Allagents, the controversial rate and slate site, is looking for business development managers throughout the UK, saying there is excellent potential for them to earn a ‘realistic’ £50,000 a year.
The Scotland-based public review site looks increasingly set to be muscling up to Rightmove and Zoopla, although its free-to-list portal clearly has a long way to go.
Allagents – which for the first time ran a national awards scheme this year – says it is growing rapidly “as every day more and more estate agents, letting agents and consumers are referring to it”.
Allagents wants around 30 self-employed business development managers across the country to promote its products, which include ‘transparent agent’ listings, and to demonstrate “how powerful a marketing tool” Allagents can be for them.
Allagents says the roles can be part-time or full-time and could be a perfect opportunity for an experienced estate or letting agent who has extra time on their hands and would like to generate an ‘additional and lucrative income stream’.
Martin Maclean, who runs the site, said: "Area managers will look after their region, offering our directory products and promoting Allagents as a proven instruction-winning tool. Our local people will also be offering and delivering training for agents on how to manage their profiles and reviews, with our front and back end tools and products.
"We think that a physical presence along with knowledge of the regional market will be respected by agents, who want to get the most out of their reputation management."
He said that there were no plans to monetize the property listing portal, which he felt would 'provide real benefit and unrivalled value for the agent'.
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Comments
Either way I think I got it right, his reply suggests he wasn't an agent, Most Agents I know keep a civil tongue, it is the reps and suppliers that struggle with decorum
I'll second PeeBee's last post.
'annoyed agent'
Using abusive language to other posters scores you no points - but costs you credibility. If you don't like what a poster says - then deal with it in an adult manner. Sorry - but that's the way it reads.
Look - I've been called all the kn0bs, t0$$ers and worse on this site from people who disagree with my opinion. Hey - for all I know they could be right - but I defend my opinion in what I believe to be a reasoned manner.
Keep it clean - for the benefit of others who don't want to read bad language if not for your own credibility!
Now - back to your situation. I am confused. I took it that its lettings we are on about here, not sales - or else their lack of membership with NAEA is an issue all of its' own - but then I note you refer to one of the property owners as "the vendor". Are these Agents trading illegally?
IF you can 'prove' that the subject Agent is acting in an illegal or unprofessional manner, then it is your duty to report them to relevant authorities in order to protect the public. If they are using the site as a marketing tool - and supplying false ratings reviews - then that is a breach of Advertising Standards. At very least the website carrying these reviews should be notified and given the opportunity to remove false reviews where proved to be so.
If the Agency continue to use these alleged false ratings to promote their business then you need to take the matter up with Trading Standards or the ASA.
ALL of this depends upon your surety of the reviews being bogus. Can you PROVE your claim? If yes - then why let it continue to happen - to potentially affect your business and others?
Of course, you might just let it continue... your call.
After all, you say it's only a couple of valuations it's 'cost' you so far... isn't it?
@ whoop whoop.
If you can't contribute anything to this forum, then you should not be allowed to post here. Twat!
@annoyed agent
Review sites are here to stay, whether it's google or Allagents.
You just have to integrate them into your marketing plan. It's all about online reputation management now.
Search engines love new fresh content and review sites/ forums are the best way to do this.
So the more that's written, the bigger they get.
Come on Peebee did you not spot the old switcheroo going on here? this Annoyed Agent most definitely is All Agent, if it isn't it is the most stupid Agent ever to pull on white socks and drive a liveried mini!
@Peebee
There isn't much we can do is it's not that we have got any bad reviews.
The agent in particular is also going around handing out a transparent Membership leaflet and has also got their logo plastered over their site.
We were asked by one vendor why we are not members of this stupid scheme. We told him the scheme was a lot of rubbish and we were not interested as we were already regulated,but he went with them because he didn't want to take a chance as he was leaving the country.
6 months ago we would win just about every instruction when we were up against this agent , but ratio has clearly dropped.They are not even NAEA or ARLA which makes it even more frustrating
'annoyed agent' -
"We have lost at least 2 valuations because of this site.
The agent in particular was boasting that they are the best in the area when it's clear they have written their own reviews."
Well... what have you done about it?
Can you PROVE your allegations?
