An estate agent whose firm opted to drop Rightmove in favour of keeping Zoopla when OnTheMarket launched has said that leads are down as a result – but that he remains confident.
Richard Davies, head of residential at Chestertons, said: “For agents who are using OnTheMarket, it is a case of a bit of pain for future gain.
“Every month, there is more activity on OTM and momentum continues to build.
“Also, we have found that our leads from Zoopla have tripled.
“We think this is partly because a lot of agents came off Zoopla and we are getting the benefit, but also it isn’t just about portals – it’s about the market too.”
Chestertons chose to swim against the tide in dropping Rightmove, and Davies said the decision was one that was carefully debated.
However, he felt that for his own firm – with 30 offices in London plus 32 offices internationally – it was the right one.
In an interview yesterday with Eye, Davies, pictured, also strongly criticised letting agents that damage the industry by charging “ridiculous” fees and called for both sales and letting agents to be fully regulated and to have to meet minimum standards.
See the next story.
Comments (108)
Is this PeeBee? – http://www.dacres.co.uk/about_us/key_personnel/
Paul Baxter
Director
Wetherby & Harrogate Office
pdb@dacres.co.uk
During a thirty year career in residential property Paul Baxter has been instrumental in thousands of successful house sales throughout Yorkshire. In his role as Area Director for Harrogate and the surrounding Nidd Valley offices, Paul is able to draw upon this huge experience to provide innovative sales and marketing solutions for his clients – what ever their property needs.
Up above somewhere, ‘1stTimeBuyer’ states “So, many millions less people have heard of and use OTM…“
Please provide actual verified numbers and source of verification for this seemingly informed statement, 1TB.
“It’s comments like that which make people stop taking any notice of anything you say.” Erm… you said it. You shouldn’t be in the least surprised, then, when it happens – ESPECIALLY when the next sentence reads: “Why not create a website and not tell anyone about it at all.“
Oh, dear.
This has been hilarious. I bet that goth bloke is wondering why his site got about 5000 hits yesterday.
haha yeh, he will be touting his photographic services to Agents all over the land thinking we need him. V funny indeed.
It’s just a pity that this article was hijacked in the way it was… stemmed the flow of real debate.
…anyway, Ric – do you want those 8x10s you ordered sent in plain brown envelope like usual?
Please! usual drop off point too.
From your point of view it’s a pity, from ours it is brilliant we now know exactly who you are…… errrr wait a minute, we don’t know do we? or do we?
Can’t help but chuckle at the inadequieces of Private Investigator Pee Bees here. Goes out looking for a middle aged, greying estate agent and rocks up with Marilyn f3cking Manson!
Funny that – I look more like Charles, to be honest…
But yours HAS to be ‘Comment of the Week’, Disillusioned!! ;o)
We will have to get him to replace Nikki or Davina. It would liven that show up a bit!
As you were! I have used Peebees’ method to indentify several Eye regulars, I am Lord Robert May, Jonnie is french letter, Ric was in the Young ones and Nick Salmon is a poacher on the river Spey.
Damn hoping to get my picture taken this weekend in a gimp suit, any other takers?
What size, what colour?
Whatever turns you on Bobby 😉
Steady Mr May, I prefer people to think of me as King Ric The ****. (buddy sell cheque)
Paul – I think you was about to highlight why for so many years you’ve been RUDE and hidden behind a made up name. Your not even an agent.
Have you ever been?
Fifth Amendment
YOU know so much… go ahead – knock yourself out.
Have your glory moment.
What a pity you’ve decided to hide behind an alias! People will want to shake your hand; pat you on the back and feed you strawberries dipped in bull cream
Does it annoy you not knowing Paul, (sorry PeeBee).
YOU Shouldn’t be NASTY to agents
I’ll consider myself proper told off, then.
Happy now?
Nar, he done you a turn….I’ve just bought a couple of prints.:0
The police have come to my door and taken all the computers!
ANYWAY… back to the story… where were we?
So whats AWKWARD Paul – you don’t have to hide anymore.
Mate had really hoped you were Trevor, Peebee has given Trev a real hard time over the years. I take my hat off to you, I actually thought he was the big bloke from Purplebricks PB, It would have only been right for Trevor to out the mysterious Peebee
Thank you Robert. No I’m not Trevor.
