An agent is calling time on its six-month deal with On The Market and returning to Zoopla.
The Jeffries Group, which has eight branches in Hampshire, said it has signed a new long-term agreement with ZPG for both marketing and software services.
Stuart Whiting, managing director of the Jeffries Group, said: “We are big supporters of the OTM concept.
“However, it simply has not worked for us and does not have the right strategy to succeed in our opinion.
“We are delighted to be returning to ZPG who have great products for both marketing and software.
“In addition, we can see a path to having a net revenue relationship with ZPG rather than a cost, with their new MoveIT platform which will generate significant referral fees for us.”
Whiting told EYE that he had done a six-month membership deal with OTM, because while he disagreed with its “restrictive terms” he agreed with the concept.
Comments (41)
NEWS FLASH!
Estate Agent abandoned Zoopla almost 2 Years ago and never even noticed they were gone!
I maintain Zoopla are useless because they have never been a challenger to RM, they simply plodded along and cleverly built an income/business by rolling over and being No 2….. forever it seems!
However, they intelligently diversified after getting a Portal Kicking and that has proved a smart move……. yet they return to lick the dripping roast that is the homebuyers (& sellers) which estate agents/properties provide…… in order to crunch the data, cross sell, google style gazing at peoples lives!
Ric said earlier he couldn’t believe how few people on here thought about the concept of Stock removed from the RM and being available on OTM…… I’ve beaten the drum for how long? as have many others ……the public don’t care where they view property for sale as long as they can……. Welcome OTM!
Yet….. our industry continues to strangle itself? by advertising our stock in the Self Serving Rightmove Virtual Window…… I would pause to mention Zoopblah, however what’s the point…… No2? …….there is no point unless they are your No 1 Portal?
Someone mentioned “the beginning of the end……vice versa” …….it’s funny, because we as an industry started that end long before Rightmove came along!
I drive home past Trump Turnberry Golf Course, each day, passing the Tasteless Gold Centurion Statue! …….and who knows? Donald Mr President Trump!?!! …… Brexit?! …..being from Scotland – our own “President Sturgeon” trying to crow bar Scotland out of the UK – it’s all Nonsense however, I would love to see The Agents Mutual Penny Drop and the George Clooney Coffee maker issuing coffee all round to celebrate that our industry woke up!
……..it seems however that our industry is slowly turning off its mutual life support machine and the bright light that beckons has “Find Your Happy” emblazoned on it!
Gather your Rightmove Coats, Umbrellas, Pens, Pads, Badges Ladies & Gentlemen……. you really work for Rightmove and it’s NOT a Dream!
Another industry dies in the Britain that was Great in the past, however…… that’s just history now……. like Estate Agency!
When you close your eyelids tonight, know that when you wake up tomorrow you work for Rightmove.
yes, yes……
…..long before, when Rightmove came along!
Just a couple of thoughts for you all:
1. The problem for OTM was always going to be able getting into the public psyche and displacing the ingrained first response of thinking property, thinking Rightmove or Zoopla. An exercise likely to take many millions in marketing revenue. Relying on the EA’s to promote OTM was too late in the moving process. It’s akin to thinking of another car sales portal other than Autotrader.
2. Jefferies are seeming to favour Zoopla. MoveIT is a product owned by Zoopla (via PSG). Jefferies originally developed and built MoveIT before selling it to Jupix/PSG. Whilst the headline is about leaving OTM, the subtext could be the promotion of Zoopla and MoveIT.
I will maintain, if all the agents were to take their stock off RM and Z tonight, the public would not cry for both to get back to normal, they would do what most humans do – and MOVE ON and then look at whatever website had all the property as their new fix.
They would check RM and Z for perhaps a week or so and after seeing empty shelves each visit they would then visit the “new shop” first and revisit the others out of curiosity.
It has surprised me that so few really understand the power of any property website is purely the property stock it has! The stock generates the traffic, which generates the reputation which generates the fear of coming off which keeps stock, which keeps traffic which keeps fear and keeps agents. Simples.
