TV presenter and founder of online estate agent Tepilo Sarah Beeny says that high street estate agents’ offices are empty and “totally redundant”.
Separately, a former Knight Frank agent who has founded a new online agency says there will be a huge fall-out within the industry.
Will Clark, of online agent Sell My Home, is raising funds to snap up competitors – suggesting consolidation within the online estate agency sector.
His firm is looking to raise £10m to amass an acquisition budget, with Clark saying his firm could be the ultimate challenge to – and could end – the high street presence of agents.
Clark said: “There are a lot of online estate agents out there now, but it still makes up less than 2% of the market.”
“We have a different strategy to our competitors – we don’t stack them high and sell them cheap.
“And customer service is a priority for us as we’re building a brand.”
With revenues at Sell My Home claimed to be up 200% this year, Clark, who also runs Rent My Home, said: “We are aggressive – we want to be the consolidator, not the consolidated.”
He said online estate agents are able to offer cheaper fees than traditional high street ones as they have fewer fixed overheads.
Clark, in predicting the demise of the high street, said: “The future for traditional estate agents that fail to move with the digital age will mean some not being there any more. The fallout will be huge.”
Meanwhile Sarah Beeny said: “The high street shop is totally redundant for an estate agent and they must cost a fortune to run and they’re always empty. People start their searches online, so why aren’t estate agents online?”
In an interview with the Telegraph, which describes her as a property mogul and serial entrepreneur, she said that with Tepilo, home owners can sell their properties for less than £500, including a personal sale manager, “leaving you free to focus on getting the best possible price”.
She went on: “The idea just occurred to me one day when I was looking for property.
“Twenty years ago, you’d go down the high street and say, ‘I am looking for X property’, and you’d give them your name and number.
“Today, nobody would do that. If you want a two-bed flat in Birmingham, you Google it.”
Tepilo, she told the Telegraph, “is part of the dawn of a new age and it’s really exciting to be in it at the beginning.
“In ten years’ time, most people will be selling their homes through an online estate agent, and people will say: ‘Gosh, do you remember the olden days when people used to spend £12,000’.”
At the moment, according to the Telegraph, the main focus for Beeny – who has several business interests – is Tepilo “because it’s growing so fast and we have to make changes. There is a whole market change happening as the business is growing.”
One of the potential issues with Tepilo is that it’s an idea that’s easy to steal.
But Beeny isn’t fazed: “There is only one way to ensure you win a race and that’s to look forwards, not backwards.
“The only way we can take out our competition is to be better, to have a more intuitive website and be better value.
“That’s 100% of our focus, to ensure that everything we offer our customers is better.”
The Telegraph article is here
Comments (83)
Not forgetting of course that if you charge approx £500 to sell a property, unless you’re selling 4-6 times the stock that the high street are, even with lower overheads you can’t pay your staff enough to care about what they do, or to give a monkeys about your business so your service suffers dramatically, and your staff turnover increases – unless your staff are incredibly young and inexperienced or just plain stupid and decide to continue to prop up your nutty regime through some perverted sense of loyalty. People (staff) won’t get out of bed for less than a certain amount on their payslip, which is quite obviously down to the cost of living. It’s not a choice when you don’t get the income through the door, you simply CAN’T deliver the service required to keep clients happy unless you charge more or include chargeable added extras or hidden fees/cancellation fees to bring the final income sum up to a level commensurate with the high street prices anyway. i.e. to get the same service, the consumer often still has to pay the same price. The saving is a mirage. Simple economics means it won’t take over – despite the predictions of many about OEAs spreading like wildfire, they just aren’t. It’s all just unicorns and rainbows.
Having seen it from the inside, there’s really nothing to worry about, believe me.
“You’ll get it one day hopefully Peebee. Until then, maybe stay away from the technical talk eh?”
Oh, dear – up above we’ve got this character by the name of ‘The Outsider’ who pops by from time to time chucking lit fireworks into the room for a giggle. The Outsider is of the opinion that that a wee bit of ‘Technobabble’ knowledge is required and the only two people in the room allowed to chatter are him/her/whatever and Mr May.
Well… sorry to widdle on this particular puny firework, sunshine – but here’s the facts in the way that pretty much EVERYBODY on this PROPERTY INDUSTRY forum will understand. Try to keep up – the Glossary can be found in any Construction Manual if you get stuck.