Now who shall we uncover next.
It’s much better when we know who is making comments on a forum. Wouldn’t you AGREE Mr Baxter (sorry PeeBee).
it has to be Tuf Luv
No Comment 😉
Best thing you’ve posted all day…
Nah – it would have only been right for a certain Mr Hendry to bring me kicking and screaming out into the spotlight, Robert… to where no-one would be bothered to look!
Erm… gup! 😳
restraining order required! from troll to stalker in one day!
Has Peebee been outed? (not as gray haired as i thought you maybe!)
Maybe here smile:
https://www.flickr.com/people/peeebeee/
So to summarise, Chestertons say dropping RM for OnTheMarket leads are down as a result. But have found that leads from Zoopla have tripled.
Going with OTM is good for an agent and client because why???
Did you know that of your 85 traceable posts 1stTimer, 72 have been on Zoopla stories and in all but a couple you have managed to post in relation to Zoopla.
Do you work for Zoopla 1st time buyer?
If all agents dropped rm and zoopla tomorrow and joined OTM sales or instructions would not suffer, agents would gain and could spend more money marketing properties.
We dropped Zoopla and business has not suffered 1 bit (it has increased), OTM is ‘owned’ by thousands of agents not money grabbing shareholders who don’t care one bit about the agents.
So, many millions less people have heard of and use OTM, and it has had a positive effect. Pull the other one. It’s comments like that which make people stop taking any notice of anything you say. Why not create a website and not tell anyone about it at all. Perhaps your have a bigger turnover than Countrywide before you know it?!
Go back to school and learn English grammar before posting, it will give your comments more credence, maybe then you will get more likes!
Someone is buzzing around with their trolling this morning……
Good agency practice is one part of the marketing mix, but, I would argue that putting the clients property in front of the largest audience of available buyers is a more productive one.
It is not about taking the easy way, it is about working smarter not harder. Understanding how buyers search for property and making the most of that. Rightmove has become the M6, M1 and M25 of search traffic. Please don’t try to tell me that your clients are better off down some country lane doing it long hand.
I agree to an extent Blue which is one reason why we have not done it.
BUT – if all member agents of OTM withdrew in a set month off RM and spread the word to other fence sitters that they were doing this, more would join and OTM over night COULD become the portal with the largest stock and in turn become the most viewed portal ….. Just a thought ….
Or… those fence sitters would trawl the OTM agents vendors pointing out that they were no longer on Rm. Theories are nice that is why they remain theories… practice is a different (cut-throat) world.
But if the majority of agent were on OTM it would not matter. Thats the challenge to get enough to agree to it.
I am not on OTM on Z and RM and i can honestly say i have not won any instructions because i offer Z and others dont, same way i have not lost any instructions because i am not on OTM.
What it has shown is RM is king, but only because they have the stock if OTM or any other portal for that matter has the comprehensive majority of stock the public will follow.
oh smile please…. come on over to the light side…. I have been talking about an Invisible Month for ever! and you always acknowledge phase 2 is the thing you are looking out for….. AM take note of a fence sitter like smile.
If I alone did this,(invisible day) 3 of our 4 postcode areas would see OTM as the portal with the most stock in an instant.
If one other Gold Member agent joined us, we would be 4 out of 4 which covers a huge area and relatively high stock levels on the whole… BUT this other gold member is still too busy adding bl88dy premium listings to property on RM and displaying Local Home Pages etc……
Such a shame as you are spot on, concentrate on the stock visible is where OTM agents can make a difference….and disturb local markets who care not about 4m this and 2m that…. they look local.
It is nice to know however I can now alone make OTM number 1 portal in 3 areas! Being able to shift the balance alone starts to give me the hand I had against Z…. perhaps that’s what made negotiating my latest RM fee very easy for the first time ever.
Ric if there was a nationwide (or even local to me) invisable day (or week) on RM i would happily sign up, as a member of OTM or not. Just to show contempt for RM and show the public there are other portals.