Have you reported the alleged abuse of the site to the website via their 'Contact Us' page or the mobile contact number listed?
Have you reported the alleged breach of advertising code (which is exactly what it is...) to the ASA?
Or have you sat muttering into your coffee about it then turned keyboard warrior to get it off your chest for the day?
If the answer is the final option - then they will grow their business... at the expense of yours.
We have lost at least 2 valuations because of this site.
The agent in particular was boasting that they are the best in the area when it's clear they have written their own reviews.
If any business development managers come knocking on my door then they will be getting my right foot up their arse!
"Its all down to what the customer really thinks, thats the problem, And if the best agents are raving about it locally, then they are no doubt going to be telling customers its true!"
"best agents" according to WHAT or WHO, 'pointofview'?
How long before the title "Best Estate Agent..." is challenged legally, I wonder? ASA and all that, you know.
"Because Andy Murray wins a certain game and becomes ranked No1 player in the world (as example), it doesnt mean he really is literally the best, however the fans and more importantly the sponsors look at it that way."
Yes - but the fans and the sponsors are able to watch and make their own informed decisions themselves. Try using an analogy that actually is relevant.
Oh - there aren't any!
Would YOU make a choice of which Agent to trust with your biggest asset based upon the writings of supposed customers signing themselves as "Anonymous Student", or "Impartial", for instance?
Proof of the pudding, as always, is in the eating - NOT in what some anonymous critic claims to be their taste experience...
Interesting that no comment seems to be emanating from the subject company - although the second, sixth, and nineteenth comments may well be from within their offices - and I may be wrong but PR Guru appears more to be pushing his/her own handiwork, rather than applauding that of another... ;o)
Rubbish.
Every professional tennis match played is included in the world rankings. Every professional player is included. Players can't have a poor performance disregarded. The world tennis ranking are conducted in an open, transparent and independently measureable way, unlike AllAgents rankings.
"And if the best agents are raving about it locally, then they are no doubt going to be telling customers its true!" And when those customers go onto the website and see not that the competitors have negative rankings but no rankings at all, what will they think? They'll think that these rankings are not worth the paper they're not written on...and they'd be correct.
"Rankings and league tables really is new to the industry. and on that aspect of the website, the website really can influence customers."
Yes, but only if we let them - and then if we do, you can guarantee they will look to monetize their offering and thus start to charge us for the privilage. It's a very dangerous path you want us to head down.
@Pbroagent
"This website does not reflect how good one estate agent is compared to another, it reflects how good they are at cherry picking clients and persuading them to post on a website,"
Its all down to what the customer really thinks, thats the problem, And if the best agents are raving about it locally, then they are no doubt going to be telling customers its true!
Every ranking system is calculated in some way. Because Andy Murray wins a certain game and becomes ranked No1 player in the world (as example), it doesnt mean he really is literally the best, however the fans and more importantly the sponsors look at it that way.
Rankings and league tables really is new to the industry. and on that aspect of the website, the website really can influence customers.
@ea
This website does not reflect how good one estate agent is compared to another, it reflects how good they are at cherry picking clients and persuading them to post on a website.
We work in an industry where our reputation matters immensely, but this is not the correct way to go about it, funding an anoymous company in Scotland to rate or slate us. A good estate agent will always gain planty of business via word of mouth and does not need to rely on All Agents.
'ea'
"Allagents is without a doubt the best thing that could have ever happened to this industry...
...however that is down to whether the embrace it now or later once they relise that that their competitors are using it...
...this website has provided us with a fabulous platform for the consumers themselves to force that change."
One question:
ARE YOU FOR REAL?
On second thoughts - no need to answer - you are no doubt as genuine as some of the 'ratings' I have read on the site.
PR Guru
"Every agent in the UK got automatically entered into these awards, which would make these awards the largest participating award scheme in the industry. "
How could you 'enter' me in these awards? My details don't appear on AA, and I therefore don't have any reviews. You don't know who I am, effectively, so how could I be 'entered' for the awards?
@pbroagent
"so I encourage all agents to stop using All Agents before it goes too far."
Allagents is without a doubt the best thing that could have ever happened to this industry.
I am sick to death of hearing about rogue agents out there and getting away with it. No amount of legislation will prevent it, so they have to be exposed.
