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Online agency easyProperty has become the latest organisation to accuse OnTheMarket of prioritising estate agents' profits over consumer choice, of manipulating the market, and of trying to stop the industry from moving with the times.

easyProperty chief executive Robert Ellice - himself a former high street estate agent - posted an open letter on the online agency's website, addressed to Ian Springett, the chief executive of Agents' Mutual, which will operate OnTheMarket when it launches later this month.

Several newspapers have carried comments from agents and consumer groups critical of the decision to restrict advertising of properties for sale under OnTheMarket's only one other portal rule. An Agents' Mutual director has responded to this by describing the sentiment as media guff.

Here is Ellice's letter.

Dear Mr Springett,

As you approach the launch of your somewhat controversial website, I would urge you to consider the damage that your stance is having on the already fragile reputation of estate agents.

Our industry is seen by many as one that will use every dirty trick in the book to make as much money as possible from sellers, buyers, landlords and tenants.What we need is to be demonstrating a greater level of transparency in the way we deal with consumers, not reinforcing these stereotypes.

Every consumer-facing industry has been faced with the challenge of how to react to a growing online marketplace. Most have done so by providing their customers with more choice, flexibility and freedom; even if that means facing greater competition. Why should the estate agency world be any different

It would appear to me that your business is doing its utmost to restrict consumer choice and play hard ball to limit the exact competition that gives customers freedom of choice and value, the only possible reason for this is to put money into the pockets of your members at the expense of the consumer, which is not only self-defeating, but wrong in so many ways.

The digital age is about choice, value and transparency. On The Market artificially limits choice, gives consumers less for their money and, most unforgivably, is promoting strategies that many consumers will, most likely, will not be told about, yet could potentially damage their chances of a sale or let.

Many smaller agents are reporting back that your sales team are virtually insisting that they list properties exclusively with you for the first 48 hours of properties being marketed. If true, this strikes me as being a cynical exercise in manipulating your own figures in a smoke and mirrors' attempt to give yourselves an unfair advantage over your competition whilst offering LESS choice to landlords and sellers.

Will agents' clients be told of this deceit and that their properties are being deliberately held back from being fully marketed to the widest possible audience from the start, with the only benefits being to your new site Is it your intention to ignore what is best for the consumer

Likewise, by subsequently limiting your member agents' to use only one of the two leading portals (Rightmove and Zoopla) you are restricting the potential market reach of the hardworking individuals trying to find buyers or tenants for their properties.

Will your agents be telling clients that they will be marketing their properties to a much smaller audience as a result of your self-serving rules Will your members be reducing their fees as a result of marketing to a much reduced audience or will they simply profiteer Can it really be in the customers best interests to artificially try to manipulate the market in this way, instead of giving agents and hence customers the widest possible choice

The reality is that for the end user it is not about online versus offline, it is about being able to utilise as many tools as possible to get their property to market. House sellers and Landlords should have the right to use an agent that they know for sure is marketing their property to the widest possible market, at the very earliest opportunity. Your new site with its self-serving rules cannot be seen as a step in the right direction of transparency and openness, rather the reverse.

My fear is that whilst many of us are trying to change the way the public view estate agents, you are undoing our hard work and reinforcing the stereotype of dirty tricks, doing more to put people off the market than on it.

Sincerely,

Robert Ellice CEO and Founder, easyProperty.

Comments

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    Did the mechanic who last serviced your car, switch the brands of oil he was using previously when you gave him your car to be serviced, to a new one when he actually put it in your engine

    Was he unprofessional Did you know or even care

    • 15 January 2015 12:57 PM
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    @ Wardy

    Agree - hope Mr Springett has some very good lawyers. Making their own rules may not be in agent or clients best interest. Many agents may find this dream isone hell of a nightmare 5/6 months down the line.

    • 15 January 2015 10:20 AM
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    When I met with OTM no one mentioned anything about '48 hours' exclusivity. If agents want to do that, that's their call. To allege OTM is encouraging 'deceit' may be a matter for Mr Springett's lawyers.

    Has it occured to Rob Ellice that every agent which is not part of the OTM gang will make damn sure that every vendor is aware of any potential pitfalls I would be more concerned with my own business than others. As for 'much reduced cost' - it really isn't much cheaper if at all. It was not about money, rather control. The purchase of an Easy brand franchise doesn't make you Stellios.

    • 14 January 2015 14:15 PM
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    I wonder if Clarke Hillyer have signed up to OTM

    • 14 January 2015 14:02 PM
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    Since when was Ellice a 'former High Street agent He is MD of Clarke Hillyer - a traditional high street agent of the kind he wishes to shut down. His latest news states: "[i]Clarke Hillyer have now opened their new office in Woodford, situated in a prime location next to the station and with extended opening hours to fit around commuters, 7am to 7pm. Come in and talk to one of our property specialists for all your property needs.[/i]"

    A foot in both camps

    • 14 January 2015 13:52 PM
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    Portals don't sell properties Estate Agents do! Clients don't care what portals are used as long as they sell or rent their property!! Online agents will set up get listings and then be bought by larger ones (similar to Zoopla buying/merging with others) and this is their business model. We are getting people back who have "had a punt" with an online agent realised the service is terrible and are coming back to the local professionals.