I’ve have just received the RM scoop thingy, asking us to promote them as the “only website with over 1m properties” etc etc…. just shows they know the importance of stock! without it they are nothing. Think I hit delete by accident 😉
Yes, but I was told I had to sign up to OTM for 5 years. I wasn’t, and still am not, prepared to sign for 5 years commitment. The two portal rule and the 5 year commitment are the reasons why I haven’t given OTM my business. However, I would consider signing up for a year, despite the two portal rule which I would be prepared to overlook for a shorter contract term. I have no idea if the 5 year sign up rule is still running and I don’t know the current charges for OTM as I have not been contacted by OTM since before Christmas and I can’t find a phone number for any OTM sales team on the web site.
Hi Helen B – So in short, if they said 12 months as long as you are only on either RM or Z in addition to OTM you would sign up?
If so – Come on AM, get in contact with Helen and strike a deal! 12 months, 24 months whatever, it is about the now which will make OTM work!
Thanks, we’ve made contact and Lee from OTM is calling me Monday.
You don’t have to sign for 5 years (gives you a discount if you do) try googling Agents Mutual, should get the number on there.
Is sad that a rep has not called you, as it seems many agents that have not signed up have heard little if anything, they wont grow their membership sitting at their desks waiting for the phone to ring!
“…it is simply appalling that nobody has bothered to report to the Competition and Markets Authority.” as PB said back 3rd June
Your right OTM and Agents Mutual have joint restraints. Look what happened to the Trinity and agents cartel.
My ickle personal conscience *****er states “…as PB said back 3rd June”
Ahhh, bonny lad – cutting and pasting is no good if you don’t read the ‘before’ and the ‘after’.
The quote was originally one made by “Samantha” – and as is evident in the rest of the post I was answering her.
IF you’re going to try to look like you’re being clever about stuff – at least make an effort to achieve the basic entry standard required first…
It’s hard to look clever if its parts of YOUR post that I have copied. Does PB stand for PeeBrain Mr Northern Agent
PeeBrain!
Oh, joy… we’ve never heard that one before – have we folks?
I need to lie down – my sides are aching. I’ll be back later when I’ve recovered some composure…
PeeBees….What do you think you are achieving with your silly posts?
Dilution of any meaningful debate, Paul H.
Oh – more like me than I give credit for, then…
Helen B…Good news!! I’ve just checked the current Agents Mutual prospectus and you can already join up on the standard Tariff for 12 months.
Here’s the contact details info@agentsmutual.co.uk or telephone 0203 714 3994.
Welcome aboard!
Hello Paul, Thanks for the info 🙂
Good morning Helen B,
Please forgive this slightly impersonal way of making contact but I have seen your comment in relation to contract lengths and would like to offer some assistance.
I am one of the OnTheMarket business development consultants and can ensure that the relevant local person will get in touch.
Plese give me a call on 07798-736-883 and I’ll assist as best I can.
Lee
Thanks for getting in contact Lee. I have put a call into the Agents Mutual office and they’ve arranged for us to speak Monday morning.
….their sales reps don’t work Fridays ….
If they last contacted you before Chirstmas Helen i’d expect their sales reps contact about as often as they send a lead to a client …
I agree that good agency practice trumps what portals you advertise on but they do not operate in isolation. Good agency practice combined with excellent marketing ensures the best service for the customer. In the case of OTM markets, those agents who have joined (many of whom have excellent practices) have compromised an essential part of the mix and are risking their business.
I understand why they are doing it – they are scared of what he future may bring. Trying to put the internet back in its box is a futile course and some businesses are being damaged along the way…
Well said Blue: that putting the clients property in front of the largest audience of available buyers is a more productive one, it is about working smarter
Worse Blue. I think Agents Mutual accept placing their clients properties into a black hole. Beam me up PB
Fair play to them taking the risk, i hope it pays off for them. If more agents did the same it really could rival RM unfortuantley not many are as brave (myself included).
@IndAgent
Your comments regarding Chesterton’s decision are interesting to say the least. Basically what you are saying is that Chesterton’s only can achieve the best result for their clients by using Rightmove – what about good estate agency practises (I am guessing though you are not a skilled estate agent). Many of our offices are achieving a fantastic result for their clients BEFORE the property goes to the major portals. I am not going to labour on this point because all good estate agents out there will know exactly what I am talking about, especially in this current climate.
