Property Industry Eye has been told by a number of sources that it appears Purplebricks has shed dozens of staff over the past 72 hours – some receiving less than an hour’s notice.
Today we have been making efforts to contact our usual, long term Purplebricks’ PR but have now found that she too has left the company (we understand of her own volition) and that although the generic Purplebricks’ PR email address is still active no response has been received to our enquiries.
Yesterday EYE was contacted by several sources including a former Purplebricks’ staff member who told us that they and ‘many other colleagues’ have been ‘let go’ the day before, purportedly for under-performing in converting instruction leads – but that they had been allocated the territory and performance figures of an already-departed colleague who had been performing very poorly and that those poor figures had pulled down our contact’s own entirely acceptable percentages.
The source told us they are devastated at having to leave clients with sales in progress without the chance to explain who might be taking over their file – if indeed anyone is actually taking over the file. The source also alleged that their summary dismissal had come via several tiers of management as a direct instruction from the CEO of Purplebricks, newly-appointed Helena Marston.
EYE understands that Purplebricks has been able to dismiss staff without a notice period because none have been employed for more than two years so full employment rights have not yet kicked in.
Earlier this week EYE was first in the trade press to report that Purplebricks is facing a serious downturn in its annual accounts when they are published on 14th July – mostly because of the reduction in volumes of instructions.
We asked recruitment agency head, Josh Rayner, for his take on the prospects for anyone dismissed from Purplebricks. He told us:
“Fortunately for those let go from Purplebricks, the market for great candidates as listers and branch managers is stronger than ever, as I’ve recently remarked. They’ll have little problem finding a new role given the buoyancy of the estate agency recruitment market and so Purplebricks’ loss will be the gain of the many busy traditional agency businesses that desperately need good people still”
We have invited Purplebricks to comment and we will have more on this story in due course.
EYE NEWSFLASH: Purplebricks trading update – reduced instructions are hurting the business
Comments (12)
Frankly is anyone surprised.
This has the hallmarks of the new CEO clearing the decks either as if staff are underperforming and need replacing (regardless if they under performing) OR ……………………..
As is often the case, new CEO cleaning the house out, ready to be shutdown as it is a failed business.
Time will tell but one has to answer this position ……………. Who is going to replace them if they wish to keep trading? or who would want to work for them with their track record and how they treat employees/self employed!!!!!!!!!
Can’t see any LPE’s getting a branch managers job. Equally cant see who anyone in a high street agency wanting an LPE’s job either. For pb it seems one problem after another – the end is surely nye
I would never employ a PB lister or manager. My experience is that the unsuccessful high street agents all ran and jumped on the PB bandwagon, looking down on their previous colleagues as if they were some kind of saviour of Estate Agency. Truth is they were part of a poor recruitment plan, poor management and poor planning. I will never forget the day I saw a very poor sales negotiator who left with their tail between their legs got a senior role in PB. They are no longer there.
Nailed it. Shame someone given you a thumbs down for what was/is reality.
Lol.
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As I posted on the last Purplebricks post…. They are simply making excuses now to get rid of people so there won’t be as many redundancy packages when they disappear. Helena Is a brave woman as she is aboard a sinking ship and will be fully blamed for it final voyage and collapse now. Vic Darvey along with several others have let this happen.
I feel so sorry for these people – businesses have to make tough calls when faced with circumstances that could not be predicted (which is why I would take issue with the above link to haart – just an unnecessary dig that bears no relevance) I certainly get that – my issue is that I want everyone to see that a low fee model simply will not survive the test of time. PB have made their staff believe that it can and I’m sorry to say that this was inevitable and I fear there is more to come. The good news is that good people will always find a home. I see the same happening with Strike and all the others that believe they will thrive by being cheap – unfortunately they will only serve to be what they promote they are for as long as they survive. We have tough times ahead and cheap models will suffer for sure.
It is never nice letting people go, or being let go…..
Performance management exists to benefit the company and to identify training needs. However, this sounds like a small orchestra on the deck of a famous liner.
Poor management x poor business model = poor outcome; and sadly for those who work there, PB has been in decline, arguably since day one.
I have never known a cheap fee agent survive. Ever……….
Surely if they’ve just let “dozens” of underperformers go and those people jump into High Street or branch managers jobs that should benefit Purplebricks. Who wants underperforming staff. Not me. Stay away thanks.
There was a time when it was claimed they originated from the high street where they found it too tough going and PB would make it easier for them to earn a fortune…. so its PR recruitment machine was spouting.
Well, everyone wanted online agents to act like High Street agents, so now they have. However I would call it a Haartlesss act.