Zoopla has returned to the attack on OnTheMarket, sending out Hitwise data apparently showing traffic to OTM fell last week by 25%.
Zoopla described OTM as struggling “to find an audience”.
However, yesterday evening Ian Springett, chief executive of OnTheMarket.com, responded, saying: “Zoopla’s concerns about the growth of OnTheMarket.com at their expense are apparently increasing.
“The traffic figures circulated by Zoopla are inaccurate and we stand by every figure we have previously quoted.
“On March 6 and 7 we passed the two million mark of unique users.
“Contrary to Zoopla’s claims, the traffic levels have remained buoyant throughout March.
“The results of our multi-million pound marketing campaign are continuing to emerge and the property-seeking public are appreciating the faster, cleaner, fresher search experience which OnTheMarket.com offers.
“Ultimately, the property-seeking public and the agents themselves will decide over time which portals deliver the most value. We remain confident in becoming the number two portal by January 2016.”
According to the Hitwise figures sent out by Zoopla, traffic last week to Zoopla was up 4% and to Rightmove up 2%.
Zoopla said that the figures show traffic to OTM has been falling steadily for the past few days, following the end of its six-week launch marketing campaign.
Two months since its launch, far from closing in on market leaders, Zoopla said the gap is now widening.
Zoopla said its own audience “remains 21 times larger than that of OTM, handing a significant advantage to those agents that have stuck with the market leaders”.
Zoopla’s press release continues: “Perhaps more troubling for OTM is the apparent lack of engagement by those visiting its website, with an average of only 1.5 pages viewed per visit last week versus 7.1 on Zoopla, according to Hitwise.
“ZPG’s total consumer engagement last week was nearly 100 times that of OTM with 21 times more visits and almost five times more content viewed per visit.
“Lawrence Hall of ZPG said: ‘We are data and results driven and will leave others to make wild and unsubstantiated claims and promises.
‘It certainly appears that over the past couple of weeks things have gone from bad to worse for OTM with traffic falling notably from an already low base and very low engagement levels per visit.
‘Two months in and the data shows clearly that OTM is a very expensive and ineffective marketing channel at this point.
‘Every day that OTM restricts its members from spending their marketing budgets freely those agents are spending far more and getting far less than they should.
‘That makes those businesses less efficient and competitive and the longer that OTM takes to act in removing the marketing restrictions placed on its members, the greater the damage it is causing to those businesses and the bigger the advantage it is handing to their competitors.’”
Below are the Hitwise charts supplied by Zoopla
Comments (91)
that’s the thing… themessage?
you don’t get it… we do though…
you need to look away from that mirror that you gaze into… bent over… gazing… summing up all your wit & intelligence to come up with… “jumped up little marketing bod?”
we can describe you in much more detail!
… JOIN ME FELLOW SPARTIFOLK!
… in our Legions!
WE WORK FOR OTM!
MY NAME IS SPARTACUS, SPARTICUS, SPARTYSOMETHINGOROTHER!?…
anyway…
I TOO WORK FOR OTM!
My name is SPARTYSPRINGETT and I too work for OTM!
I work for OTM…..& so does my wife!
Congratulations to Zoopla for raising their share price yesterday following this press release, however I feel that this is the only positive to come out of it.
Agents that have left Zoopla will (in the most part) now never go back, so all they can do is try to stop new agents signing up. I doubt this press release will achieve that as anyone with an ounce of business sense knows that no new portal will be on a par with Zoopla and Rightmove in only 8 weeks. And I think we all know that many of the agents that are still backing Zoopla are only doing so because they have tied themselves into long term contracts that run down some point this year. But they all understand that Zoopla are nothing without listings, so it’s quite poignant that only yesterday I had a discussion with a few agents who now cannot wait until there contract with Zoopla runs down as they also have had enough of Zoopla’s anti agent antics and want to instead support and back an agent owned portal, in fact one said to me that i’d happily de-list with Zoopla tomorrow if there was a way of only paying for 2 portals.
Zoopla are clearly not winning any friends in the agent community at the moment only people buying shares.
“Two months in and the data shows clearly that OTM is a very expensive and ineffective marketing channel at this point.”…………Thanks for letting us all know that, as a Gold member I totally agree………but, as you say it is at this point. And at this point would you really expect it to be getting the same traffic as a major portal?
