Rightmove rolls out Shared Lists to help renters and buyers’ search

Rightmove is introducing a new tool that lets people hunting for a place to live share their shortlisted homes with the friends or relatives they plan to move in with.

It will, the platform says, mark a shift towards more collaborative property searching.

The feature, called Shared Lists, is available to both renters and buyers.

It allows users to create collections of agents’ listings and pass them on to others, who can then react, comment and suggest alternatives.

It is a simple idea which the company says was repeatedly requested during thousands of hours of user testing.

Seamless property list sharing

The firm’s chief technology officer, Tarah Lourens, said: “It’s really exciting to bring Rightmove users this much-requested feature so people can seamlessly see shared property lists in one place.

“With the majority of home-movers looking to live with at least one other person, our new tool is designed to make the process of searching for a home more collaborative and interactive.”

She added it will also ensure that home-movers are ‘on the same page’ before they get in touch with letting and estate agents.

Help remove property search stress

The platform believes the new tool will take some of the stress out of joint searches, especially when several people are trying to agree on the same home.

Many group movers rely on long message threads, screenshots and links scattered across apps.

Rightmove wants to replace that with a single space where everyone can keep track of what is being considered.

Lists already allow users to save properties that meet their requirements, but the new sharing function builds on that by letting households review options together.

Rightmove adds that its tool could help avoid disagreements at the point of arranging viewings, as everyone involved can see what others are thinking before contacting agents.

The company sees Shared Lists as part of a wider mission to streamline the moving process and support users through each stage of their search.