OnTheMarket is this morning sending out an email to all its member agents.
The email, from OTM boss Ian Springett, says that overall support for OTM has now reached over 7,000 offices, and that the number of branches listing on the portal stands at over 6,250. His email, which is reproduced fully below, also warns of a “concerted propaganda” campaign against it and draws attention to what Springett calls “connections”.
Dear Agent,
I am pleased to announce that overall support of OnTheMarket.com has reached in excess of 7,000 UK estate and letting agent offices. This figure includes offices which are contracted and those which are covered by Letters of Intent to join Agents’ Mutual and to list at OnTheMarket.com when overall support exceeds 7,500 offices.
Since our launch at the end of January 2015, the number of offices listing on the portal has increased by over 1,650 to more than 6,250.
The figure of 6,250 listing offices excludes the small proportion of firms which, during the 15-month period since our launch, have had their properties hidden because it was evident that they were advertising on more than one other competing portal. We are taking appropriate legal action to ensure that firms meet their contractual obligations.
By contrast, according to its own trading statements (dated 12 February 2015 and 25 February 2016) Zoopla did not grow its listing UK agency offices in the year following the launch of OnTheMarket.com. At 31 January 2015, Zoopla listed 12,902 UK agency offices and this had fallen to 12,841 UK agency offices by 31 January 2016.
Some of our members have told us they have received communications from Zoopla claiming, for example, that:
‘Since last January, we have had over 300 agency offices return to Zoopla Property Group, having left for Agents Mutual’.
We can confirm that this level of returning agents has not occurred in the period since January 2016.
Meanwhile, OnTheMarket.com has reported record traffic and leads again in April. We served over 3.2m users in the month (source: Google Analytics).
Together with thousands of other independent agents, you have created a new portal which we believe represents the best chance for your industry to take back control.
You will be aware of a concerted propaganda, legal and (what some might see as predatory) pricing attack being mounted by those whose interests would be served by seeing Agents’ Mutual fail.
In this context, it may be worth bearing in mind the connections between some of those contributing ‘stories’ and commenting on them in the Estate Agent industry daily news services. Please find a guide to those connections here
We look forward to welcoming to the only agent-owned, agent-controlled portal more and more agents who seek to regain strategic control of their data and costs.
The more agents who join OnTheMarket.com and the sooner they do so, the more powerful the portal will become in continuing to disrupt the duopoly and in providing a first-class alternative search service for consumers and agents alike.
Thank you for your continued support.
Kind regards,
Ian Springett
Chief Executive
Comments (89)
Well, Mr Mealham –
care to comment on your ‘observations’ at the meeting today?
Yes – numbers were much higher. I observed a well structured meeting where Iain White and his legal team made a fair case as they see things.
It would be unfair to say anymore as Iain said that a press release will follow.
Mr Mealham
Above you state “We all need to be sure as to what were saying is accurate and truthful…”
Couldn’t agree more.
I would therefore ask you a question which will be answered I trust with accuracy and truthfulness –
Have you at any time posted comments on PropertyIndustryEye under any other name than your own?
Thats a wierd question Peebee. I think people should always use their real identity. Why don’t you use your real name. What do you have to hide??
My blunt views never get thrown forward under another name.
Does this mean you might join the rest of us real names.
I could quite easily ask – do you ever post in another or your real name?
Now be honest
I only ever use one name, Mr Mealham – and you know what that is.
It’s the only one that matters – as it is not about the person’s name it is what they post.
Some of the worst quotes I have ever had the displeasure of reading were from well-known people; but that ‘anon’ guy/gal comes out with some of the best quality one-liners since Bob Monkhouse.
But the first line of posts should be a persons real name.
I think it was SP who mentioned on this thread your continued anti OTM stance. Now if you go to that meeting …. you are liable for being associated with a group of people conspiring (cartel like behaviour, seeing as you are an expert on that subject!) … against EU and BP regs that you so much highlight to everyone. I would be extremely careful about being present at such a meeting when you can only react after someone has said something … or are you going to chrip in every time they make a comment that the industry doesn’t like .. seeing as you are their as a self proclaimed industry observer, I’m assuming the industry has asked you to go there for that reason? I think many will have a view that you are going is for your INEA connection and stance or are you going to sit in the corner and say nothing.
Not weird at all. Just clarifying a point which I and others have mused over for some time.
If you say that you have never posted under another name then so be it – I will accept your word as a gentleman.
I once threatened to ‘out’ myself but the petition for me to remain anonymous ran into the thousands – in case any pictures leaked out.
