Seven-branch firm Jeffries Estate and Letting Agents in south-east Hampshire has joined OnTheMarket.
Jeffries has been established since 1996 and is due imminently to expand with extra branches.
It will now be advertising all of its properties for sale and to rent at OTM, after deciding to drop Zoopla.
Stuart Whiting, managing director at Jeffries, said: “OTM has come a long way in its first year and we’re proud to be part it.
“We think the ad-free website is extremely user-friendly for buyers and tenants, which is key.”
Its recruitment to OTM comes as a three-office agent, Staves, in Sheffield, has decided to leave OTM to return to Zoopla.
Director Matthew Staves said: “We have recently taken the decision to return to Zoopla.
“There seems to be plenty of coverage and promotion for agents who are leaving them [Zoopla] so I think it is right and fair that when they have done a great job that is also recognised.”
“Since returning I have seen the volume and quality of leads coming into my business massively improve which has been fantastic to see. We have taken the decision to get behind Zoopla in the future and are delighted with the response we have received so far.”
A spokesperson for OTM said it never comments on individual contractual relationships with members.
Meanwhile Zoopla said it generated 61% more appraisal leads for agents in February compared with the same month last year.
Traffic to Zoopla and Primelocation was up 9% last month, said the site, with Hitwise data showing its audience was approximately ten times larger than that of OTM’s.
Comments (30)
‘ten times larger than that of OTM’s’
That is all, nothing more to see here
Oh, dear, Gump – you’ve just unmasked yourself as yet another who chooses to ignore all those women who state that it’s not size that matters…
What does this have to do with peckers Mr PeeBee, or did you comment to introduce one into the conversation?
This is about the size of a website and I, and I would guess so would everyone else on the planet, would much rather be on the biggest rather than some little one hardly anyone has heard of.
So OTM is a grower not a shower, by the time OTM gets to size everyone would of got bored of it
@Gump – wrong. You must be quite new to estate agency, and presumably not an owner/Director, as otherwise you would have an interest in being able to manage the future costs of advertising. Rightmove started off completely unheard of, agents displayed their logos and told punters to check the site for new properties. We built them. Unwittingly we created a beast that’s controlling each agent’s marketing budgets, save for say some of the corporate shareholder agents.
I’m a supporter of Agents Mutual, and what it stands for. Of course the leads aren’t going to match RM/Z immediately, but as we help to build it, that’ll soon improve. The fact that we get any leads from AM, compared against the dozens of tiny portals who try to flog their wares by cold calling agents constantly, is proof that it is being used. Again RM started off with few users, other than agents, if we continue to support AM there’s no reason that it can’t match RM.
Hello Jrsteeve
I have been in agency for a fortnight and from what I can tell, that makes me as qualified any anyone else in the industry.
It is not that I don’t agree with the idea behind OTM, it’s a great one, my issues are with how it has been run.
Decisions have been made, in my opinion, without votes, with only the interests of high end London Agents in mind, and to be honest I don’t think anyone can dispute that.
I will not back a start up that is run that way.
If the day comes where I have no choice and they do become the biggest then I will join, and that brings me back nicely to my original post about going with the biggest.
I wish you all the best in running your business, and affording the ever increasing costs of RM.
Are you on Rightmove Jrsteeve?
For now, yes. I don’t rely on it for business, instead i’ve developed a good website, taken time for SEO and care in presentation throughout the business. I intend to still be trading 10 years from now, so look at the bigger picture and the long term plan, not short term cashing in on market conditions.
I started my own firm 8 years ago, having worked for both corporates and a small independent. I also put myself through a part time building surveying degree at university, so can offer more to my clients than most, whilst learning a lot more about our trade.
I’m hopefully in this for life, that’s why I can see that RM is a cancer that needs to be dealt with. We provide the content, via our clients, not them, without us they’re nothing.
So you are with Rightmove, thank you 🙂
Point, Missed.
