Analysts at investment bank Morgan Stanley are asking estate agents to help them in their research into online property portals.

It is specifically looking into agents’ use of Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket, including whether agents are considering cancelling their contracts with OnTheMarket.

Its survey does not explain to agents why it is being carried out. However, it would appear to be based on an upcoming report about Rightmove to investors. But many of its questions seem centred around OTM.

And some of its questions seem rather strange.

For example, it asks agents how long they have been using OTM, giving them a range of response from under six months to over five years.

Yet OTM did not launch until the end of January and is less then ten months old.

It also asks what time of the year agents “normally” negotiate prices with OTM and whether agents are anticipating OTM to hike prices next year and if so by how much.

Among other questions asked are whether, if the agent is subscribed to OTM and Rightmove, it previously subscribed to Zoopla and if so, why did it cancel Zoopla and not Rightmove.

It also asks what impact dropping Zoopla has had on the agent, and whether the cancellation was because of the one other portal rule.

The survey asks agents what proportion of leads come from “online property portal” [sic], and whether customers specifically request that their property is listed on Zoopla, OTM and Rightmove.

It asks how satisfied agents are with the portals they are currently subscribed to, and asks agents to rate OTM as to whether it is better than expectation, as expected or below expectation.

It is also keen to know whether OTM agents are likely to cancel their subscriptions to it.

Particularly detailed questions ask agents how they allocate their marketing budgets both now and in the future.

The bank last did a survey a year ago, resulting in an assessment of Rightmove aimed at investors.

Last year’s note to investors said: “We think the fears around Agents’ Mutual and a slowdown in property are overdone.”

It added: “We would view Agents’ Mutual as a non-issue if it weren’t for the exclusivity clause.”

It concluded that Rightmove would go ahead with price increases.

Last year’s report, based on responses from 169 agents, forecast that agency churn would mainly be borne by Zoopla, but added: “We think agent economics support the shared Rightmove/Zoopla market model.”

Last year’s report also argued that virtual agent Purplebricks, charging a fixed fee, was “much more economical than a bricks-and-mortar agent”.