The Architect (in this instance, Mr May) has designed a house that not only meets but exceeds the vast majority of homeowner’s (in this instance everyone who will use www.rummage4.com) expectations. Its foundations are overengineered, as are the walls and roof, for safety, stability and longevity.
Those that have built it are clearly craftspeople with immense pride in their job.
It is currently at second fix and the decorators are only putting the mist-coat on the walls and ceilings. Once the snagging has been done the Completion Certificate will be issued.
The Building Inspectors – all of whom have many years of on-the-job trade experience – that have been watching this major construction project since the first spade went into ground have had no reason so far to pull the gaffer to one side to issue Improvement Notices.
All of that – and does the ‘end-user’ give a fuppeny? Not even maybe.
They want it to do what they need it to do. If it’s a house – that is to keep them warm, comfortable and safe. Homeowners don’t give a shizzle about ‘what went into’ the build. Any ‘technology’ simply needs to work.
If it’s a car – whether it be a Kia Pride or a Rolls Royce – they want it to get them from A to B as slow or fast as they want to drive or be driven. They don’t want to know the workings of the internal combustion engine or what the ECU does in the process. The technology simply needs to work.
If it’s a Search Facility, Sortal, or Portal – they simply want to find what they are looking for – and with minimal hassle. It simply needs to work.
You ARE The Outsider in a PROPERTY world – and it is evident that it boils your water when your techie expertise means bot-all to the majority of people who live and breathe bricks and mortar – and only want your input when “computer says no”.
But then you won’t find many of us mere mortal Property People populating Computer Geeks Of The World Forum and chucking lit fireworks into the room…
…it simply wouldn’t work.
If Coding Dobby was about he would confirm what every one of the techies at CFP Software, Jupix, Primelocation, Findaproperty + other ongoing NDA tech firms would say. Robert knows Valuation, Estate Agency, Lettings, Property Management and Client cash accounting on a level like very few others but he does not know tech, he is not a developer, he is an interpreter between two very different worlds, digital and people.
I have a mountain of respect for the techies Peebee, I like The Outsider a lot, I have stuff to learn from people like them, let the conversation happen and I can turn it into good stuff you can switch on and use. It’s a system that has worked well for 21 years !
Sarah Beaney has significantly influenced the property industry via some great commercial programmes that people rightly enjoy. She is not an estate agent and has no clue regarding estTe agency.
This os a clear example of Paretos 80/20 rule. 80% of agents produce 20% of sales. I bet the more onliners that come in, they will end up in the80% category and the ful service providers will fully occupy the 20% category, resulting in 80% of the business being achieved.
The onliners-only will dilute the 20% overall fees available and the rest will share the 80% market.
Sarah, stick to presenting and leave agency to the professionals. Funny how the Tepilo adverts come on in between the TV shows presented by Sarah.
.
I wonder if(as an estate agent), our Sarah actually keeps up to date on the industry news on EYE. I do hope so….as she would learn a lot from many of the great posts on here today,
More likely that she pays someone to, Paul H!
I struggle to understand why we should give Ms Beany any air to breath however in the spirit of goodness I am happy to f@rt in a jar for her, send it on, and let her inhale that instead…. at least I will have used the fresh air first before exhaling from my other portal!
Ms Beany is in the land of Z Listers…. and rightly so!
“Ms Beany is in the land of Z Listers….”
Well – she lists on Z if that’s what you mean, GPL! ;o)
“High street estate agents’ offices are empty and “totally redundant” – well Ms Beany, in the words of the late Mandy Rice Davis, you would say that wouldn’t you ! Mr ex Knight Frank Clark looks like he will take over the world as well ! What they fail to recognise (or refuse to) is the “service” they claim to offer is not estate agency and for the vast number of people will not work.
I have been an estate agent for 30 years and as the owner of an independent firm I have a number of clients who have tried the online route with no success. We have a new property this morning with a client who, in his own words “wasted six weeks” with an online firm – low number of viewings, emailed feedback with no opportunity to discuss anything with anybody, no advice re price structure and having to take time off work to show unqualified buyers around his house. He has wasted £500 and now understands there is more to estate agency than an online advert and it’s not like buying a DVD from Amazon. He now also understands that the sales progression aspect of an estate agent’s job is critical and requires expertise, experience and above everything else, accessibility to have a good old fashioned face to face discussion.
A number of our clients are selling due to sad circumstances such as death and divorce. The last thing they need to compound their already stressful lives is trying to sell their biggest asset via a faceless call centre and being left to carry out their own negotiations.
