Major regional firm Gascoigne Halman – one of the first to take Gold membership with OnTheMarket – is quitting, and is set to go live with Zoopla this week.
The move highlights acquisition activity by the larger industry players, who back the likes of Zoopla to the tune of millions.
The departure from OTM by Gascoigne Halman follows its acquisition last autumn by Connells Group, a stakeholder in Zoopla.
It flags up the recruiting headache for OTM, in the midst of the current massive buying spree by corporates of independents.
Yesterday afternoon, John Halman of previously independent firm Gasgcoigne Halman told EYE: “The position really became inevitable when the decision was made that Gascoigne Halman should become a subsidiary of the Connells Group in the autumn of last year.
“As an independent company Gascoigne Halman was one of the first to take up Gold membership as we foresaw OTM as an opportunity for independent firms to have increased control over their internet spending.
“This mutuality gave us some control but has generally been poorly received by the press and some of our more savvy clients, who don’t like the “one other portal” rule.
“It also appears to have become a battle between Zoopla and OTM as to who has the biggest register and the largest amounts of traffic, with claims and counter claims from both organisations.
“With all of the larger corporate estate agents remaining significant shareholders in Zoopla they are committed to continue supporting them.
“It seems therefore that the battle will continue for some time yet and this is not helped by the corporate estate agencies being in such an acquisitive period.
“It does give OTM an extra challenge for the future.”
He added: “We have no argument with OTM and wish them well, but as a supplier of data to Zoopla and Rightmove we will no longer be eligible to appear on their site.”
OTM has consistently refused to comment on individual memberships.
Sources say that the acquisition price of firms such as Gascoigne Halman with tie-ins to OTM will have that cost of breaking the agreement factored in by the larger firms swooping the market for purchases.
Comments (26)
It isn’t really a blow. As the old saying goes ‘The graveyard is full of indispensable people!’
….. Good turnout, nice spread, what were they working on?
And your business qualifications to run a multi million pound mutual are…..?
Who actually are you referring to “… charge a sensible price”, can’t be RM can it, lol.
My sentiments entirely Woodentop. I seem to recall that when I got married, I had to give up all other girlfriends….;)
That was funny marcH!
A man on a diet can still read the menu.
Obviously when you get old like me, even reading the menu is touch and go !!!!
Yeah but you can read my confessions of an estate agent sometime soon. Lost count of the number of scantly dressed women or in dressing gowns I’ve walked into. Had one last week pop a breast out to feed the baby just as I was filling out the agency agreement.
Now that one be a story if everyone posted their funniest (or not) moment.
I’m having some trouble in understanding why this story is news! Maybe it should be headlined “Agents has to leave OTM when taken over by rival Zoopla shareholder”.
Sensationalist reporting as usal
Most of the agents in my part of the world are with OTM. I’m not complaining as we are the smallest agent out of all of them.
Guess who, according to RM stats, is selling the most houses in the area?
We have benefited enormously by not being with OTM.
However as I have stated before, OTM catches up on traffic, market presence and unique visitors we would consider them.
Right now we are laughing all the way to the bank.
LOL
As you didn’t say what area you are in it’s pretty difficult to guess who is selling the most houses in your area “Paddy”.
Its also a pretty amateur mistake to assume that if you are selling lots of houses you are first of all, actually making money and second of all, making more money that your competitors. Unless of course you are charging a decent fee, which if I’m honest I doubt you are.
Can I suggest that perhaps your competitors are laughing at the busy fool?
Thats because youre probably the best estate agent in the area, nothing to do with not being with OTM. I was the best performing agent in my area. I then swapped to OTM……Im still the best performing agent in my area.
DO IT….!
I have to agree you probably are the best in town, anyone who thinks they can only be the best from whichever web portal they are on is deluded. I’m assuming that the other agents are also on RM or Z in any event?
Thanks for your mixed comments.
To answer fairly
A: 35 years in the business
B: 9 months in this area
C: 4 competitors are very large concerns with all their head office support.
D: I charge a fair fee, not the highest not the lowest.
E. I work on a simple philosophy: If I cant get on with the client I wont take them on because I know they will be trouble or hard to please. So they go to my competitors.
OTM doesn’t have full market traction like Z & RM therefore I cant consider them yet. But like any business I would jump on the band wagon if they take market share or look like they might.
I thought I was looking at my CV except B would read more years that take into account my grey hair.
It seems pretty evident to me that being a member of OTM clearly increases your market presence, identifies you as a market leader and makes you a desirable acquisition for a corporate.
AN OTM subscription seems like a good investment if you ask me!
John halman was and I bet still is a big supporter of OTM so it’s a big shame that he’s been told what to say here by his new bosses but as predicted it was inevitable!
on the contrary,knew it would happen when he sold to Connells
Yep, completely. I heard they turned down a couple of higher offers from companies not associated to Z…. but when the slightly lower off from Connells came in and they realised it would mean coming off OTM they jumped at it. Big part of the decision process. Well spotted danny!
That’s not what I’m saying Ric, I’m pointing out that John sold to Connells , this is a very clever guy. He didn’t think after he had signed the paperwork ” I wonder what that means for my portal membership”… He knew exactly what it meant
We all read that they had sold to Connells Danny so it really didn’t need pointing out did it?!
If you re suggesting that he even thought twice about what that meant for his portal membership, then I genuinely feel sorry for you.
Thats exactly my point real agent, the comment above made out that it wasnt really his choice.He is still a huge supporter of OTM. My point is that he is a businessman and I doubt he thought twice about what selling to Connells meant for his OTM membership, not a “consequence of the action” rather a shrewd businessman who knew exactly what it meant but did it anyway
I think we seem to be in some twilight zone. When I sold my first business, the buyers chose which suppliers they would keep and which they wouldn’t, thats exactly what has happened here.
The story here is how OTM may be hit by the wave of corporates buying strong independent agents many of whom have chosen to be on OTM.
It would be wrong however to assume that this offers any vindication for Zoopla and certainly, I for one, will poor scorn on any subsequent press release from them announcing how many agents have come back to them!
Not really a conscious decision then born out of circumstance.