the price of the property you want to buy and the region or area where you are looking to buy and will return an estimate of your moving costs as well as a list of suitable properties that match your criteria. It is easy to forget about the extra costs associated with moving home such as Stamp Duty, removals, conveyancing etc. so it is always a good idea to think carefully about your overall budget. Try the Moving Costs Calculator now
Rightmove recently launched their School Checker which allows users to check out nearby schools, catchment areas and performance reports so that they can find the right home near the right school. This is a particularly useful tool for parents with school-age children, but even couples without children yet may want to consider using the School Checker to get ahead of the game and make sure they move to a new home near a good school in case they decide to have children further down the line.
Rightmove is the UK's leading property portal but it does have competition from similar portals in the UK market. Rightmove's main rival is property portal Zoopla, which has a very similar business model and covers the same areas - Zoopla also own Prime Location which is another popular advertising platform for UK property. Many UK estate agents will advertise their clients' properties on both Rightmove and Zoople to ensure that they get maximum possible exposure.
Another competitor for Rightmove is agent-owned property portal OnTheMarket. OnTheMarket.com was launched in January 2015 by a group of established High Street estate agents in an attempt to take on the dupoly of Rightmove and Zoopla. Estate agents using the OnTheMarket portal to advertise their properties are subject to a "one other portal" rule in their membership contracts which states that they can only advertise their listings on one other portal website. This resulted in many of OnTheMarket's agents dropping either Rightmove or Zoopla, but Rightmove suffered far less than Zoopla and if anything, the introduction of OnTheMarket has actually strengthened Rightmove's position as the UK's number 1 property portal for estate agents.
Rightmove PLC is a UK-based company that owns and runs www.rightmove.co.uk. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) on the 15th March 2006 at £3.35 per share and is now a member of the FTSE 250 Index.
The Rightmove PLC Board of Directors is made up of:
