A letter drafted by Rightmove for agents to send to their clients explaining their “one other portal” decision says that OnTheMarket will grow its audience.
The letter emphasises Rightmove’s own lead position in the market, but could be seen to recognise OnTheMarket as a strong challenger.
The letter says: “More and more agents are choosing to advertise all their properties with OnTheMarket.com and, as they do, the audience will grow.”
It makes no mention of Zoopla or any other portal, other than individual agents’ own websites.
The letter has been praised by one agent, Nigel Keene, managing director of Whiteknights in Reading.
He said it was a good letter which he had sent to others in the industry to use: “What I was pleased to see is that Rightmove are actually embracing the situation.
“They didn’t need to assist with the transition, but I was pleasantly surprised to see they had displayed a grown-up attitude.”
A spokesperson for Rightmove told Eye that some agents had asked for its help in communicating their decision on portals advertising, and so had provided them with a template letter to send out to clients.
The spokesperson said: “Some agents have asked us for help with their consumer messaging, and we have therefore provided them with a range of Rightmove statistics to use in their communications.
“We created a template letter for a few agents who asked for our help, which includes Rightmove statistics and some copy supplied by an agent about OnTheMarket.
“We know from our own research that consumers view market exposure as most important when selling their home, and so we have provided statistics that show how advertising on Rightmove means their property is getting in front of the biggest home-hunting audience, and that their vendors are five times more likely to find a buyer on Rightmove than any other website.
“Agents will no doubt work out different ways to use this Rightmove messaging to their advantage to augment their own USPs and maximise their chances of winning instructions.”
Rightmove’s draft letter for agents to send their customers says:
Dear Mr/s XYZ,
Choosing an agent to look after the sale of your property can be confusing – after all, there’s so much to think about! At <<agent name>>, we want you to know that you are in safe hands with us.
Our aim is to sell or let your property at the best price and as quickly as possible whilst ensuring that you receive a highly professional and effective service along the way.
To ensure that we deliver on that aim, we regularly review how we do things, including where we advertise. From January 2015 we will advertise your property on Rightmove.co.uk, a new website called OnTheMarket.com and our own very popular site.
Rightmove is the UK’s busiest property website and, because we are members, we can guarantee that your property is in front of the biggest audience of home hunters around. To give you an idea of what that means:
- Every month Rightmove sees more than 90 million visits[1] from home movers who send more than 4 million enquiries about property[2] – that’s more than 5,500 every single hour!
- Rightmove reaches more than 75% of all home hunters across the country[3] making it the place that sellers and landlords want their property seen
In addition, we’ll also advertise your property at OnTheMarket.com, a new property website with properties for sale and rent all over the UK. More and more agents are choosing to advertise all their properties with OnTheMarket.com and, as they do, the audience will grow.
These changes ensure that our experienced team of local experts can offer you the best, most effective service now and in the future.
If you would like to talk this through with me or talk about your property in more detail, please call me on <<agent phone>>.
Yours etc.
[1] Google Analytics, September 2014
[2] Rightmove data, September 2014
[3] Comscore Mediametrix, September 2014
Comments (66)
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Truthbetold said….OTM are experiencing back end problems and will put off the launch until end of February….whilst I believe this to not be the case I do wonder why some agents in my area that had their listings taken off Zoopla a few weeks ago and have issued notice now have their listings back on, I also wonder about the timing of Houser…some very strange goings on!
Hi Paul…… I remember when I came off Z after my short trial, they left my listings on for quite some time……………… A suspect Z will be in no rush to take the properties off and it will probably take some chasing to have them tow the line……… Quite a few Gold members around me are still listing on Z and you just know these will not drop off on the 26th….. I can hear the Z management saying do not take the properties off, leave it until we are asked for the 3rd or 4th time……As for Houser, I don't think anything other than "now is as good a time as any" to start this kind of website, the better and busier the market, the more consumers can be lead to believe it is the websites which sell property………………….for the record and I hope I was not fibbed to today…….. AM confirmed all systems ready for the 26th as I was chasing them to check my uploads would be working and wanting to know all my properties will have photos and correct contact details etc and it seems the next few days AM agents will get more and more access to OTM…….plus they confirmed as did Encore/PSG that uploads had been taking place.
Hi Ric, as I expected although some of the agents I saw today actually had their listings off of Z last week but re appeared today perhaps there is a genuine reason. I'm sure there will be a slight crossover for a few but either way we are on schedule for a very disruptive launch.
It would not surprise me if Z have all of a sudden thought "get them back on and see if they notice"…. or "see if they complain"……. It will be more Z lead I suspect than AM agents asking for stock to be reloaded or I suppose it could be Z taking them off a few days earlier than they should have done (agents paid up to the 26th)………………and the agents whos stock it is worried that non OTM agents will have a week to tout "where has your house gone" without OTM being there live to support and prove it has simply gone to the new OTM site…………. I am just looking forward to be able to see for myself the true numbers of support and stock levels OTM carries….. With so many market leaders on board the stock share may be much higher than we all expected…….and it is the stock which RM will be most concerned about….. not so much the number of agents.
"It would be more Z lead"…totally agree with this as the two agents I was referring to who have mysteriously gone back on don't want to be and already have the Zoopla stickers out their window and logo off their website. I envisage some games to be played by Zoopla and indeed Rightmove over the coming months.
……and share sale of the day goes to the investor? who recorded a sale of 1 Zoopla Share for the Grand Total of £1.59?….. really?!….. is this a sign of failing Investor Confidence?!…… the investor wasn't even prepared to hold 1 Zoopla Share?…… all aboard Noah's Property Portal Ark!
That was easypeasypropertychris cashing in his retirement fund.
Here’s hoping somebody ran a make on the truck that just took off with RM’s dignity, either that or they got it hermetically sealed in recycled fast food tubs, jeez the stones on these guys. Maybe we’re speaking a dead language or maybe RM missed an episode but this is some clusterf*ck. Clusterf*ck, that’s a word right? So anyway, RM’s trying to bury the bodies, OTM’s digging them up again and apparently paying your salary hourly in small non sequential bills is an issue, go figure. Ok look, we could all join RM’s mast*rbatory quest to fertilise agency but I’m kind of uncomfortable with their false intimacy and plus, I like to work alone. [Yikes I think I finally nailed comment of the week] Dude RM’s ethics are a major flight risk and that letter’s real protagonist in trying to leverage support when clearly their integrity’s decided to sit this one out. I’ll pass.
Nah not even close, for comment of the week Ros and the more conservative posters on the forum need to understand what you have said. Sorry Tuv Luv no-one does. So barmy is the stuff you come out with Zoopla actually have an algorithms team (a bit like Bletchley Park) working on deciphering what it is you say in the hope of picking up some of the likes you attract, Kenny Craig needs to replace his lost £25 mil and you are the key.
Ok so I'm guessing you're the kind of guy who orders a Bud light right? No personality just a lot of shows you like huh? Dude I can't dumb this down all nice and conservative for you so better you embrace my neurosis and stop killing my moment by making a lot of weird sounds.
I can see the Rigthmove & Zoopla Reps gathered around deciding whether to cut the red or blue wire?……. but no…….what's this?…… they're deciding whether they can see the prospect of the red wire being better than the blue wire…… if so……can they sell it onto their members contracts for a year…..then introduce another better wire….a yellow wire……it's better than both the red & blue wires and members should sign up for that for another year whilst The Reps decide which one to cut! RightZzzzzzzzzzz & ZoopZzzzzzzzzzzz
This is just more Rightmoo marketing material for Joe Public's recycle box. The slightest chance they get to mention Rightmoo they will do – providing an agent with material to push their brand even more – very cunning – they are not No. 1 for nothing. With the demise of Z in our area (possibly zero agents after 26th – down to 2 at the moment) it is unfortunate that Rightmoo and Z didn't respond to the voice of the customer and now (for Z at least) it is too late.
If OTM don't deliver more leads than that second portal then this could become a massive own goal when factoring in time and rep cost.
I'm sure they will deliver more valuation/sales leads…..Imagine the advertising ." If you are looking for a professional agent then find them On The Market"…."The home of the professional agent"….."No online listing companies are allowed on OTM so you can be sure you get a pro agent On The Market"…..etc etc.
