Over a quarter of all properties are now added by agents instantly to Rightmove, including those that use the new instant upload service (Rightmove’s Real-time Data Feed). Those not yet using the instant service also upload more properties towards the end of the week.
Currently the busiest time for searches and sending enquiries is Tuesday at 9pm as more people use mobile devices to look for property, with Fridays proving the least popular.
Searching on mobile has increased by almost 50% in the past year with smartphone and tablet browsing now making up over half of all property detail views on Rightmove. Generally in August enquiries by phone and email from Rightmove agents were up 13% year on year, and those sent via a mobile device were up 45%.
Those looking for a rental property should also keep an eye out on Wednesdays at 5pm, which is the peak time for letting properties to be added instantly.
Head of Communications at Rightmove Matthew James comments on the trends:
“We have around 1.6million people visiting Rightmove every day but Friday afternoons have always been a quieter time, perhaps because people are distracted by weekend plans instead. This new data shows that a quick look on a Friday afternoon could be fruitful and could mean you find a new property first – just in time to get a viewing sorted for the weekend.
We now send one million property alerts out to home-hunters every day, and the majority now choose to receive them instantly. It means that as browsing increasingly shifts to mobile you can find out about a new relevant property on the go and at various times of the day so you’re more likely to be able to ring agents during working hours to set up viewings. We don’t imagine our peaks will change that much based on this new advice, but that means those who do take a look on a Friday might have a competitive edge over another home-hunter!”
