Membership of OnTheMarket stands at 5,938 branches, according to one of our regular posters.
EYE reader ‘smile please’ has done another monthly update on the Arena section of our site, and says that in the last month, membership rose by another 84 branches.
However, ‘smile please’ does say that the “swingometer is all over the place”, with a notable rise in Leicestershire, but a loss of members in Scotland.
OTM itself has not released membership numbers, but did say that it had a record recruitment month in January.
However, the analysis by ‘smile please’ suggests that membership is growing, but at slacker pace than our reader reported on January 4.
Meanwhile, OTM has released another in a series of testimonials from agents.
Trevor Abrahmsohn, managing director of Glentree in London, said: “As a founding member of OnTheMarket.com, I have watched it grow from just an idea into what it is today – a powerful player which has injected the portals market with a force for the good of Britain’s estate agent industry.
“What’s more, I believe it has the potential to pull the rug from under the incumbent Goliaths and become Britain’s leading portal.
“I heard several people say OTM would never get off the ground. Well clearly it did!
“And since launch, I’ve heard the same people say it will fizzle out before its first birthday, but of course it didn’t.
“No one should be in any doubt that OTM is here to stay.
“The portal already carries hundreds of thousands of properties for sale or to rent and many firms have expressed their intention to join when the portal gains the support of 7,500 offices.
“Our members – and myself included – share a deep and passionate commitment to ensure our portal continues to build on its outstanding performance.
“This will allow us to finally regain control of our property data and provide us with a clearer vision of our industry’s future.
“Ian Springett and his team have delivered a fantastic website which displays properties in the best possible light without irritating clutter – which is exactly what consumers want – and the portal is providing its members with high quality leads.
“At just one year old, OTM has achieved impressive levels of traffic.
“And in time, more and more consumers will come to realise that many properties are advertised exclusively there first, often 24 to 48 hours before they can be seen on any other portal.”
See the Arena section here and scroll down
Comments (61)
It must be the age Alzheimer’s setting in, you have already forgotten saying you where an agent yet having written in another blog that you had retired.
Like I said you’re about done and so this is my final word with you, enjoy the rest of your miserable droning live.
Good bye!
I bet you’re not done. Far from it, I reckon – you’ll be back for more,
Simple reason being you’ve just shown yourself to be the dumbest @$$ on the planet beyond all reasonable doubt… and you haven’t got a Scooby how you’ve accomplished the act.
Congratulations.
You’re doing well… the urge to re-post must be gnawing at you like a demented Jack Russell.
I’ll give it 24 more hours tops. Your ego won’t allow you not to.
“Point being I just don’t get why someone would be so persistent at harassing another, unless they where old and lonely of coarse.”
And where, exactly, does what you have said above bear any relevance whatsoever to the price of eggs or anything else for that matter?
You’re starting to babble uncontrollably.
Actually, you never were in control of the babble. Everything else following the original post was simply digging the hole deeper.
Hahahahahaha, you just can’t help yourself can you, what a grumpy old man you are.
I think you’re all but done now, the slating has become like a record stuck and doesn’t have any meaning anymore.
You where caught out and you don’t like it, if fact I don’t think you like much of anything.
No doubt you will return with another rant or some kind of slander, but honestly I think anyone reading this will just think you an old sour grape.
Sorry, Sir – but you’re the saddo who seeks to provoke response in one sentence and moan you receive that response in the next.
Takes a certain type.
BUT – to your latest and most confusing (to the reasonable person) post yet – you state “You where caught out and you don’t like it” I’m struggling to give you any form of response whatsoever.
WHERE, exactly, has this occurred?
Your ‘special insight’ into my apparently being “caught out” seemingly bypasses the readership in general – and has gone so far and fast over my head (intriguing, considering you are apparently referring to something I have said; done or otherwise been party to…) that I didn’t even feel the draught of it passing, never mind hear it smash the sound barrier with the speed of its’ fly-by.
You’re going to have to draw us all a picture, I’m afraid. The words you’re using aren’t making any sense…
PeeBeesaid:
February 7, 2016 at 9:58 pm.
