Rightmove yesterday analysed the total number of properties being marketed and which of the three main portals they are displayed on.
It estimated there to be just over 1m homes on the market in total, of which 170,000 are in London. The figures include sales and lettings stock.
Rightmove broke down the count of properties on Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket, and insists its research is accurate.
It said that Rightmove has 973,951 properties, including 161,043 in London.
Zoopla has 674,683 properties, including 137,981 in London.
OnTheMarket has 311,721 properties, including 59,640 in London.
The analysis, said Rightmove which will be presenting its figures shortly to the City, excludes overseas and new homes stock, and includes available stock plus those that have been sold subject to contract or are under offer, or let.
Zoopla last night said it has 850,000 properties, as listed on its home page.
It claimed that traffic to OnTheMarket has been “anything but exciting”.
It also claimed that “numerous” agents who cancelled their Zoopla subscriptions are inquiring about coming back.
Quoting web monitoring firm Hitwise, Zoopla said: “On its first day the OTM website attracted only 23,000 visits, with many of these coming from industry participants interested in seeing the website for the first time.
“Since then traffic to OTM has halved daily to 12,000 visits on Tuesday and less than 6,000 visits on Wednesday. This compares to an average of 1.5 million visits per day to Zoopla Property Group’s (ZPG) websites, giving OTM an audience currently under 1% of that of ZPG.
“The data also seems to suggest that those agents who are promoting OTM heavily in place of their own websites in their offices, emails and press ads are not just missing out on a huge audience for their brands from having dropped one of the major portals but are also starting to see their own website traffic hit by effectively diverting their audience to their competitors.”
Lawrence Hall of Zoopla Property Group said: “Our audience and traffic has remained unchanged since the launch of OTM and whilst Mr Springett seems to be taking aim at ZPG as he sees this as the only way for OTM to get a foothold in the portal market, he will soon learn that delivering great products to consumers and excellent value to agents is the only recipe for success in this space.
“Given the hype and media attention surrounding the launch of OTM this week the audience figures to date are remarkably weak when you consider what he has asked his members to give up.
“We are a very data-driven business focused on the value that we deliver to our members. So, rather than making unsubstantiated claims and promises as others seem intent on doing, we will let the numbers speak for themselves as we have always done.
“And we are already seeing numerous agents who cancelled to join OTM inquiring about coming back to ZPG as they are starting to understand the costs of giving up our services.”
OnTheMarket poured cold water on Zoopla’s claims, saying it was “yet another weak attempt” by ZPG “to intimidate agents who have chosen to remove all of their properties and their corresponding advertising”.
OTM added: “The tactics being employed by Zoopla Property Group smack increasingly of a business running scared in the face of a huge loss of support from independent agents.”
Separately, a video featuring Phil Spencer has been released, warning the public to beware of agents who limit or delay marketing.
Comments (112)
OTM is going far from fantastic and will effectively only lead to RightMove's monopoly on the market. Welcome back last decade.
Ay up the Chuckle brothers are at it again!!! Paul and Peebee slugging it out!
Second only to the tussle between Benay and Mr Shinerock of course!!
Attempting to adjust the SS’s attitude was fun for a bit but the thread tennis at Christmas seem much more effective than going toe to toe with him. Simon admitted he can be wrong and I think for the first time I can recall showed some respect for others. That was enough to see Wilko and others defending Mr Shinerock on more than one occasion (a big step forward for Simon!!!!). All that will change when we find out he is the money behind Needahouser! In my book all SS needs to do now is make his peace for breaking EAT and the world will be a happy place. I suppose in a way we should be grateful to him for that too; without him we wouldn't have EYE. Looks like Phil Spencer has put himself in the cross hairs, abit unwise me thinks, but should be fun.
He's still breaking it, Benay… the title alone of his last article "Houser backs down gracefully on removal requests" should be enough to inspire cries of "WHAAAAT – you're having a ******* laugh, ain't you ?" (or similar) from thousands of annoyed and frustrated Agents – it certainly did from ME! In further proof – his post there on Friday kicked off with "Now OTM has launched, I can look back and with hindsight admit I severely underestimated the number of estate agents who would join. However, this is not really a failing on my part, it just means I overestimated the common sense of some of the top firms, or at least that of their decision makers." and ends with " If OTM succeeds IT will be for reasons I frankly do not comprehend." Well, Mr Shinerock – as one of its' more prolific questioners over the last year-and-a-bit I am FULLY aware of at least SOME of the 'reasons' that will hopefully see it succeeding… you've been wazzing them off for months.
I think your right about SS being behind Needahouser in fact the paranoid side if me even thinks it could be a Zoopla/SS/Butt venture…time will tell on that one….as for Phol Spencer, well his a buying agent isn't he, probably always has a secret disliking of agents !!
In fairness, EAT is kind of his house and his Party so what he says and gets up to there is what he will be judged on. I have to say that quote made me chuckle as it is so obviously a massive troll. Having talked to Simon I can imagine the joy posting that will have given him. Dressing up "I am wrong"? if you hadn't told me about the sideswipe I would have expected one and the "If OTM succeeds" bit is something many are thinking because as business owners (enterpreneurs) Co-operative thinking is either something you get or something you don't, but at a higher level above that the launch week failure of some agents to fly the flag is one of the concerns many had and expected. It is an indication that Affinity Group syndrome is something that can not be addressed easily.
WELL DONE, everyone – got yet another article into 'The 100+ Club'… ;o)
"Paul H… you REALLY don't want to start me off on the 'exclusivity' subject, matey! ;o) But I WILL concede one thing – that it is a differentiator. Of Sorts"…It certainly is!!!!…."Back in the mix?? Why – where have I been?"…You've kept a low one this week PeeBee, probably sitting back and enjoying the ride, make sure you put your seat belt on PeeBee;-)
""…the 'exclusivity' subject… is a differentiator. Of Sorts"…It certainly is!!!!…" Yes – but WHO will it be a WINNING differentiator for?
I'll let you know next week. ;o)
"You've kept a low one this week…" REALLY? Doesn't feel like it. "…probably sitting back and enjoying the ride…" DEFFO not 'sitting back' I've been well & truly in the thick of things – and the "ride" has been a real bumpy one…
"put your seat belt on PeeBee;-)" H£ll no, matey – in case you haven't already gathered I'm strictly a 'belt-off' kinda guy. There's no REAL thrill if you're strapped in tight and can't come a proper cropper! ;o)
Why do PEOPLE on here TYPE like Bill Cosby TALKS? It is VERY UNNECESSARY 🙂
'Gump'
Written word is the least effective way of getting over your point. It has no emphasis; no emotion – and dependent on the spelling and grammar skills of the author (which we know can be down in some cases to a recognised condition – in others it is simple laziness) can be completely misunderstood or misinterpreted. In order to get a point across, to emphasise particular words or phrases, you can of course either embold/italicise it, change colour of font, underline… or in the case of EYEs current posting tools, 'shout' it.
