Why do IT IMP portals open their doors to individuals?

Large real estate portals welcome the announcements of individuals. Opportunity or threat? Complete analysis of a major strategic turn.

A strategic turning point in the real estate market

In recent years, the online real estate landscape has experienced a silent but deep change. Long reserved for agencies and professionals, large real estate portals are increasingly opening up to advertisements of individuals. This trend has been accelerating since 2020, carried by the digitalization of uses, competitive pressure and the evolution of the behaviors of sellers and buyers.

What are the figures behind this phenomenon? Why do portals like Seloger, Leboncoin or here make this choice? What advantages for individuals, and what consequences for professionals? This substantive article deciphers this strategic tilting of 2,500 words.

1. Inventory: the historical domination of professionals

For almost two decades, the main real estate portals were built around a B2B model: they reserved their audience for agencies, promoters and notaries, against subscription or paid publication. This model allowed:

• A controlled quality of ads
• Recurrent trade relations with agencies
• A network of loyal and solvent professional customers

In 2010, more than 90 % of the announcements on portals such as Explorimmo, Seloger or Logic-Immo came exclusively from professionals.

2. CAP change: individuals gain ground

The first significant breach comes from Leboncoin, which originally accepted the announcements of individuals. With more than 28 million unique visitors per month (source: Mediamétrie 2024), the site quickly captured a massive part of real estate traffic, thanks to its free and simplicity.

Gradually, other portals follow, sometimes reluctantly, sometimes strategically:

• Well'ici offers specific offers for individuals from 2022.
• Seloger and logic-immo reserve a paid space for private sellers.
• Green-Acres (international portal) welcomes more and more European individuals.
• Charming properties opens its doors to direct ads of high -end individuals.

3. The reasons for this opening

a) The need for traffic and content

To maintain their position on Google and attract internet users, portals need a regular flow of new announcements. However, professionals sometimes publish property in duplicate, or slow down during the crisis.

Welcoming individuals allows:

• To widen the fresh announcements catalog
• To diversify the types of goods
• To improve natural referencing (SEO)

b) The turn to the freemium model

Inspired by platforms like Airbnb or Vinted, real estate gates are gradually adopting a freemium model:

• Free or low price publication
• Paid options to reassemble, boost or illustrate the ad

This model generates a recurring income without depending only on professional subscriptions.

c) increased competitive pressure

With the arrival of new actors like PAP, Hosman, Properties-Private or Marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace and Google Maps, traditional portals must adapt.

They can no longer ignore a market share which represents up to 32 % of real estate sales made between individuals according to INSEE (given 2023).

4. What changes for individuals

The opening of portals offers them:

• A massive audience (up to several million visitors/month)
• Better visibility than small platforms between individuals
• Access to professional tools : estimate, HD photos, distribution on several supports

Concrete examples:

• On Seloger Particulars: Publication from € 49 per advertisement.
• On Bien'ici: Special Pack Offer from € 59 with broadcast for 30 days.
• Charming properties: targeted publication for high -end goods, international audience.

5. What about professionals? Between adaptation and differentiation

If some agents are concerned about this opening, others see it as a way to better position themselves.

The risks perceived:

• Loss of monopoly on gates
• Risk of drop in quality of ads
• Direct competition on the same goods

Opportunities:

• Individuals exposed to sales difficulties often end up using an agency
• Professionals retain added value: negotiation, legal certainty, estimate
• Some portals clearly distinguish the pros and those of individuals (e.g. “professional verified” headband)

6. Focus on the top of the range: a different positioning

In the luxury sector, opening to individuals remains more selective. Platforms as charming properties, luxresidence or beautiful residences maintain a high level of requirement.

Why this prudence?

• Exceptional goods require impeccable presentation
• International customers awaits a high -end service
• Legal risks are higher

But :

• An experienced individual can now present his property via professional tools
• Some sellers wish to remain discreet or manage their sale directly (especially expatriates, heirs)

7. Towards sustainable cohabitation?

The model of tomorrow is not necessarily exclusive. Rather, we are moving towards cohabitation between professionals and individuals , with suitable offers.

• Different options depending on the seller's profile
• Clear filters for buyers (pros/individuals)
• À la carte services

Portals become hybrid marketplaces , like Amazon or Booking.com.

8. Key figures to remember

• +28 million visitors/month on Leboncoin (Mediamétrie)
• 32 % of real estate sales between individuals (INSEE, 2023)
• Between € 49 and € 149 the advertisement on the main portals for individuals
• Up to 2 million annual visitors to specialized portals as charming properties

Conclusion: an inevitable turning point

The opening of real estate portals to individual announcements is a logical evolution, adapted to the reality of the market and to the expectations of users. Far from constituting an absolute threat to professionals, it forces them to strengthen their added value and to differentiate themselves.

For individuals, it is a new opportunity to access extended visibility, while keeping control of their sale. For portals, it is a way to consolidate their leading position in the face of new entrants.

The real estate model of tomorrow will be hybrid, collaborative, and focused on user experience. It remains for the various actors to adapt intelligently to make the most of it.