I actually signed early November with the payments starting at the beginning of February, not that it’s important to anyone except you.
(Oh – and on the subject of ‘which is it? – you ask “are you an agent with an office or are you using a bumble bee gimmick as an online agent?)
Why? What difference does it make?)
As you say what difference does it make to you, unless your one of the directors of OTM why should it bother you.
Yet you still push and push for the answers but you answer a simple little question yourself, like a politician always avoiding always diverting to your own questions.
(‘Bullies wisely left me alone – and anyone else if I was in earshot, for that matter.’)
If bullies wisely left you alone as you say, why are you hiding now you’re obviously not afraid?
Oh, I don’t know – some people just won’t take no for an answer, will they?
Trick is not to give in to them. It’s called being the better negotiator.
THIS is how it’s done for the next time you have someone ‘pressuring’ you.
I withdraw my previous suggestion to OTM to release you from your Contract. A Contract is a Contract. As an Estate Agent you should know the implications of signing a Contract and be fully prepared to honour that Agreement.
YOU made your bed… no-one else – now YOU need to sleep in it.
“I actually signed early November with the payments starting at the beginning of February”
Funny, that. Three free months and not a pip out of you – now the fifty quid a month commitment kicks in and you’re wanting to bale pretty pronto.
There is nothing like stating the obvious and you’re obviously good at that, if negotiating was a problem I would not be doing the job I am happily good at doing.
Yes I do understand that a contract is a contract that doesn’t mean I pleased about it, but then that’s my problem to deal with.
I do however; think OTM will take as much notice of you as they do me, so you can suggest whatever you like, I’d like to suggest you do one `but I bet you wont’.
I have made my bed and I am sleeping in it, I just wish you would stop trying to clime in.
I think I’ve got you sussed anyway; my guess is you don’t have an office because you’re retired, you don’t have anything else to do, you probably was an estate agent and just cant settle so you go around pestering other agent with your vast knowledge.
Well thank you very much for you’re help but I’m sure I’ll manage.
Stuff me you really think it’s over the fifty pound a month; I own the company and have other income, I’ll stick the year out pay them £600 and wave them goodbye.
“I own the company and have other income”
You will never know how much of a relief that is…
“Well thank you very much for you’re help but I’m sure I’ll manage.”
Respectfully suggest that would be far easier and undoubtedly beneficial to continue to “manage” as you are doing with the use of a decent spell- and grammar checker.
Oh – and I’m far from retired. Blissfully happy doing what I do – and then adding to the joy here on EYE
Sorry – your guesswork lets you down yet again.
So what I read of you on other blogs suggest your telling porkies, either to me or to someone else?
Please feel free to share what you “read on other blogs”.
I’m intrigued.
Tell Me you didn’t write this:
So is the PeeBee poster an EA or not…?
PeeBee: “Will house prices fall – maybe; maybe not. Will I be able to stop them if they do – absolutely not. Do I have to roll over and let the HPC brigade kick my b@lls black and blue – ABSOLUTELY NOT! I will use every last trick in my book to attain the best possible prices for properties I am entrusted with. THAT IS MY JOB.”
PeeBee: “I have no ego. Posting what I do here gives me no satisfaction – but SOMEONE has to… If you want to roll over and let your targets overtake your obligations, then vendors WILL vote with their feet. Trust me – I used to be an Estate Agent! Geez… do I wish I was one now! I’d have a field day…”
Friday, October 22, 2010 01:32PM
Well… looks like you’ve found me there, old boy – yes, that was me posting.
I only ever post under the name ‘PeeBee’. Often copied – but I can’t lie and say that wasn’t me – ‘cos it was.
Anyway – your point being…?
Still intrigued… you playing coy all of a sudden?
Point being I just don’t get why someone would be so persistent at harassing another, unless they where old and lonely of coarse. Nothing wrong with being old I have a great friend of 77 years who I have terrific conversations with, he’s been by himself for a few years now and I guess he is lonely but he doesn’t go harassing anyone.
