The property market in London has been changing rapidly. With the advent and adoption of digitization most industries have been disrupted and so has the property industry. In the UK, the government is also supporting the digitization of the industry through the Levelling Up Agenda and is driving the acceptance of technology for consumers.

The pandemic too has led to an accelerated push towards proptech. 41% of all renters used online appointment scheduling and electronic document signing while 40% used a mobile real estate app. Some of the most notable websites used to search properties can be seen in the graph below.




This article will further dive into the different platforms available for consumers to search for property.

 

1.    Rightmove

Rightmove is the market leader when it comes to searching for properties in the UK. According to a study in 2021, 208m visits are made each month to the platform. Rightmove also reported 692000 active listings thereby providing users with the most comprehensive database for online property search.


2.    Zoopla

Perhaps the 2nd most popular website for searching for properties in the UK. The site is famous for providing buyers with detailed insights such as fluctuating prices for houses specific to areas.

With 120m visitors per month, Zoopla is definitely a platform for buyers and renters to consider.


3.    Spareroom

Keeping all budgetary requirements in mind, we had to recommend Spareroom. For people looking to rent a room, find a roommate to cover for a tenant moving out, share an apartment with the landlord or for landlords to find new tenants to fill up their HMO, spareroom is a great website. An added advantage to Spareroom is that due to the nature of house sharing, it is a great platform to make friends. Thus highly recommended for students and immigrants.


4.    PurpleBricks

One of the big success stories and disruptors in the UK property market space has been PurpleBricks. Currently, with a revenue of over $120m as of 2020, the platform provides transparency to buyers and sellers and charges no commission on sale or purchase. Definitely, a platform for all buyers, sellers, renters and investors to consider