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Written by rosalind renshaw

The launch of a new national property portal, to be owned by agents for agents, has received an overwhelming response from the industry.

The story, which broke on EAT yesterday, resulted in Ian Springett, who has been hired to drive forward the project, being “inundated” with expressions of interest from agents.

It has also emerged that the business plan for Agents’ Mutual, the company set up to launch the as yet un-named portal, is at an ‘advanced stage’.

Springett said that the immediate strategy is to engage with every agent in the country to get their thoughts on the new portal – and what is set to be a battle royal with Rightmove and Zoopla.

He said, in answer to suggestions voiced on the EAT site yesterday that the new portal looked as though it could be too London-centric and upmarket, that he is looking for the widest and largest possible audience of participants right across the country.

Springett said: “In fact, it is probably the smaller independents who stand to benefit the most.” He estimates that savings for a one- to three-branch business would be £3,888 per year.

This would be on the basis that agents advertise on the new site – which will keep its own costs down as far as possible – and agree to advertise on just one other portal, for five years.

While it is not known which would be the greater loser in this strategy – Zoopla or Rightmove – the City looked slightly spooked yesterday after the Financial Times was the only other media to cover the story: while it was a bad day for the stock market generally, Rightmove’s share price went down a little more than most.

The founding members of the company behind the portal include Chesterton Humberts, Douglas & Gordon, Glentree Estates, Knight Frank, Savills, and Strutt & Parker whose total of 240 estate agent offices across the UK have pledged to use the new site.

Springett said that in broad terms, he is looking for a “critical mass” of 1,000 offices altogether to make the new portal a reality.  
 
Springett, who led PrimeLocation for five years, said: “Our site will be the first portal fully owned by agents since the sale of PrimeLocation, and it will become a serious competitor to the sites already in existence. 

“The site will not be driven by the need to maximise financial returns to shareholders – which has driven up listing fees for agents and consumers on some other sites – but instead to create the best high-quality property search service.
 
“We believe there is a lack of choice in the market, and we know that agents are very keen to see an alternative to the current property portals. The price increases for agents using the existing options, Rightmove and Zoopla, have been very robust, and ultimately that cost is being passed on to consumers. 

“In due course, the Agents’ Mutual site will not only offer a better quality of listings, but the ongoing costs will be limited to agents.”

Agents who support the new venture will, he emphasised, remain in control, with one share and one vote per member firm. Costs will be kept down and all profits will be reinvested in the site.  

Springett added: “All agents know that there is a strong market opportunity here as the current options are putting increasing pressure on their costs.

“Our site will protect the interests of the agents by ensuring low listing costs. Ultimately this will ensure that these costs do not get passed on to vendors, and buyers will be assured that listings are accurate and up to date.”

Industry sources say that the venture will call agents’ bluff, and that it is time to put up or shut up. One said: “It will be interesting to see whether it is just a talking shop for agents, that they are fed up with portals’ costs and want something new, or whether they really will finally get up off their backsides and do something about it.”
 
Agents who have not yet done so can use the link below to express their interest, without any commitment, and to get information packs.


https://www.agentsmutual.co.uk/
 

Comments

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    @Sam Donkin " What good is your site if I can't even register? This is the second time I've tried in 2 weeks and it throws up an error. If you are going to criticise RM and Zoopla, at least have something decent to offer as an alternative. Epic fail!"

    Interesting, what is the name of your agency? I'll get the IT guys to check the Database to see what the problem is.

    Nobody else has reported a problem and we had 45 agencies register with us during May, 38 of them in the UK.

    Trying to make the site as user friendly as possible, but unless we get constructive criticism it is difficult to tell if we are going in the right direction.

    Sorry you are experiencing problems.

    Here's my direct email - scott@findersandsellers.com

    • 29 May 2013 10:20 AM
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    @Scott Creasey - What good is your site if I can't even register? This is the second time I've tried in 2 weeks and it throws up an error. If you are going to criticise RM and Zoopla, at least have something decent to offer as an alternative. Epic fail!

    • 28 May 2013 18:19 PM
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    @PeeBee
    I would think OOOOOOOOOOOOooooo ! IS an estate agent.
    It looks dead obvious to me - just thought I'd chirp up so that you know I'm still around.

    • 28 May 2013 18:02 PM
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    Well said Nick Salmon, I totally agree!

    • 28 May 2013 16:47 PM
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    Why would I want to tie my company into a 5 year agreement to only advertise on two portals? If this venture doesn't take off then I'm in reality only limiting myself to one portal to gain leads from... This make no sense to me.