As for being coy `really’, I don’t take anyone at face value so to speak and I could tell there was more to you than just having a go at me over a contract with OTM.
still I guess it’s kind of been fun having the banter, wonder what your next critique will be?
Bottom line is this:
Generate the traffic and the agents will sign up gladly and for a lot more than 50 squid a month.
If you don’t generate the traffic and therefore the leads, then 50 squid is too expensive.
Mr Abrahmsohn knows all this from his days advertising in the good ol Ham & High, a good advert generated good leads.
Plus ca change !
Hmmmm…………….if this is a record month for recruitment (with an increase of 84) OTM is going nowhere quickly. At this rate it would take at least another 18 months to hit the 7500 mark. Would 7500 even make OTM number 2? (in 18 months)
Is this why OTM are silent about actual figures?
Please can someone tell me how telling your customers that it will be on ‘on the market’ for 24 to 48 hours before it goes anywhere else is an advantage to them and helps the sales pitch!! They pay the agent for the best service and for their house to be shown to the widest audience as speedily as possible, so why should they be happy that it is being deliberately held back from the major audience for 48 hours just to help OTM have a bit of a USP. Why would they care about OTM being successful?
Exactly. This is the hypocrisy ruining our reputation.
On the one hand agents are saying they’re trying to regain control of data and on the other hand they’re using it to their advantage. The hypocrisy pains me.
This really stinks and is a reason I am so averse to this – it is terribly damaging for the reputation of all of us.
I am not a member of OTM but like the exclusive properties, if a skilled agent was to use this there are many benefits.
Do you guys not use social media? – Do you not post what properties you have coming on that you have not yet photographed? – If not you are missing a trick.
But if I actually DID have the pictures from the photographer, then not posting them seems rather backward does it not?
Yes of course we do, but that is at the early stage when we maybe just have an outside photo but not much else. By the time it is in a position where it could be advertised on OTM if we were a member then it would also be ready for the major portals. How do you justify holding it back from the major portals where the majority of people see the property. That is unfair on the people you are supposedly giving the best service possible to.
“On the one hand agents are saying they’re trying to regain control of data and on the other hand they’re using it to their advantage. The hypocrisy pains me.”
Regaining control of your own data IS to your own advantage.
The idiocy of your comment pains me far more greatly than words can describe.
Come on – if your vendors knew the games being played with their data they would shoot you down.
Why? – A lot of the knocker with OTM say it is elitist and aimed at the higher end of the market.
Why not use that to your advantage?
“Well Mr Smith, as you know OTM is aimed at the mid to high end of the market, we tend to find the buyers in this bracket have experience in property buying and have suitable finances arranged. Also these buyers tend to be about finding the right property not just at the cheapest price. What i suggest is we put it on OTM exclusively for 48 hours to the very best buyers, the buyers know they have got an exclusive period to buy so they need to put in their very best offer. If however it has not produced a buyer within those 48 hours we will open it up to the rest of the market including advertising on Rightmove the nations most popular and visited property portal”
Not blowing my own trumpet but i am an incredibly good lister, sit me down with a vendor and i will sign them up, find the positives – Heck i am not even a member of OTM!!!
But if you opened if up to the whole market from day one you could potentially get a better price with more people after it than just the elite few that you presume look at OTM. Your elite buyer puts an offer on, you take it off, job done. Had it been on RM with a far bigger audience you would have potentially got a better price. The OTM buyer would still have been in the mix. I don’t think I would have fallen for the salesman spiel sorry!!
The purpose of the 48hrs is to drive more buyers to OTM before any other portal – simple.
Is it really a disadvantage to your sellers to hold back on another portal for 24/48hrs as I have not had any buyer complete on a sale that quickly.
I agree why hold back on any potential sale, this is not in the interest of your vendor.
agree – the argument SmilePlease makes does not need the assumption of exclusivity.
Is asking price not the best price on a property?!
bridget no offence but the likes of you and harry make me question your knowledge in property sales.
I have sold many properties without them even being advertised on the internet. its about knowing the local market and knowing your buyers.