Can I paint a picture for a second. Imagine there were no portals. Yes, it would be more difficult for the public to search the whole of the market but with all the agents websites appearing on Google they would soon find the properties, albeit taking them a bit longer; but do you think there would be any less sales or lets? Public demand is not necessarily driven by easy access.
OTM is about taking back control. It’s about stopping the ‘P’ being taken. Taking substantial amounts of money from us in one hand and shooting us in the leg with the other. The way it is going even the main stream internet agents will start moaning about it. Actually, thinking about it, some already have.
Thank you for reading this if you have. Lovely weather!
@Wilson
I was liking what your saying about good agency. Then you BLEW it by supporting OTM. Are you mad Wilson
OTM controlling the market is like an old dog controlling its bladded
“OTM controlling the market is like an old dog controlling its bladded”
Dyslexic fingers? Or is the train puling out?
So PB speaks – I wondered if bladded/bladder would wee-dle you out
Not a fan of OTM, not a fan of Peebee. If you’re not Trevor I’ll eat a sprout.
Whoever it is, is a sad little individual.
Hi Robert. No not me. I would love to play, but ive been in a meeting. Thanks for your txt notifying me tho’
Sorry Trevor, there is effort going into this, slipping in the fat fingers typo showed advanced trolling effort.
Jeez, Robert – if there’s any effort whatsoever being put in I’d hate to see what would be produced on the spur of the moment…
@Robert
Good fun no dout if people have the time. But I see below even Lee H from OTM has made a typo in ‘please’ shown as ‘plese’ Sorry Lee.
So even other bods than me make typos. Also you should know by now I post as me.
Oh – so the tripe’o was deliberate, huh?
Pull the other one, bonny lad.
It seems to me it’s what you are best at…
Who said that I was a lad PB. What I do know is that with you it must be pretty grim Upt North
Is this what the kids call “Cyber-bullying”?
No Smile, Just having a laugh and taking the Pee(B)
Are you feeling my pain, SP? ;o)
Not quite, I doubt Peebee is being bullied, trolled but not bullied. I know XXXX (large Canadian semi-aquatic rodent’s home) well who will get bored first.
Well… you could always keep well clear – then you’ll never need to find out.
Win:win.
A perfect summary PeeBees – even though at the time of writing it would appear 16 dislikes are happy to continue to throw good money after bad. Give it a few more months, the squabbles will start and OTM, just like HIP’s, will fall apart at the seams!
I can’t abide any post that contains the words “imagine if there where no” nostalgia and wishing something didn’t exist is not decent planning . It does exist! deal with it ….
The OTM money burn rate is quite high. Will it drive OTM to just become ‘nostalgia’
With lead OTM/AM agents saying it is falling way behind the main portals it won’t be long before more agents wake up and smell the coffee.
Hi Wilson. Thanks for the guess work but I am pleased to confirm that I am also a skilled agent. I have sold three homes this week at the asking price or above, before details have been prepared purely by know who wants what and having a good applicant database. However, I a sensible enough to know how I have built up my database and many initial points of contact with us are initially via a portal, in 60%+ of the cases Rightmove. So, if I was not on Rightmove, or Zoopla, I may have not had the details of the applicants in the first place to offer the next one to and so on.
The painting sounds nice but is merely a fantasy as its never going to change.The public want easy access to the full market… all industries are now the same, cars, holidays, houses, books, insurance, recruitment…
Thanks for reading too… enjoy the sunshine and make lots of hay…with or without portals.
Ahhh, ‘nextchapter’
It would be reasonable to expect in the light of recent of pathetic attempts that On The Market becomes OFF The Market in the next 12 months
And when it doesn’t, will the blowhards like you come on and admit they were wrong?
Such a missed opportunity. Instead of levelling the market they’ve strengthened Rightmove and made it impossible to catch.
I know some of you guys buy the mantra ‘Zoopla first, then Rightmove’. This gave the OTM team a good rallying cry, but has screwed the chance of long term success.
Instead we can all expect a reinvigorated response from Rightmove – probably in 2016 God knows what that will mean.
Not sure if you stayed up to see the Lionesses get knocked out by Japan, but that own goal is nothing compared to OTM
What have Rightmove got planned for 2016?