I’ve got a great face for radio, though…
HA HA HA HA how pathetic I have a 9 year old daughter that has produced better projects at school
See comment above.
I read both sides editions (eat and pie, mostly and sadly in my own time) and see bias to each journal, some making more comment than perhaps dedicating their time to their own businesses and those comments are just as much a form of bullying as argumentative, if someones opinion goes against yours that is their entitlement to express it and they then shouldn’t be subjected to biased ridicule from their objectors, some of you that make the barbed comments on here (and often) should be embarrassed at the regularity of your visits and posts (sometimes 5,6 or 7 in a day just on one particular subject) whilst they should be working but perhaps it is an ego trip to see how many likes they get.
PIE should be further embarrassed that they, in the recent past have asked for the fever of response to be toned down and respect each other even when disagreeing but here, they are condoning that vehemence because those posting in the main are pro otm.
I don’t know where this will end but like most of you,I believe a third portal and one somewhat owned by us would be a good thing but this childish back biting doesn’t do our profession any good and I’m sorry because on the reverse side there is a lot of good comment,argument and opinion expressed by you, but as always there is always the few, however on here of late there seems to be too many of you picking and bullying, sorry, sermon over.
Well said
Well said?
This would be the person* who posted “HA HA HA HA how pathetic I have a 9 year old daughter that has produced better projects at school”
Beggars belief*.
* edited from original wording as I’d hate to be accused of “picking”, “bullying”, “childish backbiting” – or causing WWIII to kick off.
Oh – and please note the time, of both this post and those I posted at the top of the thread. Prior to the first post I had already checked all my emails, wound up the technology boxes, organised my day ahead (to include a few ‘EYE’ breaks…) and was onto probably my sixth brew. I’m presently finishing listing a property and negotiating its’ sale – WITHOUT the “assistance” of any portal – and have three gallons of Columbian roast sloshing around.
When I get home I’ve got a days’ worth of #portaljuggling to catch up on.
Hope you’re having a good night down the pub/winebar/lapdance joint (delete where applicable)
It’s called ‘Estate Agency’. You should try it sometime…
It sounds like you need some Time Management training if you’re doing 13 hour days.
Chin chin old boy!
Make that 16.5 and counting.
I call it ‘love of what I do’.
13-hour days are for wimps.
What fun times for you and the family!
I am the luckiest bloke on my planet – I have a wonderful and extremely understanding family.
I’m sure you do. And a very happy milkman as well!
Our family ‘milkman’ always has a smile on his face.
It’s purely a sideline, though.
By day he’s an Estate Agent.
this is just pathetic…
OTM don’t seem to have a grip on what is happening. The detractors are from your own camp pushed on by others who have agendas.
this all started because SOME agents are unhappy – it doesn’t matter who is funding who and where these ‘detractors’ are from there is still the root problem….
SOME agents are unhappy and they have felt like their only course of action is to side with the other side. Sort out the problem and you wont have any unhappy agents.
as the old saying goes ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’
But put it into perspective Clarkuk – Its less than 1% of their membership.
I would be incredibly happy if i only ever lost 1% of my stock!
Also bit more context, OTM have added 76 branches in the last month alone, I have been compiling figures for the last 6 months and every month since i started OTM has increased branch numbers.
I’ve always agreed with you smile 1% is minimal but still this 1% have been pretty loud so far.
this will snowball and get out of hand if OTM don’t do anything about it. Stop fighting ‘detractors’ and agenda’s and work on keeping them happy, find out what isn’t working for them.
You can guarantee that none of these WANT to be challenging their contracts they want OTM to succeed.
Springetts automatic defensive stance biting back at every opportunity is detracting from the potential OTM has. His press release should have read
‘there are a few of our members who aren’t happy with the contracts blaah blah
these account for ONLY 1% of our membership
we believe they have reasons behind their agenda’s please be wary
if you would like to talk to us about this or any other issue please get in contact with your local rep and he/she will be happy to help you sleep easy’
although they would have to add the obligatory ‘we have over 7000 offices,.letters, detractors, number 2 portal, freedom, control ……….. 6,500 members… YAWN’ twaddle at the end
I dont believe even the 1% have been pretty loud.
The only ones i can seeing being very loud is Iain White (who does not own an agency) Trevor Mealham (again does not own an agency) and Simon Shinerock (Who has a vested interest in OTM failing).
Between the 3 of them they say they have got 60 attendees in London. I am guessing that the number that turn up on the day is between 20 – 30.
Hardly deafening.
The agents that have come out and criticized OTM seem to be one man bands looking to blame their lack in trade on anything other than the way they run their own businesses.