Come on Zoopla……..start telling us, and your shareholders, what your plans for the future are. How are you going to attract new membership/stock? How will you increase revenue streams for your shareholders.
One thing is for certain…….”you aren’t making any money, friends or winning future custom/loyalty by spending all your time bickering about traffic levels to another site.”…..Start thinking about your company and your business.
Just out of interest, why would a seller wish to avoid Internet advertising? Is this in the South East where it is much easier to sell a property than in the North East?
yes, some clients want their property marketed discreetly without nosey sorts knowing, lots of people will argue their business is nothing without things like RM & Z, in fairness they are probably right and the budget lot are definitely right but agents local contacts, old clients, databases and such things are a goldmine of very good business and down here some of us still use them – Jonne
Just when you think zoopla cant get more desperate, they manage to set their low bar lower. zoopla never produced many quality leads when we were paying them 16k pa. OTM has instantly matched the quantity of leads after a couple of weeks and has now become more productive for a lot less money. Nothing left to discuss really. Goodbye zoopla.
Hats off to OTM for allowing Hall to play his silly little games and getting on with real work! The interesting point to take from this press release is that it is an entire press release aimed at attacking OTM (4% increase in one week is hardly news), rather than explaining how Zoopla are doing… They’re getting more and more worried me thinks.
Does anyone have lead statistics that show the effectiveness of OTM V RM or Z? Early days I know, however the trends would be interesting.
““Lawrence Hall of ZPG said: ‘We are data and results driven…”
OF COURSE you’re “DATA driven” – IT IS ALL YOU HAVE. “Results driven”? That’s another cookie entirely. You clearly mean CITY RESULTS, Mr Hall – seeing as a large chunk of your previous customer base of Agents didn’t see sufficient RoI to stay with you…
“…and will leave others to make wild and unsubstantiated claims and promises.”
Oh, great – starting WHEN?
I am using an agent at present despite them being OTM, as they may be the best agent for the property. But if they don’t get a sale in the next 2 or 3 weeks, I am likely to move to an agent that uses Zoopla.
I simply cannot see ANY rhyme, reason or logic in this post.
Please explain yourself.
Perhaps I can help. ringi probably works for ZPG but wants to throw you off the scent: “I am using an agent at present despite them being OTM, as they may be the best agent for the property.” But then, ringi wants you to know that the “average customer” puts more value in the advertising qualities of Zoopla than the “best agent for the property” if that agent can’t get to a sale in 2 to 3 weeks. Therefore BEWARE all you OTM agents…if you don’t sell your properties in 2 to 3 weeks all your customers will leave!!! That about right ringi? 🙂
How long you been selling for ringi?
Trolling at its best!
Lesson for that bloke from Iproperty that keeps himself feeling fuzzy inside by insisting his dreary website made up of unsold Wimpey stock and little else bans agents (…..noooo, please mate, let us on your site……) you are nothing, you’re not ‘disruptive’ you’re not challenging, breaking moulds and all the normal drivel you boys spout until the Zoopla bods keep talking about you week in week out, when that happens you will know you are really onto something – Jonnie
I suspect any increase in Z hits are a touch like a “second glance” you know the one, you walk past the local shop (whatever it is) and the window and building are empty….. so you slow your walk and look back again to see what has happened!
Any avid Z user near us will have possible clicked on it ten times more than usual of late to see when and if the 90% of stock lost will be reloaded any time soon.
I bet your vendors are delighted that all those people curiosity clicking aren’t seeing their property then…
My vendors do not want “curiosity viewers” doh! I now have an increasing number of sellers, who are asking for “no internet” marketing one of which exchanged last week and one sold yesterday.
Your not still telling people Z will give you 40m time wasters a month are you? just to satisfy your mind that Z actually makes a difference.
You are funny, using that old chestnut….. do you not tell your clients you go for quality not quantity?
I wonder if anyone can resist commenting further on this post… Yawn yawn yawn…. Stop this OTM/Zoopla spam! No more comments!
They’re now acting like a cornered rat and beyond parody. Still this will feed the zoopla trolls on here.
I’m not sure I agree with you Pundit. As an agent who has stuck away from onthemarket, I want to know how it is performing so I can form a view. It seems to me that there is no verifiable source for any of Mr Springett’s stats, but Zoopla are backing their claims up with independent numbers.
