There was a time when house hunting meant planning your entire weekend around it.
Saturday mornings started with a cup of tea, a copy of the local property paper and a highlighter pen. If you were serious about moving, you’d visit every estate agent on the High Street, register your details and hope that somewhere amongst the pages was the home you’d been waiting for.
Today, your next home could appear on your phone while you’re waiting for a coffee.
The search hasn’t changed.
The process has.
House hunting in 1996
For buyers in the mid-90s, moving home required patience.
New properties were released once a week through local newspapers and property magazines. If you missed Saturday’s edition, you could be waiting another seven days before seeing what was new.
It wasn’t unusual to spend an entire morning walking between estate agents, registering your requirements with each one individually because every agent had their own listings.
There was no Rightmove.
No property alerts.
No virtual tours.
No social media.
If a property looked promising, you’d pick up the phone and arrange a viewing based on a handful of photographs—sometimes just one.
House hunting today
Technology has transformed almost every part of the buying journey.
Today buyers can:
- Receive instant property alerts.
- Browse thousands of homes online.
- Watch cinematic video tours.
- Save favourites across multiple devices.
- Book viewings within minutes.
- Discover homes through social media before they even start actively searching.
Finding your next home is faster, more convenient and more informed than ever before.
Experience still matters
While technology has changed dramatically, one thing hasn’t.
People still want someone who understands the local market.
Many of our team were already working in estate agency back in 1996. They’ve experienced first-hand how the industry has evolved—from printed property lists and handwritten viewing schedules to digital marketing, online portals and video content.
That perspective matters.
We’ve embraced every new tool that’s improved the buying experience, but we also understand that technology is only part of the process. Local knowledge, honest advice and experienced people remain just as valuable today as they were thirty years ago.
Looking ahead
It’s impossible to know exactly how we’ll search for homes in another thirty years.
Artificial intelligence, virtual reality and personalised property recommendations are already beginning to shape the next generation of home buying.
But whatever changes come next, the objective remains exactly the same.
Helping people find the right home.
The search hasn’t changed.
The process has.
Coming Soon
Over the coming weeks we’ll be exploring how these aspects of the industry have also changed in the last 30 years:
Local Knowledge
Buyer Database
Property Brochures
Communication
Thinking about your next move?
Finding the right home starts with selling your current one well. Discover how our modern marketing helps your property reach more buyers from day one.