Real Time Data Feeds on 6th January 2016 that’s what. All agents’ must use as of then apparently, simply no choice in this matter. FANTASTIC PR/MARKETING FOR RM AS WHY BOTHER REGISTERING WITH AN AGENT ANYMORE !! Simply sign up to RM to give you an INSTANT ALERT TO BY FAR THE LARGEST MAILING LIST. No wonder RM are pushing this game changer already.
Better start saving now as this one will cost us estate agents’ lots of money and far more !!!
Pain for WHO – SELLERS as well as agents dumb@$$ enough to drop a main portal for OTM. Idiot$.
Any agent reading this would be mad to consider OTM. The literally TENS OF THOUSANDS of “smaller websites” combined would be a much better place to be.
ROCK ON RIGHTMOVE
“The literally TENS OF THOUSANDS of “smaller websites” combined would be a much better place to be”
Is that you, Trevor?
I wondered also – but the man says no – so let’s give him benefit of the doubt… and also some credit for his knowledge of the industry that is sadly and severely lacking from the other poster.
One typo doesn’t make a Mealham! ;o)
No, I normally manage many typos PeeBee 🙂
Big fingers little keyboard
…and don’t forget to blame the rail network if all else fails! ;o)
@ MF
No not me. T
PeeBee. I find your comments on here (and EAT) To be unhelpful and wonder how you formulate such opinions/comments? The overwhelming majority of other readers seem to agree. I find a decent balance of useful comments – on most stories/comments on Eye – and then have to waste my valuable time reading yours. I have followed the OTM ‘journey’ from early on and find it strange that the WHOLE industry are not supporting it wholeheartedly – only my opinion and assessment of the industry – but how could I knock people who choose not to supports Agents Mutual if they see a more favourable outcome by staying with RM and or ZPG?
Feel free to write something really clever and witty in reply that we can all tap ‘dislike’ to.
‘Oldn’ – I will happily answer your post if you point me specifically to which opinions/comments you make reference to.
Thank you. I look forward to further discussion.
Maybe looking forward to another post from ‘Oldn’ was a tad optimistic.
Pity really – any fool can throw a lit firework into a room and listen for the bang from round the corner. I was hoping that this wasn’t one of those – although I suppose the timing of the post is more relevant than the content or what happens next.
I certainly seem to have got up his/her nose for quite some time judging by the comment – which seems mighty strange that he or she hasn’t posted before now to that effect. As I haven’t posted on EAT for a couple of months it seems our new friend has indeed ‘followed’ stories both here and there for some time – indicating at least an interest of some sorts in the property industry. But the comment “I have followed the OTM ‘journey’ from early on and find it strange that the WHOLE industry are not supporting it wholeheartedly” indicates that the poster does not understand the AM/OTM concept – and why it has divided the industry more than any other single issue I have known in almost four decades of working within it.
Come on, ‘Oldn’ – if you have an opinion then share it. You say that the majority of readers seem to agree with you – then you will be doing all these silent voices a favour by speaking out for them.
Of course, rather than wasting your valuable time yet again you might have realised that the smart way to avoid reading my comments were simply to skip over them.
You don’t HAVE to read what I post, you know…
…and to whom it may concern, simply ‘Disliking’ a post simply says you have nothing to add to reasoned discussion.
But hey – as long as it makes you feel all fuzzy inside for a few seconds, bang away at the button all you like.
You could say the same for agents that decided to stay put with the two most effective portals sparing their clients any pain.
What’s it I keep reading on here, some of us lead, some of us follow? This guy had the guts and balls to lead, its a shame the other 4799 held hands and followed somebody else.
Wondering why 4 people dislike my comment? As a current client of Chestertons, would you be happy with the statements above?
And also, should someone not have told them that the idea of OTM was to knock out Zoopla ASAP?
Perhaps because not everyone agrees that a single portal should dominate the industry and because they dare to believe that customer service starts with the agent.
Completely agree.. however in order to demonstrate customer service you need customers in the first place. Surely the public actually would like one portal to be able to see all the homes for sale in one place?
Nice one. Short term pain for you current clients, and long term gain for your company.