According to new research from Jitty, 28% of Brits admit they browse property websites purely to get a glimpse inside their neighbours’ homes — confirming that a love of having a nose around is alive and well across the UK.
The survey identifies the North East and South West as the regions with the strongest appetite for snooping, each topping the list at 36%. The South East follows closely behind at 35%.
Other areas where curiosity thrives include the East of England (31%), Yorkshire and the Humber (30%) and Wales (29%). London and the West Midlands sit further down the table at 24%, while Northern Ireland ranks as the least interested in their neighbours’ interiors at just 19%.
Carried out among 2,000 UK adults by Jitty, the country’s AI-enhanced property portal, the poll shows that browsing homes online has become a national hobby — driven by nosiness, aspiration and escapism. While a quarter of Brits scroll purely “out of nosiness”, 27% do so to get a sense of what they might be able to afford one day.
This culture has evolved into something broader than house hunting. The top things people look for are aesthetic: interior design (41%), building character (38%) and layout (33%), meaning buyers and non-buyers alike are treating listings like interior inspiration feeds.
Sharing listings is now part of the fun too. Three in ten people (30%) regularly send property links to friends and family through WhatsApp, and 25% enjoy receiving unexpected home listings. Many find the experience uplifting — with emotions ranging from excitement (31%) to inspiration (23%) and motivation (20%).
Despite the enthusiasm, frustration persists. More than 35% of respondents wish the search process felt more intuitive, and 26% frequently stray far beyond their search filters — showing that existing property platforms aren’t keeping pace with how people actually browse today.
Graham Paterson, CEO and co-founder of Jitty, said: “The fact that so many people are peeking inside their neighbours’ homes tells you everything you need to know about how Britain feels about property – it fascinates us, it entertains us, and it connects us. But it also shows why traditional search tools don’t cut it anymore. People don’t think in filters; they think in feelings, styles and lifestyles. AI finally bridges that gap by letting you describe exactly what you imagine – and instantly seeing homes that match. That’s the future people clearly want.”
The findings come as Jitty continues its rapid growth, on track to exceed half a million monthly property searches. Its AI-powered natural-language search now accounts for the majority of user interactions, with 75% of people preferring it over traditional filtering.
Backed by REA Group and Gradient Ventures (Google’s AI fund), Jitty offers an AI-powered, image-first way to browse the property market, allowing users to search naturally, visually and intuitively. As the UK’s property browsing habit accelerates, Jitty is leading a new era of smarter, more conversational discovery.
For more information, visit www.jitty.com.