Hi Wilko. how and why are you "sure "they will deliver more valuation leads. What will attract vendors doing research on the housing market to OTM . Sell it to me
"I'm sure they will deliver more valuation/sales leads" on what basis or evidence?
that's the issue – you are imagining. might be better to start thinking.
I have it from a good source that OTM are pushing back their launch date to late February with zero consumer advertising until March. The back end of the portal is apparently melting and not fit for purpose. That would certainly give agents 'on the fence' or anti OTM the opportunity to make some interesting moves…
Surely you jest.
Ho Ho Hoooooo……. and the Pointy Hat Folk are hubbling & bubbling toiling & troubling…… from the source I have OnTheMarket.com is on target…… however having got on board in December 2013 I am prepared for whatever the future holds……. I don't recall Rightmove or Zoopla launching Day 1, Week 1, Month 1 or Year 1 with the level of support that they have now……. the doubters and duopoly supporters never saw Agents Mutual where they are actually today?…… so, let's just just watch it develop……as it happens.
very much so, the proof will be in the pudding
Blimey it's taken until one week before launch for there to be a single scare story that 'OTM is not ready', 'OTM has technical issues', 'OTM blah, blah, blah'. Where did you find this good source – in the pub?
Rightmove clearly see agents mutual as an opportunity to lesson the one true competitor Zoopla and strengthen there own position, exactly what AM agents do not want. Funny how these agents are strengthening RM's position, not weakening it. BIG mistake! This will give RM even less reason to be competitive with pricing.
Go and ask the directors at Rightmove towers who they would rather be competing against a) Zoopla, another PLC who want to raise prices in line with them or b) an agent owned portal who's goal is to completely derail Rightmove. "This will give RM even less reason to be competitive with pricing."..Let's see shall we, as come renewal time if OnTheMarket is a success then Rightmove will know that raising fees will drive agents to OTM. Slowly but surely!!
I think you are right in what you say, RM will most definatley most like to be against Z as they already have the upper hand! OTM can be a threat (lets hope it is) the worry is the last bit you say Paul "Slowly but surely" for OTM to be a success it needs to be No1 in my opinion (granted may take time) but I think OTM needs to do it quickly and in one hit like what they have done to Z otherwise the risk you pose is RM become a website for "Premium" agents which helps nobody
"the worry is the last bit you say Paul "Slowly but surely" …It's a figure of speech. Actually I envisage this whole process being fairly quick with very quick results. I feel that within weeks sellers and landlords will want to know if their property will be OnTheMarket.com. Time will tell….7days!!
I think it needs to be quick (within 12 months) for it to work, need to get the momentum going and attack while agents believe in it. I think past 12 months support will wane and be stuck as a number 2 portal.
If Rightmove try and increase their fees to me then I would dump them on the spot and (a.) Stay only with OTM – if the level of enquiries had reached a decent enough level – or (b) Go back to Zoopla until OTM was fully up to speed and then dump Zoopla as well. I believe tht this type of approach will be in the back of all OTM members minds over the next couple of years. Either way RM will lose if they are planning increases to OTM agents.
@Harree – we are actually paying MORE to be on OTM than Zoopla. This is not about saving money – it is and always has been about making a dent in the duopoly position of RM/Z (who really do salivate at the thought of legging-over us agents year after year). Z may well have been cheaper for us than R but a) their lead quality was indifferent and b) they have stated publicly (i.e. to their shareholders who have been dumping the shares by the skip-load) that they intend to raise their fees to R's level in the near future. OTM's eventual replacement of Z's position in the EA firmament will hopefully benefit vendors/landlords/buyers and tenants alike.
Make a dent by making it a monopoly again… you know it makes sense (not).
