Zoopla has reported a 21% year-on-year increase in searches for new homes, contributing to a 53% rise in leads delivered to homebuilders in 2025.
With resale stock at record levels and new home sales slowing, online platforms are playing a key role in ensuring new properties reach potential buyers. Zoopla has focused on improving the search experience and highlighting the advantages of buying new homes.
Updates include making new-build developments more discoverable through map view searches and listing highlights, and giving developers early access to buyer information through contact capture on brochures and virtual tours.
Image of Zoopla’s new map view:
Searches using Zoopla’s new home features – such as ‘new build’, ‘own new’, ‘rate reducer’ and ‘deposit unlock’ – have risen by around a third over the past three months, indicating that buyers are actively looking for new-build properties rather than just browsing. This trend is generating more high-quality leads for homebuilders.
During New Homes Week, Zoopla promoted the campaign across high-traffic pages and marketing channels, contributing to a 28% week-on-week increase in applicant leads and highlighting the platform’s role in connecting builders with active buyers.
These initiatives follow Zoopla’s ongoing investment in the new homes sector, including the acquisition of specialist portal NewHomesForSale.co.uk and contract renewals with Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon Homes. The platform aims to support the new homes industry in achieving growth and increasing housing delivery in the coming years.