Has Rightmove ever made a wrong move?
According to Harry Hill, former chief executive of Countrywide and ex-chairman of Rightmove, it missed a trick.
Fifteen years ago he tried to persuade the board that Rightmove should move into online dating.
He suggested it could use the same technology, but pictures and descriptions of singletons rather than houses.
Hill told the Sunday Times yesterday: “The team was very keen but the board said it didn’t like the slightly dubious connotation.”
Rightmove is now a FTSE 100 company with a valuation of £4.6bn.
But, said Hill: “I think Rightmove missed a trick. It would be worth £10bn now.”
When you think about it, Rightmove even had the right name for a dating site.
And just think of all those advertisers complaining how it is easily the most expensive dating site “but you’ve got to be on it”.
Which got us thinking.
There’s an even better property brand which could easily move into online dating, using its technology and listing people rather than property.
It could even welcome the idea of a little something to add to its business plan that would broaden its appeal to the Love Island generation.
Yes, OnTheMarket, we’re talking about you!
Comments (6)
Rightmove Online Estate Agency…….?
Too much hard work for them…… much easier to shaft hard working Estate Agents, that’s the one move they made that was right!
Harry Hill want to stick to “WHOS BEEN FRAMED”
It would have been a great fit – they are already the experts at giving people a good seeing to.
OTM would be better called Give Up!
I don’t know about online dating, but Rightmove is missing a massive trick not going into online estate agency. It already has all the house hunters, why doesn’t it just take the estate agency cut as well?
I’ve asked every member of rightmove management I’ve met over the years whether this is their direction of travel, and the way they consistently explain it is it doesn’t make sense.
They’d destroy the existing business and wouldn’t maintain the existing margin.
expensive? yes. Value? Matter of opinion, but yes in my view. Stupid? No.