We have another long Product and Services Roundup this week.
We'll start with a discontinued offering from one of Iran's largest marketplaces. Meanwhile, there is disappointment in Sweden and the United Kingdom...
Divar has discontinued its “Instant” ad promotion service following negative feedback and underwhelming performance metrics.
Originally launched to boost listing visibility and help ads stand out, the feature failed to deliver meaningful results. According to the company, many users mistakenly purchased the service expecting a rise in views and calls, only to be disappointed by a limited uptick in performance.
An internal review found that “Instant” delivered fewer visits and weaker returns compared to other promotional tools on the platform. User dissatisfaction played a decisive role in the decision: more than 70% of surveyed users reported they were unhappy with the number of calls received after using the service.
The company said:
The main goal of Divar is to provide services that create real value for users. Feedback and behaviour analysis help us continuously improve the user experience in line with user needs.
Since removing the feature, Divar says it has not received any notable complaints, suggesting the change has been well-received.
Divar, owned by Hezardastan Group, is Iran’s largest online marketplace and one of the most visited platforms in the country.
China-based real estate platform Beike and China CITIC Bank’s Nanjing branch are expanding their long-running partnership with a new suite of integrated digital services that blend housing and finance.
The two companies, which first collaborated in 2010 and built a direct digital connection in 2019, are moving toward a fully online transaction process. This includes everything from initial signing and down payments to transfer of ownership and title deed issuance.
Past milestones include Beike’s online signing room and CITIC’s decoration loan and flexible repayment options. Now, both companies say they will enhance their “one-stop residential service” to offer a more secure, full-cycle transaction experience.
To support the rollout, Beike has launched a new signing service center that allows buyers to test online features and visualize the digital transaction process.
Hemnet, Sweden's powerhouse real estate portal and one of the most dominant portals in the world, has had its new premium pricing package criticised by members of the Association of Swedish Real Estate Agents (Mäklarsamfundet), which holds a 10.5% stake in the company.
Erik Wikander, deputy managing director of Svensk Fastighetsförmedling—the second-largest real estate group in the country—told Sweden's TV4 News that Hemnet’s recently launched premium offering, Hemnet Max, “stretches the price limit a lot.”
Svensk Fastighetsförmedling is a shareholder in Hemnet via its membership of Mäklarsamfundet.
Wikander also warned about the risk of market dominance, noting that continued price increases could have consequences for brokerages in the future.
Online Marketplace has reached out to Hemnet for a comment.
Russian property portal Cian has improved the functionality of its saved listings system and upgraded the information displayed on property cards.
'Favorites' folders can now be organised by task or by format. For instance, users can choose to view only saved searches or filter ads for sale or rent. On individual listings, metro station information has also been expanded. Where previously only three nearby stations were shown, property cards now list all stations within a 20-minute walking radius.
Finally, Cian has also launched a feature that surfaces properties with similar layouts when a user likes a specific floor plan.
Finland’s leading real estate portal Etuovi.com has introduced a beta version of an AI-powered search feature that allows users to describe their ideal home using natural language. The new functionality, called “Hae omin sanoin” (“Search with your own words”), is available on Etuovi’s iOS and Android apps.
Instead of relying on standard filters, apartment hunters can now type phrases like “sunny two-bedroom apartment with a balcony near public transport” or “quiet countryside property with good internet connection and space for a home office.” The AI parses these descriptions and matches them with relevant listings.
Etuovi claims this is the first natural-language property search available in Finland and is encouraging users to provide feedback through Google Play and the App Store as it continues refining the feature.
Etuovi.com, owned by Alma Media, remains the top player in the Finnish real estate portal space, with 7.5 million visits in April compared to 7.3 million for main rival Oikotie.fi, according to Similarweb. Alma Media operates across Finland, Sweden, Central Europe and the Baltics and is listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.
OLX.ua has introduced a new AI-powered listing assistant aimed at streamlining how users post items on the platform as part of a push to reduce friction in the listing process.
Backed by Prosus and Ukraine’s most-visited general classifieds site, OLX is initially rolling out the tool in its “Fashion and Style” category—one of the platform’s busiest sections. Users now need only to enter a title and upload a photo. The AI assistant will generate a full description and suggest key listing attributes, such as size, brand, colour, and condition.
According to OLX, the tool achieved a 75% accuracy rate in matching product attributes during pre-launch tests on the site’s web version. Just over half of users (52%) published the AI-generated text without major edits. Listings created using the tool were also slightly longer, with an average of 20 additional characters for more detail.