Actually they have not said that (they intend to raise their fees to R's level in the near future). They are working towards increasing revenue, but by offering other services, which would be a agents/consumers choice to have or not (Finance I think I read somewhere was one of them mentioned). Thsi makes an interesting read… http://zpg.co.uk/investors
Why the UK Real Estate market needs an Open Data revolution? https://medium.com/@thehomeboard/why-the-uk-real-estate-market-needs-an-open-data-revolution-591fded14d02
Oh, dear – they're positively FLOODING out of the woodwork now – scrapers, stealers and chancers all…
I just don't see why people think RM will be stronger……. Will RM have any more property on the 26th than they do now?……………..Will the public see any difference to RM on the 26th from what they do now?…………………Have RM picked up agents from Z which were not on RM before?…………………… To the public there will appear no difference to RM in my opinion and that is what RM fear……… the new entrant will take a lot of lime light and attention AND this is where they are trying to deflect or more get in on the lime light…..simply don't let them……. they gain nothing from OTM launching other than the knowledge its [OTM] member agents have a very clear reason for supporting it!
I think the argument is more aimed at the agents as opposed to the public, The public are largely unaffected (some people speculating that they will lose out but I feel that nonsence, as buyers will be drawn to the property). With OTM making a strong play for the second spot in "Portal Wars" in such a short period yet still without public awareness. This can only help RM as the public will search there more than Z (and for the time being OTM). I think RM (for a short period at least) will see searches spike and possibly even share price. Almost every agent seems to be ditching Z, The interesting thing which I think Paul H said was lets see what happens at renewal time. If more agents (either committed to OTM or not) do drop RM can be VERY interesting!
Why do AM agents believe that the public will automatically be riveted by OTM advertising right from day 1? They won't be. The business world is littered with the debris from businesses failures where Joe Public didn't share a fraction of the excitement (if any) of the business founders. AM agents say OTM is an "exciting" new website when most are removing stock off Z the 35th most visited website in the UK. Exciting for who? Agents salivating at the prospect of saving a couple of hundred quid per month per branch or their sellers who could be sacrificial lambs in a portal war?
I don't think customers care where their property is as long as its sold! To be fair to even the most die hard OTM agents none of them have said the website will captivate the publics imagination. The public will find the site and will use it, by the sounds Z is going to have a torrid year I expect OTM to take its place in the market within a year by the figures that are coming out. The really interesting thing will be how to get agents to drop RM. Its not about saving a few hundred quid a month its more like £1000's for multi offices and its also the fact RM take the p**s year after year with new products and increases. The constent bleeding of agents, And that's what they do they bleed agents as much as they can a 72% profit margin with fee going up every year is biting the hand that feeds. Nobody dislikes RM's product, and nobody begrudges them a profit but those profit levels coupled with yearly rises takes the mick
Spot on. You signed up yet? 😉
Ha ha! No not yet 😉 – I need more convincing, but understand the concept and hope all that is promised is delivered. If that the case the splinters from my rear end will be removed!
Llime light and attention on the boards perhaps, but not in the publics eyes.
"The letter has been praised by one agent, Nigel Keene,"….Hilarious….I needed something to cheer me up after the H***ER debacle. On a serious note, I never thought we would see OTM "endorsed" by Rightmove, or become the 2nd portal………BEFORE launch. In our area I can't see any value in Zoopla, hardly any local stock will be found on it post 26th.
When AM first launched, much of it's raison d'etre was based upon Rightmove's massive profit margin and the fact it priced as it saw fit safe in the knowledge it felt it was indispensable. Initially Zoopla was seldom singled out from criticism though later, the duopoly got it in the neck. Now it seems that there is intent to build a new duopoly and that some of the OTM members and Rightmove are making strange bedfellows. It's an impartial observation, but to me the rationale seems to be going full circle with some and RM's position is actually getting stronger and perhaps is even being endorsed by early adopters of OTM. One thing is for sure, this is fascinating stuff and it's great that the previous status quo is being shaken up as competition can only be a good thing.
The plan was always to get rid of Rightmove nothing changed.
It clearly has changed, as AM has only strengthened RM's position.
