Type · algorithmic
Given a stream of property price updates, design a data structure that can efficiently return the median price of all properties updated so far.
How to Pass the Rightmove Software Engineer Interview in 2026
Enterprise · Software Engineer Interview Guide
Sign up to see ATSHeadquartered in United KingdomInterview language: English
The Rightmove DNA (TL;DR)
Evaluators at Rightmove prioritize practical engineering trade-offs over academic algorithms, testing how engineers maintain high availability for high-traffic real estate search surfaces like House Prices Sold while keeping legacy monoliths scalable and modular.
The Rightmove Interview Loop
Your onsite loop will typically consist of 5 rounds.
- 1
Round 1
Recruiter ScreenMotivation, role fit, logistics. - 2
Round 2
Coding ScreenLeetCode-medium algorithmic problems under time pressure. - 3
Round 3
System DesignDistributed systems, trade-offs at scale, architecture under constraints. - 4
Round 4
Onsite CodingLeetCode-hard problems, reasoning about defects, code clarity, edge cases. - 5
Round 5
Behavioral / LeadershipPast evidence of ownership, influence, resolving conflict.
The Danger Zone: Top Reasons Candidates Fail
Based on our database of Rightmove interview outcomes, avoid these common traps:
- Focusing solely on personal career advancement without connecting it to the company's goals.
- Overly simplistic recommendation logic (e.g., only based on location/price).
- Describing a bug that was easily fixed or not production-impacting.
- Incorrectly parsing or handling time formats.
Test Yourself: Real Rightmove Questions
Three real prompts pulled from our database.
Type · architecture
Design the backend for a 'recently viewed properties' feature. Consider data volume, retrieval speed, and potential for personalization.
Type · motivation
What interests you about Rightmove's mission to make the property market simpler, more efficient, and more enjoyable for everyone?
+ many more questions, signals, and worked examples
Sign up to unlock the full Rightmove grading rubric
Rightmove Interview Question Bank
A sample from our database, grouped by round. Sign up to see the full set.
9 of 12 questions shown
1
Recruiter Screen
1- 1
Type · motivation
What interests you about Rightmove's mission to make the property market simpler, more efficient, and more enjoyable for everyone?
2
Coding Screen
3- 2
Type · algorithmic
Given a list of property listings with their coordinates (latitude, longitude) and a user's current location, find the N closest properties. Assume you have a function to calculate distance between two coordinates. - 3
Type · algorithmic
You are given a dataset of property viewing times. Write a function to calculate the average viewing time for properties in a specific postcode district, ignoring outliers (viewings longer than 2 hours or shorter than 5 minutes). - + 1 more questions in this round (sign up to unlock)
3
System Design
3- 4
Type · architecture
Design a real-time notification system for new property listings that match user-defined search criteria (e.g., '3-bed house in SW1A for under £1M'). Consider scalability for millions of users and listings. - 5
Type · architecture
How would you design a service to recommend similar properties to users based on their browsing history and saved properties? Discuss data storage, recommendation algorithms, and API design. - + 1 more questions in this round (sign up to unlock)
4
Onsite Coding
2- 6
Type · algorithmic
Implement a function that takes a list of property addresses and returns a map where keys are postcode districts and values are lists of addresses belonging to that district. Assume a helper function `get_postcode_district(address)` exists. - 7
Type · algorithmic
Given a stream of property price updates, design a data structure that can efficiently return the median price of all properties updated so far.
5
Behavioral / Leadership
3- 8
Type · past-experience
Tell me about a time you had to make a significant technical decision with incomplete information. How did you approach it, what was the outcome, and what did you learn? - 9
Type · past-experience
Describe a complex bug you encountered in a production system. What steps did you take to diagnose and resolve it, and what measures did you put in place to prevent recurrence? - + 1 more questions in this round (sign up to unlock)
Unlock all 12 Rightmove questions, free
No credit card. Every question with its framework, the grading signals interviewers score against, and a worked answer for each.
Interview tracks at Rightmove
How Rightmove's DNA translates across functions. Pick your role.
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Practice Rightmove interviews end-to-end
Rightmove Mock Interview
Run a live mock interview with our AI interviewer using Rightmove-style prompts. Get scored on structure, signal, and answer length - exactly how the real loop grades you.
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STAR Stories for Rightmove Behavioral Rounds
Build a Story Bank of your past wins, mapped to the leadership signals Rightmove interviewers grade on. Reuse them across every behavioral round.
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Rightmove Interview Prep Hub
The frameworks behind every Rightmove round: CIRCLES for product sense, hypothesis-driven debugging for analytical, STAR for behavioral. Learn each one in 10 minutes.
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Interview Frameworks
CIRCLES, STAR, AARRR, RICE, MECE. The exact frameworks that make Rightmove interviewers nod instead of frown. Step-by-step playbooks with the moves and the pitfalls.
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Sample answers
What a strong answer to these Rightmove interview questions shows.
Given a stream of property price updates, design a data structure that can efficiently return the median price of all properties updated so far.
A strong answer shows: Use of two heaps (min-heap and max-heap).; Correct balancing of the heaps.; Efficient insertion and median retrieval.; Handling of edge cases like empty stream or single element..
Design the backend for a 'recently viewed properties' feature. Consider data volume, retrieval speed, and potential for personalization.
A strong answer shows: Choice of appropriate data store (e.g., NoSQL, cache).; Efficient query design for fast retrieval.; Consideration of data volume and user session management..
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Rightmove interview process take?
Most candidates spend between 4 and 8 weeks from recruiter screen to offer. The onsite loop itself runs in a single day or is split across two half-days, with debrief and offer typically within 5 business days after.
How should I prepare specifically for Rightmove?
Focus on three things: (1) the company DNA shown above - what they actually grade for, (2) the rounds in your loop, especially the round most candidates underestimate, and (3) drilling on the question types in this guide using a structured framework like CIRCLES or STAR.
Does this apply to engineering or design roles at Rightmove?
The DNA stays the same - what changes is the round mix. SWE candidates face coding screens instead of Product Sense; designers face portfolio reviews and design exercises. The "what they value" and behavioral signals carry across all functions.
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