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Written by rosalind renshaw

Rightmove has climbed the top ten UK websites to take sixth place – way ahead of nearest rival Zoopla.

The league table of Britain’s busiest websites is compiled by independent traffic auditor Experian Hitwise.

It shows Rightmove in sixth place for two weeks running this month, above BBC News.

Only Facebook, Google, YouTube, eBay and Amazon are now ahead of Rightmove, which spent most of last year hovering between seventh and eight place.

The next-placed property portal is Zoopla, which comes in at number 48, just behind Ask Jeeves.

The announcement comes as agents, led by Nick Salmon, mull the possibility of an industry-owned and run property portal.

Separately, Rightmove's shares yesterday rose 44p to £15.99 after UBS upgraded Rightmove to 'buy' and raised its price target from £16 to £18. Alex Hugh, an analyst at the broker, said that Zoopla may have had a "honeymoon period" following its merger, but that "Rightmove's dominance looks unchanged to us".

Rightmove’s climb in the league table to sixth spot was after a surge in traffic to the site.

Rightmove director Miles Shipside said: “January is a traditionally busy time for the property market as the new year provides the impetus for many to turn their attention back to searching and researching their local market with a view to making a change.

“This is the second consecutive week that Rightmove has been sixth in the Hitwise rankings and to see so much activity on Rightmove so early in the year already provides an encouraging indicator for the year ahead and will be welcome news for Rightmove member advertisers.”
 
Shipside said that to build more traffic to its member advertisers, Rightmove will roll out a range of  “new features and improvements in 2013 to help estate and lettings agents maximise opportunities in their local market”.

Forthcoming launches are set to include a new version of Rightmove’s Mobile website and a complete overhaul and revamp of Rightmoveplus, its back-end analysis and administration system for members.

Shipside also said that agents will benefit from the launch of a ‘Patch Insight’ tool, to identify exactly what home-hunters are searching for in their area, plus enhanced vendor and landlord reports.

Shipside added: “Our focus for the year ahead is to continue making investments which give Rightmove member agents the opportunity to gain a competitive edge in their local patch.

“To have kicked off 2013 by putting Rightmove advertisers in front such high levels of home-hunter activity marks a promising start to the year which we look forward to building on.”

The full Hitwise top ten (for the week ending January 19) is:

Facebook
Google
YouTube
eBay
Amazon
Rightmove
BBC News
YouTube Mobile
Bing
BBC Main

Comments

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    http://geeksatfire.blogspot.in/

    • 28 June 2013 21:52 PM
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    He He He

    Surely you have just contradicted yourself. Your competitors property will also be visible on Google competing to get the viewer to their site. Same difference.

    • 27 January 2013 10:08 AM
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    Lets have a figure for how many property searches do not start at the No6 site but instead start with the No 2 website.

    It seems sensible to bypass the middle man and spend the £750 on getting enquiries from Google straight to ones own site where there isn't the temptation of one's competitor's properties

    • 25 January 2013 16:55 PM
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    Well done rightmove

    • 25 January 2013 16:50 PM
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    you are making no attempt to work out which 50% does what! I am sure a % of your vendors would like to be pleasured in a toilet cubicle doesn't mean you should do it.

    There is no stick up my arse thanks but those I am accountable to have a right to know how I invest/waste their money.

    Clearly you are a very typical Agent who has delegated a fair chunk of his workload onto the applicant and presumably embarrasment at not being able to justify it prevents you from meaningful dialogue.

    Carry on mate!

    • 25 January 2013 14:12 PM
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    Can I aks where you plan to place these adverts?

    That is precisely why you need to hold out for top rated blue chip companies. It is better to have one or two logos on each page from quality companies who will pay for the traffic, than to cover your site with cheap adverts.

    No we don't need to get the advertising to fund our own advertising campaign, we have funding in place for that however until we have a high level of content we will not commence our major advertising push.

    The other investment we have received is paying for the site while it is being developed .

    I have been informed after following up a lead from a previous comment in this thread that it is unlikely that many UK agents will be willing to advertise on the same site as FSBO, however the feedback I have received from the agents I have spoken to in person seems to contradict that information, because as I have said before there is no charge to advertise and therefore nothing to lose.