Rightdivide & Rightconquer!……the New Special Ops Division of Rightmove…. so their statement comments about some agents requesting help and later comments we created a template for a few agents?….. sorry?……clarify that for me…..how many agents?……some?…..a few?…….tens of agents?…..hundreds of agents?…….thousands of agents?…… so, Rightmove who seem incapable of actioning basic requests from estate agents have come over all helpful!? Noting their own statement mentions they reach circa 75% of UK Home Hunters?….. that single statistic interests me!…….tells me that OnTheMarket.com can increase their market share and overtake Rightmove if estate agents commit to supporting OnTheMarket.com which has been established to ensure that we have an Property Portal that is 100% focussed on our business and serves the Home Hunters by providing a clear Online Shop Window for displaying client's properties and not selling or promoting 3rd party/unrelated products or services. I note that last week Rigthmove were providing a presentation to a large firm of Scottish Surveyors……no doubt part of their Smoke n' Mirrors Department's mission to try and shore up their No 1 friendly, helpful, peoples portal?…..by very dubious means…… behind the scenes Rightmove is engaged in a huge effort to protect their business, we are in effect Sleeping with the Enemy! The one thing I do not underestimate is the sheer amount of our member fee monies combined with RM's time & effort which has and will continue going into trying to protect their market position…..which simply begs the question?……why should estate agents not simply finance their own Property Portal OnTheMarket.com rather than finance another company's efforts to retain its business position because that is its ultimate function…….to feed off estate agents to survive and prosper…..in effect it is a Queen Bee and we are the Worker Bees….. and not only do we work for them, we pay them to work for them!……surely UK Estate Agents can see that we should support OnTheMarket.com 100%. Thing is, the UK Corporate Estate Agents were responsible to a great degree for the establishment of Rightmove and we see them continuing to support them…..yet, it is actually the remaining thousands of UK Estate Agents who retain the ability to shift the Portal Focus from Rightmove to OnTheMarket.com….. I sincerely hope that we UK Estate Agents exercise our intelligence and look beyond self-interest, fear and the spin from the RM Dark Arts Dept and support/grow OnTheMarket.com…. I watched with immense satisfaction a major Scottish BBC News story on the Weekend TV about the changes to Scottish Stamp Duty/Land Tax being abandoned by the Which Way is the Wind Blowing Today Scottish Government!….. and in the background of the filmed interview with Mark Hordern Chairman of the GSPC, which represents circa 200 Solicitor Estate Agents….. was the OnTheMarket.com pinmarker Logo all over an OnTheMarket.com GSPC member's window!…… fantastic….. a hugely impactive piece of visible High Street marketing in a prime West End of Glasgow location……No Rightmove, No Zoopla. Ask yourself if there is any more that you can do to market OnTheMarket.com because this is the beginning of the biggest change in Property Portal Providers since the web began!…….and to think they dismissed OnTheMarket.com as having no chance of ever being launched or succeeding…… Don't listen to the Whispers of the Anti OTM….. listen to the distant thunder of OnTheMarket.com members getting louder & stronger! If you're not with OnTheMarket.com yet…..you should be!
GPL, don't be so naive, do you really thing OTM is not going to sell data? you you think they are just going to sit on money because of principles? If they don't, they will never survive, there is a reason why RM does it, this is where the whole portal business relies. Good luck to you if you think that shrinking revenue models is better in the name of estate agent interest. OTM will be exactly the same as RM or Z, just putting money in yet another bunch of people's pockets.
Desdemonia, look. If the OTM members vote (one member – one vote don't forget) to "sell data" we will. If we vote not to sell data – we won't. It's as simple as that; but before voting one way or the other, I for one would like to to told first what the advantages and disadvantages are. If any legal income is available without causing my clients a problem – I'd vote for it. If there was any hint of a proble, I would vote no. This isn't rocket science gents.
Taff, be interested to hear as a gold member, which way did you vote on the dispensation handed to GSPC to allow members to have an extra portal over non GSPC members in Glasgow, which way did you vote on the decision properties of agents promoting of agents that upload to OTM first above those who don't . Did you take stance on Springett and the exec boards massive salaries .What you actually bought is the risk of his business entering the portal market whilst he sits in an absolute risk free position with his reported £250,000 salary guaranteed salary paid for by agents mutual members… Didn't see him mortgaging his house to get this underway , didn't see saying I won't take a penny until we are in profit . He has used greed and the purported hatred of portals , that I make money from btw and that are more cost effective than any other of my advertising mediums to force an risk free re entry to this marketplace without an ounce of risk …. If it goes under I'm sure he will hand his wages back… Or will members get to vote on that ?