Gump
Who said anything about budgies?
The finest perfume comes in tiny vessels.
The most tender meat is that from the younger animal.
The largest tatties are usually filled with worms; and the biggest, flashiest cars generally belong to the numpties and wasters with nothing else to offer.
Ladies know that good stuff comes in little bundles – ask one.
PeeBee the OTM members 100%/99% all stayed with the biggest portal.
A backup perhaps?
Why did you all not drop Rightmove for the second biggest portal?
Scared to perhaps?
You OTM lot have no nuts whatsoever, you all come on here with your sanctimonious platitudes and the only thing you have achieved is to cement Rightmoves number 1 position.
You seem to all think that if and unlikely when you take over Zoopla there will be a mass exodus of Rightmove, lol, good luck with that.
“You OTM lot have no nuts whatsoever…”
So speaks the man whose nuts have never been – and apparently WILL NEVER BE- exposed to the risk to life, limb and market-share of… shock, horror… leaving a portal – ANY portal.
You the kinda guy’s got a big, flashy car, Gump?
;o)
Yes I am PeeBee and I managed it without Zoopla or OTM 🙂
I’m surprised you even take the time to read industry news, you seem to know everything from your fortnight in business already.
I’ll await the story of yet another agent suddenly closing, with client funds unaccounted for.
I don’t know everything Jrsteeve, but i’m not far off, another two weeks and I think I will be almost there.
You have just said you are with Rightmove but don’t rely on them for business?!
Now, in my limited agency experience, isn’t spending £1000 (ish) a month on something you don’t need a bit silly?
Or would you care to educate me on why it is a good idea
Ohhh… I reckons even a raw, impressionable newbie like you ;o) knows the answer, Gump – otherwise you wouldn’t be doing the same darn thing yourself…
…would you?
If you rely explicitly on RM you’re not an agent, just a chancer without a viable business model.
Think i’ve finished feeding the troll enough for today.
…but would you have managed it without your sturdy crutch, Rightmove?
Would someone please tell me why this morning I received an alert from OTM for 9 new properties just added to OTM when
A: They have been on rightmove for days and some weeks already
B: They have been on OTM for days and some weeks already.
And in case some says it’s one agent doing it. These 9 listings are from 2 different agents.
Sorry I just recounted. its 4 different estate agents not 2. This smells funny !
well done OTM keep it going. Recruit, recruit, recruit.
OTM must think their members are stupid. I have it on good authority that Jeffries are paying less that £51 (;-0) per month whereas their local competitors who invested in the thing are paying over £300.
Call that a mutual?!
As a ” competitors who invested in the thing” I can assure you as a fact it’s not over £300. It’s under. It then makes me wonder about your ” good authority that Jeffries are paying less that £51″ . Whether that is fact ?.
The fact is in their contract and will be on their invoice every month.
So perhaps half your original statement maybe fact, please feel free to share the proof though.
Have you considered that the members of Agent’s Mutual might not care what someone else is paying, They might not have a mentality that is easily incited into a rage by an agitator and are quite cool that the greater good is served by increasing the membership. you might just be wasting your time, and they might be laughing at your attempt to stir things up.
If things are unsettled within AM the members don’t need you to tell them how to think and your trolling only serves to re-unite them as a group.
Spot on. It’s this small minded element that bemoan the current duopoly but lack the cahonas to actually do anything about it….
Penny wise, pound foolish….
Robert, wish I’d read your post before I reacted to Lamby’s trash…
Lamby45 – Absolute rubbish! Your ‘good authority’ isn’t ZPG or RM generated by any chance? I write the cheques, so I know how much I am paying. Anyway, I am really happy with the leads coming through via OTM, and I can only see them growing over time. Once OTM gets to be the portal of choice for serious buyers then the payment structure will sort itself out anyway, so even if another company pays less than me I don’t really care too much at present – it’s the end result that all serious agents are focusing on at present.