    Maybe it is time to change that attitude.

    As for google and Yahoo, Quite simply statistically more people search using google than yahoo.

    • 25 January 2013 13:39 PM
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    @FNAE Chap

    Nope, ive read my own post again and I definitely didn’t accidentally type that I advertise on RM because it’s cheaper than papers.

    RM is part of numerous things we do here, my private and developer clients like to be on there and we like to give people what they want, sort of helps with my profits

    As some one once said you know 50% of your marketing is wasted but you don’t know which 50%.

    However, if you have a stick up your arse about RM then fair dos, im not sure what all the sheep thing is and im not sure what you have in mind about this opening up in my patch and outselling me thing is either but its clear that you don’t like RM

    Jonnie

    • 25 January 2013 12:15 PM
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    Whenever someione looks like they might start saying something that doesn't need hearing it is funny how quickly tumbleweed starts blowing through!
    Draw your own conclusuions!
    The poorly diguised RM posters and those with a pro RM agenda soon shut up once the customers start biting back!

    • 25 January 2013 10:12 AM
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    Don't you fancy cewing the fat about how it is both business negligent and lazy not to keep an eye on where your actual sales are coming from?

    Perhaps your delay replying is because you are off looking for a sale that actually came about as a result of a Rigtmove Applicant. I am ready when you are!

    • 24 January 2013 18:58 PM
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    Hi Scott,

    Can I aks where you plan to place these adverts?

    The problem with websites that are backed entirly by advertising is that they end up as busy websites that are difficult to navigate and not very pleasant on the eye.

    Im pretty sure that to recieve enough funding to fund a marketing campaign you are going to need a lot of advertisers.

    Why do you tihkn google is more popular than Yahoo?

    • 24 January 2013 16:32 PM
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    Blue,

    I was trying not to appear as though I was simply here to advertise our site. There are so many forums where even mentioning the name of the site never mind adding a URL, gets you black listed.

    Always free guaranteed.

    No we are not a charity, we intend to build the site to such a size that the traffic we receive is enough to attract advertisers to us who wish to expose their products to our site visitors. This is now standard practice on the web and can create quite a lot of revenue.

    The trick is to gain enough popularity and visitors to the site in order to attract the blue chip companies (not just 10 a penny gambling links) who will pay to add a logo or banner.

    This revenue will allow us to keep the site free for all those who wish to advertise with us. Until then we have working and contingency funding in place while we continue to grow.

    It is interesting to note that within 2 weeks of launching we had over 200 properties listed in Southern Spain which came about simply by speaking to one agent who a member of our staff knows in Marbella.

    The agents in Spain don't seem to automatically assume that if something is advertised as free, there is going to be a catch.

    The same can't be said for the UK agents I am afraid, but without their/your support it will take us a lot longer to get to where we want to be. (above RM and never say never)

    In fact we have even toyed with the idea of having a legal contract drawn up, signed by the directors and available on our website for agents to download which guarantees they will never be charged to advertise with us.

    So the site address is

    http://www.findersandsellers.com/

    I'd very interested to hear your views and am always open to constructive criticism and advice.

    We also have a blog you may be interested in reading, commenting on or contributing to.

    http://www.findersandsellers.com/wordpress/

    • 24 January 2013 13:10 PM
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    Happy Chappy,

    Thanks for that, you see as non estate agents that is the sort of info we need to know. For us FSBO is something we felt it necessary to offer in order to cover the initial shortfall in agency listings which we expect to have.

    I will get in contact with Trevor Mealham to find out exactly where he stands.

    Thanks

    • 24 January 2013 12:11 PM
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    Scott. Marketing director ? you missed the opportunity to name your business in your post. Not everyone will look for your profile.

    Free... for how long ? I'm guessing you're not a charity.

    • 24 January 2013 12:09 PM
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    put it this way Jonnie my card has FNAEA. and have been posting on here long enough to be suirprised by that particular post of yours.

    • 24 January 2013 11:50 AM
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    Scott - One problem your site faces is that some very high profile people such as Trevor Mealham of the INEA are 100% against private sellers and EA's being allowed to advertise on the same portals.