Yes, i accept that there are some good agents out there that are not rated or ranked well on the site, however that is down to whether the embrace it now or later once they relise that that their competitors are using it.
The time has come for change, and this website has provided us with a fabulous platform for the consumers themselves to force that change.
Allagents.co.uk, keep up the good work
ea
PbroAgent. It's not often we agree on matters - but when we do it is SPECTACULAR!! ;o)
I took your lead - and decided to check out Peterborough. Being 'dahn Sarf', there are obviously more ratings likely than here 'oop North' where we by large still do things like choosing Estate Agents the old way.
SO - this is what I found. 159 branches, as you state. Blimey - your fees must me HAAAYYYYUUUGE in order to each get a profiable slice of cake...
First three are 'Featured Agents' - and of those, the first two have no ratings at all. Then the third (no names, no pack-drills...). One review - two years old so hardly so I clicks on the listing to see what they did to deserve their one star.
Now IF the review is true - then they don't even desereve that. I take it that you can't score an Agent zero - so there's the first inaccuracy in the system in my opinion...
So - in nice big red writing it proclaims " This branch is ranked 17232 out of 18619 in the UK". I am sure that the Manager is heartened to see that there are 1387 WORSE branches in the country - but trust me it's nothing to be proud of - and certainly nothing to want 'featured'!
But then I read the 'rating' - or RANTING, more like. Boy - this Agent got EVERYTHING wrong! So much that it was 'continued' - which I duly clicked.
Now here's the thing - on the expanded rating, Agent suddenly becomes " Ranked 10227 out of 10229 Agents"
How does THAT work??
In addition to the above, clearly 'accurate' rating statistics, the site proclaims that this Agent ranks "150 0ut of 161 in Peterborough" (sorry - 161 - thought it was 159?); "21 out of 23 in PE1" - and "16 out of 100" in the company's branches on the site! Jeez - 84 of the bu99ers are WORSE??
Agents with NO ratings - where do they feature? Seems to me that there are an awful lot of them - yet they seem not to be at the bottom of the pile.
The figure above - "150 out of 161" - of the Agents listed, 142 state "No Reviews Not Rated". Sorry - how does THAT work? They must be in the rating system somewhere - and clearly ABOVE the subject branch!
Like I said previously - you can steer a battleship through the holes in this site's consistency... and therefore its' validity, in my opinion.
I've just visited the website and have conducted a search for agents in Peterborough. It brought up 159 branches, most of which aren't even in Peterborough.
Top of the list was Abbotts estate agents in Downham Market. Now for those of you who aren't familiar with Cambridgeshire, Downham Market is in Norfolk...35 miles away.
Second on the list was Bairstow Eves with an address listed which was knocked down about three years ago. Only one agent listed had more than one review and three out of those four reviews were from before 2010 - nice and current I'm sure you'll agree..
PR Guru mentions Thomas Morris in St Ives, which conincidentally is not on my list of 159 Peterborough Agents even though it is closer and is actually in the same county. I therefore did a search for St Ives which brought up 8 results (a strange contrast to 159). One agent had one review and all of the others had zero reviews, with the exception of the aforementioned Thomas Morris which had 35 reviews. Now for some odd reason it only appears to be vendors of Thomas Morris who have heard of All Agents and are posting reviews, could this be because the only place that vendors in St Ives have heard of All Agents is from Thomas Morris themselves? Could Thomas Morris, heaven forbid, be actively encouraging people to post reviews on a site they subscribe to? One would hope that they were encouraging all vendors to post reviews and not just those who have had a pleasant experience.
But clearly there are some less scrupulous agents out there than Thomas Morris (who are actually quite good) and surely it wouldn't be beyond the bounds of possibilities for those less scrupulous agents to only tell those vendors they were sure about getting positive feedback from, about All Agents.
The nub of the issue is that the only agents who get multiple good reviews and get awards from All Agents are the agents who subscribe to and push All Agents and not necessarily those other agents who regularly do well for their vendors yet don't push this awful site. Which begs the question, why bother? As surely once All Agents builds up a head of steam they will start charging and increasing fees like our good old friends at Rightmove. Many of us are in agreement that we don't need leeches like these, piggy backing on our hard work, so I encourage all agents to stop using All Agents before it goes too far.