Month on month OTM add numbers, Sure there are things they can do to appease some agents but that in turn will upset other agents.
I dont think its snowballing, just think the anti brigade are getting desperate as OTM is getting close to tipping point on stock over Z so they are flooding the media (EAT) with nonsense stories like CMA and class action. But as figures show agents are more switched on than to listen to this.
An extremely good succinct post Smile. I totally agree.
Smile. Its not an INEA meeting.
INEA has no involvement with what Iain or his representatives will say.
Trevor
So – just to confirm or otherwise what you seem to be saying here, Mr Mealham:
You or any representatives of your organisation will not be present at the meeting?
You have issued – nor intend to issue – NO prior information or correspondence in relation to this ‘meeting’?
You have not paid ‘contribution’ £50 towards the cost of the venue (@ £3000 for a couple of hours is it Buckingham Palace?) as you will not be there – or any other ‘contribution’ towards this or any other act of collusion against AM/OTM?
That’ll do for starters. I’ll save the awkward questions for later.
I will be there PeeBee. But as a listener and industry observer. This one isnt my show and INEA has NOT had anything to do with organising it.
Some of the INEA agents may or may not be there. As such I want to hear what information they are being given.
“I will be there PeeBee. But as a listener and industry observer.”
I take it, then, that other “industry observers” have been invited and/or will be welcomed to the meeting whether or not they are sympathetic towards the collusion?
You are wise to distance yourself from this Trevor as this is going to leave some with egg on their face and not the group you are thinking.
However you have been one of the most vocal and persistent commentators running otm down and have added your support behind this poisened letter campaign.
smile please – Mr Mealham has ACTIVELY ENCOURAGED AND ENTICED dissention of AM/OTM Members on many platforms including here, EAT and Tw@tter.
What’s there can’t be erased.
Not at all Smile.
I have highlighted and raised intel that can be found via EU and CMA site pages.
Peebee. Its the same for all. We all need to be sure as to what were saying is accurate and truthful and for industry and consumer best practice.
“We all need to be sure as to what were saying is… for industry and consumer best practice.”
And that, in itself, is totally subjective and open to individual interpretation – fatally flawing your argument.
I refer you to many previous discussions on the subject of subjectiveness.
Fair comment. We all have our views. I’ll give you a like.
Oh dear. Some, yes.
MANY are unhappy with other portals too.
As unprofessional as it is but looking at the pictures of Simon and Iain – They both have very slappable faces, Just too much smugness and full of themselves. Amazing what a picture can portray!
’tis easy sorted, smile please…
Get thyself along to t’meeting down That London next week – and give ’em both one from me while you’re at it!
;o)
Almost worth the 50 quid entry fee!
I WOULD PAY FOR YOU! ;o)
I’m not a big enough voice within the industry for people to care too much about what my opinion is, but at least I know my place. However, this is a free forum to express views, so I will, because I can, as do many others 🙂
The arguments against are usually from non-member agents and people who have ulterior motives, perhaps it disrupts their current business in some way or they simply want to play down the new portal because their competing agents are on it, who knows, these motives are hardly ever clearly displayed in the comments, so we don’t know either!
So my opinion? Well I think AM have done the correct thing in producing these communication, it provides clarity.
As for PIE reporting on it, what do you expect!? I would expect EAT to do the same. They are both online reporting services and are successful in their own right for providing popular platforms. Not all of the press on here has been positive about AM, so for the haters – get over it and if you really feel the need to get so incensed about it all then stop reading.
Wow! That PDF!
In other news, IS spots purple umbrella in JFK assassination footage, purple window sticker on mysterious craft found in Roswell and Neil Armstrong wearing an old West Brom shirt in the Apollo footage.
So, does on the market have as many visitors each day as Zoopla? if not, then aren’t you doing your customer a disservice by swapping to them?
I am sure both Rightmove & Zoopla have a long established following of ‘browsers’.
I had been a subscriber of Zoopla for many years and partly advertised with them as I felt I needed to as you described – ‘doing your customer a disservice’. What was really happening was my staff dealing with many poor quality leads, taking valuable selling time away from my staff.
Now, we subscribe to OTM, receive fewer leads, but not from ‘browsers’ but from people who want to do business. As they are newer, I suspect they do not have a huge database of people that are no longer looking for property.
I discuss our advertising with all of my clients, and in all my years of trading, I have not had one Landlord or Seller that has demanded advertising on Zoopla – Rightmove – certainly.
So, one question- why are so many people in our Industry opposed to an Estate Agency owned portal – does not make a great deal of sense to me ?
