Rightmove revamps site as competition increases

Property website Rightmove has unveiled a revamped version of its site, with a new look and feel as well as improved navigation.

The new and old versions of the site are currently running side by side, although the old version will be phased out by the end of the year.

The most obvious improvement is the navigation - there's a more prominent search box and new directions from the homepage to the rest of the site.

The property pages have also been tweaked to house much more information - something househunters have been looking for from real estate portals.

In addition to the photos and general information you would normally expect, Rightmove plots the property's location on a map, together with details of the nearest schools and tube stations, as well as contact details for the estate agent.

This looks like a response to the launch of vertical search engines like Nestoria and Zoomf.

The redesign also comes as Rightmove is facing other competitive troubles (despite its almost total dominance of the property portal space).

It recently admitted it faces possible legal action from Tesco after refusing to allow the supermarket's planned online estate agency to promote houses on its site. 

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