Not ideal – 'rude', in many ways – but draws the eye (no pun intended) to what you want people to take notice of.
Anyway – Bill Cosby was and still is an extremely funny guy. What he ALLEGEDLY gets up to in his private life is another matter entirely.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the capitals, just don't use them myself. Some misunderstandings/interpretations can lead to some great discussions though and I like it that way 🙂
Ladies and gents….keep calm and carry on…we've got the duopoly on the ropes. In most areas the leading independents are on…the TV Ads are about to start(700 next week alone), more importantly we have the one USP they will NEVER have –we are a mutual!!! What their frightened of is the 'new and exclusive' bit, they simply can't match it and it will mean that it will drive buyers and sellers to the site. RM & Z will not be able to compete with this USP!! We just need to stay strong and see it through, the rest will inevitably follow.
"In most areas the leading independents are on…"
Ahhh, matey – I was beginning to worry 'cos we haven't disagreed for a while – and then you feed me THIS pearl! Be honest with me here – in your patch of the island we inhabit, how many Agents on OTM WOULDN'T you instruct to sell your home – or your Granny's? I've gotta tell you that here in PeeBeeLand, there's several that I'm not at all happy to be associated with – and there's a few Agents that SHOULD be on if AM's GENUINE aim is for OTM to be the portal of the professional Agent, but they aren't. They have their reasons and objections – just like I had/still have mine.
Oh – and I know a young whippersnapper like your goodself won't remember The Thriller in Manilla; The Rumble in the Jungle or any of the potentially greatest sporting moments ever seen in a boxing ring – but Ali was AT HIS MOST DANGEROUS with his back on the ropes – so let's not get excited, please – the count hasn't even started yet… ;o)
Come on, Guys and Gals – don't just 'Dislike' what I say – TELL ME WHERE AND HOW I'M WRONG!
There you go…….. 😉
I take it the wordy response is 'to follow', Ric…? ;o)
I am not saying you are wrong Peebee ( I daren't) but I do have a different perspective from most who post on here; I am not reliant on selling/letting property to pay a mortgage or other liabilities. Neither Rightmove or Zoopla are at all concerned about OTM both will carry on doing what they have been because the release of OTM has confirmed that Ian has built a clean and lean version of what they have and in yacht racing terms is sailing the same course as them only at the back; The Duopoly (thank you for the credit) are New Zealand, OTM is America trailing 8-1 in the series. The reason many agents have not joined AM is that they do not comprehend how such an unassailable lead can be overcome and are backing the boat with a clear water, course advantage. At 23% membership clean and lean isn’t enough. The tactics are wrong and AM needs a master tactician like Ben Ainslie to spot the wind shifts and sail a different race.
You can call me wrong anytime you like, Robert – you know how I court keyboard fisticuffs! ;o)
I completely understand when you say that you have a different viewpoint from us on the coalface. In fact I would like to think that I enjoy at lease a small part of that objectivity, having only 'returned' (never been far… always having at least one foot partly on or over that fine, moving, line) to Estate Agency in the last few years. I have to admit though that where I previously had more of a 'helicopter view' (credits: MBA ex-CEO) I'm now finding I'm sitting at a lower altitude and it is harder to look as if through the eyes of outsiders. Ainslie's story is probably the best analogy you could post to where we are and what COULD happen. Love the 'summing up' quote in The Independent's story – "Both teams were in the lead in all three at one time or another but the Americans were in the lead when it mattered, at the finish."
How true.
If you enjoyed that analogy here is a vid analogy for Zoopla pushing their tech a bit too hard….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yau9A7XDHs
"In most areas the leading independents are on…" Ahhh, matey – I was beginning to worry 'cos we haven't disagreed for a while – and then you feed me THIS pearl! Be honest with me here – in your patch of the island we inhabit, how many Agents on OTM WOULDN'T you instruct to sell your home"…Now hold on PeeBee what I said was that in many areas most of the leading independents are on, I didn't say that in many areas some agents are on that your granny wouldn't instruct did I:-). Both OTM, Rightmove and Zoopla can lay claim to the fact that there are agents listed that you may not wish to instruct!!Theyre on the ropes PeeBee even you must be able to agree on that!
Come on, Paul H – that's not even CLOSE (apologies, Gump, for that and following 'Cosbyisms'…) to an answer. It's not even a Politician's answer, that one!
I'm not saying that they aren't 'on the ropes', matey – I said that is the worst place for them to be. On the deck; eyes shut – birdies tweeting around their heads in classic Looney Tunes fashion – and the Ref counting 'eight…nine…ten – YOU'RE OUT! – THAT is where you want them.
And they ain't anywhere near there yet – they're still well & truly standing. They certainly won't fight fair – no Queensbury Rules here. They're armed to the teeth – and I reckon they've only shown the very tip of ONE of their VERY long knives so far, I'm afraid to 'predict' once again…
Hey PeeBee, I'm glad your back in the mix old boy;-)…."I'm not saying that they aren't 'on the ropes', matey – I said that is the worst place for them to be."…That's what i'm saying PeeBee, no one is under any denial about the battle ahead, point i'm making is that we have made a dent hence the big fightback, but we got them with the 48 hour rule, they can't beat it, so we will keep throwing those jabs and left hooks before laying in with the killer upper cut. And your right theyve shown the very tip of One of their VERY long knives but they still don't have the exclusivity which will drive buyers and tenants to the site, but OTM does.
Paul H… you REALLY don't want to start me off on the 'exclusivity' subject, matey! ;o) But I WILL concede one thing – that it is a differentiator. Of sorts.
Back in the mix?? Why – where have I been?
And how many properties did RM & Z have on launch! Give it time, the marketing campaign only starts this Sunday. As too often, people are quick to jump in.