    • 24 January 2013 11:43 AM
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    I am absolutely amazed, with some of these comments.

    First of all let me say I am not an agent and haven't worked for an agent. I am a marketing director.

    I did however put my property on the market with a local agent last year and then waited nearly three weeks for the photographs to appear on RM with the description.

    There is a lot of moaning about RM and their fee's and we launched our site 3 months ago as a free alternative, we know the journey is going to be a long hard one but our investors are in it for the long term and don't expect any quick fix.

    What amazes me however is that although we are offering the site as a free portal for both agents and private sellers and although the estate agents I personally have been in contact with have agreed it is a great idea and much needed, very few (in the UK at least) have bothered to even list a couple of properties just to try it out an see how easy it is.

    Now speaking from a marketers point of view, the only reason RM is in the no 6 position is because they get a lot of traffic to their site and the only reason they get a lot of traffic is because they have a lot of listings and (and advertise the fact) and guess what, the only reason they have a lot of listings is because you use them and pay handsomely for the privilege.

    It is a bit of a catch 22 really, the sooner we get listings (and remember we don't charge) the sooner we can start our full advertising campaign (no point until we have a lot of content), the sooner the traffic to our site will increase and the sooner we will climb up the search engine ratings.

    Saying that refusing to accept the hikes in RM's prices won't make any difference is absolutely ridiculous, if the 10,000 or so agents in the UK who now list with them and paid out nearly £97,000,000 in fees last year, stood together tomorrow and said ‘we won’t be held to ransom any more’ and stopped paying, then RM would cash in their chips and disappear over night.

    Free online advertising is the future for the property market and we know that the Internet and the way it works can make it a reality, but if you want things to change then you have to make it happen.

    I get the feeling that most estate agents want the same thing but instead of acting together, they stand in a crowd pushing each other to the front saying " go on do it, if you do then I will"

    It just takes a few of you take make the leap and the rest will follow.

    • 24 January 2013 10:30 AM
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    @how lazy is that

    Before I reply can you just confirm what it says on your business card as your job role

    Ive got a feeling that you don’t know what you are talking about and are one of these well meaning sorts and as they have bought some houses think they know a fair bit more than they do.

    At the same time you are here and you are posting so I may well be completely wrong.

    So, one line reply, what do you do for a living? and we can go from there

    Jonnie

    • 24 January 2013 10:26 AM
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    I bet if Ros posted the headline "Rightmove Smells Like Hamsters" the same trolls would be on here regurgitating the same crap about Rightmove’s business model.

    You numpty's made Rightmove No.1 and now complain about its success and its right to charge for that success?!?

    It's really simple, if you don't like Rightmove cancel your membership. Simple.

    Yeah, I thought not.

    • 24 January 2013 10:06 AM
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    HA HA HA...this is page views not visits. This is not people looking at the site, it's how many pages people view and could be all of us using Rightmove Plus. Even I know the difference now. I feel like a technical genius.

    rightmove must be sweating over the fact that they're not a monopoly anymore. Now is the time to get a discount on my membership.

    I like this Zoopla. I like what they're doing to Rightmove....scaring them.

    • 24 January 2013 09:51 AM
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    Whatever money they spent, was so that their clients properties could reach as many potential buyers as possible, not just you. If EA's do not believe Rightmove is value for money they can leave and use alternative marketing methods.....it is very simple.

    • 24 January 2013 09:35 AM
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    Quite honestly I am surprised at you Jonnie and I am left wondering if there are now two Jonnies, after all there are two James P’s both successful in the South East, one with 3 offices, one with 4.

    What I am surprised at is that you seem to think Rightmove is good because it is cheaper than print advertising and because your adverts aren't ending up in a field that is good reason to fund their excessive profits.

    Using your scenario If the newspaper editor justified a price hike because your Advert was being viewed by 500 times in 1 location you would be quite right to point out that 500 sheep in one field all munching on a dumped pile of newspapers didn't actually count as meaningful circulation, yet without being able to quote the effective cost of sale you are happy to facilitate £1600 of profit to RM each month/ member of staff.