I have no objection to any agency owned portal but I think the approach by demanding an agent drop either RM or ZP has put themselves into a corner. Surely there is room for three major property portals in the industry leaving agents to make a choice to use all three therefore offering even better service to customers.
I wonder why I get so many dislikes when I mention customer service. Better be careful, those pesky online agents have customer service nailed! One based in Brentwood does anyway.
You didn’t get so many dislikes, you got 1 ( at the time you posted now 2)You’d get far more dislikes if you were a true man and posted with your real name.
As for the online agent in Brentwood having customer service nailed it must be a real frustration for them to be really really good at customer service and really really cheap, and really really brilliant at everything else yet only have a 0.16% national market share despite all the cash spent, investment, crowd funding and all that brilliant PR stuff Stephen Jury did. Life just isn’t fair to some people is it? Good job their boss doesn’t read EYE ehh? That lot is probably enough to make him proper mardy.
Well said Robert. Real names posters.
Mine’s PeeBee.
What’s yours?
thetrumanshow69 – I wonder why I get so many dislikes when I mention customer service.
Tell us what other names you post under and we will happily revisit your comments and tell you the answer.
Always a pleasure: never a chore.
I am sure there is room for many portals, but the difficulty is that users will tend to use those portals that they are familiar with and follow the portals where the properties are displayed.
I cancelled my Zoopla subscription many months before the start of OTM as I was disappointed with the quality, not number of leads. I therefore did not wish to continue advertising as many seemed to be simply ludicrous enquiries and clearly not from serious buyers / tenants.
I am sure that both Agents and users would be happy with one port of call, rather than visiting many different portals.
What sold OTM to me was a portal with no distracting adverts and no priority listings.
I will endeavour to support OTM as I feel this is the way forward and I am confident many business owners will feel the same and not be distracted by these attacks on OTM from people clearly motivated for OTM to fail.
OKAY…
“So, does on the market have as many visitors each day as Zoopla?”
Here’s a wee bit of reality that needs dropped in pretty sharpish.
Only yesterday on Tw@tter, someone re-Tweeted this comment from a property pormn addict:
This bank holiday, I have been mostly browsing rightmove and watching every FB TASTY video that ever existed.
A few weeks ago some other numpty spouted that their idea of fun was along the lines of “setting the price bracket to £2m on Zoopla and looking at all the great properties”
CLICKS MEAN SQUAT. Sooner all wake up to that, the better – and become proper Estate Agents again and not beholding to technology and its limitations.
Don’t do that Peebee.
You know we can’t agree too often. But I totally agree with:
Sooner, all wake up the better – and become proper Estate Agents again and not beholding to technology and its limitations.
Such a shame – and utterly ironic, then, that our best disagreements revolve around said technology.
Agreed
That’s twice in under 24 hours.
Are you coming down with something?
In that case, lets go back to the old days of just a telephone and a hotbox, drop the computer, the internet and property alerts. In fact, we probably offered better customer service in those days. James Carey.
Sounds like a plan to me.
Bring.
It.
On.
For all of the readers they have read the above story, Do make sure you have taken the time to look at the PDF.
It displays why certain people want OTM to fail.
It certainly does Smile. I think there’s a new phrase we can now use whenever a certain person displays his self-interest in knocking OTM. ‘No sh*t Shinerock!’.
Borrowed the phrase for latest update in the Arena 🙂
And for those who can’t be @r$ed to visit The Arena I repeat my comment there:
smile please – you’re one h£11 of a replacement for GPL in these ‘discussions’, mon ami… ;o)
Apart from the fact I base my comments on fact NOT emotions.
Emotions breed fact as well as spawn fallacy.
A better read is the latest CMA paper on EU law guidance. in particular:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/520423/competition-law-redress-a-guide-to-taking-action-cma55.pdf
Anti-competitive agreements – Article 101 and Chapter I prohibition 2.3 Agreements between businesses which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition are prohibited and rendered void (and therefore unenforceable) under Chapter I of the Competition Act 1998 (CA98) and Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)
BEST READ OF THE DAY – straight from the profile of Mr Stuart Lasky – Director of INEA
‘When I was first introduced to Trevor Mealham, a fast talking estate agent of 28 year experiance, bathed in the technical wizardry of The American Multi Listing Service, I was truly baffled by the gospel he preached of, “the time has come for the independent estate agent to take back their market from the corperate multipals and stand up to the controlling portals”. ‘
“But not MY market – or MY portal” – isn’t that right, Mr Mealham?