Did RM have any established competition? Z did and had to offer extended free listings to establish themselves. Needaproperty did the same and failed miserably. Is the OTM marketing campaign designed to draw in buyers or agents? There is no point drawing in buyers if you have little stock. The TV campaign wont say don't try such and such area because we are really low there. And will buyers bother to come back if they are disappointed first time round? All it will do is persuade buyers to go where more properties can be seen and waste maximising OTM's initial impact. This could be a big marketing budget going up in smoke. I think now that it has launched and has a product to actually showcase OTM should be concentrating on getting many more agents on board. That is how RM & Z grew.
The trouble is, agents who haven't joined or are sitting on the fence will only join when OTM can provide substantial visitors to their website. With an advertising campaign they will increase the visitors.
Mr Morris
"…agents who haven't joined or are sitting on the fence will only join when OTM can provide substantial visitors to their website."
I disagree.
1. OTM has a chance to grow through peer/fear pressure in exactly the same was as 'the duopoly' (credits: Robert May) did.
2. OTM has a chance to grow if its' current Members see a RoI and spread the news.
3. OTM would expand to fill the room overnight IF its' current criteria were lifted – or even amended.
The current Members are the engine to drive it forward – but AM's finger ain't anywhere near pressing the starter switch.
Having just seen the advertising slot list for the OTM advert going live from the 1st of Feb I really have no doubts that the general public will soon know that OTM has arrived. It's all very well comparing a website with 5 years of existing traffic behind it to a new comer but once the advert goes live, give it a few months and lets compare figures then.
James, are you able to share that? Try as I might I won't be able to watch ITV all day!
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/email-media.agentsmutual.co.uk/OntheMarket_TV_Schedule_1st-8th-feb-15.pdf
Bare in mind that's only the first week worth of slots..
certainly a healthy number of ads but i would be concerned with demographics and targeting. OTM have gone for quantity over quality. Channel 4 is where i would be targeting with all there home moving programs. And see very little on ITV and the South where a good number of agents have signed up there is no advertising. Maybe this will change in coming weeks.
Well it looks like OnTheMarket are taking the one other portal rule seriously…..Statons and all their branches are no longer on the site.
Have they been booted off or have they got cold feet?
"Cold feet" after 4 days, not likely, they are probably one of perhaps a handful of agents that thought they might be able to have their cake and eat it. This should be a lesson to all agents who don't want to treat the one other portal rule seriously, if you don't want to play by the rules then you shouldn't be allowed on.
Good to see they are enforcing the rules. Our local OTM agents still have RM and Zoopla logos on their sites… Shouldn't they be proud to be with OTM and have their admin in order?
I just noticed Phil Spencer's Zoopla advertorial footnote edit to the story, that more than the RM stats ought to be the subject of this discussion. Some people will do or say anything for money. What a pity Mr. Spencer just sold any respect the industry had for him.
Give Mr Spencer the internet, give me an old fashioned applicant box and challenge us both find instructions and sell a property. Dispite his celebrity advantage I know who would win that challenge.
Well said Robert.
Where as i agree that you would out perform the internet with an applicant box there is that awkward how do you fill that applicant box in the first place question. Before portals it was papers. Surely you would want your applicant box as full as possible?
Actually I wouldn't, 10 good applicants with needs is better than 200 with wants.
That's assuming you have 10 good applicants in your box 😉
That's assuming you have 10 good applicants in your box though 😉
I had to think about that Smile Please. Even in this modern age finding a soul mate or spouse is a natural thing to do, same as finding a home. Normally most people find a partner through their day to day activities, school, college , university, work, social activities or daily routine. Some don't and have to turn to internet dating sites. I view the whole process of winning instruction and building up an applicant data base the same way. The internet is the desperate last resort for finding applicants to make up for a failure to market the agency properly.
Asking any marketing pro… do people always pay attention to ads and switch instantly? No. Agents telling buyers to only look at OTM will isolate themselves from future vendors. Let buyers look where they want to look. Whats in it for the punters? Really? They won't get it…. until they google it.. read the BBC news and realise its all about you competing agaisnt the other big 2, who they actually like, and are used to using. I appreciate the point that the buyers will go where the stock is but based on my week so far it's going to be an uphill struggle.
I mentioned 'the new portal – onthemarket.com' to one potential vendor this morning and all he said was 'is that the Sarah Beeny thing?'
How are they isolated, they are still on THE NUMBER 1 or NUMBER 2 site in the country. Did you win the valuation based on the portal you are listed on, or them wanting to use you? In reality most vendors find you because you are known locally, reputation, referral, boards. Some might find you on a portal, but they probably already knew you, but let's say they don't… If you are on OTM, you are on two portals, one of which is the strongest in your area and you know this because you do your research and crunch your numbers, the second is OTM, which is a new, agent owned offering, that has already got over 300,000 properties on its books in the first 4 days of operation and this is before the extensive marketing has started, soon it will be the 2nd largest portal in the country. After that the aim is to take more market share and become the number 1 portal. However, the most important thing is the relationship between me and my vendors and the service I provide them. I don't rely on the portals to sell your property, buyers find me via a variety of ways and the really hot buyers are talking to my staff and I about properties way before they hit the internet. Most savvy buyers know to go to the agent first for the newest instructions, in fact, I've actually sold properties before they even get on the net. I've already spoken to 3 buyers about your property and they keen to view, etcetera etcetera…… Come on everyone, I don't get why you want to make this so hard. I know it's getting agents to work together is like herding cats, but I actually think that could be easier!!!!!
In saying Isolated, I mean that an agent telling potential buyers to only visit OTM (and also not advertising the fact that they may still be on RM), MAY make some potential vendors wonder why that agent is rebelling agaisnt the established leaders. Any simple serach online, which many people are likely to conduct, reveals a lot more negativity than positive points. After all, is OTM here really for the viewing public? How many complaints do you think Rightmove/Zoopla get from the public about the user friendliness of their sites? The press don't seem to think so. Agents aren't being clear about the one other portal rule. This demonstrates a general lack of transparency which is something people don't like about the industry. If an agent doesn't openly tell a potential client that they are no longer listing on RM or Zoopla, in suport of OTM, the next agent going in is in a much stronger postion to get the instruction just by highlighting the point that the previous agent hasn't been clear/straight forward with them. Many agents are stating that their home will have 'greater exposure' by instructing a OTM agent which is not correct at this stage. That claim would make most vendors assume it is an extra portal rather than a less populated replacement. I got the instruction this morning for the usual right reasons and nothing to do with portals, but by highlighting the point that all agents now do not offer the same broad online exposure, I cemented the deal. Herding cats is possible, but its going to be a long slog, with many poor cats getting hungry throughout the process, probably resulting in some behaving in a way to protect their own interests.
