A firm with 37 branches has joined OnTheMarket, it was revealed last night.
Nottingham Estate Agency and Harrison Murray, both part of the Nottingham Building Society, said they were “proud to announce their membership of OnTheMarket”.
They will now be advertising all their sales and rental properties on OTM and Rightmove.
The businesses are independent agents with over 25 years’ experience as estate agents, and have offices in nine counties.
Last week, OTM announced that the level of overall support for the portal had risen beyond 6,500 estate and letting agent offices.
That figure consists of already contracted offices plus agents who have signed a Letter of Intent to join OTM when total support reaches 7,500 offices.
Sue Snaith, head of estate agency at the Nottingham Estate Agency and Harrison Murray, said: “The achievements of OTM over the last year have been impressive.
“It is already established as a major portal and the website has been beautifully designed to give consumers a pleasurable search experience.
“It is a great place to showcase our clients’ properties.”
She added: “We believe OTM will continue to prosper as more agents come to realise that by joining this 100% agent-owned and agent-controlled portal, this represents the best opportunity to regain control of their precious property data.”
OTM chief executive Ian Springett said: “We look forward to welcoming many more new members throughout 2016 as our momentum continues to build.”
It is thought that Nottingham Estate Agency and Harrison Murray businesses pulled off Zoopla some while ago, meaning they listed on Rightmove. If so, the decision to list additionally on OTM could be a pointer in the evolving property portals story.
Comments (28)
Free for 12 months, then not much more thereafter perhaps… I think more of us expect that than actual rate card, the majority of agents are paying. They have nothing to loose I guess!
Dear Harry, Gump & Danny
In the first instance, my Company’s results are a matter of public record, so feel free to take a look on Companies House.
My team and I spend a lot of time talking to our clients, so the feedback from our Vendors, Landlords and wider client base is live, real and constantly evolving. On the issue of costs, strangely, the majority of our clients are focused on service and the net receipt to them before they really start drilling down into making fee comparisons.
With regard to qualifying the background of the posters discussing this very important issue, it’s clearly good to get insight into the types of businesses each poster runs, so that a clearer prospective can be given to their views. It doesn’t matter how big or small your agency business is, the future of any successful portal will be galvanising the industry as a whole.
Finally, Danny is correct in his observation that we have invested in OTM, and we have every confidence in the strategies that the OTM team are pursuing to grow the inventory on their site. From where we are sitting, the move to OTM has been excellent for our business and it would appear by the growing number of other agents following suit, that many others are enjoying similar success.
Robert Sargent, CEO The Acorn Group
Apologies, I read that line in your post completely the wrong way 🙂
Not a problem. Apology accepted.
Hi Robert,
Thanks for answering. Im genuinly interested in the question at the bottom that youve missed. Whats your opinion on the strong rumours that OTM are selling access to the portal at £50 ? I would love to hear your views ?
Danny
It’s great news to hear Nottingham Estate Agency and Harrison Murray have joined the ever growing OTM throng. I fail to understand how any serious industry player, large or small, cannot want to reverse some of the mistakes we have made over the last two decades when operating in the portal sector. The inventory that sits on RM, Zoopla and OTM is our clients and is only listed as a result of Estate Agent’s hard work and investment in securing those Vendors and Landlords Business.
We drive the value and share prices of these portals, not the other way round!
My businesses results have improved significantly since leaving Zoopla, and our clients have found no difficulty in buying into our decision to list their homes on OTM (and only one other portal).In fact, clients we are speaking to entirely get the OTM vision and have shown great interest in the changes OTM are making in the portal sector.
Just as an aside, it would be good for all readers to be able to qualify who some of the people that post responses, to what is a serious issue for our industry, as it would help give a real sense of perspective when considering their views.
Robert Sargent CEO The Acorn Group.
Thanks for the testimonial
I’m afraid I find it very hard to believe you when you say your results actually improve when you leave one recognised portal and move to another one with a fraction of the traffic.
I also struggle to believe your comment that consumer buying into it. From consumers I have spoken to they see this as a little pathetic and have no interest in a new website by agents who already charging them thousands, especially when the consumers sees no benefit to themselves.
[Why would you care if your car dealer was going to save money without giving you any benefit? You wouldn’t!]
“Just as an aside, it would be good for all readers to be able to qualify who some of the people that post responses, to what is a serious issue for our industry, as it would help give a real sense of perspective when considering their views.”
I can dismiss a CEO’s views as quickly as I can dismiss a negs
Just as an aside, it would be good for all readers to be able to qualify who some of the people that post responses, to what is a serious issue for our industry, as it would help give a real sense of perspective when considering their views. Robert Sargent CEO The Acorn Group.
