Zoopla offers new info on crime rates and flood risks

Zoopla has unveiled a new feature on its listings pages which gives property searchers extra local information.

Crime rates, flood risks, and planning applications are now to be offered as standard by the portal.

Zoopla is using connections with third-party data providers and local councils to provide this “exclusive insight”.

Clear need

Data from the portal shows 50% of potential home movers carry out searches for between five and 10 miles away from their current home, with 32% searching 10 miles or more.

So, it says there is a clear need for information that helps people to understand more about the community they are considering moving to.

High crime risk

Once signed in, consumers will be able to see how many reported crimes there have been, and whether an area is considered high-risk for crime.

They will also be able to see if home is in danger of flooding. And there will be detail on how many planning applications there have been near a property.

Zoopla claims it is the only portal that allows consumers to access this type of information outside of a subscription model.

Increase visibility

Additional improvements to its search functionality were made towards the end of last year with six new ‘smart tags’.

It added a ‘property for sale’ carousel to agency profiles at the bottom of listings which, it said, would increase the visibility of properties sold by each firm.

And it rolled out improvements to its Find Agents page, with consumers able to search for an agent by geography, radius and agent type.

We’re committed to giving homemovers the insights they need to make confident decisions.”

Rich Hayes, Chief Operating Officer at Zoopla, says: “At Zoopla, we’re committed to giving homemovers the insights they need to make confident decisions, from crime rates to flood risks and planning applications.”