New partners, new awards ceremony, new owner… it’s been an eventful six months here at HomeViews! We take you through some of the major changes and updates from the first half of 2024 and look ahead at what’s coming next.
IN BRIEF
- HomeViews becomes part of Rightmove
- Inaugural HomeViews Resident Choice Awards held in Birmingham
- 2024 HomeViews BTR Report launched in partnership with Rightmove
- Key improvements made to the HomeViews Pro data dashboard
- New HomeViews Partners include Notting Hill Genesis and Pocket Living
HOMEVIEWS HEADLINES H1 2024
HomeViews now part of Rightmove
On the 1st of February 2024, HomeViews became part of Rightmove – almost five years to the day that HomeViews was first formed. Rightmove CEO Johan Svanstrom described the deal as providing “yet another opportunity to further enrich our market-leading property information set for UK consumers and to create new and effective relationship tools for our build to rent operator partners.”
Integration work continues, with exciting developments on the way (see Coming Soon section below).
Inaugural Resident Choice Awards
As well as the big Rightmove news, February saw the launch of the first-ever standalone HomeViews Resident Choice Awards in Birmingham. We welcomed over 340 guests from the Build to Rent industry and beyond to celebrate the top-rated communities, teams and individuals according to the best judges we could find: the residents themselves!
Development and company page redesigns
In response to extensive user testing, the HomeViews tech team launched new designs for development and company pages on the site. As well as an improved layout and faster load times, BTR development pages now include icons for facilities offered. Meanwhile, company pages now give users easier access to the full portfolio of developments, and streamlined company details.
2024 BTR Report and webinar launched
Close on the heels of the awards came our fifth annual HomeViews Build to Rent Report, created in partnership with Rightmove. Now the definitive report on the BTR sector, the 2024 report highlights the industry’s return to form following a difficult period during the pandemic, when BTR ratings dropped for the first time. Click to download your copy and find out more.
HomeViews Pro data dashboard enhanced
In response to feedback from our X subscribers, our HomeViews Pro data dashboard has received updates throughout the first half of 2024. Data can now be filtered by cities, and our BTR data can now be filtered into the specific sub-categories within Build to Rent: Pure BTR, Coliving, Single Family Housing, and Rental Operators.
Usability has been further improved with a better layout and filter settings you can keep while navigating between pages. We also added new filters so users can refine their searches down to only Verified reviews, and add a minimum review threshold to searches.
Find out more about how Pro could help your business by chatting to our specialist Ella Webb.
New Partners and Pro Subscribers
H1 2024 also saw us welcome a new cohort of HomeViews partners. These included Notting Hill Genesis, one of London’s largest not-for-profit HAs, and the operators of the newly-restored Dolphin Square in Pimlico – now the capital’s largest BTR community.
Single Family operator Pocket Living, innovative house builder Northstone, experienced developer Cortland, BTR developer Kooky and UK investor Maurice Investments also joined the HomeViews roster of valued Partners.
Meanwhile, the HomeViews Pro dashboard welcomed new subscribers in the form of managed internet provider Ask4, London-based investor Dorrington, and gym equipment supplier motive8.
Ethan Pierce joins as part of tech expansion
Senior Software Engineer Ethan Pierce joined HomeViews in May 2024, as part of the first stage of increasing tech resource around key projects. Ethan brings extensive experience from fashion platforms Yoox / Net-A-Porter, Asos.com and Matches, as well as The Whitbread Group.
Partners continue to amplify positive reviews for social proof marketing
Third party validation offers some of the most powerful marketing content available. HomeViews partners continue to supercharge their marketing campaigns by displaying and amplifying their awards, ratings and positive resident feedback.
Coming Soon…
HomeViews reviews on Rightmove
Already in testing but rolling out soon: HomeViews reviews on the UK’s largest property portal. Keep an eye out for updates or contact our specialist Ella Webb for more information.
HomeViews is the only independent review platform for residential developments in the UK. Prospective buyers and tenants use it to make an informed decision on where to live based on insights from carefully verified resident reviews. Part of Rightmove since February 2024, we’re working with developers, house builders, operators, housing associations and the Government to give residents a voice, recognise high performers and to help improve standards across the industry.
