- Buyers spend six hours weekly on portals.
- Many report zero in-person viewings.
- Some homes never make it online at all.
Britain’s homebuyers are devoting an average of six hours a week to browsing property portals, yet many are not setting foot inside a single house, according to property search firm Stacks.
The company says there appears to be a growing gap between digital house-hunting and actual viewings, a trend that could be holding buyers back in an already competitive market.
Ed Jephson, director at Stacks Property Search, reportedly said that while online listings are useful, they can only go so far. Photographs can flatter, angles can conceal, and key details about traffic, neighbouring buildings or local noise can be left out, he reportedly said.
Some buyers, he suggested, believe they have been actively searching for a year or more. But when asked how many homes they have physically viewed, the answer is often none.
Jephson reportedly said there is often a gap between how a property looks online and how it feels in person. A home that appears to be an eight out of ten on screen can turn into a six when viewed up close. Equally, a house that seems underwhelming online can surprise once someone walks through the door.
The implication is simple. Scrolling does not always translate into decision-making. And without stepping inside, buyers may be ruling out homes that could suit them, or overestimating ones that will not.
The homes you never see online
Clare Coode, regional director at Stacks, reportedly said that not all properties even reach the public portals. Some of the most sought-after homes are sold before they are ever listed, often to buyers who have built relationships with local estate agents or who use buying agents.
This suggests that relying solely on online platforms may mean missing part of the market altogether.
The findings feed into a broader conversation within the property industry about how digital tools are reshaping behaviour. Online portals have become central to the search process. Yet, if buyers are spending hours browsing without arranging viewings, the digital shift may not be replacing traditional methods as fully as it appears.
For those serious about moving, it may still come down to turning up in person.
