Disruptions and adjustments have been normal life for everyone over the past 18 months. In our industry, lockdowns and social distancing measures pushed many property hunters towards online tools in 2020. So, how has this affected the HomeViews review platform so far in 2021? Here we summarise some key HomeViews headlines and highlights from the year so far and look ahead at what’s to come.
Organic visitors to HomeViews.com grow by 369%
The number of people finding HomeViews.com pages from online searches in H1 2021 grew by 369% compared with traffic in the same period the year before. Google is increasingly ranking HomeViews as the go-to authority on a wide range of property-related topics, as well as specific queries around developers, developments and reviews.
One result of this was a huge 1,768% increase in search traffic to the HomeViews blog between H1 2020 and H1 2021.
UK’s biggest housing provider signs with HomeViews
HomeViews has added a major new industry partner – soon to be announced. This leading housing provider has partnered with HomeViews as part of a new drive towards greater transparency. The organisation will benefit from in-depth review data, greater control over its pages on the site and unparalleled benchmarking opportunities.
Housing association and local authority categories added
HomeViews added the option on the site for reviewers to specify whether they are housing association or local authority tenants. These reviews will not contribute to a building’s overall score but the data collected can be used by HAs and local government to benchmark performance and improve standards.
HomeViews partner roster grows to 35
HomeViews has added significant new industry partners so far in 2021, bringing the total number up to 35. Telford Homes, Urbanbubble PRS, St James (WCL), EcoWorld and St George all partnered with HomeViews in the first half of 2021.
HomeViews partners enjoy access to in-depth review data not published on the site, as well as detailed reporting, access to a comprehensive data dashboard, full marketing support and much more. Find out more about becoming a HomeViews partner here.
Industry benchmarking opportunities expanded
Increased review acquisition has seen the total number of reviews on HomeViews grow to over 25,000 in 2021. As well as this, data collected by HomeViews has been expanded to include whether reviewers have used Shared Ownership / Help to Buy schemes, are first-time buyers, or are HA/local authority tenants.
As a result, benchmarking opportunities for the entire industry have been significantly expanded, and HomeViews data has become more detailed and segmented than ever before.
Sustainability question added to all HomeViews review forms
Tough targets are being set by the Government to reduce CO2 emissions from new homes by 75-80% by 2025. In response to this, and with input from partners, HomeViews has added a sustainability question to its review form.
Reviewers are now able to state whether sustainability is an important issue for them and select which sustainable features they deem most important in a property. We will soon be publishing a sustainability white paper and hosting a webinar to reveal and discuss the findings of this new question.
HomeViews data reveals residents prefer tall buildings
HomeViews was invited to add the resident’s perspective to the Tall Buildings Survey for 2021 – an influential report by New London Architecture and Knight Frank. The key headline from HomeViews’ findings in the report was that residents of tall buildings rated their homes higher than those in non-tall buildings – across every review category on HomeViews.
Read more here, or download your copy of the 2021 Tall Buildings Survey.
New funding secured to develop HomeViews platform and teams
New investment was secured for 2021 that enabled HomeViews to expand its teams and further develop the platform. Alongside UX and structural improvements to the site, new features were developed, including expanded listings options for developments and a ‘transparency rating’ to show which developers have a higher number of up-to-date reviews.
HomeViews doubles staff levels to facilitate rapid growth
Significant growth signalled the need for expanded teams in 2021. Major hires were made to accommodate this, bringing additional personnel across marketing, content, data analysis, business development, client relations, operations and accounts departments.
Powerful data dashboard launched for partners
H1 2021 saw HomeViews partners accessing a powerful dashboard giving instant access to performance and benchmarking data. The dashboard allows for real-time monitoring and review management systems.
Report-ready stats and graphics can also be created, giving partners strategic insights into every aspect of their operations.
HomeViews and Space & Time begin collaboration
HomeViews and media agency Space & Time have formed a collaborative partnership to help provide better insights for developers into what residents are saying. HomeViews will also provide industry benchmarking data and work closely with Space & Time to help companies manage their online reputations.
HomeViews 2021 BTR Report reveals resilience of sector during lockdowns
The 2021 HomeViews Build to Rent Report launched in May, and revealed how the BTR sector – and new build homes in general – performed well during the lockdowns of 2020. Both BTR and BTS tenants rated their buildings slightly higher in 2020 compared with 2019.
Ratings from BTR residents showed a slight dip immediately after the initial restrictions in March 2020, but recovered as operators responded effectively to residents’ needs. Click here to view or download your free copy of the full report.
Housing vs. Apartments
The Housing vs. Apartments white paper and webinar took place in July (watch the session video and download the report here). This study and discussion (including experts from Zoopla Insights and Space & Time) explores how residents view new housing and apartment developments.
Coming soon…
Below are a few highlights that you can expect from HomeViews in the remainder of 2021:
- The HomeViews Owners Report will provide a unique resident perspective on buying new homes.
- Our sustainability white paper and webinar will explore the results of our new question that asks residents which sustainable features are most important to them.
- The 2021 HomeViews Build to Rent Awards will take place in November, revealing the year’s top BTR operators and developments.
- Major news on a partnership between HomeViews and a leading UK property portal.
HomeViews provides verified resident reviews of the UK’s housing developments. We’re working with developers, house builders, operators, housing associations and the Government to recognise high performers and help improve standards in the built environment.
