Zoopla says its latest research shows it has now achieved a record level of national brand awareness and leads UK property portals on some measures, overtaking Rightmove for the first time.
The research, conducted by Harris Interactive and questioning over 1,000 adults across the UK between April 25 and April 29, shows that on ‘prompted brand awareness’ - where consumers are asked if they recognise certain brands - Zoopla scored 87 per cent against 83 per cent for Rightmove.
In terms of spontaneous brand awareness - where consumers are asked which property websites they can name - Zoopla scored 45 per cent versus 40 per cent for Rightmove and four per cent for OnTheMarket.
The research shows usage of property portals in the UK is at an all-time high with 47 per cent of those questioned claiming to have used a property search website in the last 12 months.
Some 62 per cent of those questioned claimed that the portals an agent advertises on would factor into their selection of agent when selling or letting their home - Zoopla says in a similar survey earlier this year the figure was 53 per cent.
When asked which property search websites they had ever used, Rightmove remains ahead on 50 per cent versus 46 per cent for Zoopla and six per cent for OnTheMarket.
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Seriously. Does anyone use any other website than OnTheMarket or Rightmove.
As a conveyancer, and home owner, j have never visited Zoopla. No kidding. Not even now.
Oh Tim, how challenged you are. A portal is a portal, therefore I use Rightmove and Zoopla. OTM aka the UKIP of portals isn't a concern or an interest for me right now. Essentially OTM is the biggest Thai bride ever except when everyone left their wives for this new online bride they found out on arrival their has a hotdog between its legs and wasn't always a girl.
The UKIP of portals. Very apt, Simon.
Tim, as a conveyancer and home owner, I'm fairly sure you must have visited Rightmove at least once.
And even if you haven't, many others do. Nowhere near as many as Zoopla - which is why the idea that their brand awareness is better is a little bit silly - but way more than OTM.
Steady on, Zoopla.
I'd still say Rightmove was more instantly recognisable, but both the main portals have good brand recognition. It's what sets them apart from OTM - who, no matter what their supporters say, very definitely don't.
That's not exactly unexpected, given they've been around for less than 18 months, but I doubt they will ever achieve the brand awareness of Rightmove and Zoopla. That just isn't gonna happen.
The sample size isn't exactly representative, is it? So we can't really make any judgements.
But the scores are pretty close regardless. The most unsurprising thing about it all was just how poor OTM's brand awareness is. 4%! OK, they've not been around that long, but with all that money spent on rubbish TV ads and big PR stunts I thought they might perform better than that. Also, the majority of people still use RM and Zoopla. Quelle surprise.
Truth is, no-one outside the property industry really knows who OTM are or what they stand for. The majority of people know RM and Zoopla and automatically associate them with property searches. That's the major problem OTM face and one they will never overcome. If they are content with their position as the third of fourth portal, then I think they could do alright - maybe even build slowly and mount a challenge to Zoopla in ten years time - but I fear hubris and too much ambition will be their downfall.
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