This is funny beyond words. 12 years ago the local press were the devil, and the saviour was Rightmove. 3 years ago Rightmove was the devil and Zoopla the saviour. Now, agents are flocking to OTM, which – I promise – will be the devil before too long. Press advertising in the Mail, The Times and The Telegraph, a TV advert featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – well done to the Frank Savills & Gordon marketing team – you have your perfect marketing campaign! Meanwhile, in the sticks the rest of you are left to club together for ads in your slowly dying local rags. Ha ha ha!
As commented on here from me, I have repeatedly stated that in my view and in my practice Local Newspaper Advertising still has its part to play in the overall marketing of clients properties and where/how local estate agencies fit within the community. To that end I have just negotiated a further deal with my Local Newspaper with a further reduction on the page rate plus digital/targeted business marketing. The success of OnTheMarket.com in positioning itself as the only real focussed UK Property Portal would remove the extra costs associated with Rightmove/Zoopla etc and let estate agents focus on effective marketing. I have always believed that you should be prepared to look back and review whether ways of working in the past which have been discarded, (because they were deemed to be ineffective/outdated etc,) do perhaps have a place in today's property market… and business in general…. and so it is that we find that many of these discarded ways do actually still have a place/a benefit in our industry and others. The biggest spin of all was that the Internet was king and the High Street business model dead!…… Super/Hyper Markets were king and ordinary shops were dead…. when in fact it was these particular businesses that were spinning all that had gone before as dead when in fact they were simply creating and growing their own market. Time will tell as to the success/impact of OnTheMarket.com however my business head and my heart tells me we are driving our business into a cul de sac with Rightmove & Co and we must take this opportunity to about turn!
Quite clever from Rightmove. A number of reasons for this letter as pointed out by some of the other posters already. I think this is also directed towards the fence sitters. They want to play on their fear that signing up to OTM will only make Rightmove stronger. One of the many plays we will see from Rightmove over the course of 2015.
If this is their 1st "play" it's not very good!
Agreed Wilko, I look forward to seeing what else they come up with. I think it will get real interesting around renewal time!
A 'divide and conquer' letter from RM. With 90%+ of agents dropping Zoopla OTM have, as many have pointed out, reinforced and strengthened RM's dominance as the No1 portal. If the public "will go where the stock is" the more RM can divide stock between Z and OTM the better for them. It doesn't take a genius to work out their strategy going forward.
Oh dear – not a good day for the internet ONLY agents. Let's see what negative spin they can manage to put on this rather positive move. I dislike Rightmove just a little bit less this morning.
Oh yes, sorry. I forgot to mention I won't be using this letter and certainly would never let the RM word into any of my letters or marketing.
Thanks RM…… do you have any post valuation letters you could draft for me please, oh and my son needs a few days off school in term time…… could you help with this too……. what a load of **** ……..all I read is, "we are bricking it"
Flies in the face of exactly what we are trying to achieve with On The Market / Agents Mutual. Take all reference to Rightmove down from your offices and advertising. We have. We'll mention them in passing on a market appraisal but that is it.
Schmooze, Schmooze, Schmooze, Schmooze
Sorry the PIE software won't allow a succinct, single word posts!
Mr Keene -Why don't you write your own letters???? You could have told your vendors all about OTM, the benefits of advertising on there and how you feel it is best for their property, instead of Rightmove getting their dirty little mits on it and taking you for a fat lad!
Yes, why is that??? 🙂
I certainly wouldn't send this letter out. It serves yet again to promote Rightmove as the only way to sell or let property, and fuels the notion that all a landlord or seller should think about when choosing an agent is which portals they list on. Utter nonsense. Agents sell and let properties – not Rightmove, or any other portal for that matter.
Clever letter, praise OTM but continue to establish yourself as number 1 portal. If I was joining OTM I don't think I would be using this letter kind of flys in the face of what OTM is.
Hmmm…and now why might Rightmove be openly supportive of OnTheMarket? It wouldn't be, perhaps, that they think OTM's threat to their business will never be close to the threat posed by Zoopla, would it? Have said this all along: be careful what you wish for.
The funniest bit about this letter is that it doesn't actually do what agents need it to do…