High street agents must take heed from the growth of the online model and in turn provide excellent customer service and add value. There will always be the clients who seek the cheapest option but many more understand the importance of paying for quality, experience and local knowledge. As an industry, we must actively promote all we do and offer a professional service that matters. I have a book somewhere that tells me how to service my own car and save money – would I even think of it – no – leave it to the experts !
RF
Well this is nice, the ever wise Sarah telling us we are all wrong, she has the same amount of property for sale as 7 or 8 of full service agents so that’s a massive slice of the market running to her to save her from nasty estate agents, the salary survey thing on here yesterday proves that estate agents are overpaid flash car driving baby eaters, combine this with the fact that rent etc makes up a tiny percentage of the costs and the fact that 98% of consumers still use these ‘redundant’ shops and while asking the question of why people start online she still cant answer the question ‘why aren’t estate agents online (we are love)
In 10 years time (according to Sarah) everyone will be selling via an online agent……in sure she said that 7 years ago?
We will have to ignore the other chap, tiny player but good lad on getting the press release out fella and lucky for you it’s a slow news day.
So we have the 7th best budget agent telling us she’s a trailblazing saviour of the consumer and a lad that we need to do a polite ‘white glove’ across the chops on…..feels like we should be watching them as its clear we don’t get online and these new fangle website things everyone is talking about
Jonnie
I personally do not see the high street dying off any time soon, particularly in my area. There is not one house for sale in my postcode region + 3 miles on RM with an online firm. In my city many new agencies are opening up and this is becoming easier due to the relaxed permitted development rules enabling A1 shops to be changed to A2 premises without planning permission. Has anyone else heard about this? Or used it to their advantage?
I think that some of the comments here about sarah are both callous and unfair.
She is a celebrity property expert with a huge fan following who has built an online agency that sellers seem happy to use.
I think a lot of the comments from high street agents smack of jelousy and are fuelled by the desire to be “the face of British Property” themselves. At least acknowledge that she has founded and is running a national agency network, which must have been really hard for her. Especially with her filming commitments taking up so much time! She may have a different agency model but she is still an agent….just like all of us.
18,800 Google search results for Sarah Beeny + Estate agent + rip off suggest Ms Beeny is simply reaping the rewards of her posturing and anti agent stance.
If you are going for the Jonnie ironic comment of the week award…. you got me
Yet if you do a search for Robert May + estate agent + rip off, you get 2.34m results!
Something to confess Robert?
The same veracious Rummage4 search result is 276, most of of those are comments I have made on LAT, EAT or EYE.
There are very few people who can post on the internet as openly as I do without fear of ever having done wrong. Two Estate Agents in 21 years could have reason to dislike me both were told not to buy the software but insisted.
If you want to challenge my integrity and honesty do so as yourself!
If you want to rely on amatuer internet search carry on, if you want to go belly to belly with me, you had better be as clean as I am.
Calm down Robert! I’m just merely pointing out that a basic search into Google for “name” “industry” “rip off” isn’t exactly a definitive way of understand if that person has had a bunch of complaints about them!
I guess the lesson here is, don’t be quick to use that process for one person, if you’re not happy to be on the receiving end yourself!
The thing was I didn’t do a basic Google search and explained to Wilko the difference between Beeny’s attacks on the agents her business relies on for valuations and the complaints against corporate agents
The industry has put up with Ms Beeny advertising herself and slating Estate Agency via Channel 4 and has used her celebrity status to garner credibility for her exploitative operation.
I am more than happy to take what I dish out and have done so on twitter for the world to see.
I am not riled, I am just using every opportunity I can to point out why trust, honesty and integrity are USP’s these days.
Interesting – I only get 264 via Google!
You’re obviously not searching in the right place, or with the right tools. You seriously need to get with the plan.
http://www.rummage4.com – the future of internet search! All courtesy of Mr May! ;o)
I’m well up on the plan thanks PeeBee! You didn’t quite follow Roberts instructions though I’m afraid – simple as they were. He didn’t put quotes around his search items like you.
If he had done for Sarah Beeny then it would have generated the much smaller 1300 results, instead of the 18800 quoted above.
“You didn’t quite follow Roberts instructions though I’m afraid – simple as they were. He didn’t put quotes around his search items like you.”
Actually, I didn’t. With Rummage4, you don’t need to.