    I'm extremely sceptical about the collaboration element also. Property portals these days are tech companies more than they are property companies. How can a collaboration of agents run a tech company? How are decisions going to be made on what new property search technology to invest in?? I simply can't see it working and us agents are all going to be tied in for 5 years whilst it flounders.

    • 28 May 2013 11:41 AM
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    When i bought recently, I visited the estate agents once and once only having spent months looking on line then emailed for a viewing...I am nearly 50 and the internet is the the only medium i used for looking and buying..

    • 27 May 2013 23:24 PM
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    @Observer - Scott Creasey has no vested interest then!.

    Of course I do, as I said quite openly

    "This is business, it’s about money and profit nothing more".

    If you can do it without ripping anybody off, make people happy, provide a good service, and build an honest reputation at the same time, that is a bonus, but in the end profit is the motivating factor that makes most people turn up at the office each day.

    And talking of vested interest.

    @Johathan Rich - "How did we sell property in the early 90's? We had a box FULL of applicants that we have spoken to, or already met and a phone".

    Yes I agree, but that's 20 years ago. In 1991, I was selling insurance, commission only, no computers and no mobile phone. Sit in the office for 3 hours in the morning cold calling to make appointments for the afternoon, I bet my suit was shiner than yours. I know which method I prefer.

    The fact is that times have changed considerably, if my kids can't find it on line and read the reviews before they buy it, they simply aren't interested and these are the next generation of buyers.

    @ Rich - It will have to be free and be on TV - Yes and Yes couldn't agree more.

    Portals are not going to go away, in fact I would say they are set to become more advanced and more prominent over the next few years, the biggest issue is getting a portal under the noses of the public. As @Rich says that means TV as well as social media viral ads etc.

    The public these days expect to look online first and then approach an agent armed with all the information they need. Do it right and when Mr and Mrs Jones turn up in your shop with printouts of photo's epc's, descriptions etc to arrange viewings, then you are half way there.

    Get it wrong and they'll just type in a different URL.

    I mentioned in another thread the trips I have been making back and forth to our Spanish office over the last few months. What interested me was that sellers in Spain don't expect to pay to advertise on an agents website or any of the portals and the agents in Spain don't charge them. They also realise that by working together, using MLS which is common in much of Europe, and sharing listings, they get a bigger bite of the apple.

    Chow.

    • 27 May 2013 14:28 PM
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    Every failed attempt to challenge rightmove only makes them stronger. Here's the deal: Their business model is simplistic (little different from the drug dealer giving out free hits in the playground to get kids addicted and turn them into helpless smackheads). They have NO USP that can't be mimicked and replicated in a breath. They do NOT have patented technology unavailable to anyone else. Estate agents, not the employees, shareholders or directors of rightmove have created a £2billion listed company. No listings = no company.

    I am amazed the city hasn't recognised just how vulnerable this supposed wonderful company is. Why can't estate agents for once organise themselves to control what is rightfully theirs? Put radarhomes, propertylive and agentsmutual all into the same brew and take control - control of your future portal rates.

    Put up or shut up, the choice is yours.

    • 26 May 2013 13:42 PM
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    Last poster - IF you are an Estate Agent, then you are an idiot and in the wrong job to boot.
    If you are not an Estate Agent - just lose the last seven words from the previous statement.

    • 26 May 2013 10:49 AM
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    Look. All I want to do is stick a few shitty pictures and a lump of "killer selling text" out there and some plumb will buy it.
    Why am I not able to do this for £2:50 ? some of these robbin portals want to steal some of my £1000's

    • 25 May 2013 18:58 PM
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    @ Robert May.

    Very interesting.

    Thanks for your comments. Guess we will have to wait and see regarding Gen 5.

    In the meantime I will continue in my efforts to try and encourage applicants to befriend the agent..

    • 25 May 2013 13:09 PM
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    Genius post!

    • 25 May 2013 12:37 PM
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    Trevor.....

    Haven't they done enough already?

    • 25 May 2013 11:39 AM
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    So will the founders be leaving both rightmove and zoopla to show others the way. Not just one but BOTH main portals. Put your money where your mouth is and others should follow ???

    Knight Frank - Douglas & Gordon - Glentree Estates - Chesterton Humberts - Strutt & Parker - Savills

    So will the founders be leaving both rightmove and zoopla ??? The founders need to show they 100% beleive in the concept and not 50% leave their listings with either RM or zippy for others to have 100% (not 50% faith in the venture) and for no revoke by the 6 to return to RM or z for a good 24 months.

