A new direct service is offering the public the chance to sell their home for just £30.
Match My House, which was launched in January, enables sellers to register with the site and input the particulars of their property. It then matches them up with potential buyers, bypassing estate agents.
As with other ‘matching’ sites, users control their own profiles, receive recommendations and connect and communicate directly with each other.
A former star of TV show The Apprentice, Raj Dhonata, has invested in the site, providing founder Dan Thomas with start-up cash.
Thomas, an IT expert who has never worked in the property industry, came up with the idea having been frustrated with the service he personally witnessed from estate agents after moving home four times in the last ten years.
He said: “One sale nearly fell through the day before due to the behaviour of one agent who attempted to get the seller to accept a higher offer at the last minute, a very stressful experience especially with a young family involved.
“I firmly believe there is a market for this. I believe it is a product that will fill a gap in the market, and give people an alternative approach to buying and selling properties in the UK.
“It isn’t going to be for everyone. It is for people who like to take control and want to reduce the costs of selling.
“The seller can ensure they get across the main selling points of their property, and proactively approach buyers through the site with connection requests.”
Sellers register their property on the site for £30, with the facility to include five property pictures and a video.
Since January’s launch, the site has had 30 buyers add their profiles – but so far, no sellers.
Thomas says his main focus now is to try and reach as many potential customers as possible through marketing, to build the brand and awareness of the service.
Comments (10)
‘bypassing estate agents‘
There you go, all we need to know. Please post again in December to let us know how you’re getting on.
Little tip for any agent selling for him in the future (based on the very high chances that this week’s ‘game changer’ will crash and burn and he’ll have to use a proper estate agent), if you get someone come in with an offer £50,000 more than the sale’s been agreed at don’t tell him even though the law says you must.
He won’t take it, he’s not that sort of guy.
Actually do tell him, on the day of completion with the original buyer.
“One sale nearly fell through the day before due to the behaviour of one agent who attempted to get the seller to accept a higher offer at the last minute, a very stressful experience especially with a young family involved”
You cant just make stuff up to suit your narrative. Why would any agent (i presume at the point of exchange) try to get a vendor to swap purchasers? Even at £10,000 or £20,000 more money the extra commission for the estate agent is negligible especially when you take into account that the commission would be received in a week or two. I would suggest he should have said
“The estate agent correctly as required by law submitted the other offer to the vendor, but thankfully the offer was rejected”
Possibly a different agent to the one who arranged the original sale?
Hi Arthurhouse02, the vendor had their property up with two agents, the agent who hadn’t made the sale took the action as described. I’m not interested in ‘making stuff up’ as suggested, I’m simply working hard to offer an alternative approach that will hopefully provide a benefit to people who have had similar experiences to myself.
Are you aware of the agents legal obligation up to exchange of contracts?
As you will be engaged in estate agents activity, you are of course compliant with Redress scheme, ML Regs etc?
Contracts had exchanged at the time, though keen not to continue justifying the reason why I’m giving it my best shot to create an alternative service that will hopefully offer a less stressful experience for people looking for it.
With all respect Dan you are not offering a less stressful experience as you have no expertise in estate agency and neither will pretty much all your buyers and sellers. The reason a vendor & purchaser need an estate agent is not just to find a buyer but to deal with the bumps in the road. I wish anyone buying privately dealing with a full retention and the need for a structural engineers report following the mortgage surveyor picking up possible structural movement. These sort of situation are where a good estate agent comes into their own.]
And as for your story, yes in my opinion it either seems like it is unlikely, or you are choosing to withhold facts to suit your narrative.
I wish any new business seeking to create employment opportunities good luck, but vendors will not list with you as they want to attract purchasers and purchasers look on OTM, Z and RM which is somewhere you cannot advertise.
keen not to continue justifying the reason why I’m giving it my best shot to create an alternative service that will hopefully offer a less stressful experience for people looking for it.
Err how much was it you wanted from investors for your little venture. Questionable plugging porkys in your favour, have little to now idea of what an estate agent actually has to tackle during the course of business. Naïve to the point that your so called good intentions can cause misery for those that end up in a problem chain, survey, proceeds of crime, money laundering, compliance procedures … you haven’t a clue and really are not helping anyone but cause misery for many.
Really interesting service and wish them the best – but see other article today about GetAgent which claims sellers and buyers still prefer the personal and “accountable” service they receive from their local agent.