So you clearly AREN’T keeping up with the plan.
Better luck next time.
You know that Rummage4 automatically puts quotes around all items in the 3 individual search boxes right?
Know what – I couldn’t give a fuppeny what it does or how it does it…
…it works – and that’s all that matters.
Sounds like you aren’t keeping up with the plan!
You’ll get it one day hopefully Peebee. Until then, maybe stay away from the technical talk eh?
Oh. And better luck next time!
No-one needs fall out over what Rummage4 does or doesn’t do. It does have veracious search ( “” & +) as standard but there is sloppy search too which takes out the “” to be more like Google. It isn’t a technical system at all as Web user magazine pointed out when they stuck us in as a ‘Best new website” (£2 from the newsagent, other emerging internet technology mags do exist ) (373 is the one to buy)
Rummage4 has been built to demonstrate Generation 5 technology, essentially it is putting the data owners in charge of their data. Rummage4. Although ultra simple, it is only 3 linked search boxes, it is incredibly powerful and is throwing out results not even I was expecting , that alone is driving ‘transparency’
I am rubbish at explaining concepts so I am using Rummage4 to demonstrate what the dickens I have been blabbing on about.
I have posted the actual results on Twitter for all to see along with a very interesting advert from Purplebricks.
Could someone less qualified to comment (ASA words not mine) please complain about that false advertisement?
So – we can now confirm wilko wants a piece, then… ;o)
Robert…what are the results if you do the same search but replace “sarah beeny” with Bairstow eves or Haart?
If they haven’t got at least twice what Beeny has then I’ll take all the contributers on this publication out for a free night of beers at “tiger tiger” in the capital of the N.E.
You’ve clearly never been there before.
I’ll take you down ‘The Club’, wilko – you’ll be smashed outta yer heed on the local poison for less than twenty quid, matey… AND get a fish’n’chip supper to boot! ;o)
“You’ve clearly never been there before” alas (for my sins)….although I stuck to the age relevant floor!
I can also remember catching tiddlers and going on the pedlos at saltwell park, tea and cakes with my nan in fenwicks, watching Brian Johnson front Geordie at the lobley hill working mans club , 5p to get all the way to Whitley Bay when the metro first opened…..Sorry, gone a bit off topic.
wilko – what the… are you one of the chosen?
I knew I liked you from our first battle! ;o)
“wilko – what the… are you one of the chosen?”
I thought you knew!…..I do tend to find myself dining at the likes of “six” rather than drinking in the Beehive nowdays when I return to the homeland. Still go to the Beehive pre match though.
Not even the slightest of clues!
Matey – we seriously need to talk… we could be related. (In fairness – we probably are.)
Hang on… DAD? I’ve missed you! ;o)
to be certain before we start 37,600 for Bairstow Eves and 37600 for Haart? or 37600 total for the two?
It was a close thing on Haart; 38,600 for 200+ offices Rairstow didn’t fair so well at 358,000, but those were complaints against their service not attacks on the profession.
Cheers for that Robert…..You’re right Bairstows did fair badly on that search. I wonder if they will improve when they become an online agent?
Biggest load of rollocks I’ve read here since day one – have you got shares in her business?
@Harree (sorry this would have been hard to read on the above)
Erm Travel Agency comparison again – Most of the comparisons/reasons people use to show Online killing High Street Agency are just wrong in my opinion.
So…………………………
Same hotel I will book with the cheapest full stop as the hotel is the same no matter who I book it through.
Same car I will buy through the cheapest if New, as I have manufacturer’s warranty and the car is the same no matter what.
Same Computer I buy the cheapest, Same Bike, Same any physical product not service I will hunt down the cheapest ALL things being equal.
Same Estate Agency Service £1,000 cheaper I will take that too, however – You will not get Online Only Estate Agency THE SAME as High Street as the High Street can ALWAYS justify an extra (whether that person wants that extra feature is another question) but the High Street will always offer the pop in the office.
Savvy Agent, will justify a fee difference or make a decision to match on fee or walk away.
But likening EA to Travel well when we see 10 Acacia Avenue is OTM with me for £200k and eMoov for £195k because their low costs enable them to sell it cheaper… then I am in the sh1t!
So perhaps Online Only should say we can sell property cheaper because we charge less! Good look with that – I think 99% of owners will always want as much as they can get for their homes. If all they have is “we are more efficient” well prove it.
