How Rightmove Transformed Into the Ultimate 'Argos Catalogue for Adults'

"My husband believes I'm slightly crazy," admits Georgia Lewis, 49. "Instead of working, he's found me distracted by Rightmove And inquires, "What are you observing now? Oh, more." property porn.”‘

Even though Georgia does not plan on selling her London She confesses to checking real estate sites multiple times each week, admitting her desire to find a home soon.

'I have a very vibrant imaginary life when it comes to this.' houses She says, 'I'm never going to purchase.' 'It's a form of escapism; something I indulge in during my free moments or while I'm waiting for the bus or the like.' tube .’

She isn’t alone. Recently, TikTok Video featuring American content creator Lisa Dollan, also known as Yorkshire Peach, who moved from Georgia, USA to Leeds She was puzzled to discover that her British husband and friends joyfully peruse the website for entertainment. "Why are you guys checking out properties? It doesn't make sense to me," she commented.

"Sure, everyone uses Rightmove," agreed almost 10,000 commentators. A user likened it to "the grown-up equivalent of circling items in the Argos catalog." Others confessed to browsing through multi-million pound properties they could never actually buy, simply for fun.

In the previous year, Rightmove captured about 80% of all the time British consumers spent on property websites, averaging nearly 9,400 pageviews per minute. To numerous individuals, exploring this platform has turned into either a routine activity or a way to momentarily detach from their everyday routines.

Georgia mentions, "I usually browse homes that we might actually be able to purchase someday. I suppose you could say I'm a practical dreamer," she explains. "However, I've always dreamed of living in Greece. I often check out properties in Corfu, Crete, and Rhodes, and I can easily imagine myself settling down there."

'I entered the criteria for my ideal home. It should have 'X' bedrooms, at least two bathrooms, and I'll provide meticulous details—I'm particularly keen on having either a utility room or a built-in wall oven.'

Georgia also feels comforted by this routine. "It’s soothing to know that if we ever needed to sell our home for some reason, we could simply pack up and go, paying everything in cash upfront."

Anya Griffiths, who is 25 years old, purchased her one-bedroom apartment in York with her partner just last year. However, she frequently browses Rightmove at least once a week, envisioning her possible future home.

Similar to Georgia, she explores houses that she could potentially buy in the future. 'I am not interested in extravagant properties worth millions of pounds. The aspect I find appealing is assessing what options are realistically available.'

She usually takes a practical approach to her search and establishes 'somewhat realistic criteria.' She explains, "My thinking goes like this: over the next decade, perhaps I might own a property similar to this."

While working in academia, Anya looks at houses near York University or narrows down her search to include places with gardens where her cat could thrive. Nonetheless, she comments, 'This is many years away from reflecting my true way of life.'

What makes us enjoy browsing real estate websites so frequently?

Several factors motivate individuals to browse online real estate platforms, as explained by Catherine Jansonn-Boyd, a professor of consumer psychology. .

For numerous individuals, it stems from 'simple curiosity,' as they seek out properties just to catch a glimpse inside. Frequently, these people explore homes in their surrounding neighborhood or perhaps ones they've casually passed by. She compares this behavior to a form of espionage.

This sense of wonder has the potential to be quite addictive for certain individuals. It feels somewhat akin to engaging in a game; you find yourself drawn into it over time. Eventually, you begin pushing your mental boundaries and contemplating possibilities such as achieving something or residing somewhere new.

'It transports you away from reality. It offers complete escape.'

It's possible to experience a surge of dopamine from browsing, akin to the feeling one gets from retail therapy. "This is fairly typical for individuals who shop for items, whether they're just looking through store windows," she clarifies.

Other visitors may explore the website seeking ideas. Catherine clarifies, "This could be preferable to searching online for generic images. On this platform, you can see the specific floor plan of the house and gain far greater details."

In order to maintain interest, numerous real estate agents enhance their property listings by making them unusually attractive and brightening the colors in the photos, aiming to capture potential buyers' attention and extend their engagement.

What does our Rightmove fixation reveal about the housing market?

Although your Rightmove addiction may appear innocuous, it can genuinely affect reality.

Adam Day, who leads eXp UK's real estate operations, shares his insights. 'It increases the statistics for platforms like Rightmove, allowing them to truthfully state they experience certain levels of traffic. Even though only some of this traffic may be legitimate, it still provides the basis needed to justify raising their fees for estate agents advertising properties on the site.'

He notes that this might hinder market progress. 'A lot of sellers could join the market with unrealistically high prices. If their listings attract many viewers in the first few weeks, they might believe there’s a possibility of making a sale.'

'Nevertheless, after several weeks with minimal to nonexistent viewer inquiries, they are compelled to lower their initial asking price. If they hadn’t noticed considerable "interest" from casual browsers, they would have decided sooner, aiding them in finding a purchaser at a fair market rate more quickly.'

Despite many visitors only exploring listings on Rightmove out of curiosity rather than with serious purchase intentions, real estate agencies still consider it beneficial to invest in advertising properties through this platform. According to Adam, having entries solely on their individual websites wouldn't draw as much traffic as what Rightmove can offer.

Rightmove's significant influence in the real estate market has resulted in the website substantially and steadily increasing property prices over the years. Adam further explains, "This platform has faced considerable criticism from estate agents who believe commission rates have risen dramatically."

Regrettably for agents, they have minimal alternatives but to bear these expenses because of Rightmove’s dominance in the market. Not doing so might not only impair their performance but also discourage potential clients from interacting with them.

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