Rightmove crack down on properties past their'sell-by'

News Category: Industry News

Over 80,000 properties are to be removed from Rightmove, the site announced today in a harder crackdown on out-of-date properties which agents have not removed.

Extended measures will use a range of new filters and detection controls. Out-dated stock is the most complained about user issue within the site’s ‘Talk To Us’ facility.

Rightmove director Miles Shipside said: “The data quality measures we have introduced emphasise Rightmove’s commitment to maintaining an accurate property search facility for home-hunters and a fair and highly effective advertising environment for our member agents.”

Rightmove started its data quality programme in January with the removal of over 50,000 ‘For Sale’ properties, which had been cross-referenced with the Land Registry to reveal they had already been sold.

The data quality measures were widened this week to target properties indicated as being unavailable for excessively long periods of time such as resale properties listed as ‘Sold Subject to Contract’ and lettings properties listed as ‘Let Agreed’. Over 80,000 properties will be removed under this new measure.

Shipside said: “Given the frustration that inaccurate or misleading advertising causes for home-hunters, we felt it right to introduce measures which restrict the amount of stock left on the site when it’s no longer available. This activity is equally frustrating for the majority of Rightmove member agents who keep their advertised properties in order and up-to-date.”

He said the data quality programme has been introduced following consultation with agents to establish what would represent a fair period of time for certain properties to be left on site. He added that all Rightmove member agents have since been kept informed of each new data quality measure, with feedback so far overwhelmingly positive.


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