Great stuff. I wouldn't listen to the press though, they are not exactly impartial are they 🙂
We should all continue to track the following during the coming weeks and months and prepare to share the information at some point;
1. % of sales leads from OTM
2. % of sales leads from Z
3. % of sales leads from RM
4. % of sales leads from own web site
5. % of sales leads from ‘other’ and a breakdown of what ‘other’ is
Same for lettings enquiries. We should also track the volume of leads. Sharing this information down the line will help us all make decisions, regardless of the current portal strategy. Agents working in collaboration could be a powerful force.
Good idea Andy but sadly impossible. Impossible? Yep because somebody had the bright idea to make this (legitimately) impossible by insisting that no agent can quantify this as they are not allowed to be on the 3 portals at the same time. Hmmmm…..was that a clever idea? It might have been in 12 months when OTM would presumably have got many more agents on board pressure free. Then it would stand or fall on its own merits and give normal agents a real choice to make backed up by real figures and not by people with vested interests.
You can? I have examples, admittedly not lots but you can! Find a property on MA or JA terms….. we have one at one office (so basically with us on RM/OTM and a Corp thus showing on RM/Z…….. Z tells me and the world its Page Views stat, so I don't need an account to compare this)……………………problem now is I am comparing 30 days of Z to 4 days of OTM and 28 days on RM without taking into consideration the public knowledge of all sites (ie the 26 day and 24 day head start both had on OTM let alone the years of marketing bla bla)…………………….however for the record today this property shows: Z = 108 page views (or 3.6 a day based on 28 days) and OTM = 4 page views (or 1 a day based on 4 days) and RM (cough cough) 618 page views (or 22 a day based on 28 days)…………….. So is OTM useless? RM amazing? and Z what?……………….On this alone I would gamble OTM will end up performing better than Z for sure (well at least locally to us perhaps), but a long way to catch up to RM….. that said on day 28 or 3o we can at least give OTM a slightly fairer shout and see if the average daily page view count has increased……………….. I am ready for the stat police to pick a few holes in my simple minded calculations……. be nice and don't hit dislike please, I preferred thinking people just couldn't be bothered liking my posts.
Ric I am impressed beyond belief with your detailed analysis of a tiny percentage of the market where it may be possible. However you have blinded me with numbers. I stand by that it is impossible to do what Andy has suggested on a whole of the market basis but I commend you on a valiant effort 🙂
Firstly forgive me B6RKY…………………. I at first read it that you meant NO true comparison can EVER be made, but reading back I see your comment was aimed at the "whole of market" …………………and therefore yes my small (I did say this) stat was not true to defend the comment you were making……………… I am also in the North West and see a completely different picture to you it seems based on a previous comment you made…….. I agree the 3 portals can never be compared truly and partly this is why I commented as I did, as I only really care about what local stats are producing (I just don't get this obsession with mass whole of market figures) …………….. more so I just look at what my company is producing and use that to my advantage, I will use poor stats from another portal if I can and this is where Z opens the door to sell against ………………I don't get this ambition to collate national stats to impress the average house seller who will not care………. my newest office for me is the perfect example…… 4 existing agents of 20 years plus in the village before we opened all on Z & RM and 2 with stock of over 100 …….. I opened 18 months ago and as of the 25th January had more property on Ric.co.uk than Z in that village (all 4 agents were still on Z by the way)! If the 3 which have joined OTM on the 26th did not join OTM it [OTM] still would have been the No.2 on the 26th in that village based on my stock alone, I was a bit gutted as I told AM that the other did join, as they have cottoned on Z was useless……. weak agents the others perhaps? 1 or 2 yes, but not all……………..my point is stats, stats stats………….. you meet Mr and Mrs X at their home and they want to know things specific to their home; what you will do to help them and the website should be mentioned as "oh by the way, we will pop you on the web as well"………………once we waffle about 40 million this and 90 million that they glaze over…………………….. no doubt because the other 3 agents quoted similar mind boggling stats to confuse them as to why x, y and z has not sold with 40 million people a month looking at it and rightly so……….. to conclude a misplaced comment by me but I just think agents need to think local and stop worrying about anything outside of their postcode sectors as you seem to have done……. and if we/you really want to know how OTM is performing get your own LITTLE stats relevant to houses close to you and in your area, as these are the ones that matter surely.
If I launched a web site on Monday and had a third of the UK's stock on it by Wednesday, I'd be doing a happy dance
Lots of over excited people. I love the passion though! Funny thing is, everyone here moaning about this article, the odds are, every said is 'factual'.
Early days for AM, so no doubt figures will increase, although will naturally still be a long way behind RM or Zoopla. Some agents will leave, some will have regrets, no doubt already seeing an effect on there business, and want to return. Anyone denying this is just lying to themselves. At the end of the day, business is business, passion and emotion may move some to AM, but if business suffers to much or for long, agents business sense will kick in, and they will do what they need to do.
'Some agents will leave, some will have regrets, no doubt already seeing an effect on there business, and want to return. Anyone denying this is just lying to themselves.' Not yet one week old, what a muppet.
Anyone thinking about returning after 4 days shouldn't be in the business, that says more about them than the portal they have joined. Bottom line is if you didn't get the property on, it was because of you, you fluffed it, you wasn't good enough or they didn't like you. You couldn't differentiate yourself from your competition and you didn't believe in the most important brand at all, which is you. In simple terms, if you have left Zoopla and stayed on RM, or vice versa, depending on their performance in your area, you are on the No 1 portal (for now) and OTM. YOU DONT NEED TO BE ON BOTH Z and RM! Beyond that, portal don't sell property, end of story and if you can't articulate how you sell property to your clients, then you are dead in the water, even of you are on 100 portals. It's all bonkers, even if you don't like certain things about OTM, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that if the fence sitters and uninterested joined, it will be lights out for the competition. The day after making the first move you can make the second and turn off the lights permanently, leaving the corporates with their own website. We made RM and Zoopla and without us they don't have a business, what they will have to is come up with another way to satisfy their shareholders and good luck to them. Ask yourself this, why do some agent slate you and your brand to win an instruction? Beacuse when all else fails and they don't have the skills or ability to win the business on merit. they sling the mud at you, because they have nothing else in their armoury, and nothing else to lose, beacause they have lost already.
