Property Portals Explained: Show Your Home to Millions of Buyers

When our customers instruct us, one of their first questions centres around advertising. They want to know how we'll advertise their home and make sure it gets in front of potential buyers. It's all well and good having a jazzy property listing on our website, but we need to guarantee a reach far and wide.

In the UK, there are property portals. These portals host the majority of UK homes listed on the sales and lettings market, no matter the instructed agent. Combined, they reach millions of potential buyers and renters daily.

But what does all of that mean for you, the seller? Well, it's undoubtedly good news. Combined with marketing on our website, emoov has a strong presence across the property portals. The result will see your home given the best opportunity to achieve a fast sale.

We have put this article together to explain all about the property portals and how they work. So, put the kettle on, sit back, and find out everything you need to know about UK property portals.

How has searching for property evolved?

Once upon a time, the property listings' page in your local paper was the only way to find out what was available on the market – then everything changed with the internet boom.

The year 2000 didn't bring Y2K, as many had predicted, but it did birth the UK's first property portal. Rightmove was founded, and with it came a dramatic shift in how people searched for a property.

Technology, combined with a desire for instant access, offered a faster and more efficient way to search for homes. Fast-forward 19 years and 98% of people now start their property search online.

Who are the primary players?

Property portals come in many shapes and sizes, but there are two primary websites where you want your property to feature: Rightmove and Zoopla. At the very minimum, you want your home on these two websites, as they have by far the greatest reach.

Here are the property portals emoov advertises with:

• Rightmove: The UK's number one property portal, Rightmove brings with it the most engaged property audience and the most extensive inventory of properties all under one roof. Overall, Rightmove sees around a whopping 127 million visitors per month.
• Zoopla: While Zoopla doesn't generate as much traffic as Rightmove (50 million users per month), it's still the second largest property portal on the market. Where Rightmove tends to feature around 1.1 million properties for sale, the competition is slightly less on Zoopla, who advertise around 920k. Zoopla also owns Hometrack, the property data website. Therefore, it has built a strong reputation for its property analytics.
• PrimeLocation: Once its own company, PrimeLocation was purchased by Zoopla in 2016 but is run as a separate entity. It's designed to come across as a fresher, more modernised version of the property portals – an alternative to Rightmove and Zoopla, if you will.

Why does my home need to be on a property portal

The simple answer? Reach. While the emoov website sees a high volume of traffic each month, the property portals expand on that initial reach even, helping us to cover every angle when marketing your home.

With your home featured on Rightmove, Zoopla and PrimeLocation, the number of potential buyers you're exposed to increases exponentially. No matter which location people are searching for in the UK, millions head over to Rightmove and Zoopla.

Our mission is to sell your home as fast as possible, which is why it's vital to have a presence across the major portals. We make sure that the millions of visitors on Rightmove, Zoopla and PrimeLocation have an opportunity to see your home the next time they are searching for their next home.

Do I need an agent to be on Rightmove or Zoopla?

You will need to instruct an agent to list on the major portals if you want to sell your home. They don't allow individuals to advertise their property with them, which means you severely limit your reach if you don't use an agent, whether online or one of the high street.

There are some free portals where you don't need an agent to list your property – such as Gumtree. However, these free versions don't have anywhere near the reach or reputation with potential buyers.

Do I need to pay extra to feature my home on the portals?

Advertising on the major portals is included in the upfront, fixed payment of £295. That means we list your home on Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket and PrimeLocation without charging anything extra on top.

Prices are correct as of 12 September 2024 and are subject to change without notice. Some services may require subscriptions. Please check here for latest prices.

A perfect fit

emoov and the major property portals go hand in hand, offering you the best opportunity to sell your home while simultaneously looking for a new one.

Whether you're ready to sell, planning to sell or just curious, request a callback, and one of our dedicated property experts will be in touch to see how we can get the best deal for your home – and get it seen by more than 150 million people online.