Ex-Gumtree duo launch new UK property website...

The former boss of Gumtree has launched a new property search engine, Adzuna, which aims to take the concept of ‘with a little help from your friends’ to new extremes.

Doug Monro, who more latterly was also chief operating officer of Zoopla, said that Adzuna will not compete with the likes of Rightmove.

Instead, he said, it will act as a marketing tool for property portals and agents.

His co-founder is Andrew Hunter, who was marketing director at Gumtree.

Adzuna was launched last summer and until this week carried only jobs and cars, searching ‘millions’ of classified ads. It will now do the same for property, promising users that they can ‘search every job available, property for sale or to rent and used car for sale in the UK with one simple click’.

However, while the site apparently aims to become the leading search engine for classified ads globally, it currently appears to have some way to go before it can claim bulk listings of properties UK.

Monro said: “Adzuna is a search engine model like Google or Nestoria. Rightmove’s listings are included, and they are a customer who we would send clicks through to – as we would to the other portals like TDPG, Zoopla, Homes & Property, Countrylife, etc.

“We are a marketing supplier to the portals. The benefit to the consumer is universal coverage, but the traffic then clicks through to the agents’ listings on the portals.”

Adzuna has launched with over half a million of the latest listings of property for sale and to rent from the top property portals in one place. It also adds fast, filtered search and useful house price statistics.  Its distinguishing feature is called Friend Map. This tool, based on the Facebook API, lets users see a map of where their friends live and ask them questions about the area.

Once the user has chosen an area, the property listings are one click away. Adzuna’s tool is the first to plot friends’ whereabouts as part of the house hunting process.   Monro said: “We’re really excited about launching in property and proud of the Friend Map feature.

“Our research shows that it particularly appeals to young professionals in major cities who have a choice of where to live. Seeing your Friend Map for the first time has a real wow factor and it’s surprising what you learn about your friends.”