    I have bought 4 properties in the last 6 years and in that time 12 local agents have spent (iro) £650,000 between them on RM Fees to have me as a lead. All 4 properties have been purchased without RM playing any part in the process. All my purchases have come from conversations with Agents that cost no more than £4 in telephone calls.

    It is simply bonkers for anyone to say use RM because it is the number one site for property. This story says nothing about which is the best internet presence to effect a sale. Without Rightmove I could open on your patch and be outselling you within 6 months because I recognise that it is not how many leads or contacts I have but the quality of the leads but above all of that it is what I do with the leads once I have them.

    • 24 January 2013 08:26 AM
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    Jonnie - I agree with you......but what all this stuff about one site for porn ? and you were only told about huh ;0)

    • 23 January 2013 16:59 PM
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    Well, what a headline for RM.

    First thing is it looks like Nick Salmons ‘This is the moment for agents to act on portals’ might have just passed.

    This RM thing does often bring out the views of the ‘we don’t need and agent we’ve got rightmove’ types with their mis judged views on what’s involved, lets face it if it was as easy as bunging an ad on Rightmove id be sat here on my own and much richer and probably covering all the surrounding boroughs as well, anyway, im going off the point.

    I believe the nation predominantly uses one website for books and DVDs, one for cars, one for jobs, one for auctioning things, one for boring their followers stiff with what they had for breakfast and one for hooking up with former lovers for affairs and posting photos of their dull lives and according to these numbers one for getting the news. Im also told its now one for pornography, its just the way it goes.

    Once upon a time it was newspapers we advertised on and before we advertised in there at prices that would shock Donald Trumps ex wife we were looking at circulation numbers as the key factor.

    The world has moved on, and im glad Rightmove is here its makes the job of deciding where to advertise easier and its cheaper than the paper used to be, you also don’t need to keep calling the rep to check delivery areas to find some bloody paper boy is dumping them In a ditch and half the area isn’t getting the local rag

    Jonnie

    • 23 January 2013 14:52 PM
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    Hi Hilary, there are many things you are doing that Rightmove cannot easily do. Unless you are saying your approach to selling properties is stick it on the portals and wait for the phone to ring but i doubt it is.

    • 23 January 2013 12:46 PM
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    Given this level of public awareness, when will rightmove start to finally dable in private sales.
    What are we actually doing that Rightmove could not easily replicate - If the pricing was right, 100,000 units at £2000 ave fee is a big number. More than they can ultimately make from us.

    • 23 January 2013 12:05 PM
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    Obiviously you are not an Agent but one of those folk who think that giving information away ad lib is a good thing. Let me guess never worked in agency, got a 2:1 from COFEversity and know it all.

    Any agent will tell you that dishing out information to both vendors and applicants needs to be tempered with the purpose of the information. Given that the very vast majority of stats and info bing dished ourt is simply wrong, when it comes from a big company there is an expectation from the public that is correct.

    • 23 January 2013 11:48 AM
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    So, giving too much information to buyers "undermines a seller's expectations," does it? What a bizarre way of looking at things...

    • 23 January 2013 10:52 AM
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    @James P Did they explain why their profit margin is reversed ie 80% profit 20% costs? instead of the normal 80 costs 20% profit.

    Loving Rightmove and Zoopla for delivering contract ready applicants is ideal for those that don't know how to sell, allowing applicants to buy property they have found on the internet is fine but don't expect to justify a 1.5% fee to your vendors. If you want to play that game carry on but don't be surprised and don't bitch and moan when you get undercut by online agents who can afford to do the same work as you for 0.5%

    Most agents and most poster on here do not hate Rightmove or Zoopla but are frustrated that no-one will comment on why a portal that costs sub £50/ month / branch to operate and make a profit needs to charge £750, just because it can. Additionally why Zoopla, Findaproperty and Primelocation now enjoying the economies of scale of needing only one support team 1 set of administration costs etc need to hike their costs by 200% when there is no new code no development or features. It does not make sense and professional business people are correct to question the increases.

    P.S if you are the same James P who has been running succesful agency in the South East best re-read your last post to remember how many offices you have got! It was 3 last time?