Hands up who's business was number 1 in their market within 4 days of opening?! Perspective please ladies and gentlemen. It has taken RM 15 years to get to where it is. If you are members of AM, just ask all clients and applicants to bookmark OTM or register their search for alerts and let it go viral. Statistics and more lies, there are even 2 opinions about a half full glass of water…or is that half empty. I'm off now to deal with that offer of £1.25m
“Our audience and traffic has remained unchanged since the launch of OTM" absolutely no surprise with this comment, it will take repeat visits to realise for sure NEW property is not being listed (People tend to search last 24 hours or last 3 days etc, so they will tend to return thinking its just nothing new on at the minute and eventually realise that a reduction in the number of New Instructions is happening as they continue to get fewer results over a few weeks and wonder why)……………….. AND is it possible they have even had a spike in visit with OTM agents clicking on to police the "other portal" rule………. I have been on Z more in the past few days than in the past few years!!!!! And trust me I ain't looking to buy a house or compliment their stock.
A little unfair to criticise Onthemarket just yet. We need to wait and see if those numbers are as low once they launch their marketing campaign. A touch disingenuous to be seeking to rot them so soon! AND the numbers published by RM suggest two thirds of the properties on the market are listed on both RM and Zoopla, so why does any estate agent need to pay twice for them to be on the web. It's a bit like paying for 10 pages of advertising in the front of the local property paper then the identical ten at the back.
Zoopla has 674,683 properties, including 137,981 in London.
We are with RM & Z. RM is much better providing sales leads and Z is much better providing lettings leads. I have no idea why this should be. Would I like to pay for just one? Of course I would. However it is not about my likes it is about what the public like. Will I advertise for free on portals like needaproperty when they launched. Yep, no problem. I did it with Z free of charge for ages. Will I pay for them? Not until they can prove that they add value to my clients which is what Z eventually did. After all we are the ultimate industry which promotes risk and reward. If we don't sell we don't get paid.
As a fence sitter the 'big numbers' are daunting whether they have been massaged or not. However they have nothing to do with my area in the North West. The bottom line is that in my main 3 postcodes OTM are currently listing 8,16 & 25 properties respectively. And yes I have just recounted them! And this is a fact that can actually be proven. Amazingly not one of those 49 properties is listed by one of the 12 sales agents located in those postcodes. This begs the question has OTM's marketing/recruitment department overlooked certain areas completely? Has it created a North/South divide and concentrated on gaining London market share? I have noted comments from the North East and Yorkshire but are these just pockets? Rather than create a competitor for RM has OTM just produced a competitor for Primelocation? I don't know. What I do know is that the chances of those 12 agents in my area all dumping the No.2 portal, which is Zoopla here, must be very,very low. When the TV campaign hits this weekend, with it's maximum impact, with money spent that cannot easily be topped up, it will be completely wasted in this area. And most worryingly once a buyer hits the website and witnesses the paltry offerings (less than 50 properties over 3 postcodes when the competition must have hundreds (and no I haven't counted them but as I have 150 and am one of 12 it isn't rocket science) do you really think they will bother going back? I remain on the fence but unless something spectacular happens I will be stepping back onto the firm ground I know and not into the abyss.
the OTM vision was an alternative to being strong armed by the big two. BUT as often, the abused child becomes the abuser. The one other portal rule is in my mind anti competitive, and I will have nothing to do with such a company. Run by the bully big boys, trying to get one over on the independents ?
And you feel that the method of doing business as shown by the likes of Rightmove is fair and customer lead? To me and thousands of others its more bullying than anything OTM have done. Wake up.
Here we go again!!! – Sometimes when i log in i think i'm Bill Murray from Groundhog Day! ………. Pro supporters making their paranoid and outrageous claims and Anti members looking to pick any little hole, Would it not be wonderful if as a collective we identified problems and came together to find a solution so all are happy? Guess that's just a dream! – To me the things clear are OTM has very little traffic, i am sure this was expected but probably not this low. They better have a massive tv advertising campaign ready. As for Z & RM they are naughty releasing figures within the first week before the portals have adjusted to show fair stock levels, end of next week would be more accurate lets see if they do it then!? OTM has got going but are they now going to be able to push on and increase traffic 10 x or 20 x fold within the next 6 months?
A massive TV campaign to sell a product that doesn't exist (in some areas) will be a massive own goal! What comes first the chicken or the egg? Do you need agents first or buyers? I think you need agents (product) who are already selling their goods (other portals) but would be convinced to move when the new boy on the block has proven it's worth. OTM have gone about this a##e over t#t 🙂 Sorry about the mixed metaphors.
"Would it not be wonderful if as a collective we identified problems and came together to find a solution so all are happy?" YES completely agree smile please … spot on ………………… I think the OTM traffic will increase for sure, at what rate will depend on continuous support from the members and like you say spending as much as possible on TV campaigns etc……….. You cannot blame RM/Z for releasing figures now it is the best time other than the 25th January they could do this…………………… as naughty as it is/was – I would have done the same in their shoes!…………….. What would be good to see is:…………….. do we have any OTM / Z agent who can compare the stats of a few properties side by side and be honest…….. I will see if we have anything in our company on as JA which I can see……. Z obviously tells anyone the page views, so easy to compare even if you are not on Z……BUT it has to be the same jointly marketed house no manipulation such as one house at £1m compared to a semi at £200k (I fear everyone may massage this a little) ………..but this would be a fair indicator relevant to how that house is going on perhaps and builds individual pictures (Hope that made sense)………….. I compared ours to RM and no surprise WELL BEHIND but we expected that and have no issues, although I have had more telephone leads this week from OTM than RM which is odd but true……………………… smile please….. what would have you become a AM agent?………….Are you firmly fixed on seeing results above and beyond Z and/or RM before you would commit?
Good balanced piece Ric, wonder if we can get some stats that are fair and level? – Surprised by the calls you are getting already, can only be a good sign! – What would it take me to become a AM member? – crikey…… I guess as OTM has now launched i would like to see how fast they deliver what they and members have been promising. I would also like to see more agents sign up before i commit (chicken and egg i know) I would also like to hear more about undermining RM with timescales in place (it maybe too early for this, i know) At the moment i do not see any benefit (other than supporting a dream) to move away from Z given the exposure they have and the comparatively low cost even compared to OTM. I think as you have done signing up to OTM as you were not on Z is a no brainer, it can only increase your business, in the market i work in all agents were on both Z and RM its incredibly competitive. Some agents took the leap and to be honest they are not the leading areas agents. We all talked about joining at the time as a collective but we could not all agree on it (circa 35 firms). They had my vote if we all committed and removed from RM but in the end it was left to agents to decide who they withdrew from and as i mentioned a number of smaller firms decided to remove from Z. I think OTM can work as has initial support. my worry is support will go over time, new agents will not enroll (you cannot give away free listings as will upset too many members agents) and OTM stays a nice but third place agent. The question has to be asked (like you are asking me) if you have not joined up now, will you join up?
