A meeting scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled at very short notice by aspiring trade body CIELA – the Charter for Independent Estate and Letting Agents.
The cancellation must cast significant doubt on CIELA’s plans to launch on April 2.
The meeting was announced only on February 14 by Charter secretary Samantha Westlake, who asked supporters to pencil in Wednesday, March 21, for the meeting.
However, yesterday afternoon she wrote giving less than 48 hours notice of the cancellation, saying: “We regret to inform you that we have cancelled the meeting on Wednesday March 21. We apologise for the short notice.
“Even though many of you were able to attend and for that we are grateful, the numbers are still too low to make it viable.
“We will update you with further information soon.”
CIELA, the brainchild of industry software provider Charlie Wright, soft-launched a year ago with the aim of going live in October. However, recruitment did not meet expectations.
There were also question marks over its strategy when it attacked independent agents – those it wanted to recruit – saying that many were breaking the law.
It also appeared to attack EYE readers when it said that the “majority of negative views publicly expressed [about CIELA] appear to come from the anonymous trolls who plague the comments sections of trade news websites”.
With the October launch pulled, CIELA announced in December that it would go ahead with a launch on April 2, and would police the industry. In January it said that it was compiling a list of legally compliant agents ahead of its comeback.
It also said that it would provide a downloadable ‘certificate of integrity’ for law-abiding agents, together with a ‘snitching’ facility for agents to anonymously report non-legally compliant firms.
CIELA has regularly attacked existing trade bodies Propertymark NAEA and ARLA for alleged failings.
Yesterday evening, the CIELA website gave no clues as to its future direction.
Comments (25)
https://mailchi.mp/159565d7594c/statement-from-ciela-founder?e=8dcb67d38f
Personally, I consider that piece heartfelt and on point, everybody hates an estate agent until they need one, after which the good ones will have the eternal gratitude of those whose lives were allowed to follow the path intended by good and skillful practice and the bad ones will continue to tar the industry, it’s a market though so natural selection should mean the bad ones die, unless naive Uncle Investor papers over the cracks
CIELA will no longer exist from 31 March
“It is with great disappointment that I write to you to inform you that with effect from 31st March, CIELA will permanently cease to exist”
SO… the ‘Breaking News’ is that CIELA has decided to call it a day.
I am genuinely sorry for those who put time and effort into it for the sole reason that they believed in the concept and truly wanted to make a difference to the industry for the good of its’ customers.
The rest?
They can go ‘do one’.
I am genuinely sorry for those who put time and effort into it for the sole reason that they believed in the concept and truly wanted to make a difference to the industry for the good of its’ customers.
Sounds familiar. OTM anyone?
FlyingSheep54
Who knows – you could be right.
BUT… OnTheMarket.com is an advertising medium. An extension of an Estate Agent’s marketing. A tool in their kit.
As I said yesterday – it’s something to bring to the table – not the table itself.
CIELA was fluffing up its’ feathers trying to be so much more.
It’s a failed attempt to prop up a flagging software business.
Let’s say the current turnover for the Easymatch business is at around £250,000.
CIELA announced a prelaunch membership cost of £35pm which annuates to £420pa. To give this some context, ARLA’s ‘top’ membership of Fellow Grade is £230pa and NAEA membership is the same amount.
The NAEA claims to have 10,500 members. If CIELA had those kinds of numbers, it’s annual turnover from membership alone would be £4,410,000! That’s an 18 fold increase in the founder’s property software business!
Put another way, CIELA needs only 596 members to replace its other revenue interests! There are around 18,000 estate agency businesses in the UK, so if you say conservatively there are two directors for each company, there are at least 38,000 potential people that meet CIELA’s criteria of being either a shareholder or director. To match the revenues of the founder’s property software business, only 1.56% of their potential audience need to become paid members.
Do you know someone who works with them?
The list of ‘Members’ seems to be quite… fluid.
And that’s just the Founders and Regional Officers.
Some of the comments from their founder have been so unprofessional it is hardly any wonder nobody followed them
A joke I am afraid
Mr Wright has developed quite a habit of throwing lit fireworks into rooms over the years I’ve seen him post on various industry forums. All of the feather-fluffing around CIELA is simply an extension of previous form.
But even when you strip away completely the personalities from this venture, it was fatally flawed from the very off.
Why is CIELA fatally flawed?
Leadership. Lack of direction. Clarity of objectives. Focus on attack rather than support. Filtering and screening of membership. Cost versus ROI. Credability…shall I keep going?
Yeah – wot ‘e sed.
Plus some.
Shot across the bow of Mr. Wright…but are there any redeeming factors to support the existence of CIELA?
Feel free to be first to come up with one.
We’ve played this game for nearly 15 months and we’re still at ‘Nil pwa’.
Here’s probably the first article on the subject – from January 2017:
http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/plans-afoot-to-launch-new-mutual-body-for-independent-agents-complete-with-possible-challenger-portal/
have a look at the thumb up and thumb down scores on this article!
Perhaps if they had broaden their agenda from PB ranting, then they may of had a chance.
Maybe address the cartel and conditional selling issues, or agents just plain stealing clients funds.
Turn the record over, dom-boy.
In fact – turn the feckin’ thing off altogether.
’Turn the record over ‘
This has to be your best comment yet coming from an anonymous troll with a social media account of 12600 comments on ONE topic. Pure comedy gold you are.
No smoke without fire Dom. Are you precisely sure there are 12600 comments on one topic? Asking for a friend.
Nah, Room101 – I’m sure you’ll find a couple about the weather; and maybe one mourning the passing of Stephen Hawking.
Dompritch I can see why PeeBee is interested in and points out issues with Purplebricks but genuinely interested in why you spend so much time, effort and emotional energy defending them ?
What an embarrassment, couldn’t even get a following from the pinstripe suit brigade.
If it was a domestic pet it would have been put down months ago.