Alma Media Corporation                   Press release                  2 July 2024 

ETUOVI.COM IS THE FIRST IN FINLAND TO OFFER A TRAVEL TIME SEARCH THAT WILL REVOLUTIONISE THE WAY YOU APPLY FOR AN APARTMENT

Alma Media's housing marketplace Etuovi.com has launched the first travel time search for apartments sold in Finland, providing a new way for home buyers to find a suitable home. The travel time search enables to search for housing, taking into account travel time and means of transport. This opens new horizons and makes it possible to find an apartment in an area that might not have been considered otherwise, but from where everyday commuting is possible with the desired means of transport. 

Travel time search revolutionises the search for housing  

Etuovi.com, Finland's largest home search service, is turning the home search mindset in a new direction with its travel time search. Previously, homes were searched for based on a specific neighborhood, but now the travel time search opens up new possibilities to find the right home in other areas as well. 

In the travel time search, the starting point for the search is the user-defined starting point - for example, the address of the workplace or children's school - and the desired travel time between the new home and the starting point with the desired travel method.

"Travelling between a potential new home and important life hotspots, such as a job or a children's school, is one of the most important factors when thinking about the smoothness of everyday life. The travel time search may open eyes to completely new districts that were not initially on the homebuyer's mind, but from which everyday travel goes surprisingly well," says Antti Aittapelto, Product Manager at Etuovi.com.  

The travel time search launched by Etuovi.com is the first of its kind in Finland and a feature requested by customers. Search can only be found in the Etuovi.com app.  

Finding a suitable home is the biggest obstacle to buying a home 

According to the Etuovi.com Visitor Survey (2023), nearly half of those planning to buy an apartment in the capital region plan to buy a new apartment less than 10 kilometres from their old apartment. For the whole of Finland, the corresponding figure is almost the same. However, many home buyers face the challenge of finding a suitable home, which discourages buying. According to Etuovi.com's spring Market Pulse survey (2024 March-April), 54% of those planning to buy a home report the difficulty of finding a suitable home to put a brake on buying a home. In the capital region, the corresponding figure is 51%. This highlights the need for a new way of applying for housing. 

"Travel time search makes everyday life in a new home more concrete already in the apartment search phase. Whether you are walking, cycling, driving or using public transport, with the travel time search you can search for destinations where it is easy and convenient for you to travel from," Aittapelto says and continues: "In addition, the area introductions found at Etuovi.com offer a comprehensive range of other information to help find a home that meets your needs and lifestyle. The search for holiday homes is also becoming more diverse, as they can be checked within a three-hour radius of one's own home." 

Etuovi.com will continue to develop the functions and services related to travel time and mapping. 

Alma Media is committed to providing diverse housing services and collaborates with operators in the industry on a long-term basis, utilising the possibilities of digitalisation, data and artificial intelligence to ensure the best user experience. In addition to the Etuovi.com service, Alma's housing services include, for example, Urakkamaailma.fi, comparison service for renovations, Vuokraovi.com, the most comprehensive rental housing service in Finland, and the cottage rental service Nettimökki. Alma's media such as Kauppalehti and Iltalehti follow home and housing-related topics and developments in the housing market. 

The Etuovi.com app can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Pay.