Prime example last week we valued a flat in an average area highest one sold in that street was 200k just 2 months ago. We knew we had a buyer in that area desperate for a flat for family reasons. We put a price of 220k on the property, 10% than any property in the road has ever got, it was not a show flat by any stretch, nice but you would still need to do things. As we had the buyer we gave them the first viewing we achieved asking price!
Happy seller, happy buyer, happy agent and enabled us to do a super leaflet drop claiming we have achieved a record price which has generated two valuations. – THIS IS PROPER ESTATE AGENCY!
shoving a property on RM is not estate agency it is listing.
Reading their posts Smile I would have to guess that they are new to the business with no more than 2 or 3 years under their belts as they still believe that our job is ONLY getting the best price! A couple more years (without the corp training) and they will learn about respect,understanding and the need for providing the best or right advise as well!!
What i suggest is we put it on OTM exclusively for 48 hours to the very best buyers, the buyers know they have got an exclusive period to buy so they need to put in their very best offer.
Really??
Not blowing my own trumpet but i am an incredibly good lister,
An incredibly good tale spinner more like it.
Definition of Selling Harree is promoting a good, service or idea that the person had not previously agreed to buy / buy into.
Otherwise you are an order taker.
I would suggest you are a poor salesman / marketeer if you do not understand this.
Given that estate agency is all about sales and marketing (the vendor needs to to sell and market their property) – I would suggest you are in the wrong industry.
IF vendors – IF MOST AGENTS, for that matter – knew anything about “the games that were being played with their data”, there would be a 5hitstorm like has never been seen before, sunshine.
Just look at Xmas Cottage story:
http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/touting-letter-sent-by-corporate-to-seller-of-spoof-property/
NOT an OTM listing that led to that fiasco…
Are you a real agent or are you just on here to wind everyone up, do you actually have an office where you trade from?
Do you not have anything better to do, like playing with Lego or filling in some colouring book?
Does it matter?
You’re the one who has openly admitted that you can’t negotiate your way out of a paper bag and rolls over at the slightest sign of ‘pwessure’ and now tries to talk a frankly p!$$-poor fight…
Same questions back at you, I guess.
“finally regain control of our property data”
“exclusively there first, often 24 to 48 hours before they can be seen on any other portal.”
The hypocrisy! The whole OTM exercise is one of agents clubbing together to use the data they have of our/their clients to change the market. If agents carrying on crowing about their data then the public will really turn one day.
OTM are the abusing client data above and beyond anyone else
The data we provide to the portals is the data WE create following a valuation, description, photos etc. I do not provide ANY personal data of my Landlords or Sellers, so I am a little unsure as to what you are referring to ‘agents clubbing together to use the data they have of our/their clients to change the market’
Many OTM supporters simply want to advertise on an uncluttered portal where their properties are listed without any bias towards featured properties or agents.
What this doesn’t tell you is of the number of agent who like myself have informed OTM that they wish to leave, however, OTM wont acknowledge their wishes and just tells them they are in a fix contract.
From the onset I told OTM I didn’t want to know and I didn’t want to arrange a meeting, but was told they would make me an appointment anyway and if I didn’t like what was offered I could say no.
However, the rep that attended was just as persuasive as the person on the phone and I foolishly allowed myself to being pressured into sign up.
Trust me I do mean pressured, told how a number of other agent in the area had already signed and that we would be left behind. (They would reduce the price to just £50per month with the first two months free).
Given time to reflect I informed them I had no wish to remain with them, but they just keep telling me it is a binding contract.
How many others are in the same situation and OTM are using them to build their numbers up.
“From the onset I told OTM I didn’t want to know and I didn’t want to arrange a meeting, but was told they would make me an appointment anyway and if I didn’t like what was offered I could say no.
However, the rep that attended was just as persuasive as the person on the phone and I foolishly allowed myself to being pressured into sign up.”
Oh… for f***s sake! REALLY?
Message to OTM – IF this is a genuine case, do yourselves a favour – LET HIM GO.
