Rightmove Property Search

My Experience with Rightmove Property Search

I downloaded this app on a Tuesday night after seeing someone rave about it on Reddit. I’m a Pixel 7 user who never pays for apps until I’m sure they’re worth it, so I went in with zero expectations. First impressions were okay—the app loaded fast and the home screen looked clean. I immediately started searching for flats in Manchester, near the Northern Quarter, because I’ve been thinking about moving. I filtered by my budget, which is tight, and got a decent list of places. The photos loaded quickly on my Pixel, which surprised me. But after three days of poking around, I hit a wall. I found a listing for a flat on Oldham Street that seemed too good to be true—low rent, nice pictures. I tried contacting the agent through the app, but nothing happened for hours. No confirmation, no error, just nothing. I reached out to support about it, and they replied with some vague message about “network issues” and “checking back later.” That left a bad taste. I’m still waiting for a real answer. For a free app, it’s fine, but I’m not blown away. I’ve used worse, but I’ve also used better.

Features Worth Noting

The search filters are where this app shines, honestly. You can narrow down by price, bedrooms, property type, and even keywords. I liked that I could set my maximum rent to £900 and only see places in that range, no sneaky listings above it. The map view is handy too—I could tap around the Northern Quarter and see pins for available flats without typing a postcode every time. Saving properties to a favorites list was simple; a little heart icon did the trick. I also tried the mortgage calculator feature out of curiosity, even though I’m only renting. It asks for your income and deposit, then spits out monthly payments. Seemed accurate enough. The real-time notifications for new listings worked okay—I got a ping at 8 AM on Wednesday for a flat in Ancoats that matched my filters. That was nice. But the feature that lets you contact agents directly feels broken half the time. I tapped “Enquire” on three different listings and only got a response from one. So it’s hit or miss.

What Needs Work

First, the support experience is terrible. I messaged them about the agent contact issue on Wednesday afternoon and got a reply on Friday morning that basically said “try again later.” Not helpful. No ticket number, no follow-up. For a big app like this, I expected better. Second, the interface gets cluttered fast. There’s so much on the screen—buttons, icons, ad banners for mortgage brokers, tips for first-time buyers. It made my head spin after ten minutes. I had to squint on my Pixel to find the filter button sometimes. Third, the app chews through battery. I was searching for about 20 minutes on Thursday night, and my phone dropped from 70% to 45%. That’s not great for a free app. Also, some listings had wrong info. I saw a flat listed as “available now” but when I clicked, it said “under offer.” That’s sloppy. Lastly, the app needs a way to sort by “newest first” more prominently—it’s buried in a menu.

Pricing

It’s free to download and use, with no in-app purchases or subscription fees I could find. That’s the main reason I gave it a shot. You can search, save listings, set alerts, and contact agents without spending a penny. For a budget-conscious person like me, that’s the bare minimum. But I wonder how they make money—maybe through the mortgage broker ads or agent listings. I didn’t see any hidden costs pop up, which is good. But if you’re expecting premium support or extra features, don’t hold your breath. You get what you pay for, and here, you pay nothing. I’d rather have a free app that works okay than one that charges for basic stuff. So no complaints on price.

Developer Notes

The app is from Rightmove, the big UK property portal. It’s been around forever. The version I used seemed up-to-date, with a clean-ish look. But I noticed a few quirks. Sometimes the app would freeze for a second when switching from map to list view. Also, the search history kept showing old queries I typed by mistake—no way to clear it without going into settings. Little things that bugged me. The developer could stand to polish the interface and fix the agent contact glitch. I also wish they added a dark mode for nighttime browsing. My Pixel 7 has it, but the app ignores it. Overall, it’s a solid effort for a free tool, but it feels like they stopped innovating a few years ago.

Security & Privacy

I didn’t hand over much data—just my email to set alerts and my name when contacting agents. The app asks for location access, which I gave so the map works, but you can deny it and type postcodes manually. I read their privacy policy briefly; they track your searches and share data with agents if you enquire. That’s standard for this type of app. No unusual permissions, like accessing my contacts or camera. I felt okay using it for a few days. But I’d advise not saving your payment info, since there’s no need to buy anything anyway. If you’re paranoid, stick to basic browsing without an account. The app felt secure enough on my Pixel 7, and I didn’t notice any weird behavior.