Looking to buy - rightmove / Zoopla my only options?

SprostonGreenHead

Murphybear said:

Zerforax said:

OnTheMarket is another website but otherwise I would mostly use Rightmove. They are the biggest of the 3 websites and will have all the other listings there (some estate agents dont use the other 2 though).

Everything is online now - your local estate agents will not have any listings that they haven't put online. All the information you will want will generally be online too.

I found that that most of the properties on Rightmove and  OnTheMarket were the same.  

Most properties will end up on all of the main sites (Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket, Primelocation) but depending on what deal the EA has with each of the sites, might appear on just one of these for a short exclusive period when first listed (a few weeks ish). Rightmove has the biggest share of the market on this front.

ReadingTim

Rightmove is a good place to start initial browsing, so you get an idea of what's available in the area you're looking in and the budget you have available.  But it's just an aggregator - a platform to connect buyer and seller (or rather, their agent). 

So when you actually want to view somewhere, you go via the EA, and once they realise you're not a timewaster or other fantasist,  they'll start to contact you direct with new instructions that haven't yet had the online listing produced/live yet.  

Obviously there might be some agents who don't use RM, but you should be aware of those anyway, assuming you've been to the area you're looking to buy in, and are familiar with the local agents who sell the sorts of places you're looking at - there are usually 3-5 or so anywhere locally who'll specialise in whatever level of the market you're looking at.  

peterhjohnson

Zerforax said:

Everything is online now - your local estate agents will not have any listings that they haven't put online. All the information you will want will generally be online too.

For ordinary properties, this is true. For more specialised property types such as those of interest to builders/flippers, some agents prefer not to advertise but instead contact likely buyers direct.

Jonboy_1984

Don't be afraid to sign up for estate agents emailing lists - sometimes these (locally at least) send through property details a little while before the listing appears online (sometimes so soon the EA office team don't realize a listing is live yet...!) 

There was also a few last year that went onto Rightmove and Zoopla with a planned viewing day, and then went SSTC before that date with one local agent who were very proactive with the emails during last years faster market.