At the same time, an independent survey by Research Now found that 57% of active home-hunters have used a mobile device during their property search. As part of its survey, Research Now also asked home-hunters which property brand they turned to first on mobile, finding that more than two thirds (67%) identified Rightmove as their first port-of-call. Tracking of mobile device users’ activity on Rightmove also shows they sent nearly 200,000 e-mail enquiries to agents last month.

Rightmove director Miles Shipside comments: “Apps and mobile platforms are ideally suited to home-hunting, providing people with the ability to locate properties around them using Continue reading →

"In my very first speech as a Minister I said that I wanted us to have the ‘best’ superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015," said Jeremy Hunt in a recent speech.

"In defining ‘best’ you include factors like price and coverage as well as speed. But over the past two years it has become clear, as Usain Bolt wouldn’t hesitate to say, to be the best you need to be the fastest.

"So I am today announcing an ambition to be not just the best, but specifically the fastest broadband of any major European country by 2015. Indeed we may already be Continue reading →

Need a Property aims to fill a void by providing estate agents with something different, offering an initial free trial and a monthly charge starting at just £100 thereafter. The current economic climate has put pressure on the market since the end of the last property boom and estate agents are now facing added strain from increases in advertising, staffing and portal costs. Need a Property offers an alternative choice for larger agents with multiple branches and a vital lifeline for smaller independent firms with fewer resources.

Scott Green, founder and CEO of Need a Property, said: “Times are tough for a Continue reading →

Available to download on iPhone*, the free Halifax Home Finder app uses state of the art technology to revolutionise the way UK house hunters find and secure their dream home.

Stephen Noakes, Mortgages Director at Halifax, comments: “We know that today’s house hunters want to be able to carry out their searches on a daily basis and when they are on the move. So the Halifax Home Finder app is perfect – it means that you can search properties, book viewings, rate properties and get an indicative mortgage calculation in one place.

"It’s a fantastic development which gives house hunters all the tools Continue reading →

Here, David Hill of the Savills Country House Consultancy department, who advises on the owning and running of country houses and estates explains the options available:

"A basic internet connection runs through a telephone line and connection speeds can vary from below 1 Megabit per second to 6Mbps. Satellite and mobile phone connections are available but limited to approximately 2Mbps. Cable can provide broadband speeds up to 25Mbps but a fibre-optic broadband connection supplies up to 150Mbps.

"The EU has set up a fund to get broadband to rural areas where the market is failing. The Government has launched a Broadband Strategy with Continue reading →

Yet amazingly, nearly all UK estate agent websites do not have the function to be easily read or navigated from all smart phones. Given that approximately 15% of all web traffic is mobile, not having the appropriate mobile website is the equivalent of closing a website down for one day each week, (Google, February 2011).

Eurolink, the leading UK-based property software innovator, reveals that the new mobile web apps for estate agents and house builders are much better, more cost-effective and will dramatically increase enquiries. Eurolink is offering agents at next month’s ARLA Conference, the chance to win a FREE personalised app. Continue reading →

People in online households can save more than £200 a year shopping online and are 25 per cent more likely to find work, while children with internet access achieve two grades higher than those without – so it’s clear that many low income households are missing out.

Chairing the ‘Digital by Default’ summit today with UK Digital Champion Martha Lane Fox, the Minister said that internet access should be a necessity, not a luxury. He will also say that Government is committed to getting social housing connected so tenants can reap the benefits of digital living, from access to online shopping bargains Continue reading →

The funding is part of the Government’s drive to ensure the whole of the UK has the best broadband network in Europe by 2015.
 
The announcement follows yesterday’s launch of the Wales Office Rural Economy Taskforce Report, which concluded that broadband was one of the most pressing concerns of rural and agricultural communities in Wales today.
 
Mr. Jones said: “Today’s announcement will be warmly welcomed by rural and agricultural communities in Wales.  The feedback we received for the Rural Economy Taskforce Report showed that local communities and businesses are becoming more and more reliant on effective broadband coverage.
Continue reading →

The figure was the highest Rightmove have ever recorded and only the second time the 20% mark has been broken, the previous occasion being on Easter Sunday this year which was another scorching day across the UK.

Rightmove director Miles Shipside said:

“The weather and property are two classic British obsessions, but luckily the two didn’t get in the way of one another during Sunday’s heat wave as home-hunters reached for their mobiles and tablets and took their property search outdoors. It’s a trend we’re seeing more and more of; the hotter the weather, the higher our proportion of traffic on mobile devices Continue reading →

"We went on from there to reach over 13 million broadband lines within five years," he said. "Now we have over 19 million.  It’s dangerous just to assume that history will repeat itself, but it’s still a good pointer to what will happen to superfast broadband in this decade."

Point Topic’s estimates for the current number are based on its detailed figures for the end of 2010.

These show there were 175,000 superfast broadband lines in use by then.

The majority were for the 118,000 Virgin Media customers signed up to the 50 megabits per second (50Mbps) cable Continue reading →