I had the very same conversation on Tuesday – Would we have joined up today?……… Yes/No………….. genuinely tough one no doubt like your thought process……………… you see I just cannot stand the "attitude" of RM………….. I say openly I like the product and before in other debates have said so………… Z seem like nice people and cheaper but it is far too easy to sell against………….. For me (IMO), in any other part of my life and lets take TV/Broadband……………. I hate BT useless inc Customer service so I can go somewhere else and if the next are rubbish I can move on again, I've done TalkTalk, BT and now Sky……….. same with Utilities…….. when they talk to me like **** I can change or if they up a bill I can change as there is enough choice out there who in theory will give me the same thing………………..and this is why I suppose "YES" is my answer …….. I would join today………… as like BT, BGas, TalkTalk etc when RM talk to me like ****……….. I need to (YOU ARE RIGHT) support the dream of perhaps of having a alternative that do what I want JUST advertise houses and respect us for making the brand what it is…………….. When have we ever heard/read RM say – BIG THANKS by the way to the agents who support us, without them our "users" would have nothing to browse!………………..I suppose it has become principle now which can be a horrid thing……………….if it works (ok when, to satisfy the ones who will say see haha IF he says IF just a hope) so WHEN it works I know I helped achieve that as I have helped RM achieve its status (whether they admit that or not) and IF it fails…..(certainly not when) I can say well I tried and I will be paying less money to be back to one portal………(I am unique perhaps to this argument being a none Z agent previously)……………and there you go…. principle, ambition, stupidity, common sense, foolishness, crazy, whatever the word for my AM stance is it purely from MY belief and not jumping on a bandwagon…..otherwise I would have been on Z!
It is an interest debate/proposition OTM has in place. Like you i like Z but we both know if they could raise price as high as RM they would. And i wholeheartedly agrees with the BT senario, We had appalling service from them and as such as soon as we could we changed providers (still just as bad mind you!) Issue with RM is nothing is even close to it. I still look on it myself as a purchaser when buying, I use it for all my research, we use it as a meter against our opposition. The reason RM is so good is because it has 90% of agents onboard (that is a guess before im pulled up by somebody!) Until OTM gets to that degree of membership/listings and offers comparable back office systems its always going to be in RM's shadow. Ric how do you see OTM best recruiting member agents now? is it sit back and let the portal do the talking or is there more to it? Well done on your moral stance, if i would not lose ground on my competition i would loved to have joined you!
Hi Smile – Sorry mad hour or so then. Nice to have a normal chat on here….. quick one, you say "We use it as a meter against our opposition" what do you mean?………………………OTM future recruitment, I suspect all they can do now is allow the portal to produce! Problem is, who will believe who…… if OTM/RM agents march ahead, I suspect that will convince some fence sitters…… likewise if RM/Z agents march on, you will probably find a mass vote of "you can be on all 3" as the previous RM/Z agents start to panic…… I just wont because I never needed Z anyway………. Hey don't be too nice about my moral stance! I walked away from a extending a Pro Football contract when I was 18 because they annoyed me and said never again…. I am sure David Beckham benefited from that LOL…… time will tell, but would be interested to know what measure you use on RM? I assume you mean stock levels and photo quality etc?
I wish there were more conversations on here, its a great place to share ideas and best practice and we can all push up standards of agency but hey ho the mud slinging is entertaining to watch! – In regards to meter against opposition we use RM as every single agent is on it in the patches we cover. We use it to keep an eye on stock, new listings through RM Plus and we have new alerts set up through RM to help identify reductions and new instructions which the negs first job after feedback in the morning is make contact with these vendors and make sure we have their details and obtain instructions. And yes we monitor pictures floor plans to see what other agents are doing but to be honest that's pretty secondary these days as most agents take ok pictures and all do floor plans, video tours are a nonsense! Latest one agent is doing is stage property with furniture when their bread and butter is circa 220k terrace houses not sure there is much call for it!
evening smileplease my last one of the night I hope……. yes, RM we also use for that reason, a clear marker to show instantly how differently you do things or how badly perhaps others do things………….. for me, great photos, punchy write ups, accurate floor plans and then the staff do the simple things and that is ask questions! "if you don't want to view why", "if you do view what will you offer"……………..its all about asking "what do YOU think its worth" until you find the buyer who says a price they will then back up (coupled with the price your vendor will accept obviously) ………….. simple really but we seem to be complicating things far too much and forgotten the basic principle of staff asking the question and not relying on the internet to bring it home……..
A comment of sense… makes a change. ha haa Keep smiling.
Forgive me for pulling out the following Ms Henderson, "grotty little forums" what exactly are you trying to say? Property Industry Eye isn't grotty, it is one of the few places where Agents and Industry Stakeholders can discuss the industry and its issues un-censored by traditional barriers and etiquette. The discussion that has resulted in OTM started on 19th October 2011 on EAT, along the road there have been snipes, digs hurt pride and dented egos, that does not make the forums grotty. You have had a bit of a rant and aired your opinions courtesy of someone sticking their hand in their pocket to provide you with that opportunity. You might not like what others have to say but at least have the decency to appreciate the platform afforded to all of us.
How can agents that have cancelled their Zoopla subscriptions enquire about going back to Zoopla when they have a signed contract with OTM. To do so they would have to be on 3 sites and I thought this wasn't allowed under the terms of the OTM contract. Mind you this comes as no surprise as I'm sure within the next 6 months OTM will start to panic and rules will change. What a farce and complete waste of time. Unfortunately in our city apart from some minor league players and Haart who are poor performers any way no agents have gone with OTM. We were hoping several more would as it would have pushed even more business our way. Never mind eh!
Do you believe everything you read on the internet?
I'm not sure what's worse. The fact you believe people are coming running back to Zoopla or the people who actually look at the figures posted in the article and believe them.
Ouch I obviously hit a nerve. Which is more than can be said for OTM. Never mind eh!
That doesn't even make sense, let's come back with wittiness, eh?
