Ten Questions with Stephen Cousins, Managing Director of HomesNI

One of the interesting facts about the Northern Irish housing market (and there are a few) is that the big boys from over the water don't really come into the mix. Rightmove and Zoopla are also-rans, and OnTheMarket actually pulled out of the region a few years ago.

Until the summer of 2024, local portals PropertyPal and Property News battled it out for dominance. Then the two rivals merged.

A new marketplace was needed to provide some competition and to reassure local agents who had already been in a bitter dispute with PropertyPal about price rises.

That's when Stephen Cousins, the owner of BlueCubes—a well-established local web design company, decided to step up and take on the incumbents. His portal HomesNI has been up and running now for almost a year and is facing a unified market leader with fresh investment from south of the border.

We caught up with Stephen (pictured below) to see how the challenge is going and what's next for HomesNI...

Can you give us a brief history of Homes NI?

HomesNI.com officially launched in October 2024. The platform was created in response to growing dissatisfaction among Northern Ireland estate agents with the existing property portals. Agents voiced concerns not only about relentless price hikes but also about trust issues surrounding data, mortgages, and broken promises.

For over 16 years, BlueCubes.com (parent company) has worked closely with estate agents, providing bespoke websites and back-office systems. At the request of agents, BlueCubes entered the portal market to offer a fresh, fair alternative—one with transparent pricing and a structure where agents could have real influence.

HomesNI.com was developed with this ethos in mind. Local estate agents were invited to purchase shares, giving them voting rights and shared control of the portal’s future.

Shortly after the launch announcement, rivals PropertyPal and PropertyNews merged—and were recently acquired by a Dublin-based company that also owns Daft.ie. This leaves HomesNI.com as the only independent, agent-led property portal in Northern Ireland.

What is Homes NI’s business model? We know that your competition got in trouble with agents for switching from a pay-per-listing to a subscription model.

Our business model is straightforward: low-cost, flat monthly fee per branch, allowing estate agents to list unlimited properties—both sales and rentals—for a fixed price.

There are no hidden charges, upselling, or additional fees to boost listings. HomesNI doesn’t rely on selling advertising space or mortgage leads for revenue.

There are also no long-term contracts or subscription tie-ins—just simple, transparent pricing designed to support agents, not exploit them.

Why should someone looking for a new home in Northern Ireland visit you instead of the competition?

Several leading estate agents list on HomesNI first, and some choose to list their Homes exclusively with us. So if a buyer doesn’t visit HomesNI.com, they could be missing out on their dream home. The experience of using HomesNI is simple, clean and uncluttered. You won’t be bombarded with irrelevant ads or mortgage popups.

How is Homes NI funded? Are you looking for investment?

HomesNI has been funded by BlueCubes and over 70 of Northern Ireland’s leading estate agencies.

Investment is exclusively available to estate agents and is capped based on branch size to ensure fair and balanced ownership. This structure guarantees that no single agency can dominate decision-making.

At present, outside investment or external control is not permitted, keeping HomesNI fully agent-led, locally owned, and independent.

Agent commissions are famously low in Northern Ireland. Why is that, and how does it affect you guys running a portal?

Average property values in Northern Ireland are significantly lower than in England (especially compared to London and the South East). A commission based on a percentage of a lower sale price naturally yields a smaller fee. To remain competitive, agents tend to lower their rates rather than charge higher percentages on already modest sale prices.

This, in turn, impacts how much a property portal in Northern Ireland can realistically charge for listings. That’s why we work closely with agents to ensure our pricing is fair, sustainable, and offers real value for money.

Has the recent consolidation of portals (PropertyPal and Propertynews merging and then Daft buying both) affected your business and your outlook?

We’re currently conducting a survey with local agents and shareholders. So far, over 50 of the top agencies have responded. 68% believe the recent development is not good news for their business. 26% are uncertain at this stage. A significant 90% expect it to lead to further price increases.

At Homes NI, our model remains unchanged. We’re committed to working closely with agents to provide the best possible service and to continue growing together.

What is the most common request from your agent customers?

To become the leading Property Portal in Northern Ireland, and that is our mission too. That means having 100% of the NI property market listed on HomesNI and working in partnership with every agency across the country.

Incredibly, in less than a year, we've already reached around 85% market coverage—and we’re just getting started.

What is your biggest challenge?

Breaking long-standing habits and loyalty in a duopoly market. PropertyPal and PropertyNews have dominated the Northern Ireland property portal space for years. Many agents and users are simply used to those platforms, and changing behaviour in a well-established market takes time, trust, and consistency — even if the alternative offers better value or service.

Which other portals around the world do you look to or admire?

Autotrader. Its platform is trusted, user-friendly, and packed with helpful tools like vehicle history checks, price guides, and dealer reviews, making car buying and selling transparent, convenient, and efficient. Autotrader’s strong brand recognition and commitment to providing reliable information have made it the go-to destination for millions of users.

What is Homes NI currently working on?

We’re using Artificial Intelligence to make finding your ideal home easier than ever. Recently, we brought on a full-time developer to create a new AI-powered search feature designed to simplify house hunting and help customers find the perfect property faster.