Yet another anti-estate agency website has set up – House Hop.
“List your home online and reach over 3 million buyers each month” seems a fairly bold claim, though, given that the figure is over three times the number of transactions in a year.
However, as it is free and sellers “will never have to pay estate agents’ fees again”, no doubt users will not quibble.
So, how does House Hop make its money? (Enough, apparently, to enable it to donate 10% of its profits to homeless charities, which is of course hard to knock.)
To quote: “The site makes money when users click through to view third party services listed on the site such as HIP providers and solicitors, etc.”
And where to find a HIP provider? Through AHIPP, apparently.
Are you still somewhere out there, Mike Ockenden?
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Comments
10% of nothing, is err, nothing!
Surely the website that time for is Brightmove?
Is this the first time Richard Rawlings has been on top of a Reader's Wife?
Hey Rant!
Im trying to have a conversation with you in the other room, come on mate, come back to the Irish auction article
Jonnie
A lot of industries have been turned upside down through the internet - travel and music being two obvious examples.
To date, I don't see that this has happened to such an extent with EAs. Probably this is due to the fact that purchasing a property remains a very serious commitment (can you imagine a 'click to add to basket' button on EA sites!).
Will this change in the coming years though? Can it? Should it?
EAT, since you post so many of these articles, why not create a sister site (like lettingagenttoday.co.uk), call it craponlineprivatesellersitetoday.co.uk and post these pointless "news" articles on there. Since they are of absolutely no interest to any estate agent whatsover, i fail to see the releance of them on here apart from a bit of PR which is then torn to bits.
They say "never say never". However, I can confidently say that private sales will NEVER replace estate agents, no matter what the technology. The fundamental truth is that most people don't buy the property about which they enquired. The skill of a good estate agent is to help buyers understand their areas of potential compromise and they then show them a property that fits, in context.
In other words, from a seller's perspective estate agents have what sellers need - a ready supply of suitable buyers. The only thing private adverts generally attract is a limp supply of unsuitable buyers - especially as private sales are inevitably overpriced.
And no way are 14% of sales private. I doubt even a tenth of this. How many private for sale boards do you see? In the USA the figure is 19% possibly prompted by a much higher fee saving. Even then half of these sales are "in family" and would not have used an agent in any event.
The owners of this portal might make some money from private sellers, who are attracted to the principle, but these poor souls won't be moving house soon!
But Ocky darling, while your wrench is huge but your big, hairy, sweaty gut is putting me off a bit, it took 4 tubes of Lanacane to stop the itching last time.
Sarcasm = Lowest form of wit. Well done for trying to be funny though.
yep, i nominate Pee Bee as well with a side of Jonnie
CERTAIN OTHER sell-by-owner websites could learn a thing or two from this one, actually!
Prattling Pete is offering a dialogue on his blog Peebee.
He wants a nominated spokesperson. I can't think of anyone better able to deal with him.
DING DONG
"Mrs Jones? I understand you got a problem with your sink? I might have to get my big wrench out....Oooo.... yeah....etc"
@Jonnie - Whooooosh - it's gone right over their heads. Nice one though.
RR< 'It looks rather like it's been designed by estate agents though'.
as opposed to your site which scraps its data?
Trust me this site is about 100000000% better than yours and it's still c**p.
@ jonnie, sorry that the sarcasm went over some peoples heads. I liked it though.
Oh, gawd…………..Peter Pie,
See note to Chris Smiles
Jonnie
CERTAIN OTHER sell-by-owner websites could learn a thing or two from this one, actually!
1 - it's a pretty good looking site.
2 - it seems to recognise that the vendor will want a reasonable figure for their property (Mr H would have a seizure if he read the 'Valuation Guide'... ;0))
3 - well, okay - there are really only two positives... but that's TWO more than our potty pal has in his armoury.
In fairness to the site, it DOES state that HIP is no longer compulsory but can be provided voluntarily, giving buyers access to more information than they would normally have (which is true - pity that no buyer actually ever used them, innit!)
Here's one someone may be able to help me on. According to the site, 14% or more of sellers no do so privately. An accurate figure?
Perhaps someone from the site would be prepared to enlighten us as to how much they made last year in charitable donations? Also - why charities that offer the homeless of MEXICO help, when so many in the UK suffer in this way? Could you also enlighten me how you can PLEDGE to pay for ten homes to be built this year in Mexico, when you cannot guarantee the profits will cover that cost?
Charities cannot run on pledges that do not materialise.
It looks ratherlike it's been designed by estate agents though.
Better than yours then!
The website is awful, it looks life it has been bought online from one of the hosting companies. The content is awful too. Overall - don't give up your day job, and give yourself a wake up call - The Revolution has Begun - HA lol
Chris Smiles…………………..
You haven’t read stuff from me before have you?
Jonnie
Jonnie,
The thing about plugging your own or your client's website is that it's SOOOO transparent.
When you deal with negotiations every day of the week you do have a certain insight into people and behaviour, this is what agents are paid for - yes there are lazy and stupid agents, but they tend not to be able to get the deals done and therefore leave the industry. There are plenty of cutting out the middle men websites, this is not innovative and is unlikely to make its owners or backers any serious money as there is no value added. You should've taken the time to talk to people in the industry before going off half cocked.
Jonnie,
The thing about plugging your own or your client's website is that it's SOOOO transparent.
When you deal with negotiations every day of the week you do have a certain insight into people and behaviour, this is what agents are paid for - yes there are lazy and stupid agents, but they tend not to be able to get the deals done and therefore leave the industry. There are plenty of cutting out the middle men websites, this is not innovative and is unlikely to make its owners or backers any serious money as there is no value added. You should've taken the time to talk to people in the industry before going off half cocked.
It looks ratherlike it's been designed by estate agents though.
Well, ive had a look and I think its great and im sure it will be a success.
No one has tried this before and as the number of properties on there shows, when you enter an industry full of puffed up over paid morons that charge thousands for doing nothing and you charge no fees at all you quickly take a huge slice of the market. The hard pressed consumer is flocking to them in tens
The guide to HIPs is really good and very helpful as well as being a current issue that many sellers are concerned about, I also liked the piece on valuing your house and how agents always get it wrong, unlike the public they probably don’t bother with nethouseprices.com and Home Track to support their figures.
So, in all very, very good indeed – im also quite sure those private sales won’t suffer from the ‘personality’ issues and disagreements that crop up between the individuals in the chain and all that moving dates / fixtures and fittings, price negotiation bits and pieces.
Since 2008 when buyers and sellers started to really share a common view on house prices and the direction they are going the simple and straight forward price negotiation element is very exciting and im sure no one will fluff the process and cost them selves many more times what a scumbag estate agent would have ripped them off for.
Excellent, with 10% of the profits going to noble causes the charities that are in line to benefit must be delighted as well.
A revolution has begun, very exciting
Jonnie
how very innovative
Is this news, or comment?