Who have invested c £75,000 into agents mutual upfront and paid god knows how much for it work in fees. Would you be happy if you found out that your competitors next door are now getting the same service for £50 Robert ? Just a question …..
Just want to welcome Nottingham Estate Agency and Harrison Murray to OTM. I wanted to mirror Robert Sargent’s comments of reversing the mistakes of allowing R and Z to control our data.
I believe Mr Sargent’s comments relating to posters on this forum being qualified as to the type of business they belong to; as there is clearly a vested interest in High Street Agents in the OTM model and this is not available to online agents.
I personally disregard negative comments as the posters, if a High St Agent, would be insane not to want OTM to work. It is clear that it is here to stay and is making in roads into the stock of Zoopla particularly.
My own experience is that the number of QUALITY referrals from OTM is increasing daily and around 40% of the time is equal to the leads generated by R and certainly of a greater quality than Z ever did for my firm !
Absolutely agree SJAE – well said. Great news for OTM.
Oh dear Mr Sargeant. As much as I admire your spirit I find it very hard to believe that any – sane – consumer will ‘buy into your decision’ if they realise that it means they might get a few less viewings as a result.
Unless you are lying to them of course??
lol, another one keeping Rightmove, nothing like the UK’S number one portal as a safety net huh.
Great news for OTM. If they are getting subscribers by doing deals I care not. Every day I do deals and some clients are paying me 1.25% while others, that I believe serve me better/I can sell quicker/main road position etc etc I will do for 1%. Every growing business does this, SKY, BT and so on…..
Danny and HarryN.. Think of something else to say so we can have some different debates on here…yawn.
And thats the best that Danny and HarryN have this morning is it?!…they must be doing it for £50!
It’s about the best that they and their like ever have RA. Their tiresome bleatings won’t divert OTM from its course and, by the look of it, won’t deter major firms like Harrison Murray from making a rational business decision to join. Speaking of tiresome bleatings, anyone know where EHenderson has disappeared to? Not that I miss him/her.
“a rational business decision to join”
Need to pick you up on this: As this stands I don’t think anyone thinks it is currently a good business decision. Some say it is an investment, but you can’t say it is a rational business decision today, value for money you just can’t make this position
They are starting to embarrass themselves now. Best to skip when you see their name come up, it’s the equivalent of white noise.
Great News…who cares what they are paying!!! The first 2 years of OTM is growing inventory. No different to how Rightmove, zoopla and so on started. If I remember rightly I was paying roughly £75 to Rightmove and remember paying Zilch for Zoopla for a good few years.12 months on not only are they still here but growing!
I thought it was a mutual HJ12 ? When you say no-one cares what they are paying im sure there are some people who have sunk a load of cash in for very little response who are wondering when the vote took place on whether to offer slashed rates to their competitors. I might have got the worng end of the stick but surely there was a vote on this important issue nes pas ?
It must really hurt to see OTM gaining momentum Danny.
OTM is working, grow some B@@ls and admit you were wrong.
Danny, It is a mutual and I for one don’t give two hoots about the deals that are being done to increase membership because that is not THE issue. I, like a lot of others signed up at the outset to actually do something to change the portal landscape once and for all and whether you like it or not, it IS succeeding, so do yourself a favour and refrain from making stupid claims like “Im sure there are some people who have sunk a load of cash in for very little response…..”, unless you have hard facts to back them up with.
If you read the other publication as well there was about 5 business owners around November time that said exactly that…. not sure what other hard facts you want ?
So 5 people out of 5000 plus offices, I suppose that’s as conclusive as it gets
Isn’t Harrison Murray Nick Salmon’s old business? Interesting that they didn’t sign up to OTM on day 1 isn’t it?
Maybe that’s because they couldn’t afford it on the full rates, and now that Springer is doing special deals for new members that they can afford it today?
Nice signing for http://www.onthemarket.co.uk I’m sure we will have the pleasure of the usual views on his subject today, whether the thread will focus on the fact that they were already only on 1 portal and had binned Zoopla a while back or be the normal cut n paste fest of opposing views OTM articles seem to encourage we will see.
Jonnie
Anything OTM is like the best gonzo ever so even with your heads up Jonnie those guys are gonna get porked for disagreeing with the orthodoxies of the moment. Dude I’m more worried about the Oscars. Chevy Chase never got one for Fletch and the whole time we’re here posting Uncle Buck’s available on demand. Jeez what a waste.
Hmm… Only advertising on one other portal .not ….sure….top….priority there Ian . Also I’d imagine it’s one of your £50 quivers right ?