Zoopla takes on Rightmove with new look, features and...

Zoopla has unveiled a subtle rebranding plus new features and functionality - and says it wants to be number one, not number two to Rightmove.

The portal says these are its biggest changes since its launch 14 years ago, and are accompanied by the claim that it “strives to become the number one partner for UK estate agents and housebuilders.”

A statement from the portal says it wants to drive better engagement and be the first choice for homeowners and movers across the whole property lifecycle, not just during the sales or renting process.

Zoopla says it aims to shift “passive homeowners into active sellers” delivering more value.

It adds: “At the heart of the changes are an exciting new range of improvements to Zoopla’s website and services that aim to transform the way people find, buy, sell and rent homes. At the core of this is the launch of My Home, a hub for homeowners which provides them with the skills, knowledge and insight to guide them on whether it is time to move and sell.”

My Home will launch as a central homeowner landing page and then a dynamic page for almost every unique home in the UK.

Homeowners will register for and track their home, in order to stay on top of its worth, follow expertise and connect with relevant agent partners. This is “all to help them understand and feel empowered in their decisions to manage their home (out of market) or sell their home (in-market).”

Alongside My Home, Zoopla will be making changes to some of the most visited pages on its website, including its home page and individual property detail pages, as well as changes to its app.

The portal claims some changes it has already implemented this year are “driving tangible benefits for agents and housebuilders.”

These include improvements to the Property Details Page, which have tripled the volume of homeowners registering with Zoopla and which have increased opt-ins to marketing emails five-fold.

The portal is also rebranding - its first since 2007. The new branding incorporates a new logo and a shift to a subtly different shade of purple.

“When we announced our Vision back in January, we were clear that we would put customers at the heart of everything we do and to stimulate the market for their benefit” claims Andy Marshall, Zoopla’s chief commercial officer.

“The improvements we are announcing today live up to that commitment. They are the result of millions of pounds of investment and thousands of hours of work looking at exactly what will deliver the best results for agents, housebuilders and homemovers alike.”

“Rather than rest on our laurels and surf on the wave of a busy market we have used this time to deliver fundamental improvements to the experience of using Zoopla. My Home is unique and this, combined with the raft of other changes we are making, will generate long-term value for agents, encouraging homeowners to realise the potential of their homes and use them as a springboard to reach their goals.”