PR Guru -
"Every agent in the UK got automatically entered into these awards, which would make these awards the largest participating award scheme in the industry."
Erm... no - I don't think so. AA don't even know about most of the Agents out there - so how could they possibly 'enter' each and every one?
They have Agents on their 'list' who don't even exist any more...
"It doesnt matter what you think of allagents, but Its hard for any estate agent to critise these winners or awards as it was a level playing field for every agent."
Erm... I'm not even an Agent, and I can blow holes in this augument that a battleship could sail through!
You may not have noticed this little gem on the page you draw readers' attention to : "If you have won an award, please contact us to receive it." SORRY?? You have to 'claim' your award?
From Nigeria, no doubt - with a small 'processing' fee to pay...
A typical example of a tiny bird fluffing up its feathers with PR to look like something entirely bigger than it is.
PR wise - brilliant. Hats off to whoever handles it for them.
Pity the site and all things about it don't come up to what it says on the tin, though...
@W
You have made a very good point. Every agent in the UK got automatically entered into these awards, which would make these awards the largest participating award scheme in the industry.
It doesnt matter what you think of allagents, but Its hard for any estate agent to critise these winners or awards as it was a level playing field for every agent.
http://www.allagents.co.uk/2012-estate-agent-awards-winners/
PR Guru
Setting aside your quoted Press Releases, it's worth pointing out that in general, these awards are given to only those who enter themselves. If only three agents enter, winning merely means the winner is the best of those three, not that they're best in the country. I quizzed the organisers of one 'nationwide' award scheme as to how many entered in each category, but they wouldn't tell me, for some reason..... wonder why?
That is a smart way to do business.Local established estate agent with local knowledge and contacts.
Allagents with no overheads to pay and a split in profits! Mmm sound good to me!
Roz how do you apply?
Turkeys voting for Christmas.
You moan about RM having your squidgy bits in a vice... but subscribe to this.
There can only be one number 1 in your area, being, and paying, to be No 2 or 3 ??? suicide.
BDMs on a commission only basis... tells me everything I need to know.
I'm out.
Yours is probably the finest handle on Estate Agent Today, It epitomises a truly successful individual, subscribe here and win an award.
How much PR did the losers splash all over the media? Not much, a little, none?
The only way this sort of flattery sell will work is if there are enough winning categories for everyone to win one.
The Agents who hold the Esta Awards with any affection are the winners, the very vast majority think they are awards by cheque so don’t bother.
Check out some of the press releases that i found online
from the allagent award winners. It is clear that these guys are making an impact in the industry.
http://www.ludlowthompson.com/property_news/ludlowthompson_wins_Gold_independent_customer_service_awards_Allagents_2012/article.htm?id=1195
http://berkshire.b4-business.com/content/jones-robinson-wins-all-agent-awards
http://www.thomasmorris.co.uk/news/thomas-morris-win-gold-from-allagents-review-site
http://www.regents.co.uk/news/industry-award
http://www.paramountmagazine.co.uk/london-property-news/Sales/Paramount-Properties-top-16-categories-in-AllAgents-customer-service-awards-850000061.html
http://www.legalandgeneralgroup.com/media-centre/press-releases/2012/group-news-release-1095.html
http://www.darwoods.com/News/847
This is nothing to do with this particular subject , it just seems 'Paul' is continually unconstructively negative about everything.
Bitchy little coments that put normal people off posting here, spoiling one of the few discussion boards Agents have.
It makes it easy for the managers of allagents, zoopla rightmove etc not to post on here, perhaps that is the point?
Are you his Dad?
"Perhaps you know how a business that charges nothing is going to fund itself? Lottery cards and a bit of good luck?"
Advertising of course!
If thousands of agents are using the site daily and thousands of prospective vendors and landlords are reading it, then there is plenty of advertising opportunites that they can capitalise on
"Please try saying something positive, or else try saying nothing at all"
Sorry - since when was there a requirement to only post "positive" comments on here about ANY subject?
I find it laughable that the above be be in response to a story about a review site that is consistently accused on this site of allowing positive comments to be posted from any Tom, Dick or Harry?
Perhaps the poster should disclose his/her OWN interest in the subject matter...