Also, they (on the market) have been very clear (as have many of the posters on this webiste), that Zoopla is their primary target so I think to say that Zoopla pointing out that on the market is a long way off them – and moving backwards – is an act of desperation, is fairly strong.
My question is whether on the market continue to sign agents. Certainly the conversations I am having with participating agents are centred around them returning to Zoopla. I am not hearing about any (who have not already made the jump) who post-launch are considering making the jump…
Ah yes… those mysterious EHenderson conversations with participating agents blah blah blah…
I think your Tosh Talking comment directed at someone earlier in this thread is a razor sharp description of your mysterious conversations in your twilight zone.
The sad thing is that I know a stellar estate agent by the name of E Henderson… and the one thing I do know is that you are clearly not her… you wouldn’t be qualified to occupy her shadow based on the waffle that you weave on here….
“conversations with participating agents….” unequivicol nonsense spun by the unremarkable EHenderson versus the Truly Remarkable E Henderson!
I recline gently and wait to be monumentally underwhelmed by your next gravity shattering “conversations with….. blah, blah, blah… Zzzzzzzz”
Back in June last year I posted that election years are tough in Agency. The Daffs are out, the budget done but the election now dominates the news. Nothing is going to happen much till May 6th. If Zoopla actually understood agency they wouldn’t be making themselves look quite so silly.
Robert we all be in the business long enough to know elections slow the market but I’m puzzled why you are having a pop at Z about this?
I am not having a pop at Zoopla, I am having a pop at the fact they have twisted the expected decrease in activity in another OTM bashing story. I am simply tired of the marketing department who pump out nothingness that possibly makes great, hard hitting points to them but to everyone else it is an ‘And?’ story but which demands a response from AM. To his credit and that of AM Ian just keeps returning everything served at him.
There is nothing to be gained from Zoopla constantly attacking Agents Mutual and this story is the symptom of a monumental own goal by the Zoopla executive.
Possibly I could have made the point differently by saying that even if OTM were turned off today, the Agents Mutual members have enough applicants registered to carry on selling with or without either dominant portal indefinitely. The Industry is changed.
Zoopla stock up 5%+ since they put this release out yesterday. “There is nothing to be gained…” Clearly a lot of someones disagree with you.
Are you able to tell me what that 5% is? is the 5% more properties from the same number of agents? An increased number of properties from a reduced number of agents or a reduced number of properties from an increased number of agents? Only the last scenario is increased revenue for Zoopla. Moving on the the net effect for the selling public. What is the expected result of the increase in stock and when?
Their stock price in the public markets. These releases are obviously not really targeted at agents (particularly not those that have already left), but are put out to show their investors that OTM is not working and is not gaining steam. And if my hunch is correct and that is their motivation, they have been pretty successful.
Sorry for the mis- understanding, the word stock has only one meaning to my Agent’s brain!
The whole stocks and shares, crowdfunding game is a different industry. In that world truth , honesty and integrity are like cousins 3 times removed, they exist but you don’t get to see them every day!
£1.70 something last I saw for Zoopla?… versus Rightmove at £29 something?… Zoopla embarrassingly seem to hold the Portal Petty Cash for Rightmove… and the estate agency members of Hikemove hold the foundations of the towering Property Portal that is Hikemove… little cracks & crumbling will appear… keep watching. How Chief Petty Officer Chesterman must be gazing forward looking at all those icebergs!… all that hot air he spouts will melt some of them?… sadly, not all. Lifeboat ready CPO Chesterman… head for that wealthy retirement island that is on that horizon or you may have to swim for it when they chuck you overboard.
Zoopla and RM traffic both up 4% & 2%, OTM down 25%.
Robert, are you saying that OTM’s drop is market related?!
OTM is more like a delicatessen than a supermarket, if it isn’t the season for fresh cut English Asparagus business won’t be so brisk. No surprises there, it is such a known fact that Smile is curious why I am puzzled by Zoopla not knowing that.
As I have claimed before hits page views and time on site are only so loosely connected to the number of properties sold they can be dismissed as anything at all meaningful. KNC numbers; all very impressive to those who can see them!
I am testing at the moment, for every bona fide accounted for page view by all the testers there are 3 page views from around the globe that are traffic but absolutely meaningless nothing.
Sorry to say this Robert, but this post is complete tosh.
EHenderson – come on… that’s WAAAY too vague – at least give Mr May something of substance to respond to.
Or do you have nothing to offer?