OTM will clearly not work, we now know….. and I personally think, because they started fighting “visitor war stats” which were not relevant to normal people! They should have been talking about local area stock in the areas where they were number 2 and looked to see if they had a chance of a “phase 2” (remember that expression) where perhaps a post code area could have lead to the number 1 spot for OTM, by the agents agreeing to come off RM (even an invisible week or month)….
Such a shame……
RIC I pleaded this on day one of OTM being launched. It was so obvious but just look at all the propaganda about the one other portal rule. Sorry to say it was agents not having the B$$$l’s. An easy thing to say, but for many not that easy to do, so it was never going to happen then BUT IT MUST NOW. Why didn’t it then, no support. OTM can give support today if only AM recognise what they need to do and implement it with the Public. Stop preaching to agents, well know what is what.
OTM debate still raging I see. Though it is a rather lack luster rage now 🙁
Smile please has been through the mill. From fencesitter to biggest advocate and now to being a shadow of his former self. If only OTM had shown a fraction of the passion you have! They always say you cant make changes from the outside but in OTM’s case you obviously cant from the inside either.
To be fair OTM set their stall out from the onset and somehow got a lot of people to commit to a contract for 5 years. Hmmm….. I’ll bet many of those people wont be rushing to sign anything for 5 years in a hurry.
Its now last chance saloon for OTM and I can feel that there is only one dice left to throw. The one other portal rule was a hindrance from day one and perpetuated the biggest lie OTM were involved with. Their claim to be going for No1 when actually No2 was were the pressure was applied. They have slashed costs to reach this magic 7500 tipping point but it is always tantalisingly out of reach. The letters of intent ruse was ridiculous and unlike their 5 year contracts eminently unenforceable. Just who in their right minds would sign a long term contract with OTM after witnessing what is happening with some of those who have?
Have OTM left it to late? Will the ridiculous one other portal rule finally bite the dust? Will Ian continue to trouser his salary for the rest of his contract? Will Nero fiddle while OTM burns?
I don’t know who should be more concerned. Those like me who loved the idea but not the product and who couldn’t be persuaded to join even at £50 because OTM just wouldn’t change. Or those who joined from day one and allowed OTM to remain the same and miss this great opportunity to change the industry.
The sad fact now is as a fence sitter even if the one other portal rule was abolished, and the £50 offer was still on the table, I probably still wouldn’t join. OTM has had its chance and it didn’t take it.
Nobody wins when this ship goes down.
I was at a regional meeting recently for a network we are members of; and attending were AM/OTM.
I was amazed at how unprepared the pitch seemed!
For starters, after launching straight in to their “success so far” and “mission statement” to say the person crumbled under the softest of questioning by me was an understatement and worryingly this person I think was one of the higher ranked AM spokes-people (who may well be reading this and sorry but the show was poor)
FIRST thing this person should have asked the room was “Who is on OTM? and who isn’t?” as this would have for me identified from second one how to talk! and even if there was a chance to pitch to a new potential member! but nothing…..
The boasting of 7,000 plus members just fell on deaf ears and the mission statement to be Number 2 really got my goat. The mission has to be to get to number 1 surely! ESPECIALLY considering this person said…. there need only be one portal, followed with we want to be number 2….. so what an earth is OTM all about.
I know Rome was not built in a day, but again the mission should be to be Number 1, getting to number 2 will make 1 possible, but actually having number 2 as the end goal target in a talk to a room of estate agents is simply daft.
I joined as I wanted to be a part of “making the number 1 portal” knowing it would take time, but simply achieving their goal of paying for a second, well I was never on Zoopla for a reason! Who needs a second portal!
I asked why letters of intent agents are not live, as 20 months on and contracts should have ended allowing the original letters of intent agents to finally show their intent, but nothing….. just “these people have said they would support one day!” That just angers me they still think a letter of intent is any good. They could not answer what net membership has done recently and what they are giving their reps to fight the cause.
I still hope OTM turns a corner, but as I said to the person at this meeting, if this was going to work, it would have done within 18 months in my opinion……….
I think OTM’s only hope now is an own goal by Rightmove in a tight market!