Perhaps you know how a business that charges nothing is going to fund itself? Lottery cards and a bit of good luck?
Who do you work for Paul?
I can say what i want. I just don't buy into this allagents website.
If Allagents.co.uk get their way, they are going to become the google to the UK property market.
From my understanding,this is what they can effectively compete against at no charge.
portal (rightmove/zoopla)
Agent awards (estas)
Staff profiling (linked in)
Agent league tables (industry first)
Staff awards (industry first)
Staff profiling (industry first)
Transparent agent scheme (NAEA?)
The league tables/ rankings interests me the most. Having league tables is a fantastic idea and will help keep agents on their toes.
where will the money come from for a single BDM let alone a team plus cars plus expenses?
A single £30,000 salary BDm costs about £75,000 to keep on the road.
With a free offering who is paying for it?
@PbroAgent
"The only place I hear about this website is here."
It really depends on where you are located, however they are very well known in London.
I think its fair to say that if they can capture the London market, then its only a matter of time before the rest of the UK catches on.
If allagents are putting BDM's on the road, then this would make a big impact to their profile within the industry and make things very intresting.
Zoopla will probably buy it?!
Allagents has been around longer than you think. Around 3/4 years now. Its also changed hands once already. I know this for a fact, as it was offered to me and my company! And for really very little
"The Scotland-based public review site looks increasingly set to be muscling up to Rightmove and Zoopla..."
Well - their registered office appears as 18 Avon Street, Hamilton.
But - so do a lot of other companies... probably their accountants or a holding address.
"...although its free-to-list portal clearly has a long way to go."
Understatement of the year from EAT, methinks!
"Allagents says the roles can be part-time or full-time and could be a perfect opportunity for an experienced estate or letting agent who has extra time on their hands and would like to generate an ‘additional and lucrative income stream’."
Oh, dear. Either they WANT to go for it - in which case they should expect dedication - or this is just column inches.
Need I say which I believe to be the case...?
Sorry Do Keep Up
was not on my Radar that's all
"more consumers are referring to it"
No they are not. The only place I hear about this website is here.
Bring on Scottish separation. Give the English a break.
look up the story from friday it has only slipped down to story 6 on the EAT Home page.
Is Radar still going? - not heard about it for a while
Zoopla merging into DPG has left open a 3rd position so it is the natural way of the farm yard that someone moves up to fill position 3.
On friday Radar got some good publicity with their news so today All agents have had to fluff up their feathers and get their supporter to comment how great it is.
Time will tell which is the better business model to get behind, one that rates'n slates agents but the profits if there are any from a free portal, go to the directors of the company, or a portal owned by the agents themselves, which they control or a free portal owned by the Agent's trade body but over which agents have no control.
These people may not be the most popular as unlike their website which claims to want "transparent agents", these people are not.
However, the concept is here to stay
Perhaps there is a market for a better funded more transparent site
If it is free to list how will their reps earn £50,000???
Are you one of the Flying Monkies from Rightmove? Like the Tunbridge whinger all you do it chip in with snipey little whinges!
Please try saying something positive, or else try saying nothing at all
I am just amazed it's has taken all those years for a website that has only been around for little more than a year to be getting so much attention within the industry and now being compared to as a serious contender to rightmove.
I recall when we started using rightmove.co.uk as a marketing tool at valuations, now it's Allagents.co.uk that's taken over.
Here to stay this lot
The difficulty is getting the people who are happy, to take the time to write a review. 99% of people just really can't be bothered. They just get on with their lives
On the other hand though, people who are unhappy, jump straight on it
Not one of our clients when asked had ever heard of "Allagents"
They are not part of the decision making process when choosing who to use.
As a wise man said to me recentley"if there was a review site for review sites- they would be bottom"
Enough said !
I heard they are rebranding with a new slogan
"Smarter Agent Searching"
There are a lot of agents out there that are unaware of Allagents.having said that for a scottish based firm to capture a London market without a single presence is quite an achievement in itself.
We only became aware of them as there are a few agents in NW6 got them splashed all over their windows.
I completely get their business model though and with a few Business development managers promoting it locally then there is a real chance that Allagents could be the outsider that closes the portal gap
Do they just think of something to get on this website? I never see allagents anywhere apart from on here.