The best property websites in the UK right now

The property market in the UK is a thriving sector because the demand for houses is high and new buildings are being constructed on a daily basis. As a result, the need for property portals (or simply estate websites) is also high: here, property owners can advertise their apartments, houses, both new and old, detached or semi-detached, furnished or unfurnished, etc.

The goal is to sell a property for its maximum value using the appropriate means and correct channels. Therefore, when it comes to websites, it is important to use the one that’s most effective, not necessarily the largest. A seller should assess the right property website depending on which internet page better attracts potential buyers for the highest price. Some of the best-known property websites in the UK with millions of visitors every month display an infinite range of houses and apartments on sale.

It may be harder to find something to buy or to sell an apartment against the others. One of the secrets is to find the right estate agent who is willing to spend some time uploading a property to appropriate websites, with a good description, a number of pictures, and last but not least, the price. If these steps are done thoroughly, the property in question will outshine the others once it is uploaded on the website.

The best property websites in the UK right now

As mentioned above, there are many property websites on the internet. Perhaps too many! This does not mean they are all good and efficient. Which are the best portals in the UK? (*** this top about best UK’s property portals is only our opinion)

1. Rightmove.co.uk

It is considered one of the leading house and buying platform in the United Kingdom. It features over a million properties of sale and rent from nearly every estate agent in the country. Rightmove UK is a great website for both estate agents and potential property buyers or sellers. Surfing on this portal is very straightforward because it works like many other websites: the user will have to search according to four different criteria (location, postcode outcode, full postcodes or train/tube stations), indicate the preferred type of property (including a number of bedrooms, price range), and save the ad by clicking on the “Save Property” link.

In addition, it is possible to set up a search alert on Rightmove UK by logging in the portal, then clicking on “Get property alerts”, so that the user will get email alerts when properties are for sale. Once a house of interest is selected, the potential buyer can get in touch with the agent or developer by clicking on the “Request Details” button in the top right corner. A form will have to be filled out with relevant details including a message and it will be sent to the recipient by clicking on “send message”.

2. Onthemarket.com

It is one of the best property websites when it comes to searching for a property in a quick and simple way. Onthermarket aims to provide as much of a user-friendly experience as possible. It was created by ex countrywide employees with the purpose of providing a quick and easy service to find or sell a property. Customers can easily surf this property website, selecting the desired criteria (for sale, to rent, price range, property type, number of bedrooms, etc.). On the market also gives the opportunity to buy or rent a property overseas, especially in Ireland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and France.

3. Zoopla.co.uk

Zoopla is a property portal launched in 2008 and it has been one of the most useful UK property websites. It is especially recommended for those users that wish to sell their properties as soon as possible. From the buyer’s perspective, Zoopla provides property listings with the market value information so that potential customers can purchase a house easily. This property website is so popular that it is visited by 50 million users every month, increasing the chances of a sale or a purchase.

4. Primelocation.com

This is a reliable website if someone wishes to buy or sell a property. With an increasing number of property internet scammers, Prime Location is trustworthy and supports the client during the process of buying or selling, helps in finding the right price for a property, and in getting the best estate agents. Prime Location was launched in 2001 and it was bought by the Daily Mail & General Holding Limited in 2006 as part of an expansion strategy into the online business sector.

Although it may seem an estate agency at first, Prime Location is just a portal where visitors can find information regarding homes, either for sale or rent. This portal lists properties from over 16,000 estate agents (Strutt & Parker, Knight Frank, etc.) across the United Kingdom it is visited by an average of 5 million people every month. Why choose Primelocation UK over other property websites? There is no doubt that this server offers some of the best services.

Among them, there is a steady inflow of traffic or, to reword it, the millions of people that visit this portal monthly: a high number of visitors means that chances to sell or buy a property are doubled. Primelocation UK guarantees the security of transactions because the portal does not host fake property listings: estate and letting agents have to be certified.

Another great service that this portal provides is near – endless home listings with over 850,000 properties to rent or buy. This company also operates outside the UK with properties from over 60 other countries, especially Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, the UAE, South Africa, and Australia.

At Primelocation UK, visitors can find endless variety, with almost any type of property at reduced costs: from the house at the lake to the one right in front of the sea, countryside homes or properties situated in sprawling cities, etc. Other reasons why clients prefer Primelocation UK over other property portals is its honesty and openness (fairness and transparency are the key, no hidden charges and services offered are free) and the privacy policy that protects customers’ personal details.

5. Mitula.co.uk

Mitula is a Spanish company belonging to a large network of advertising websites. Unlike the property websites listed above, Mitula is dedicated to selling all over the world and it’s not as efficient on sales-focused to the United Kingdom only, because visitors will find multiple categories (apart from properties, cars, jobs, and fashion) and global searches.