You don’t have to apologise but you do have to appreciate I have been in where these numbers get churned out and know more than a little bit of detail about them.
I have a site in beta , 3 times the number of actual page views are interrogations from Google, China, India, Horsham, Reading, Exeter, Liverpool and Derby.
If you are happy too coo at really big numbers generated by dynamic IP addresses please carry on, it is your money to spend how you like but please don’t suggest I am talking tosh until you can correlate the number of claimed hits, page views and time on site with the number of completions and tenancies.
I know for a fact that >600 hits on both Rightmove and Zoopla in the past week were me doing testing.
I can now FULLY understand why taking some notice of what Robert has to say is a good idea…..
you don’t have to agree with anyone on here, as I don’t agree with many BUT have an hour chat with this chap and you understand the number churning that bit more.
AN HOUR???
You flippin’ lightweight…! ;o)
Sorry, I am seeing about doing a deal with Audible, they are quite good at abridged versions of long stories!
Now then, Mr May – if EVER I set you up to respond with “kettle:pot – add the rest yourself”… THAT was it!
Missed your chance BIIIG time, bud! ;o)
I’m really just jealous that you’ve got to speak to Ric and I haven’t after all these years.
04 51. Unlike ALL of my contemporaries I actually enjoy talking to Estate Agents so I am genuinely grateful to anyone who will spare me 1 minute of their time. I found that listening to what people want can be very expensive; a lot of time, effort and resource can be wasted designing and building a system to give customers what they want, but then don’t buy or subscribe to because it’s not what the want today. If you listen to customers, understand customers and from that work out what they need it is possible build something that fulfils those needs. Very simple, very obvious!
Agents Mutual have built a portal, Ian has built what agents wanted (cue Woody woodpecker to the dislike button) AM hasn’t worked out what it needs. AM itself is what agents need but the focus (in my opinion) is still on delivering what you all want. The reaction to what I have cobbled together by way of demonstration is not a product demonstration of a software system that will change the industry, I am demonstrating one thing; I know what you need and know how to deliver it. All 4 testers can shoot me down now if they don’t think that correct.
(I stuck a time stamp on this post to let ‘the message’ (sic!) have some understanding of what it is like to struggle with spelling and grammar and the effort required to try to make sense on a written business to business platform. Over an hour of effort and I am still not confident this will make sense and all the words I can see are here 0622)
The public will decide. Not agents.
Quite right HarryN. And they are. These these Hitwise figures confirm that Rightmove and Zoopla remain the popular choice for home hunters.
Really? How many of the 9.993 million either bought or rented as a result of having a look? Even crediting every single sale or new tenancy to a Zoopla introduction 98.56% of these visit were what exactly? repeat visits from the same punters? If that is the case every purchaser and new tenant is finding reason to go back and back and back to Zoopla 70 times!!! You might buy that (quite literally) I don’t.
Zzzzzzzzzoopla!
Really?…. here we go again.
PRESS RELEASE from GPL…. My company ditched Zoopla 2 months ago…. no loss of business whatsoever. End of!
Ok .. Who had 0711 in the “how long before GPL tells us dropping Zoopla had no effect on his business ” sweep ? You previously mentioned that you been off Zoopla for a lot longer than two months GPL , did you rejoin and then come back off ?
Danny… when you have proved you are an Estate Agent then I can respond.. otherwise keep singing that song….. oooooaaaah Danny Boooooy
Please point me to the terms and conditions of this website where it says, only if you are an active estate agent are you allowed to comment. Typical of you GPL, trying to restrict freedom to do as people wish – are you on the agents mutual board or something???!
Ah?….. the inexperienced 1sttimebuyer… I can hear that bleating noise…. lambing time again.
GPL.. I’ve been through my credentials 6 or 7 times on here. Unless you prove to me your not a carrot, I’m going to assume your a carrot, and do you still beat your wife ?
I remember that too danny. GPL has been ranting on for months that he’s lived just fine without Zoopla.
Member of OTM staff by any chance GPL (although to be fair, all 5000 member agents are by extension Ian Springett’s employees now)?
HarryN… related to Danny?
Again, when you can prove you are an estate agent I can share my near 30 Years experience as an estate agent…. listen & learn HarryN…. listen & learn!
It’s Hitwise Wednesday…if anything Zoopla are consistent!!
Somebody somewhere is definitely telling porkies, now is it Z or Otm, find out next week on the next episode of BS