I’m searching from Warsaw, Poland, for a condo around Birmingham and have been using Idealista to build a shortlist. Coverage has been useful, but duplicate adverts, stale status and inconsistent floor-area figures make comparison harder than expected. Days-on-market is the feature I value most. What I still need is a clearer indication of listing freshness and what happens after contacting an advertiser. How does the mobile experience hold up, particularly the filters, alerts and follow-up?
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Idealista for a Birmingham condo search from Warsaw
- Thread starter QuietSparrow
- Start date
The duplicate problem is the detail that would change how I use the site. Saved-search alerts can make a remote search feel active while repeatedly surfacing the same Birmingham condo under a different advertiser, price or floor-area entry.
Keep a separate list with the exact address where available, development name, asking price, stated area, advertiser and first-seen date. Photos and map pins alone are not enough because separate units in one development may look identical. Before arranging a viewing or relying on a price comparison, ask the advertiser to confirm that the unit is still available, identify the actual floor area and explain how it was measured. That extra check costs time, but it is safer than letting duplicate alerts distort the shortlist.
Keep a separate list with the exact address where available, development name, asking price, stated area, advertiser and first-seen date. Photos and map pins alone are not enough because separate units in one development may look identical. Before arranging a viewing or relying on a price comparison, ask the advertiser to confirm that the unit is still available, identify the actual floor area and explain how it was measured. That extra check costs time, but it is safer than letting duplicate alerts distort the shortlist.
How are you deciding that two adverts are duplicates? Same photos and approximate map pin, or an exact address? That distinction matters because similar units in one development can look identical. I’d also note whether each area figure is presented on the same basis; otherwise the price-per-area comparison may be misleading.
BrightPorch
Property investor
I understand why days on market is the most appealing filter, but I am hesitant to treat the displayed number as reliable on its own. A genuinely old advert may indicate weak demand; a withdrawn and reposted one may show a short age while hiding a much longer history.
Price history would help distinguish those cases, especially if it can be tied to the same address or unit. Until that is available, I would use listing age as an initial screen and then test freshness through the advertiser’s reply. If they promptly confirm the unit, current price and floor area, the advert can stay on the shortlist. If the response is vague or refers to another property, its apparent freshness should count for very little.
Price history would help distinguish those cases, especially if it can be tied to the same address or unit. Until that is available, I would use listing age as an initial screen and then test freshness through the advertiser’s reply. If they promptly confirm the unit, current price and floor area, the advert can stay on the shortlist. If the response is vague or refers to another property, its apparent freshness should count for very little.
The mobile map is where I’d focus. A slightly inaccurate pin can put a Birmingham condo on the wrong side of a road, development or transport barrier. Before keeping a listing, compare the written location with the map and photos. It would also help to know which mobile filters vanish or reset when you move between list and map views.
sketchesAndField
Homeowner
I’m not convinced freshness is the biggest gap. A stale listing wastes some time, but unclear next steps after contact can create more uncertainty, especially from Warsaw. Does the reply identify the actual unit, confirm the price and area, and explain how to proceed? If not, a polished listing page has limited value.
A practical test would be to save a small group of listings, record today’s status, then watch the saved-search alerts for changes. Contact only a few advertisers with the same short questions: still available, exact floor area, precise location, and next step. That gives you a consistent comparison without relying entirely on the portal’s labels.
That test would also answer my duplicate question. Keep separate rows until the advertiser confirms whether two adverts represent the same condo or merely similar units. I’d add the date of each reply and any price change. After a week or two, you should be able to judge whether alerts, displayed days-on-market or direct responses provide the most dependable signal.