6. Home.co.uk

Home is one of the very first property websites to appear on the internet. It is a dated webpage, yet it is still considered one of the most efficient portals for the comparison of property prices.  The home website also shows reports and properties from all portals.

7. Trovit.co.uk

Trovit is very similar to Mitula because it is not focused on properties: it has several categories (cars, jobs, and products) and posts globally. The way Trovit works is very simple: it brings users multiple listings from all over the world after searching for them across the internet from thousands of websites worldwide. Although this portal is not dedicated to buying and selling properties, it is still considered a powerful tool for advertising.

8. Nestoria.co.uk

Nestoria is the 5th largest property website in the United Kingdom and is a proper estate search engine. It is easy to use because it combines all the listings from numerous portals so that looking for a property will be a pleasant experience. Nestoria is a recommended tool both for renting and selling.
<h2″>9. Nethouseprices.com

With its 50 years of experience, Nethouseprices was one of the very first property websites to be launched on the net. Up to this day, it is still one of the most visited UK property portals around the world (an average of 7 million visitors a month). Although it is run by a small team of developers, Nethouseprices features the characteristics of a large property portal and it is a must for a quick bargain on a house. Just like other property websites, Nethouseprices teams up with other local estate agents to advertise properties on its large database.

Among the features provided by this portal, there is a news page that gives daily informative advice on mortgages, property prices, UK’s most affordable cities, repossessed properties, top tips on property prices, etc. There is also a dedicated forum where buyers, sellers, estate agents, or simply visitors, can discuss property matters or just give and receive advice. Very useful feature.

Nethouseprices and its tools also play an important role when a customer is ready to sell or purchase a house: it estimates the correct price by taking into account several factors like the estate’s location, age, upgrades, and so on.

10. Smartnewhomes.com

More than a property portal, Smart New Homes is a team of investors whose objective is to build or buy new homes. The next step is to list mostly new buildings around the United Kingdom and has many shared ownership deals. The great advantage that Smart New Homes offers to first time buyers is a government help to buy scheme, only available for new buildings.
<h2″>Pro and Con of using of the Property Portals from the estate agents point of view

A) Pro

Estate agents are able to improve their customer service and reach out to a vaster part of the population, whereas this was more complicated when the internet was not part of everyday life as it is today. Buying and selling a property is now an automatized process that significantly cuts the time that was needed back in the days.

B) Con

Using the main property portals can be very expensive. There are costs and additional fees that an estate agent has to pay to the portal in exchange for providing his / her service. The popular market trend of buying property online should not ignore the importance of the first human and then the professional figure of the estate agent. It is ok to speed up the process by completing most of it online, but the human factor is still the key. In fact, for some customers, buying or selling a house is something very personal and the online estate agent is good to a certain extent.

Pro and Con of using of the Property Portals from the user point of view

A) Pro

Some of the top property portals are easy to use, which means they are accessible to all types of net surfers, from the less skillful to the most expert. Then, every user will be able to search for properties, manage the listings, and make good use of the tools featured by the portal. Another advantage is the advice pages option, the possibilities to purchase or sell internationally (outside the UK), and the availability of new buildings. Some portals offer more categories apart from properties and are cheap to use.

B) Con

Some of the property portals can be very expensive because the customer will have to publish the ad by contacting an agency or estate agent. Some property websites may lack important tools that would normally facilitate the process of listing a house. Another con is the large number of properties that visitors can end up finding in the portal: too many ads means it will take longer to make the right choice.

Some property websites are not user friendly: listings are hard to read, too many options, and the whole process can turn into a nightmare. There are portals that do not focus on properties as much as expected and can be hard to use. When property websites are dated, they may be hard to use especially among non – experienced internet users. Visitors have to be aware of property websites that are not so strict with spam and scammers: it is always good to verify whether a listing is trustworthy or not.

UK property websites are very important because, needless to say, the internet has become a powerful tool with commercial dealings being easier and faster. Such a thriving sector like property buying and purchasing is taking great advantage from the net because both buyers and sellers can sign an agreement in an amazingly short time compared to the past.

Searching for a home does no longer mean endless days roaming in the neighborhoods hoping to spot the dream property with the “for sale” sign hanging from a post sticking from the front yard. Property websites are definitely a blessing and positively contribute to the development of this sector.

Need to Sell or Rent?

Our wealth of experience in the estate and letting agency sector has allowed us to help both domestic and international clients find the perfect property. More than 30 years after buying our first student property, we now oversee a multi-million-pound international portfolio of properties. One of our main areas of expertise is connecting renters and landlords, and we concentrate on 3 main areas: student, professional and commercial properties. No matter your property need, personal and expert help is always just a click or calls away.