thelettingsite.co.uk Hopes Now is the Right Time for Renters

Yet another property website has entered the UK: thelettingsite.co.uk launched in August and is aimed squarely at rental and lettings.

So far thelettingsite.co.uk’s arrival has been timely. Commentators believe the credit crunch will force many prospective buyers to rent, putting off purchasing until the market calms and mortgages are easier to come by.

thelettingsite.co.uk covers residential and commercial properties to let across the UK and its basic functions are free. A radio advertisement claims the website “can save lettings agents up to £3,000 a year in advertising fees”, a benefit likely to appeal to many.

Landlords and letting agents have the option of paying to upgrade to feature advertisements, with website revenue also coming from third party banner advertisers in related areas, such as tradespeople or entertainment. Tenants can search thousands of listings and make direct contact with agents and landlords.

Dominic Swinfield and Craig Middleton, both qualified pilots, established the site. Helpfully, Swinfield has a background in real estate and Middleton owns an Internet hosting company as well as developing the technology behind the site.

thelettingsite.co.uk engine trawls signed up agent’s websites for new properties each evening. Already big name agents like Foxtons are on board but the website is also open to individual landlords.

Two months after launching, the website claims it averages over a million page views per month, and in early October it announced a link with Eastern Landlords Association.

In addition to rental listings, the website also contains a wealth of news and articles aimed directly at the letting market.

1. realtytrac.com Alerts Renters of Foreclosures

   realtytrac.com has made a name for itself as a leader in foreclosure listings and the company's latest innovation looks set to reinforce this position....

2. housebid21.com Hopes to Capitalise on Slow Times in UK (Updated)

   housebid21.com, a new UK website, is using the slowness of the market to try and encourage agents, buyers and sellers to look at new ways of buying property – through an online auction. ...

3. Property Websites Out of Date

   Surprisingly, it's some rather old news has the UK property press buzzing this week: property websites are often out-of-date. ...

4. Should Portals be Loyal to Estate Agents?

   upad.co.uk, a new lettings website in the UK, is causing a stir, with some real estate agents lobbying big portals to refuse listings from the newcomer....

5. lettingaproperty.com

   lettingaproperty.com is a vertical property portal dedicated entirely to the UK rental market. ...