Market kick starts with rise in visits, new listings and enquiries to agents on Rightmove

Rightmove logo
  • Visits to Rightmove were up 45% on Wednesday morning compared to the previous day following the government’s surprise announcement to reopen the housing market1
  • Email enquiries sent to agents rose by 70% now that physical viewings can again take place2
  • New listings are also starting to rise, with 2,115 new properties added in just five hours3

 

Early signs on Rightmove show a surge of home-mover activity now that the government has eased restrictions on moving home in England. Ahead of the announcement, activity was already starting to steadily recover, with yesterday (Tuesday 12th May) being the busiest day of lockdown for visits to Rightmove. The surprise announcement last night has ignited further interest.

 

Rightmove’s Housing Market Expert Miles Shipside commented: “These are clear signs that the news from the government has prompted more home-hunters to start looking for their next home, and we anticipate further uplift in activity once agents have time to adjust to the new social distancing guidance specific to the home moving sector. Home movers who have been eagerly waiting to take their home moving plans to the next stage should show some patience with agents given the unexpected announcement, to ensure there’s time to adapt to the new guidelines and ensure everyone is kept safe.”

 

Rightmove has created some guidelines on how to view property safely based on the government’s published guidance for home-movers, available at:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/news/articles/property-news/how-to-view-property-safely/

Rightmove

UK Property news updates shared directly from Rightmove PLC - the country's leading property portal.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Rental price and average salary tracker – July 2026

Year-on-year Rental Price Growth Moderates, Yet High Demand and Limited Supply Continue to Push Rents Higher London recorded the strongest monthly rental growth, with average rents rising from £2,385 to £2,484 (+4.2% month-on-month). As a result, the representative annual salary needed to secure the average-priced rental home increased from £70,050 to £74,520 (+6.4% year-on-year). The…
Read More
Breaking News

House prices stable in July

House prices stable in July (0.0%), following a +0.2% rise in June Average property price now £299,253 compared with £299,396 in June Annual growth of +0.1% is the slowest rate of house price inflation since November 2023 Northern Ireland continues to record the UK’s strongest annual growth at +7.4%   Amanda Bryden, Head of Mortgages…
Read More
Overseas Property

Algarve tops the list of overseas destinations by Brits this summer

New analysis from Rightmove reveals the most popular overseas destinations that potential British buyers are searching for this summer The Algarve in Portugal is the most popular destination, followed by Paphos in Cyprus and Mallorca in Spain Spain is the overall most searched for country, followed by France and Italy New analysis by Rightmove, the…
Read More
Breaking News

UK Construction Sector Activity Remains Stagnant

Glenigan’s data shows construction sector performance is depressed in a tough socio-economic landscape The value of underlying (under £100 million) work starting on-site during the three months to the end of July declined 11% and fell 29% below last year’s levels. Residential construction starts fell sharply, declining 25% against the preceding three months and dropping…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Seven fire safety myths every business should avoid

Fire safety is one of those responsibilities that often doesn’t receive the attention it deserves – until something goes wrong, that is. For many businesses, compliance has fallen into the trap of being a tick-box exercise that’s centred around annual inspections, manual training exercises, and having the right paperwork in place. And although these are…
Read More
Breaking News

Suzy Lamplugh’s legacy underlines the need to always make lone-worker safety a priority

More than 40 years after estate agent Suzy Lamplugh disappeared while attending a work appointment, her legacy remains a powerful reminder that personal safety must be central to workplace practices. On 28 July 1986, 25-year-old Suzy Lamplugh left her London office for an appointment and never returned. Her disappearance led her parents, Diana and Paul…
Read More