For we are opposed across the UK by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence–on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of lead generation, on intimidation instead of free choice, on stickers by night instead of actual marketing by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a poorly formed, cack handed machine that combines RAF symbols, cartel control, ignorance, greed, vacuous and shallow operations.
Bring on May the 9th, bring on the CMA.
REALLY? ALL of the above?
And yet you signed up. More fool you lot, then.
Or – have you been at the same stuff removed from that gaff in Washington Avenue you were marketing?
Certainly reads that way…
Dear Ian , a week after the CMA gets involved ( I’m not sure that’s owned by countrywide or has a client that once employed someone from the estate agency industry) do you think it’s wise to write to every one of your members talking exclusively about Zoopla and not mentioning Rightmove even one ? Isn’t your role to stay impartial …. Just a thought ?
Doesn’t that depend on whether Rightmove has not resorted to sending out false claims in a letter and Zoopla has, ZooplaDanny?
Well said, Mr Walker.
It has been previously stated that Rightmove have remained professional throughout where the other two parties have been handbagging it like two p!$$ed-up tarts outside the other pub at closing time.
This is in part correct, however the reality is – as I have said all along – that RM are simply letting Z do the donkey work.
They can deal with all the dirty washing, in other words – they seem happy (or desperate enough) to get on with it.
Why go to the bother of joining in and getting your hands dirty and possibly a bl00dy nose trying to establish a pecking order when your feathers are being fluffed up for you nicely by the others.
This is a disgraceful public attack on individuals and organisations. How can they criticise others of propaganda? This is way too far.
The lawyers will be in today……..
Gee – the lawyers are taking their time…
harry hood
Help me on this one, please – are these ‘lawyers’ you’re referring to currently slogging it out on the golf course, or maybe in the 19th hole – cos they sure ain’t appearing to be tearing down any walls from where I’m standing.
Or – do we simply tick the box for once and for all on you being one of those ‘disrupting’ blowhards with an agenda the size of Makemake that you’re trying to finance with a pocketful of SFA?
Actually, it’s okay – the answer came to me naturally.
You are right Outsider. It is pretty amateur. But it is interesting. We can now see why Shinerock is such an opponent of OTM.
Exactly, when asked he never clearly stated his connections, which puts him in the light I always had him in.
60 businesses meeting to take legal action against an organisation (OTM) that they feel has lied to and misled them. That isn’t propaganda – that is a very unhappy group of agents.
And for every business prepared to take legal action against OTM, how many unhappy agents are there?
Whilst on the subject of propaganda, this website makes me feel rather sick in the way that they are slavishly rolling out pro-OTM propaganda.
One really must question the business acumen of any business getting behind this failed project. And still our association (NFoPP – NAEA & ARLA) stands behind it and on the board.
Disgraceful.
If you want to read pro Tory stuff, don’t read the Guardian. If you want to read pro-Labour stuff don’t read the Telegraph. Likewise OTM/ZOOPLA and PIE/EAT.
That pdf download is probably the most amateurish thing I’ve ever seen a professional organisation produce, and screams of a kid telling tales that the other kids in the playground are picking on him!
It’s quite remarkable that a CEO would add that to a business update.
Last time I checked, lack of pazzazz doesn’t reduce the stark truth.
Funny thing is, had it been vajazzled up to the nines the same suspects would have been crowing about how much of the Members’ money had been spent on pwoducing such a pwetty document.
You couldn’t make it up. Oh – hang on…
Darn it – only four ‘Dislikes’ so far – I haven’t upset my Plank nearly enough yet.
I suppose it’s early, though… poor soul needs to catch up with reality before expending energy like a demented Duracell Bunny.
THAT’s more like it! 14 not out.
I was worried for a minute you’d strained your wrist on other activities and couldn’t ‘Dislike’ me with your usual gusto.
Property Industry Eye main advertiser = Agents Mutual/OTM
Breathtaking hypocrisy.
Easy fix – go back to EAT – where you can look at the pwetty, flashing ZOOPLZ adverts.
No hypocricy there at all…
The most pathetic post I’ve read this week EHenderson. It’s people like you that make me despair. You shout collusion simply because a publication publishes an article from someone who has an opposing opinion to yours. If you feel you want to control the news can I suggest you book a one way ticket to North Korea!
Well said, RealAgent.
Or she just needs to go back to EAT where all the “news” suits her sort.
Indeed, its not like AM/otm are the ones throwing silly accusations about and trying to bring a class action is it.
Ouch – Is AM/OTM now pointing fingers at corporates with an interest in Z now. Seems a silly time to start making bigger enemies when they’ve kept out of the stance.