    • 14 January 2015 11:36 AM
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    I do admit that it is beginning to damage the reputation of estate agents

    • 14 January 2015 00:19 AM
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    @ Mark Walker
    No its a fact. If you were on both main portals when the client instructed you and they thought both would be maintained, then to pull one and keep the client tied in would be wrong and were told we could be in hot water.

    As such we walked away from OTM. Sounds like legals havent been looked intoon the consumer side. Unprofessional. Wouldnt touch AM or OTM with a barge pole. Agents who do must be newbies or mad.

    • 13 January 2015 22:21 PM
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    And the Easy Property PR machine continues to shoot itself in the foot. Sounds like a desperate plea. I also turn off at "Our industry " East property are "Listers" not estate agents.

    • 13 January 2015 18:22 PM
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    I have to share this with you all, given the relevant part of the "letter". :) My father has today agreed the brochure with his agent and I quote "Further to our conversation this morning, I can confirm the property is now live on the Matthews Benjamin website... Please note, it can take 24/48 hours to be visible on Rightmove."

    • 13 January 2015 16:06 PM
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    Because consumers don't have a choice between which agent they use. FACT

    • 13 January 2015 16:02 PM
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    @ Jonboy. I wouldnt rush in. Many OTM agents are about to breach consumer la by pulling from a promised portal. Onwards I dare say that the Competitions Market may take action against AMs one portal rule as its consumer ill thought out from clients best interest. As such potentially unlawful trading

    • 13 January 2015 15:59 PM
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    This article/letter is BRILLIANT......any agent on the fence should take one look at the marketing pics on easyproperty and sign up immediately to OTM.....that is if you don't want your professional property marketing to stand alongside such terrible photos....go on have a look....they are mostly TERRIBLE and definitely NOT in their sellers interest.

    • 13 January 2015 15:13 PM
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    And that's why portals are just one tiny part of an agents armoury. FACT

    • 13 January 2015 14:25 PM
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    The tale of two book ends.

    EasyProperty one side and OTM the other side. Both commercially poor for consumers. Both lack the best exposure that a good agent can truly bring to a house sale. FACT

    • 13 January 2015 14:22 PM
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    If Robert ELlice puts in as much effort to his business as he does to writing to Springett, then it'll be a roaring success.

    • 13 January 2015 13:41 PM
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    Checks Rightmove: Properties to let in Manchester = 1000+. Checks easyProperty: Properties to let in Manchester = 15. Feeling the pressure of burning through all that investor money Getting your excuses in early

    • 13 January 2015 13:29 PM
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    Gosh look. Graham "I hate On The Market" Norwood has published another anti-On The Market piece of editorial. What were the odds

    • 13 January 2015 13:13 PM
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    @Guest(Kevin) The 5 year commitment only applied to Silver or Gold members of OTM, I believe that there are now Bronze membership packages available that do not require that 5 year commitment.

    • 13 January 2015 12:17 PM
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    Wars occur when competing ideologies clash, new technology can often be decisive, just (another) thought. If online agencies are rubbish a the High St has nothing to fear, equally if estate agents add value (and they do) then they have nothing to fear from private sales.OTM seems to have done very well in gaining supporters, far better than I would have guessed. It remains to be seen if they can sustain the momentum, to do so they will have to earn their place or it will all fizzle out.

    • 13 January 2015 11:56 AM
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    Oh dear me Robert, I feel for you with your sour grapes and tear tainted beer.
    However I do not understand any of the points you raise or indeed the point of your letter. It's about choice for the consumer and for the individual businesses within the Industry to tailor they own offering. Within your model you choose, not to market your properties to the widest audience, by not having a local office or using traditional local media. Many agents have chosen to review their marketing strategy, looking at costs and to the longer term viability, and as with any business profitability. Lets hope for yours and Stelious's sakes easyproperty is just that and not another easyInternetcafe, easyHotel, easyBus or easyCar which I believe are yet to show a profit. Perhaps estate agency is not easymoney after all.

    • 13 January 2015 11:52 AM
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    What is Plan B What if OTM doesn't succeed, or only delivers mediocre results

    Having run my own business for 20+ years, I find it hard to be told what I can and can't do, so I am not on the OTM bandwagon. Plus, I will not commit to any contract for 5 years!

    But remember, we all succeed because we all have slightly different offerings. I wish Good Luck to those that back OTM and the portal itself. We all have the right to choose where we market ourselves and how we do so - Happy 2015

    • 13 January 2015 11:46 AM
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    Guest@(confused) Spot on......

    The idea was to break up rm and zoopla, and the high costs.

    Solution, form a website that everybody (high St and online) not private can advertise on with the proviso that they drop rm and zoopla, all agents would then promote this website and r and zoopla would fail...it really is that simple, we had the opportunity to do it with otm.

