Rightmove vs Zoopla vs OnTheMarket: which to use when buying in London

If you are buying in London, use more than one portal. Estate agents choose where they list and pay each portal separately, so a property can appear on Rightmove and not on Zoopla, or on OnTheMarket and nowhere else. Private landlords and some sellers use Gumtree, which none of the big three cover.

Why the same home is not on every portal

Portals charge agents to list. Each agency decides which portals are worth paying for, and that choice can vary by branch. A listing can also go live on one portal hours before another because agents upload in different ways. For a buyer, that means one portal alone gives you an incomplete and sometimes late view of the market.

Rightmove

Rightmove is the portal most buyers check first, and most London agents list on it. Its alerts are reliable and its draw-a-search tool is useful in London, where borough lines rarely match the area you want. Its sold price data, drawn from HM Land Registry, helps when you are judging an asking price.

Zoopla

Zoopla carries a large share of the same listings, with differences by agent. Many buyers use it alongside Rightmove for its estimate tools and area data. Treat any automated valuation as a rough guide only; it cannot see the condition of the property.

OnTheMarket

OnTheMarket is smaller but some agents list there early or exclusively. It is worth a saved search if you are competing for popular property types.

Gumtree

Gumtree matters more for renters than buyers, because private landlords list there without an agent. It also has occasional private sales.

The cost of watching all four

Watching four portals means four sets of alerts, the same flat several times over, and no single place to compare them. It is easy to miss a price cut on one portal because you dismissed the listing on another. Our guide to finding price-reduced properties in London shows why that matters.

A simpler routine

1. Write down the search that matters: areas, budget, bedrooms, must-haves.
2. Set up the same search on each portal, with instant alerts on.
3. Keep one list of properties you are tracking, with the portal, the asking price and the date it appeared.
4. Check that list each morning and book viewings from it.

Housieve does steps 2 to 4 for you. It reads Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket and Gumtree each night, removes duplicates, scores each listing from 0 to 100 and sends the strong matches by email or WhatsApp. Our guide to scored property alerts explains the score.

For investors and agents

If you buy to let as a short let, you will want a video of the finished flat for guests; see making an Airbnb walkthrough video from a listing link. Agencies weighing portal spend often also track how each branch is reviewed on Google; see review management for multi-location businesses.

Frequently asked questions

Is Rightmove or Zoopla better for London?

Neither is complete on its own. Use both, and add OnTheMarket for listings some agents place there.

Are Zoopla and Rightmove valuations accurate?

They are estimates from data such as past sales. They cannot see condition, so use sold prices and comparable listings instead.

Do private sellers use the big portals?

Mostly through online agents. Truly private listings are more likely to appear on Gumtree.

Next step

Try one scored morning list instead of four inboxes. The 14-day trial at housieve.braivex.com needs no card.