Brilliant comments Ric, Honest as usual.
Agree with what you say.
Since signing up we have not heard from OTM apart from the usual woeful email updates.
I do not want to hammer OTM as i am a supporting member and i believe in what they originally set out. I just feel the people are letting it down and change needs to be made.
This does not necessarily mean Ian Sprignett before people jump on that wagon, it is the middle management and reps.
What are they getting paid for? They are not signing up members, they are not organizing members in promoting OTM and they have no products to up sell!
The best analogy i can come up with is a successful corporate branch manager has left his cosy corporate position and thought he would replicate it in the independent world and has found themselves woefully out their depth.
The board / reps / management need to go on the road and speak to agents and drive this forward. All they are doing is spouting second rate figures that THEY feel are impressive but fence sitters and the NO brigade have little if any interest in.
Innovate / find a USP or organise themselves better or this will die.
When did you last see your OTM rep, answers on a postage stamp should be OK!
FYI – Reps are out asking agents to sign even if they have no intention to signing up.
Happened to us.
Before we signed up fully, our rep asked if we could do them a favour and sign a letter of intent but not to worry as it was not binding. I said to them at that stage i had no intention of joining up based on numbers. Said does not matter as helping them out.
We signed.
We did commit in the end but that was not due to numbers it was that they slashed the monthly fee per office.
I am guessing the current letters of intent have no intention to sign up based on numbers.
I might (if i can be bothered) run a report and find the current number of advertised offices, might make interesting reading ….
‘Now is this the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end’?
Whatever it is, it is most definitely the turning point.
Is this the Phoney War?
Rather than defend our homeland and develop strategies to defend our position OTM decided to waste valuable resources sending an expeditionary force into foreign lands thereby stretching our lines of communication still further,which were deciphered and over run in the guise of real time data feeds?
Checkmate?
No, not yet, but time is fast running out.
Come on AM a plan is better than no plan?
Is the battle of Britain’s property sector already taking place?
We have the spitfires and radar, now all we need is someone decisive to co-ordinate this defense?
Great post GPL but I can’t help feeling as you do that AM/OTM needs to up its game or die.
How many of us Gold members have communicated this apparent lack of oomph to Ian Springett and asked for a steer on where we might be going in 6 months/a year/w.h.y. ? Clearly some of the wind has been taken out of the sails of the good ship OTM and we need to establish how we are going to move it forward. You are 100% right when you say we will be digging our own graves if we give up the only weapon we have to combat the power of the Big 2. If OTM fails, then it will be only a small step for Rightmove (if not Z) to use OUR data, hijack OUR business and operate the biggest online agency this country will have ever seen….no point in us wringing our hands at the injustice of it all when that happens….
Absolutely agree with marc. I suspect some agents will point the finger at OTM for low levels of buyer leads thinking Zoopla will wave a magic wand for them, soon to discover there are fewer buyers around at the moment. I’m not convinced OTM have got all their marketing strategy right however.
Some agents certainly thought it would do their work for them. It is nothing more than an advertising outlet …. agents have to use the tool to their advantage. If another web site is doing it better, ask yourself why and why you cannot adapt OTM to suit or better! All I see is media and public perception of web-only in the lead at this time, while within the industry we know a different story. Ask your clients why they use a particular web portal, you may find it is because of your own marketing strategy.
A general wanting to win the battle doesn’t remain in the trenches after amassing his troops (AM) and wait for the weather. He considers flanking his opponent, setting up a crossfire or takes them on full frontal, a surprise attack and follows through and not sit on his backside. What AM/OTM need to consider, is the message getting lost within the industry and public? Waiting for your 5 year policy is nuts, go on the offensive. You need to be more dynamic each time you step up the ladder ….. your floundering, stop it, take action!
Well…… Mr Springett & Co at AM have gathered the troops…… however, remaining in the AM Bunker/HQ doesn’t seem to be working well at present.
I see that Large Warning Sign – Abyss Ahead!