Re the next article about a private sales site using the OTM name … A very smart, and deliberate, move by John Candia. If he can SEO his site better than OTM can SEO theirs … guess what … his OTMD will appear at or near the top of Google and Bing searches for OTM … and he picks up a ton of free traffic to his site on the back of OTM's expensive advertising … a very, very, smart move. AM should have thought of every domain name that could threaten them and bought it. The problem with the OTM name is that it is so generic it will be very hard to accuse a company even in the same market of passing off when the phrase "on the market" is in common use. Rightmove and Zoopla don't have that problem. Another lack of foresight by the OTM board.
Not content with dissing OTM at every conceivable opportunity, you now post a comment about another article within this article. Can you go and do some work Harree? Oh sorry, of course, this is your job at the moment.
The war on perception will run and run. What these figures/releases show is this 1 on a like for like basis (inc sold subject to contract etc) is that rm now far ahead of z even in London. 2 OTM has done very well to get this volume which EXCLUDES the smoke and mirrors and represents pure volume 3 zoopla are under real pressure and prepared to rough it and why not but 4 dignity being lost left right and centre. Quoting Hitwise – yes they are a respected authority- on week 1 figures before advertising begins doesn't mean much and whilst these figures are low I would have thought not worth seizing upon. The only guide that matters is the level of enquiries coming through to agents and their conversion….everything else is noise. Let's see how the project develops – it's in an embryonic stage and OTM should expect to be relentlessly attacked whilst vulnerable.
Well summed up – I cant remember who posted it but somebody said that "OTM will start a civil war between agents." I can see in my are this is happening as there are some very disingenuous things being said by both sides and from looking at eye over the last couple of days i would say its throughout the country.
That was CP- November 20th 2014, story about OTM losing momentum.
Robert May or is it Rain Man 😉
Chuckle (quite a lot actually) Stick anything in inverted commas along with the site you want to search and hey presto apparent total recall.
"a civil war between agents" site:www.propertyindustryeye.com
Forgive me, did Zoopla or Rightmove launch on Day 1 with over 300,000 properties? Nope! So, if we take the real data, we find that OnTheMarket took almost a third of the listings on Day 1 with no tv, radio advertising etc… supported simply by estate agents!… so, if the non OTM UK Estate Agents took the big step and came on board we would find that 300,000 listings figure rapidly escalating!… it seems inescapable to me that the UK Estate Agency industry has already demonstrated that it can move its online marketing to its chosen provider if it actively does so!… Let's not underestimate what Zoopla and Rightmove have to lose with all those financial interests and profits to be fed! Thing is I haven't been on Zoopla (left them!) or Rightmove with my new stock, however I did my first Local Newspaper Adverts this week with OTM featured and lo & behold, phones ringing from the newspaper ad and OTM, and viewings filling up nicely this weekend…. so, NO Zoopla (full stop!) and No Rightmove as yet. I see no change in enquiry levels at this stage as the public were simply directed to search on OnTheMarket. Yes, we have remained with Rightmove which I can understand that many agents would wish to do until they see the tipping point… however, even if agents chose to run with 2 Online Companies…. DUMP Zoopla and strip your Rightmove fees back to the basic listings/costs and get on board OTM. In short, the Duopoly have no interest in our business other than to make a profit, I see Rightmove marketing emailing out to me as a homebuyer (I'm registered to monitor what comes from them) and they are selling 3rd party related products to my clients!… so, I give them stock and clients for them to sell to!….bonkers! Finally, on stats, these quoted stock levels should include Live For Sale stock only and not Under Offer or Hidden Stock which the agent has in particular set aside on their online management system as hidden… I suspect as always that the data/figures are weighted to maximise the numbers in favour of The Duopoly…. let's see the clear workings of how the figures were reached so we can all go and investigate if they are indeed credible. It's funny that they can break down all this data however they can't just select the LIVE For Sale Properties only… thus proving we are NOT being given a like for like comparison. Roll up – Roll Up… look at the Sham figures!
Thank you! Best use of common sense on this page. I'd love to know exactly how many properties and agents RM and Z had on their launch day or how many website visits they had. You cannot compare the traffic and content of a website that is less than 1 week old to websites that have been running for a number of years. I'm impressed OTM has the stock it had on launch day as well as the visits without even the advertising campaign running yet.
It is amazing all the flack that AM is getting. Who would have thought 5 years ago a portal such as OTM would have had so much support and passion from members of its own industry. An industry that is waking up and realising profit is sanity turnover is vanity, with RM and Z portal fees rising exponentially to satisfy a hungry business model, the future would be indeed be bleak without this olive branch. OTM only went live on Monday, it's stock level beyond dreams of a new venture, momentum is building and as yet the marketing campaign has yet or barely begun. I expect those who have been running down OTM and who qualify for membership may have to eat humble pie when they realise they need to be on this express train.
Spot on! It speaks volumes to me that 4 days after a launch of a new site you have RM and Z claiming some sort of victory, its almost laughable. My properties were still on Z until yesterday so if mine were I wonder how many other agents were too?! I think if these press comments from RM or Z show anything then I would say that OTM has walked into the room and EVERYBODY has sat up and taken notice!!
RM used to tell us that half of all searches on their site were from mobile devices (they were pushing their mobile apps and products at the time) but nevertheless I have also heard this from elsewhere.
I guess this is even more prevalent in London where people stare at the phones rather than talk to one another 🙂 but when I search for the OTM apps it just says 'coming soon' – not particularly helpful to not have this available in these early days.
As for properties at least RM and to a certain extent Z do police their members for multi-listing the same properties, reuploading the same property again and again, leaving sold/let properties on the site to clutter. Not sure that OTM are doing this.
Take a look at OTM on your mobile via the Internet, it is first class, the best things in life are worth waiting for.
Are you serious? Just a simple responsive setup.. no app or mobile optimized site?
Well I am chuffed that my pre launch estimate of properties on OTM was only 1078 properties out (0.346%) and the discussion EItell was so quick to shut down was bang on the money. There is a lot of obvious stuff in this report but Agents Mutual are in a better place to deliver a solution to its Agents than either Rightmove or Zoopla. That solution if understood by AM will be the key to attracting the Copper and Tin members along with the Gold and Silver members whose marketing strategies prevent them form currently joining AM. IF AM do not understand or want that expansion in membership they have opened up an opportunity for someone to service what remains a solid majority of the industry.