A new industry survey has found that UK estate agents still see Rightmove as their most effective portal for leads by some distance, but familiar frustration over the platform's pricing.
The research—based on a survey of 411 estate and letting agents and part of the latest 'Voice of the Agent' report from consultancy We Are Unchained—showed 75% of agents ranked Rightmove as their most effective channel for lead generation, while Zoopla (8%) and OnTheMarket (5%) lagged significantly behind. Minor portals such as PrimeLocation barely registered above 1%.
Despite the platform’s dominant market position, agents remain highly critical of Rightmove's pricing. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (65%) said Rightmove’s fees were either “somewhat” or “very” expensive, while just 31% said subscriptions were fairly priced.
Agents surveyed said they are generally satisfied with lead volume but dissatisfied with lead quality. They want more valuation leads and landlord instructions, rather than casual home seekers. Pricing, user interface, and data accessibility were also highlighted as areas where portals should improve.
“The danger for portals is that their customers feel less like partners and more like hostages,” the report warned.
Rightmove’s dominance is supported by government and company data. Over 10 million people reportedly use the platform exclusively, and the company claims to account for more than 80% of time spent on UK property portals.
Zoopla COO Rich Hayes has acknowledged the growing financial pressure facing estate agents, emphasising that the portal’s strategy must support, rather than undercut, the agent community.
"Agents are feeling a bit squeezed," Hayes told The Negotiator. “Zoopla's growth can’t be at the expense of agent margin. We have got to be considered a marketing partner.”
While Hayes declined to comment on rival Rightmove’s pricing model, he was clear that Zoopla is looking to chart a different course. “We’re obsessing over this. It is important that [agents] have the right leads."
Zoopla recently claimed a 19% increase in valuation lead quality, positioning itself as the preferred portal for consumers seeking a property valuation.
Hayes also addressed competition from CoStar, which acquired OnTheMarket in 2023, saying the company remains focused on execution. “We haven’t got a sore neck from looking over our shoulder,” he said. “We have tried to tighten our message, instead of becoming defensive.”
He admitted that the acquisition led to the Zoopla team becoming “a bit more focused,” but stressed that the company isn’t shifting strategy. “We are sticking in our swim lane,” he said.
MyHome.ie has announced a collaboration with Electric Ireland Superhomes aimed at helping Irish homebuyers understand and access retrofitting options and government incentives.
The partnership introduces a Retrofit Hub on MyHome.ie, offering guides on insulation, heating systems, renewable energy solutions, and financial supports. According to Electric Ireland Superhomes, the initiative is designed to “empower homebuyers with the knowledge and resources needed to make informed decisions about retrofitting.”
Electric Ireland Superhomes calls itself “Ireland’s leading retrofit one-stop shop” and promotes the benefits of lower energy bills and reduced carbon emissions.
Ireland’s housing stock is among the oldest in Europe, and poor insulation remains a common issue.
MyHome.ie managing director Joanne Geary said the Retrofit Hub addresses a growing demand for energy efficiency among property hunters.
“The Retrofit Hub is a vital resource, offering practical advice and guidance on how to improve the energy performance of their properties. We are delighted to partner with Electric Ireland Superhomes to deliver this valuable service and contribute to a more sustainable future for Irish housing.”
MyHome.ie, founded in 2001 and owned by the Irish Times Trust since 2007, is Ireland’s second-largest property portal behind Daft.ie. In April, Daft logged 7.0 million visits—more than twice MyHome’s 3.1 million.
Gumtree says its partnership with Homely.com.au is driving significant growth in its real estate category just six months after launch.
The classified platform now features over 180,000 listings nationwide, up from 11,000 before the December 2024 rollout. According to Gumtree CEO Tommy Logtenberg, the Homely syndication has added more than three million new engagements and over 113,000 direct enquiries to agent listings across the country, at no additional cost to vendors or agents.
Homely says it has seen sharp listing increases: 357% in Melbourne's Central Business District, 200% in West End (Queensland), and 164% in Concord (New South Wales).
Logtenberg said:
"This partnership is helping more buyers, sellers, and agents tap into a very active and competitive property market, on a platform they already know and trust. We expect this momentum to continue."
Homely co-founder Adam Spencer called the partnership a meaningful shift for the industry:
"This is about changing the game for agents. Partnering with Gumtree gives our agents a powerful national reach without added cost. We’re here to deliver better exposure, better leads, and better economics for agents and vendors alike."
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