If it is we will save you money – well we can all do that, less profit but hey hoe, profit is profit and HS EA’s will simply adapt as we are.
The internet has killed the High Street selling products for sure, but selling a service will always have a place on the High Street in my opinion, especially when it is dealing with the most expensive asset they probably have and the widespread knowledge the buyer does not just click to buy! Click to view perhaps but that just the very start.
Hello Ric, me putting “local” into internet search doesn’t just work for Estate Agency, it works for local trades and retail too. The whole point of Rummage4 is to drive custom back to the local area, wherever in the world that is.
‘One box’ Google no longer owns the internet and SEO strategies will change because of Rummage4. simply adding an addition search field to capture area results means SEO and sponsored results now play second fiddle to location based results.
I for one am glad for the presence of online agencies. Having been in the rental and renovation industry for the past twenty years, it is only recently that I have seen traditional high street agencies reduce their prices. It was always possible to reduce a fee to 1.25% plus VAT or on occasions to 1% plus VAT with some tough negotiations. Today I am being offered 0.75% including VAT with zero effort. Whether online agencies provide a better value for money can be debated. But thanks to the extra competition the customer is the winner either way.
I have seen prices quadruple over the past twenty years. Agencies have always charged a fixed percentage meaning by default that their fees have also quadrupled in that time (not accounting for inflation). Similar to the former stamp duty thresholds.
I use both traditional high street agents and online agents and find they both have their pros and cons.
Either way, I am glad for their presence and have saved thousands of pounds thanks to them.
I love it when a cheap “PileOfS%#T” like you comes and starts demanding lower fees and quotes me that prices have quadrupled over the last twenty years, then you wonder when you multi list that nobody is dropping by to brown nose you
Like cost of living hasn’t quadrupled in the last twenty years and if your making a gain, by quadrupled prices? so am I!
Keep out of my postcode!
Well…what a smug, irritating woman. No-one ever listened to her opinions on Property Ladder so why should anyone start now.
Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! – If anybody gets a call from channel 4 (We all have at least once!) asking to film just say NO.
Got roped into one last year. Ms Beeny was very pleasant and quite normal. The place I valued has spent a year on the market with an “online” agent and now gone on with a High Street agent this week at the price I said last summer. Similar property usually sells in a few weeks. QED.
Completely agree smile please.
Slightly off topic(ish), but I see supermarkets are starting to remove “self service” tills. Why ? in theory they sound great, less queue, easy enough to scan, faster ?
Some people like them but most don’t. Wait until you put an alcohol item or anything that needs approval of a code is missing / unreadable. Great in theory, not so great in practice.
I’ve got a 100% record of breaking the chuffing things, Blue! ;o)
I love them…..you can put loose avacados through as standard fruit pears and save a fortune over a 12 month period.
Anyone else see a link between this and another Eye story this morning?
http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/detectives-hunt-fake-landlord-who-fleeced-tenants-out-of-thousands/
Big mouth Beeny will only be as strong as her weakest link – and at £500 quid a shot there will be plenty – just watch!
Make that £495.83, Property Ear – WEAKER STILL! ;o)
When will all these fools realise that in the end it’s not about how “cheap”its about service, expertise support. Cheap doesn’t do it when the customers are left in a mess to sort themselves out. We are involved in several chains where an on line agent is involved and its a ****** shambles. No one to speak to, no one offering the customers support. In one chain,one of our clients is trying to make an offer and they can only do so on line. There is simply no one to talk to. THAT is not acting in the client’s best interests. So all you high street agents out there reading this,take heart, we will be in the high streets long after Tepillo et al hit the dust.
Clarky 46 … “My colleague Mike has been an agent locally for 40 years plus. People pop in and say ” Iwant to sell X – what’s the best thing to do”. They don’t get their iPad out and start looking for ways to pay the least and ways to do most of the work themselves.”
This reminds me of trade fair I attended about 15 years ago.
There was a jewelry stand and I asked the guy if he had a website. He looked at me as if I was the proverbial on his shoe. “WEBSITE??? I’ve been in the jewelry business for 40 years and let me tell you people will NEVER buy jewelry from a website (excessive sneering tone) .. people want to see it, touch it and talk to a knowledgeable expert … WEBSITE pah!!!!
Put simply, not the same thing. We had our first website in 1996. I’m saying there’s more to it than just that. It’s the sum of all the parts.
It is the same thing.
Ship owners said early railway engines would boil peoples brains.