Poor chuffer can’t even say no to a rep’s persuasion – so hardly a driving force in the world of negotiation.
We don’t want or need lightweights on the portal.
Or in the industry, for that matter.
It’s the vendors I feel sorry for.
Actually this CAN’T be real.
How could such a soft touch POSSIBLY tell another portal rep that he was cancelling his subscription?
They’d clearly eat him alive.
Bet he’s paying top whack for his gas, electricity and phone lines as well… too scared to change supplier.
#jackanory post from one of the usual subjects…
light weight lol, if you would like to meet me ill show you f*****g light weight.
your obviously pro OTM
At least I keep to straightforward marketing and offering the best value & service to our clients, not trading on gimmicks like a kiddies bumble bee.
Looks like you’ve been watching to much teletubbies or something, are you that short fat dumpy one?
Ohhh – I apologise in advance if I mistype something – it’s just I’m quaking with utter terror.
So – let me get this straight – you would happily try… and fail miserably… to take me on but that nasty-pasty OTM Wep put you under so much pwessure and MADE you sign up to that awful website.
You couldn’t make it up. Oh look – you have.
I honestly thought you couldn’t make yourself look any bigger of an @r+$£hole than you already had.
But I was so, so wrong.
And to think I was doing my bit for the weak and needy trying to talk OTM into letting you off the hook – assuming that is that you are genuine which is about as far-fetched as shipping in sheepsh!t from Singapore.
Some people have a proper queer way of showing gratitude…
Its great that your actually educated it gives great reason to your impulsive need to try and slate all around you, at first I thought it was me perhaps I did something most of us haven’t done a sometime in their lives.
Then I thought for one second he has a point, but that was gone again the following second as I realised you really are a obnoxious t****r.
Perhaps you where bullied as a child, or am I right you done have an office and your not really an estate agent at all.
I don’t need to meet you face to face as I’m not really that aggressive, just don’t get why there are people like you who have this strange urge to criticize anyone just for the sake of it.
6.23pm: “if you would like to meet me ill show you f*****g light weight.”
11.31pm: “I don’t need to meet you face to face as I’m not really that aggressive,”
I wonder, then if you would like to do a complete 180 on your post of 08.51am in the same manner?
Clearly it is equally as full of unadulterated cr@p as the last one you hurriedly turned tail on…
Oh – by the way – whatever anyone says to you about it being the true sign of a total t0$$er, you just keep ‘Liking’ your own posts if it makes you feel all fuzzy inside.
Hey’ you keep trying to justify you post and note I said I don’t need to, not that I wouldn’t be prepared to meet you.
I’m not saying you have some issues as I don’t need to, you are quite clearly showing this for yourself.
I also noted you didn’t reply to my suggestion that you don’t have an office?
Good for you!
You forgot to ‘Like’ your post.
You’re slipping.
Tut, tut.
I do not believe for one moment that the decision maker in a business is so easily persuaded to commit to a contract and advertise with another portal !
If I am wrong, there will be no loss to OTM or his local market, and, as PeeBee mentioned – can’t be much of a strong negotiator !
Hi SJEA,
I don’t wish to start a bad dialogue with you but I would like to correct where this is going, I made a dad decision as we all do at some point in life.
I don’t have a problem negotiating as this is only a small part of what I do in my business; both vendors and landlord have been more than happy to give us a glorifying reference.
If your of the same opinion as that of PeeBee them the above is wasted, otherwise you will be a genuine person who is not just self opinionated.
“I don’t wish to start a bad dialogue with you…”
But you wanted to apparently square up to me until you thought better of it (I misjudged you – you CAN make a sensible decision occasionally…)
“I don’t have a problem negotiating as this is only a small part of what I do in my business…”
Then, respectfully(ish) you have a MASSIVE problem… maybe you need to get back to the coalface to remind yourself what to do. Practice makes quarter-decent.
“If your of the same opinion as that of PeeBee them the above is wasted…”
The only person that ANY of this has been wasted on, Sir, is you.
I have a question which I would very much appreciate an answer to – whether or not you choose to answer it is of course up to you – so let’s see what happens.
