Rightmove joins forces with Google

Rightmove, the UK’s number one property portal, has struck a deal with Google maps, ahead of Google’s launch into the UK real estate market.

The deal, which takes immediate effect, means Rightmove will now use Google maps on all its property detail pages including those of overseas listings. Over the coming months, Rightmove plans to create a map-based search facility to allow users to find property on the site as an alternative to using the current drop-down menus and free text search box.

Working with the enemy

Sites like Globrix have long had a slight advantage over Rightmove with superior mapping technology but with Google about to launch a map-based property portal in the UK, this type of functionality will soon become the de facto standard for consumers. Without it, Rightmove risks losing market share. Their previous OnOneMap technology simply was not good enough to rival what Google is about to offer, leaving their board little choice but to partner with a company that could become their biggest competitor.

Free traffic to your website

Google’s new map-based property search will be free for agents and users will be encouraged to click through to the agent’s site. In a statement, a Rightmove spokesperson clarified how it intends to compete against the search engine:

“We have two very different business models: Google is a search engine, and users will click through on each property to the agent’s own website. On Rightmove, users can see everything they want, all in the same place – not just the location, but the complete property details”.

It is not the strongest statement from a usually super-confident Rightmove. The only way for them to compete with Google is to have a better selection of property, superior user experience and stronger brand positioning; but if Google can crack the first point, it could do some serious damage. This is why Rightmove will never feed properties to Google. Using Google’s maps is likely to the full extent of their collaboration.

For more information on Google’s plans and for details on how to upload your properties, click here