If people wanted personal service as a priority the internet would be fractionally as successful as it is now. Most high street EA’s – and I am one – are trying to claim that their local personal service is of such a huge priority to sellers that only a minimal % will ever use an OEA.
They will be proven absolutely wrong – just like the shipowners.
Then you do not value yourself Harree, your brand, your staff or perhaps more so you do not have the respect and reputation from the people you are trying to convince.
And that is the problem…. you should not have to “try and claim anything” the public in your area should be doing that for you!! you know “my friend said I should call you” “My parents used you” “I see your solds everywhere”
Actions speak louder than words? That’s why I never really tout, Just let your Sold boards do the talking and tell my clients to tell a friend what they thought.
Ric, you are missing my point. Of course personal service is important, and of course we provide it and gain business by it – we are the market leaders on our patch.
My point is that nothing stays he same and just as, for example, high street travel agents found that many people wouldn’t pay a premium for a personal travel service and instead headed for the big savings made by booking their flights, hotels, tours and hire cars online.
If personal service was as valued as we all believe … the internet wouldn’t be the massive hit that it is.
@Haree, I think you are missing the point, Clarky46 has got it spot on! Yes, there will be people buying what you are selling, but as another agent in Clarky’s area (rental only I add by choice) with my experience I could have assisted my father in selling one of the houses with an online agent, but I didn’t choose to, I chose to point him Clarky’s direction. Why? Service. I knew with Clarky my dad would get the best support and advice from people I trust who know this market and their role within it like the back of their hand resulting in a smooth sale and the best price. As the meerkats say, simples… On another note, I also didn’t have the time to oversee and chase everything myself using a basic online agent for £500 and, in this time strapped world we live in, I don’t think it will take off quite like some would like to believe! As someone who ran my business from home for a year before opening my offices all I used to hear from landlords is ‘but you don’t have an office’, since having one the business has taken off far better. Yes, the people seeking property don’t need it any more than we do as agents (although I wouldn’t run a business from home again, there is no escape, so I now like having an office!) , but it is still widely expected and this is a people business where people like to have a professional office to come visit and have a ‘chat’ about the property market, the world, economics and anything else that may continue to build that relationship for them.
Lance …”Nothing has changed and i don’t believe you can get the best price without excellent local staff to’help people buy’ and with Sarah’s business model she can never provide that level of skill or local knowledge.” … I agree, BUT, not one of us makes the right sensible choice every time. How many times have we bought the cheaper option in business or personally only to find that it is cr@p? BUT, how many times have we bought the cheaper option and been absolutely delighted with it? Aldi, Lidl, for starters.
The fact is people ARE motivated hugely to one degree or another by money saving opportunities and there is an old very true saying … people buy on emotion and justify with logic … that ‘logic’ of course is often perverse.
Those who waver more to carefully studying the logic, rather than being swayed by a money saving emotion, will no doubt still prefer a local high street agent. However, as I said yesterday, the real holy grail for OEA’s will be cracking the perception issue by hitting an advertising message that makes people think they are getting more, for less. Whether it’s true or not is largely is irrelevant … as the 3 for 2 and BOGOF offers that abound prove.
So bored with ‘online agents’ banging on saying the same inaccurate stuff over and over. Are they trying to convince themselves? They get the fee comparison wrong, they get what an agent does totally wrong and they get what’s been going on in a very forward thinking and proactive industry totally wrong too!
We are currently conducting a footfall survey. Results so far show that some days the ‘social’ visitors outnumber the rental applicants/landlords and buyers/sellers. I’m not too upset by that as it means former buyers, sellers etc are dropping by just to say ‘hello’. I think that’s what the OEA’s don’t understand. It’s a People business and the old adage that ‘People buy people first and goods/services second’ is 100% accurate.
You don’t buy a relationship from Amazon, ASOS etc. the whole operation has zero human emotion in it. The transaction value is also minute in comparison. Moving home, selling your biggest asset has multiple pressures and motivations. Having someone you can visit and talk to and, above all, trust is reassuring.
My colleague Mike has been an agent locally for 40 years plus. People pop in and say ” Iwant to sell X – what’s the best thing to do”. They don’t get their iPad out and start looking for ways to pay the least and ways to do most of the work themselves.
Are younger people a totally different ‘animal’? I don’t think so!