Ian? …….you commented earlier this year, when we met, that you enjoyed reading my GPL Posts on PIE…… it’s time to start acting rather than reading…… otherwise I’m as well looking at a Virtual Fountain with a Wee Virtual Statue of someone virtually……..?
The Portal Troops are restless and Silence is NOT what we want to hear. I & many others accept a 5 Year Plan however we need evidence of Action, Progress, Strategy etc, related to that plan.
If the AM Board is now Bored? then either turn the lights on at HQ and lets get things moving, starting with Communication! …….or turn the lights off and we can all go home!
I’m starting to question if we need a change at the top, someone more dynamic, who has ideas. Mr Spingett got off to a good start but has he any new ideas or more importantly is anyone seeing him so enthusiastic with ideas they have to keep a hold of his braces? Whichever it is, the message is being lost. Not moving forward = time for cabinet reshuffle.
I never did agree with the 5 year policy it was preaching to agents, blinkered in the belief that agents would carry it through and all be roses. As we are seeing many agents didn’t carry it through, they were expecting OTM to do it for them. You have the agents base, great news but its what you doing with it that is failing. The other part and must never be ignored, OTM has to been seen by the public to be relevant, the media should be hounded daily to provide publicity, communication should be in everyone faces on a daily basis. OTM should become the norm with the public…. are you winning that battle high street agents & AM board! If you think you are, look again, please.
Wt, I’ve given you another like as you raise some valid points above, in particular changing Springett. he’s doing more harm for AM public relations, than a change could rebuild.
Pre AM/OTM start, and throughout their first 6 months in, I put out the INEA olive branch to Ian Springett and their board. A close contact (ex NAEA President) tried to set up a meet and we were ignored. Arrogant or what.
All we did hear was that we had become the latest platform to be added to their embargo list as a threat competitor. Crazy as we had only ever tried to contact to see if we could help their growth.
We then had a trail of INEA members receive AM/OTM threat letters saying they had to leave INEA.
We didnt ask for the Springett board embargo. as such AM/OTM is something INEA could NEVER support with the likes of Springett in the driving seat.
I had many INEA agents contact me sending over AM/OTM dirty threat letters and emails. If AM/OTM’s only way to try and win ground is to play a filthy game. Then so be it.
I think you have lost the plot! OTM is not about other organisations ….. it is a mutual just like many other mutual in the UK which have members only and rules. Nothing illegal in that. Again you have shown up what you really mean by all the anti-OTM rhetoric. Because your organisation cannot join (as if it would be needed!) you throw the dummy out of the pram and total blinkered in trying to derail an organisation that is there for individual agents to decide if THEY want to join or not and not you.
Woodentop. AM/OTM is a cartel. Period
Look look it up.
Then look up Antitrust articles 101 and 102
You do seem to come across totally blinkered by your naivety. Every Mutual in the world is a cartel then, which is just nonsense and you know it. You use the phrase selectively for your pet hates.
6 months? …….in my view not a sufficient period to judge however if they came on board expecting like for like? …….optimistic in my view however it’s their business. The Press Release style comment is sucking up Zoopblah’s Portal however I see Zooplblah are doing Free, Cheap as Chips etc to woo back leavers…… it’s the desperate Portal Game they have to play whilst gazing longingly up the Portal Rear that is Rightmove. Why bother going back to Zoopla? …….unless they are the No1 in your area? ……really!???
On a tangent….. I have written to OTM with my view/suggestions/queries….. as a 1st Start Gold Member….. the relevance of Gold being that I was there on Day 1 so can judge from where we came to where we are….. in an active member capacity. I’ll be interested to see the response? …….as it will influence monumentally my future decisions.
Fast Forward to the worst case scenario….
OTM Boom!!!
Zoopla irrelevant…. so Boom!!!
Rightmove Rule….. as they clearly do now.
High Street Estate Agency – Closing for Business!
Cheap Online become the Norm and the Homeseller gets shafted by the Pile them high Online Sellers…… Rightmove change horses….. as they already are doing!!
High Street Estate Agency Employees Boom!!! ……. those left, knocking at the door of the Ice Cream Online Sellers!!
