Rightmove is now offering agents an ad service that targets sellers looking further than their local area for the next property.

‘Native Search Ads’ uses ‘retargeting’ technology to reach prospective sellers looking to move locally, and those searching for their next home outside of their own patch.

The service is exclusive to agents on an Optimiser membership, and lets agents sell their brand to a relevant audience on the most viewed page, the search results.

The ads are designed so that they integrate with the search results, displaying as helpful content for movers searching for their next home.

Rightmove research shows that more than half of sellers (59%) are looking out of area to buy, and three quarters (75%) consider more than one area.

Native Search Ads is also the first video-enabled product from Rightmove, and findings from product testing shows that ads using video get 1.8 times more interactions.

‘Big mismatch’

Dave Anderson, Rightmove’s agency director, says: “The flexible nature of Native Search Ads means that agents can use them in different ways to suit their marketing strategy and business, whether that’s highlighting their unique offering, sharing helpful guidance, or directing people to their own website to find out more.”

“Why not monetise that flow of eyes onto the site?”

Andrew Stanton, a proptech consultant and former agent, says: “Rightmove gets 100m+ hits a month, yet only a million properties are sold by all the agents in the UK every year, so there’s a big mismatch between inward traffic and people buying, so why not monetise that flow of eyes onto the site?

“Will agents take it up – well in the arms race to be number one – those with deep pockets will. The real winner as usual – the big software companies providing the service.”