In your original post you state “From the onset I told OTM I didn’t want to know and I didn’t want to arrange a meeting, but was told they would make me an appointment anyway and if I didn’t like what was offered I could say no… However, the rep that attended was just as persuasive as the person on the phone and I foolishly allowed myself to being pressured into sign up… Given time to reflect I informed them I had no wish to remain with them…”
So, Sir, you had signed a Contract with “the rep”. They had beaten you into submission and had won your business – and you were the anything-but-proud owner of an OTM Membership that you knew you didn’t want, and now needed to cancel a Contract with one of your existing suppliers.
My question:
WHY DIDN’T YOU SIMPLE EXERCISE THE CANCELLATION CLAUSE IN THE AGREEMENT?
Over to you
Why do you grow up and get a life, surely there must be other things for you to do.
If your really in that frame of mind send me your office address and we can have a proper discussion, though I guess this time you don’t have any balls at all.
My oh my – you’re getting very bold and shouty for someone who can’t simply say no to a Rep or muster up the ‘nads to exercise their Legal right to cancel a Contract by email, phone call or post.
Pity you couldn’t have summoned up the stones at the time – as then you wouldn’t look such a complete prat now, trying to play the big fella.
Why my OFFICE address? What is it with you and offices? I once had a guy who liked to phone my staff and ask them to read out room sizes while he… well, I’m sure people will figure that out for themselves… that wouldn’t be YOU by any chance, would it?
Trust me – you’re displaying all the necessary credentials.
You’re very quick to keep playing the same trumpet, bet you have your own little horn so you can blow and blow again all day.
I am right though aren’t I, you don’t have an office and it’s you that’s playing estate agent, hiding behind your own little busy bee gimmick image.
Seems like when it comes to playing the same trumpet you wrote the tune, sunshine.
Oh, yes – I’m ‘playing Estate Agent’, all right – we all are.
Some are WAAAAY better at ‘playing it’ than others.
You still haven’t answered the simple and sensible question as to why you didn’t cancel the Agreement within 14 days.
I’ll bet there’s an awful lot more people want to know the answer to that than whether I have an office.
In fact – there’s more people already know the answer to your obsessive poser than the real meat on the ankle being chewed…
So… come on – the floor is yours.
Ok your so desperate to have an answer; I was simply to pre-occupied with work and an ill partner, when I had a little more time to consider the what I didn’t care to much off about a month had passed.
So now you have your answer how about you show your true colours, are you an agent with an office or are you using a bumble bee gimmick as an online agent?
Can’t you settle without having a persistent whinge at other?
To be honest it would suggest to me like the action of someone who was bullied at school, hiding behind a mask and slating off anyone they can just to justify their existence.
“I was simply to pre-occupied with work and an ill partner…”
That being the case then I sincerely hope your partner is on the mend – but the ‘preoccupied with work’ angle doesn’t cut you any slack I’m afraid. We are ALL ‘preoccupied with work, Sir. Yet we make decisions day in, day out. that have effects and consequences on that work.
“To be honest it would suggest to me like the action of someone who was bullied at school…”
I REALLY hope you’re a better Estate Agent than amateur psychologist because you couldn’t be wider of the mark if you tried. Bullies wisely left me alone – and anyone else if I was in earshot, for that matter.
I have a little problem with your initial post. In it, you state “They would reduce the price to just £50per month with the first two months free”
Yet down the other pub your story went “I also signed an agreement giving me 15 months at £50 a month with the first 3 months Free”
Which is it? Don’t you know?
Oh – and on the subject of ‘which is it? – you ask “are you an agent with an office or are you using a bumble bee gimmick as an online agent?
Why? What difference does it make?
YOU are the one who came on all whingey about how nasty those OTM people are.
Me? – I told them to let you go.
This isn’t about me.
This is just a vindictive revenge mission for a Zoopla rep insulting him:
“to pull the rug from under the incumbent Goliaths”
Now the whole industry will pay the price for following him on his revenge mission as Rightmove just trounce the market.