Then Rightmove switch to Private Sellers……..
It’s a Bleak Future we face if this is how our business goes….. the public will lose, however they will realise too late.
I’m fine as I march towards the Twilight of my career however, how sad is it that we orchestrated our own demise?! We welcomed the Trojan Horse of Shareholder Profit that is Rightmove……
The Onliners gather like Vultures waiting for the carcase…… and the Lifeboat that was OTM is deflating…..
That Ladies & Gentlemen is the reality…… I have just had PurpleThong & HousePimple in a sale chain and they are awful…… it’s a Cheap Call Centre Business Model operated by the GetRichQuickJohnnieJaneyLatelys who were operating ice cream/slush puppie makers last season!
……and TheBeeneyHat? ……don’t get me started, I can see the glasses and moustach on that face on that board as I type……Crapilo!
If OTM does go Boom? …….just remember, that although OTM Management played their part in letting it deflate….. so did we.
Those High Street Agencies that are thinking they are protecting their business by sucking up to their Portal Masters? …….you are in fact buying a Virtual Spade each month when you pay your Portal Membership to Rightmove or Zoopblah….. and digging the virtual grave of your own business!
My tuppence worth…… who cares? ……clearly many High Street Estate Agents don’t….. as they gave up control of their businesses some time ago
……and the NAEA? ……what do they do!? …….what is the point of NAEA? …..is Trevor related there now? ……if so, what do they/you do exactly? …..I was a member 20 plus years ago and it seemed pointless then??
GPL – No Trevor’s not involved with NAEA, other than having some great contacts who have been past Presidents or Regional Chairpersons – Whats wrong is that a NAEA (high flyer) is also on the Agents Mutual board supporting AM/OTM’s restraints against other platforms and online only agents, which appears very vested interest when NAEA supports online only etc
I think you missed the point Trev. The future of Estate Agency is a concern for many reason, including your INEA and its membership. No high street agents and you will also be redundant. The one organisation that is best placed to help the high street survive is the one you keep taking pot shots at on a matter of just one principle … the one other portal rule. Try looking at the bigger picture, please.
Wt, I have to disagree. Without listings an agent is dead in the water. The best place for agents to get listings id (client direct) or other agents.
Agents collaborating to pool market listings has agent 2 agent value AND consumer value in getting more people through the door.
This afternoon another INEA agent called to say he had just taken a viewer to nother of our main agents listings. Agent 2 agent has real value.
OTM is simply a RM 3 after Zoopla (being a RM 2). I struggle to see why agents line their tables up next to one another and cut their fees in competition.
OTM and its steering group SHOULD have created a portal hybrid to bring agents together to collaborate, not to compete.
Trev OTM is the only honest web portal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and it has the interest of the market at its core which is best for the public.
Wt. OTM /AM is a cartel for which its embargo rules do agents and consumers a lot of bad. The sooner it closes or has to change.OR reinvents with a better board that plays fair. The BETTER
Good on the Jeffries Group others should follow their lead although hundreds have left already.
OTM are floundering, using millions to bully companies into staying with a sinking ship. Risking millions of members loan notes in litigation, who would never have loaned the money to help them launch had they known they could have signed up for a fraction of the cost by waiting a year or so.
Its a shambles from top to toe.
I have to disagree, all to often people forget why OTM came about and what the other portals are doing for your business and future. OTM is sound as any other portal to agents customers. It is the constant bickering, expecting it to the silver bullet with little input by some of its members. Remember it was you who made RM & Z. As the saying goes, if one person can do it, so can other. Or in this case another web portal, one that represents its member from those hell bent on stabbing you in the back.
OTM need to take a serious look of what the perception of them is within the industry, with the media , the public and make changes now. Communication is seriously lacking?
WT – Agree
I think what’s funny is the advert top right on this screen:
OTM – isn’t it time for another LOOK?. Looks like the Jeffries Group group did just that and decided to opt out.
Sadly for OTM I think this is the start of many.
We are members of OTM and we knew it would signing up traffic / leads would be low but probably not this low.