    But, instead, High st only, everyone drops zoopla which means rm gets even bigger and has even more power....who is in charge of these decisions

    My feeling is the High st agents/otm are scared of online hence they wont allow them, but in reality its only making online stronger....carry on as you are.

    • 13 January 2015 11:44 AM
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    Good riddance to online agents because anyone with any common sense knows that all online agents are really doing is SUB-Selling Rightmove space....PERIOD. Every time we have the misfortune of being involved in a chain with all the big online agents the haven't got a clue about the chain below or the quality of the buyers. They just pile it high and try to sell it cheap and you get what you pay for, so all online agents STOP CRYING and if you don't like it setup your own online only portal! how about call it OnlineOnTheMarketOnlineCryBabies.com

    • 13 January 2015 11:42 AM
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    You must be having a laugh. What a ridiculous and hypocritical letter. It looks as though he is a very, very, desperate and cornered like a rat!

    • 13 January 2015 11:37 AM
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    As a tenant that has used an 'online estate agent' (I won't say which one) to find my current home, I think OnTheMarket sounds like a wonderful idea - it gives me a comprehensive list of agents NOT to use.
    I stumbled across 'online agents' when home hunting 3 months ago and paid 60 for referencing and nothing else - I tell all my friends this is the best option when house hunting for many reasons, I think the tenant population's behaviours will have the biggest influence on the estate agents, my only gripe, I hope there will be more online agents and thus more property choice when I home hunt again.

    • 13 January 2015 11:37 AM
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    From what I hear most agents are choosing to drop Zoopla so they can comply with the OTM's rules. Surely this is a benefit to Rightmove and simply further strengthens their domination of the market place Zoopla were the only real competition for rightmove, it seems to me that OTM may be having the opposite affect to the one they set out to have and rightmove are probably rubbing their hands together in glee at all the new price increases

    • 13 January 2015 11:35 AM
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    Ah! Sounds like panic is setting in with those who have chosen not to join On The Market!
    What ever happened to freedom of choice for both seller and agent alike
    I wonder if the 'Anti's' will, in a few months be prepared to 'in their clients best interests', to eat humble pie, and just do that, or- will they be still protecting their own somewhat bigoted stance

    • 13 January 2015 11:34 AM
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    Guest@ Hathways Estate Agents

    What would you say about Hybrids like myself who are online only and local, I have been asked twice to do homes under the hammer.

    As an online agent I think its great news that all these High st agents are changing to otm, it makes my life easier than it already is going into vals saying we are the only ones on both rm and z.

    Online agents please keep quiet this is great news for us!

    • 13 January 2015 11:21 AM
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    The hypocrisy of this letter is staggering "will your agents be telling clients they are marketing to a smaller audience" Why Robert, do yours!!! All this letter says to me is that he has seen Russel Quirk get some some airtime from sending letters like this and this is a pathetic attempt by Easy to appear relevant.

    • 13 January 2015 11:09 AM
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    Portals don't sell houses - Agents do. Vendors contract with an agent to sell their home. If they don't do it they get sacked. Vendors are oblivious to 90% of this OTM/R'move/Zoopla discussion and don't instruct Bloggs & Co because they advertise on this or that website. I have to agree that the house selling public are indeed being treated as if they have no capacity to work out who will sell their home effectively and at the best price. Do you tell the guy who services your car what brand of oil to put in the engine, or the electrician what brand of wire he has to use No, you trust him to do a job based on reputation, past performance etc. and maybe recommendation.

    • 13 January 2015 11:02 AM
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    Anyone who has ever watched the great and iconic Homes Under The Hammer :) will recognise this statement... We have asked along two LOCAL property experts for their advice You will NEVER hear we have asked along an online only agent based hundreds of miles away for their advice We think this tells its own story don't you Online will have its place no doubt - but won't replace good quality local agents - regardless of portal choice.

    • 13 January 2015 11:01 AM
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    There are some salient points in this letter. However, as I have never understood with Russel Quirk's crusade, if easyProperty and other online agents are banned from OTM anyway, what do they care Surely, they would just use their arguments against OTM to try and gain new instructions What does Ellice expect Springett to do Just say yep okay good point, we're not going ahead with the portal anymore. Just seems so futile and pointless to me.

    • 13 January 2015 10:59 AM
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    Consumers still have choice - they can chose the agent who is on the portals they want. currently Rightmove and zoopla are charging an arm and and a leg. if agents get their costs down by agents mutual that will end up being good for consumers.

    AM have put no pressure on us to list our properties with them earlier than else where.

    At a recent meeting of agents where we are who were joining AM, 50% of them were on RM anyway so this is an additional portal for them.

    So what nonsense this letter is.

    • 13 January 2015 10:59 AM
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    Romans have been established for some 25 years, have 22 offices and are the market leaders in Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey.
    Romans have never advertised on Zoopla.

    • 13 January 2015 10:51 AM
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    Vendors & Landlords DO have a choice. They can choose whoever they like, OTM or A N Other. What is the fuss about Certain parts of the profession (especially the new participants) seems to be treating the public as if they have no brain.

    • 13 January 2015 10:33 AM
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