Rightmove partners with BT to show broadband speeds of its house listings

According to The Telegraph, UK property website Rightmove is to start listing the broadband speeds of its one million house listings, adapting to include one of the most requested pieces of information from potential buyers when looking at properties.

The broadband speed data will be provided by BT, which provides the backbone for nearly all of the UK’s telecoms network but also serves as the biggest Internet provider, displaying whether listed houses are covered by the company’s new fibre-optic broadband service called BT Infinity.

Rightmove has denied reports, mentioning that it would be interested in providing the service but was “not currently in any form of partnership with BT”, with BT declining to comment.

The Telegraph reports that recent surveys are showing almost 75% of interest house buyers will be less likely to buy their dream house if the property is not connected within a high-speed broadband area. This has fuelled the desire for estate agents to list the speeds of their properties.

It is not the first time that a telecoms company has partnered with property listing websites; Virgin Media works with hundreds of independent estate agents to list the services available to house hunters. It is also working with house-builder Persimmonn to deliver fibre-optic internet to new houses.