An independent high street agent is fuming after being sent an email advert for Purplebricks by Rightmove Partners.
The email was personally addressed to the agent, using his first name.
Rightmove has strongly defended its position, saying that any agent could use its advertising service, and that is has sent out come 30,000 different email campaigns on behalf of agents.
The agent said of the latest Purplebricks send-out from Rightmove: “Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.”
He went on: “I have gone through two years of deleted Rightmove Partners emails (one every three days approximately) and all were from developers apart from one agent moving into sales for the first time.
“None included personalisation within the email, so this is new for Purplebricks.
“They seem to miss the basic point, however. Rightmove should not be allowing operators with no rent and business rates to pay, to damage the fortunes of those long-standing clients who have grown Rightmove into the mega-margin Goliath it is currently.
“If Purplebricks grows to the size the market expects, Rightmove will have a greatly diminished client base, incapable of paying their extortionate charges.”
The agent was further angered to get an email newsletter from Rightmove’s Miles Shipside about how Brexit has affected the property market.
The email starts: “As the property market expert in your area, you’ve no doubt been asked how Brexit is affecting the housing market, particularly at valuations. As a local estate agent you may feel that this is an opportunity to be a voice of authority and reason.
“We thought you might find it useful to see some very short-term figures so that you can share them with your staff at your morning meeting to help conversations with customers and potential customers.”
The agent said: “How has Brexit affected the property market?
“Well, not half as much as Rightmove marketing Purplebricks to their consumer base.”
A spokesperson for Rightmove said: “When any customer buys an email campaign like this one, the email is sent out from Rightmove Partners.
“It would be the same if the agent who contacted EYE wanted to purchase one for us to send out.”
The spokesperson said that email campaigns on behalf of customers have been sent from Rightmove Partners since 2007 and have been run by a range of customers.
“Since they started we’ve sent out about 30,000 different email campaigns for agents
“The email from Miles to customers was to share our House Price Index and Rental Tracker as we have had a number of agents asking us for the latest picture post-Brexit.”
Comments (12)
Meaning your quote of course Robert.
Do they also get angry when there competition takes out more pages in the local paper? Or has a leaflet campaign in THEIR area? No agent has a right to tell another agent (however their business model works) what they can or can’t do to promote their business. Its clear Rightmove offer this service to all its members, if they want to use it i can’t see anything telling them they can’t so its fair to all. Don’t get angry just because someone does something you wish you had thought of first.
The disquiet comes from the fact Rightmove are being used as a distribution channel to enquiries/prosepects generated by Purplebrick’s competition.
QUESTION:
Who ‘owns’ the data either drawn in by or uploaded to RM?
The agent or RM?
Data is like partners; the data isn’t owned it is part of the relationship between the two parties.
This case is like buying a good meal with decent wine and candles, getting home all loved up then finding some lothario has hopped into bed while you’re downstairs fetching another bottle.
Good interpretation Robert!
Then said lothario demanding that you give them the bottle of wine!
One for quote of the week I believe Ros?
I would disagree Robert and say that the people being marketed to are customers/subscribers to Rightmove. We don’t know that they have ever sent an enquiry to a competitor or are on any competitors prospect list, they have have simply created a profile on rightmove and subscribed to receive advertising from them. They are rightmove’s customers not the agents.
VCs are ploughing £m’s into low cost listing services. Raising more funds, extracting, raising and extracting. Their marketing plans will be to hit TV, bill boards and places traditionals are seen to be in, giving a message they save sellers £housands for like services, which fully THEY CAN’T do.
In the coming 18-24 months were likely to see 2000-4000 lower cost list services happen going up against the current low cost models. Today’s budget models will see more follow and likely list charges spiralling down to £299 – £199 and £99.
As such will Purple, easyproperty, emoov, Tepilo, Housesimple, yopa etc be able to compete with the lower price outfits yet to come who’ll be cheaper
If we reach 1 in 5 homes being ‘cheap’ listed, with not negotiator service to achieve a vendor highest price, then negotiators will change tact and start representing buyers for a % fee where ultimately sellers will be screwed down.
Agents will just change their game from hunted to hunter.
Exactly !
I assume this rightly disgruntled agent is an OTM member already. If not, join – and drop Wrongmove…
Also, would you rate the recommendation of an agent with a pointy bonce ?
I disagree with being upset by this. If you don’t like what Rightmove do, then start making plans for when you drop them.
Purplerisks need all the help they can get right now.
It is not PB I am worried about, their off to OZ. Imagine RM’s favoured partner – Countrywide’s new hybrid targeting you market with ‘Save £1000s’.
Wow. I suspect if you told this agent they had won the lottery they’d still be annoyed they had to travel to Watford to pick up their millions!
Let’s hope they dont go into McDonald’s at 10:35 this morning asking for a breakfast.