OTM added: “The tactics being employed by Zoopla Property Group smack increasingly of a business running scared in the face of a huge loss of support from independent agents.” … Really? It sounds to me like the typical reaction of any established brand name competitor who is being challenged by the unknown new kid on the block. If AM and their agents didn't expect this … and the likes of Phil Spencer's video … they must have had their heads in the clouds. There will be far, far more of this type of stone turning and negative media comments to come … and AM will just have to get used to it. After all, they started it.
Oh hey up…………… RM headline, Z and OTM mentioned granted….. and in comes Harree with the old Z defence mode set to HIGH!…. Come on Harree, we would respect your arguments more if you admitted your true reasons for defending them so much…….. for me the above is simple RM deliver, still deliver and will continue to, OTM have made an impact (they have whatever your side of the fence) and Z are seemingly by this still in there……… time will tell but I suspect both RM&Z will want to get messages out there now before the dust settles, as when the dust settles different numbers will be apparent again…….. it ain't a sprint this one!!
You anti OTM lot just don't get it do you? The current duopoly are already contacting your vendors behind your back so what will you do when they start taking private listings direct and shut you out altogether? You are drinking at the last chance saloon and only time will tell if we agents can take back control of the industry.
Sorry, my Year is off to a BUMPER start, FACT!…. that'll be because I know my business best and my clients trust me to market their home to achieve the best result… the number of client referrals I get tell me that Mr Local Agent is highly regarded for being a Professional, Honest Estate Agent… not just someone who places online adverts! Let's strip the online cr£p away and get back to ESTATE AGENCY & REAL ESTATE AGENTS!… you can stand in the shadow of my near 30 Years in this industry!
It would be really useful if someone were informed enough to actually say what is going on. Apparently (I wasn’t there but a friend was) at the pre launch press release Ian Springett mentioned the problem of data phishing as clearly as he could without crossly a line that is difficult to report publicly. It is permissible to say an Agent's data collected as the result of a contract between an agent and a client should only be accessed by the Agent or their staff or those specifically authorised to access or assess their data. Agent’s data is not something that should be the basis of reports or marketing or anything else to benefit ANY third party.
Irrespective of Agent's Mutual membership every Agent should be quite clear on who is accessing their data whether held in supposedly secure database or being passed on to a third party for marketing purposes. Hopefully someone will take the trouble to look at the fine detail of the 'seems fine' contracts they have signed and understand exactly what it is they have signed away access to.
So the solution is to take away their market share so they have no alternative but to go direct and shut us out altogether?…..
No- that isn't the solution, both could set up as Agencies to compete but neither is capable of doing so. The solution is for one of them to undertsand that they are headed into a Cul-de -sac and adapt their business model before to other does. The change required- restablishing the service supplier customer relationship necessary to survive requires a knock down and rebuild approach. Zoopla is the portal with the assets most likely to pull that off but they are so confidently wrong in their understanding of Agents and Agency they won't.
The desperation from Zoopla knows no bounds 1) Made up figures for searches & listings 2) keeping agents on their site who gave notice and want their listings off 3) then claim that they don't want to come off and give them ideas on how to stay on 3 4) include under offer and SSTC listings on and include them in the figures….the list goes on. Who would want to do business with such a shoddy company.
This comment makes me ashamed to be associated with this industry Paul. 1. Unless mistaken, Hitwise is an independent firm – either they are quoting correctly from that source or you are accusing them of lying 2. I don't know about this but I have heard no noise over the past few days on this 3. I don't understand this – are you saying that agents won't behave sneakily unless fed ideas?! 4. the numbers above are released by Rightmove above and are very clear that Zoopla is materially further ahead than OTM (although both are eclipsed by Rightmove). I find it incredibly distasteful that away from these grotty little forums agents say things like "I really like dealing with the Zoopla guys, but I'm held over a barrel by Rightmove", and then publicly slate the Zoopla business. That is what put me off from joining. I and others have been crystal clear from the start that OTM/Agents Mutual would damage our industry and ultimately fail in its objective. You better be ready for more bad news over the coming weeks – dressing that up as Z or RM 'running scared' or being 'shoddy' is pathetic. Oh, and the last point I would make is: remember when we were all whinging about Rightmove's dominance and cheering Zoopla on to catch them up? Have a look at the numbers above. Well done you lot (OTM agents) – you're dragging us all back there.
EHenderson…You are wrong on so many levels and im afraid you've really shown your nativity if you think that most of the recent goings on are not down to Zoopla showing dirty hand tactics…"have a look at the numbers Paul"…have you not read anything in the last few days or the above article…the figures quoted by RM & Z (by their own reckoning) includes under offer, SSTC & let listings yet OTM does not and yet they are reporting these figures to the stock exchange and to the public. What's more shameful is that people like you stick up for companies that act in this way.
I refuse to get into tittle tattle Paul, but my parting shot is that increasingly over the past few months, any voice of objection to AM has been seen as 'cynical' or 'desperate'. The numbers above are from Rightmove, a publicly listed company who as much as I personally dislike them, I will trust any numbers they put out. Equally if Hitwise traffic numbers are being quoted, I will trust them. The rantings of self interested and regressive business-people who think they can drag the world back 10 years, I will not trust. In fact, I see you as the biggest threat to my business today as you are prepared to damage the rest of us through your lies, misinformation and intimidation. Ashamed to be associated with you, and, by the way, utterly ashamed that our National Association has put their stamp of support to this sham.
The numbers from Rightmove include SSTC, under offer, let properties and agents properties that they are yet to be removed yet they are presenting these figures as Available' properties with no mention on their report that OTM are
not including these properties. And how can their possibly had been only 6000 hits on Wednesday…I must have hit the site at least 8000 times myself that day.
What staggers me EHenderson is that you come on to this site and your opening statement is "I am ashamed to be associated with this industry" and you then lay into OTM with a verosity that I find confusing. How can it be that OTM harms estate agency in any way. I get that some people may not want to join it, fine, don't but you talk about self interest, I can't help but think you are demonstrating exactly that. There has never been a requirement for agents to advertise on every portal, in fact as has often been spoken about on here, many were not. So suddenly there is a better choice for estate agents in terms of an estate agent led portal and its the devil. I have never heard such utter rubbish in all of my life. So my passing shot is this, who was it that has actually issued these press releases OTM?! No I think you'll find its the two companies whose commercial interests lay in keeping the status quo. If you want to be ashamed about anything I would begin by looking at why RM and Z feel in any way obliged to be issuing this sort of information!
I find your lack of manners incredibly grotty as well… however I am prepared to accept that even the grotty folk have to have a voice to. Bleat on.
Sorry, I meany Grotty EHenderson