    • 23 January 2013 10:41 AM
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    James, so you prefer to negotiate from a position of power. May i suggest some negotiation training for you.

    http://www.activia.co.uk/ppc/EMKppc.php?src=g&c=negotiation&kw=tr&g=em&loc=uk&lp=1&ad=2012EarlyBird1&gclid=CKaJ8d6h_rQCFcq-zAodehIA4A

    • 23 January 2013 10:26 AM
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    Well done RM... we're all over it! :)

    • 23 January 2013 10:21 AM
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    Some are missing the point about portals

    They actually are now delivering more information for buyers than is helpful to sellers in most parts of the country

    In trying to be an excellent place to advertise they are clearly succeeding

    However, in allowing buyers ready access to comps, and house price data it is proving un-helpful when negotiating sales

    Buyers should have to work much harder to find the information that undermines a sellers expectations

    In regards to value for money - RM is not so bad really, but we do all get suckered in to paying for our ego's with branding etc that actually isn't worth having - microsites and valuation alerts being the worst in my opinion

    Zoopla is rubbish on customer service and I don't like their lets have a stab at the value page either - so not for me

    • 23 January 2013 08:55 AM
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    so RM serenely sailing off into the distance leaving zoopla noisily in their wake.

    results is what matters not PR & pretty diagrams of partner sites- that's just pretty pictures designed to flatter-a single strong brand identity works online.

    i don't like RM fees but i agree with industry observer..it used to be worse with print.

    so, have Zoopla shot their bolt? hope not.

    • 23 January 2013 08:52 AM
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    There's no denying it - all these sites are delivering.

    • 23 January 2013 08:45 AM
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    So, a couple of days after Nick Salmon suggests launching his 'agent led portal' it is pretty much confirmed with this story that a portal of this type will never ever get anywhere close to Rightmove.

    Those who were banging on the other day saying that 'By having an agent led portal, it will give you a chance to say No to Rightmove & Zoopla'. Well, that is absolute bull.

    How on earth could you say to RM with a straight face "I'm saying no to your increase in fees because I am on Radar/PL/Anotherportal which is number 2000 in the list of websites in the country" If it were in the top 50, then you might, just might, get away with it, but anywhere lower than that, and RM would laugh at you.

    For me, it's a straight fight between RM & Zoopla. We had RM in yesterday to explain their increase in fees for this year and I told them that if they deliver and Zoopla don't, Zoopla will get the elbow in a years time. I also told them the oppostie will happen if Zoopla deliver & RM don't.

    You haters need to start embracing RM & Z and appreciate what they offer you. Or come off them altogether and stop wingeing

    And, No, I am not an employee of RM or Zoopla. I have 4 offices in the SE of England

    • 23 January 2013 08:44 AM
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    "Propertyplace- sorry, it won't be you. Rightmove will flick you away if they want use the facebook platform"

    they will simply put pressure on GMG not to supply their clients properties FOC.

    • 23 January 2013 08:39 AM
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    What is really interesting here is that you would expect the top 6 to be above them - now if RM ever gets to fifth or above that would be incredible as the first 5 are automatic gimmes in this table.

    Astonishing performance and something to make all those who criticise RM's fee levels and frequency of increases wonder if actually it is good value.

    Even £1000 a month has to be better value than 4 weeks adverts in the local paper at £250 a time, doesn't it?

    Long time since I placed an advert in a paper but last time I did it was about £150 for a piddling sized box that these days wouldn't be big enough for the obigatory information to be displayed anyway. And that was just local - with RM for my £250 a week I can reach the whole world!!

    Just a thought from someone who dislikes RM intensely because of their attitude towards clients - but who would have thought when they launched that they would get to this level?

    • 23 January 2013 08:21 AM
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    oh dear...looks like Zoopla still a long way off the market leader. only 21% bigger after all that activity last year? methinks they've just provoked a behemouth to sharpen up...not a bad thing though doubtless we'll be asked to pay Rightmove for all these new investments.

    can we have another contender please!

    Propertyplace- sorry, it won't be you. Rightmove will flick you away if they want use the facebook platform...

    • 23 January 2013 08:15 AM
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    why?

    • 23 January 2013 07:39 AM
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    The Property Place on Facebook must be Smiling this Morning ;-)

    • 23 January 2013 07:11 AM
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