Also I and others have worries on the direction ( or lack of it ) OTM is heading.
I think over the coming months there will be more stories such as this.
And most frustrating I think OTM will scrap the one other portal rule meaning we potentially end up listing on three portals. Not great considering OTM was suppose to reduce portal fees not add to them.
Do you really think they’ll drop that rule?
I just see that as accepting that they have been wrong on their single biggest thing they’ve done for the last three years. Would ruin credibility.
I think the question you need to ask is “What will OTM do to encourage more agents to use them”
Almost 2 years in they are not innovating anything. They are a poor man’s RM. They are being bled dry by the vendetta of a court case.
They will lose agents no company has 100% retention rate.
I agree it flies in the face now of what they say but I really cannot see what else given the history of OTM they will do to increase membership.
Smile says: vendetta of a court case
Incorrect. The court case is one company questioning whether another they have bought should be restrained in their own and consumer best interest.
Fact is the one other rule is anti-competitive and should never have been engineered as a foundation to move forward on, that later could (and has) create bad press.
The ‘anti’ movement was started by the Agents Mutual directors who opted to alienate other platforms in the industry. AM/OTM aren’t the hard done by company. Its others who have been embargoed by them from day 1.
What could have been great and made alliances, simply launched to create enemies day 1.
Trevor,
Do tell.
1. Who came up with the idea of a court case.
2. Who is promoting the court case
3. Who is funding the court case
4. How come you and others (Not being agents) are supporting this court case so vocally.
5. Would you allow a client to break a contract
There is more evidence of this being a vendetta than you claiming OTM is a cartel!
@ smile:
1. so far as I know Connells and the OTM agents wishing to leave. I’m just an observer. …..
2. ?? the agents involved and media
3. see 1.
4. Because (and I can’t talk for others) INEA has had agents written to by AM/OTM saying that they must leave INEA under the 1 other portal rule.
As such if an agent does RM and OTM (Bang, under AM rules they wouldn’t in AM/OTM’s eyes be able to do INEA. Equally if an agent under AM/OTM’s rules do Z and OTM, AM would say they couldnt do INEA.
INEA is a MLS and should never have been embargoed by AM/OTM. Its wrong and anti-competitive. As such the sooner AM/OTM has a change of rules and likely directors, or is made to change by courts, the all the better.
5. If INEA didnt deliver, then yes. Equally, if INEA created a contract that was seen as anti-competitive, then yes.
As such should AM/OTM be able to restrain other platforms and agents when many of us feel that what AM/OTM has created is anti UK law. Thus unlawful.
Were just standing our ground to be able to operate in fair marketplace.
EU law says;
First, Article 101 of the Treaty prohibits agreements between two or more independent market operators which restrict competition. This provision covers both horizontal agreements (between actual or potential competitors operating at the same level of the supply chain) and vertical agreements (between firms operating at different levels. Only limited exceptions are provided for in the general prohibition. The most flagrant example of illegal conduct infringing Article 101 is the creation of a cartel between competitors, which may involve price-fixing and/or market sharing.
http://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/overview_en.html
Not wishing to reprint what you have just said, the last paragraph says a lot. Why do you not complain about the special relationship RM & Z have with particular on-line only agents e.g. PB? And as we all know EU laws are about to cease for most of them are from the raving looney parties.
@ Wt – I have no reason to complain about RM or Z. I don’t agree with cheap list models like PB but they are not breaking the law on being cheap. Equally RM and Z didnt place an embargo on INEA
EU laws won’t cease over night Wt, plus many laws will remain in same or variations of what they are now (as best to suit fair play for businesses and consumers).
Fairs fair, and embargoes are not.
So the fact that RM & Z allow portal juggling (dishonest v regulations), allow private sellers through the back door (dishonest v agents contracts), special arrangements for on-line only agents (dishonest v high street agents = cartel) …. sounds very much like you are being selective with your own personal view rather than the hype you portray about all things dishonest and was is good for your INEA membership.
Well that’s pretty obvious isn’t it? Why would you leave a website that is performing to move to an unknown site?