Three-quarters of homebuyers search for property after 5pm

Three-quarters of homebuyers are most likely to search for property after 5pm, when many estate agency offices are closed, according to research by Street.co.uk.

The survey of 1,073 people who bought a property in the past year found that 40% were most likely to browse between 5pm and 8pm, while a further 35% searched after 8pm.

Weekend searches are also popular, with Saturday the most common day for property hunting, cited by 29% of respondents, followed by Sunday at 27%. A further 20% favoured Friday, meaning 76% were most likely to search between Friday and Sunday.

Buyers expect more online

The findings suggest buyers want to take action when they find a property, regardless of when they are searching. Some 86% expect to be able to submit an enquiry immediately, while 69% believe agents should offer more online functionality outside office hours than a simple email enquiry form.

Desired features include checking viewing availability, booking appointments, receiving enquiry confirmations, requesting a call and rearranging or cancelling viewings.

Technology could help meet these expectations, with 88% of respondents believing AI-powered tools should enable agents to provide more services outside conventional working hours.

Checking viewing availability, booking appointments and confirming enquiries were among the tasks buyers were most comfortable completing through an AI-powered assistant.

Heather Staff, co-CEO of Street Group, said: “The answer isn’t for estate agents to work every evening and weekend.

“Modern consumer-facing technology, AI and automation can bridge that gap, allowing buyers to make an enquiry, check viewing availability or book an appointment when the office is closed, while ensuring the agent has the information they need to pick up and progress that conversation.”

The research was carried out by ProperPR on behalf of Street Group through consumer research platform Find Out Now.