I’m sure you print this stuff just to get up PeeBee’s nose
What can be said… Ros knows I’m a sucker for ********! ;o)
Is this not a re hash of a similar press release Beeney issued this time last year?!Come on Sarah what’s’ new? What with your face plastered on your website, your tv ads and for sale boards the money must be flying in?!
With their (by their own admission) paltry 2% of the market between the whole lot of them, it never ceases to amaze me how much of a disproportional representation these on line agents get in the media.
With no barriers to entry the online agency market will become so overcrowded that Sarah will struggle to provide high standards of service or make a profit. If the market does move this way, people will choose a hybrid agent who has branches and a strong online presence. Remember when people used to sell privately by advertising in the local paper? They soon realised that you get the best price for you home by using a competent agent. Nothing has changed and i don’t believe you can get the best price without excellent local staff to’help people buy’ and with Sarah’s business model she can never provide that level of skill or local knowledge. Anyone agree?
Mr Trendall – you say “…the online agency market will become so overcrowded that Sarah will struggle to provide high standards of service or make a profit.”
I disagree. She will struggle to do BOTH – not just either/or.
“High standards of service” (user-defined) CAN be offered at low cost… just not profitably.
And let’s face stark reality – come the next ‘boom’ who will give a fuppeny about the “service” they receive…? All the Onliners have to do is keep barely afloat until then – then they will ride the wave and milk it for all it’s worth.
“People start their searches online, so why aren’t estate agents online?” err.. every estate agent is online Sarah, and as for this … “Twenty years ago, you’d go down the high street and say, ‘I am looking for X property’, and you’d give them your name and number. Today, nobody would do that.” Really, NOBODY? We had six people do exactly that yesterday in our branch … and I’m sure 1000s did exactly the same thing yesterday across the UK. Such crass comments just invite justified ridicule to the OEA debate. OEA market share will grow dramatically fuelled by business acumen far more highly tuned than Ms Beeney’s.
Nice to be able to agree with – and ‘Like’ – a comment of yours, Harree!
I’ll even ignore the last sentence in the spirit of camaraderie… ;o)
@agent_peebee (you tw@tter) I think people will slowly start to realise now what it is I have built. I have pulled ALL the legs of this particular millipede one by one. By re establishing local into Agency my sortal puts you and Harree, HarryN and even Ehenderson back on a level playing field to fight it out on service. Central office area rep agency does not stand a chance even if it does have some very influential backers and very powerful colluders. Honesty will out every time!
Absoflippin’lutely, Mr May – Rummage4 all the way!
I’m still deeply wazzed off with you for getting me on Tw@tter, though… how the chuff am I expected to say ANYTHING in less than seven chapters? ;o)
hahaha Peebee, funny 140 characters good luck 😉
I was also about to say: “Robert May the floor is yours” get rummaging4property.
PS got your message (Robert) busy couple of days will catch up early next week.
Did you get mine? I ain’t had a call… sniff…sniff :’o(
I am ‘@’ ing you so you can keep up to date.
You know I chuffin’ hate that… ;o)
I’ve always said random drugs tests should be mandatory in the industry.
That would be TWO less to contend with, for starters…
Comment of the week in my book………I know a comment with the word “drugs ” is probably not what the editors are looking for but it is an ideal follow up to the long overdue tuff luv getting a comment of the week.
Who heads the most comments of the week chart at the moment?
Cheers, wilko – that’s TWO votes I’ve had this week! ;o)
Not sure who is ‘Top of the Charts’ – but I’ve had two so far – AND they have quoted me on Tw@tter to boot!
Ahhh… fame at last… ;o)
” People start their searches online, so why aren’t estate agents online?”… I think you will find Sarah…. they are… AND… they have a High Street presence, and are local.
Beeny press release – dead cat bounce???
More like Baghdad Bob!
Sarah Beeny says Google will level the property playing field – HOW wrong she was then > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8394252.stm history
Sarah bake beans repeating her waterloo > uff what a bad smell
Forgive the plug but since you mentioned levelling the playing field, I challenge anyone to say that isn’t what I have just done.
By re- establishing “local” back into property search and putting Agents at the centre of property search , ‘cheap’ is all the COAR agencies have left.
No-one really wants to be all over the internet shouting “I’m cheap, use me!” It is professional in a way, just the wrong profession!
I missed this, what have you done? Genuinely interested.
Boring, slightly desperate, who do you think your kidding !!!!!
Must go houses to sell , phones to answer and local people from a busy High Street to deal with.