Rightmove Mortgages
Rightmove, holding 83% of the UK real estate market, diversified into financial services by launching a Mortgage in Principle (MIP) application. The initial release targeted only First-Time Buyers. Adoption was limited, drop-off rates were high, and the experience did not support Home Movers or Joint Applicants, both of which had distinct needs and higher complexity.
Task
As Product Designer, the mandate was to expand the application beyond First-Time Buyers to include Home Movers and Joint Applicants, improve completion rates, and reduce drop-off at critical points of the journey. The business goal was to establish credibility in financial services and generate revenue through accepted mortgage applications.
Result
Mortgage in Principle completion time reduced to 12 minutes.
Drop-off at provision screen reduced from 74% through clearer communication and inclusion of lender details.
Conversion improvements across key stages:
96% Outgoings
66% Personal Details
85% Mortgage Basics
85% Employment
Successfully expanded application to support Home Movers and Joint Applicants.
Improved trust and confidence in the product through transparent communication and professional UI.
Action
Research and Discovery
Conducted interviews and surveys across First-Time Buyers, Home Movers, and Joint Applicants.
Developed personas and journey maps for each applicant type.
Performed competitor analysis to identify service gaps and trust-building opportunities.
Design Improvements
Enhanced First-Time Buyer journey by restructuring content, clarifying messaging, and simplifying UI.
Expanded flows to include Home Movers (addressing property sale while buying) and Joint Applicants (joint income assessment, shared documentation, collaborative progress tracking).
Improved information hierarchy and replaced dark T&C background with a lighter design to reduce distraction.
Introduced transparent indicators (e.g., time to complete, lender details, step expectations) to build trust.
Reorganized onboarding and consent screens to reduce cognitive load and increase confidence.
Process and Collaboration
Worked with development teams to adapt to lender API changes and maintain UX consistency.
Coordinated across product, design, and engineering to address evolving requirements and technical constraints.
Applied heuristic evaluations and iterative user testing to refine propositions and reduce drop-off rates.
Business Goal
Diversification into Financial Services with a focus on Mortgages.
Average Processing Time, Accepted Applications, Retention Post Diversification
User Needs
Users need a straightforward, reliable, and quick way to obtain a Mortgage in Principle.
Reduction in Application Time, User Satisfaction, Conversion Rates
Audience
Single and joint applicants applying for a new mortgage or porting an existing mortgage.
Onboarding & Retention
Team
2 Product Designers
3 FE Developers
2 BE Developers
1 QA
1 PO
1 BA
12 min
Time to complete
74% Drop-off
Provision Screen
22% Accepts
Completed Accepts
51% Conversion
Screening > Complete
Joint Applicants
Summary Insight
Expanding beyond First-Time Buyers required reframing the proposition for distinct applicant needs, resolving trust gaps at high-friction moments, and maintaining consistency amidst evolving technical constraints. The result was a more inclusive, credible, and higher-converting mortgage application experience.
Conversion through the form after updates
Mortgage in Principle
96%
Conversion Outgoings
66%
Conversion Personal Details
85%
Conversion Mortgage Basics
85%
Conversion Employment