    • 25 May 2013 09:54 AM
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    We have registered for the Bronze package and in the meantime will be watching to see what Nick Salmon comes up with over the coming weeks....

    • 24 May 2013 16:19 PM
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    http://www.planetpropertyblog.co.uk/2013/05/24/time-to-sell-your-rightmove-shares/

    • 24 May 2013 15:40 PM
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    For how many years have people been moaning about Rightmove, their monopoly, sheer arrogance and raising prices?

    It appears that the only way to take them on is to create a viable alternative, these agents have clubbed together and given everyone a platform lead by someone with an proven history in making such a venture work.
    It is now up to agents to put their money where their mouths are. If not then can we please have no more ranting whenever we get another price increase.

    You've got your chance, you can either embrace it or let Rightmove rule the roost forever more.

    • 24 May 2013 14:34 PM
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    perché deve essere in televisione?

    • 24 May 2013 14:27 PM
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    It will have to be free and be on TV which = a bit of investment form these 'big players'. Until then weak agents with low profits are stuck in this self inflicted problem...chow bella

    • 24 May 2013 14:00 PM
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    Why can't you see that this project starting out with the highhanded directive that agents have to restrict their digital media presence is getting off on the wrong foot.

    If I choose to use Rightmove to schmooze vendor perception that [as the RM rep on the other thread said] it is the place to punt property, and I choose to advertise with Primelocation because it is where my quality applicants come from. It should be down to my KPIs to dictate my marketing spend and not 6 blokes who are trying to control the competition albeit supposedly for my long term benefit

    • 24 May 2013 13:13 PM
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    @Johnathan Rich

    I learned the business selling to applicants using an applicant Hotbox and farming the vendors who were staying in the area.
    Computer Software and internet has robbed most negotiators of the basic skill of understanding and nurturing applicant requirements. Email, Text messaging and Facebook that were meant to improve communication have been used to isolate or insulate negotiators from direct contact with applicant.
    Opening a desktop inbox of applicants in search of those keen to view or offer is not Agency as I understand it, such a practice means most applicants only receive a single cursory glance. With no feedback or follow up it is no wonder that many applicants have become almost exclusively self service using the Internet as their only consistent source of details and property information.
    We are moving towards the 5th generation of Agency which sees a return to the style of Agency you learned. Whichever portal offers Generation 5 capabilities is the portal that will succeed in this next phase of Agency.

    • 24 May 2013 13:03 PM
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    Scott Creasey has no vested interest then!

    • 24 May 2013 12:43 PM
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    What's so wrong with dropping either rightmove or zoopla?

    Not sure we should be pushed into dropping other entities like mouseprice and houseladder, not that they bring much in, but surely no agent needs both rightmove and zoopla?

    • 24 May 2013 12:38 PM
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    It might get more comment here

    “The aim would be to keep listing costs down and not to make profits”.

    An agency run, non-profit portal run for the good of agents, oh please, this is business, it’s about money and profit nothing more. They simply want a slice of the Rightmove/Zoopla cake and who can blame them it is a massive cake that agents have been icing for years.

    “Agents Mutual will allow its agents to list properties on just one other portal”.

    ALLOW that’s nice of them. Maybe I'm suffering from conspiracy theory syndrome, but I can see a hidden agenda here.

    OK lads and lassies move your listings to Agents Mutual and we will still allow you to list with one other portal. So who’s it going to be, Rightmove or Zoopla? Here’s the thing if 50% of agents ditch Zoopla and 50% ditch RM, both companies will see massive drops in share prices and revenue, and both will eventually throw in the towel.

    HURRAH! I hear you shout, but what’s left? Just one big national portal that you have to stick with because every other portal in the free market has gone under. As we have already seen and many have been moaning about for years, when one company rules the market, they have got you by the short and curlies
    .
    Here are some predictions one from the past and one for the future.

    2008 – “All told, an astonishing 75.7% of agents who participated in the Estate Agent Today poll say they will not be renewing their annual subscriptions to Rightmove”.

    2018 – “All told an astonishing 75.7% of agents who participated in the Estate Agent Today poll say they will not be renewing their annual subscriptions to Agents Mutual”.

    On the 20th of May we at Finders and Sellers contacted a number of UK journalists and handed over a press release which introduces a new operating model which we believe will make the old one obsolete. Here’s a snippet from that release.

    “Maintaining a totally free service for estate agents does of course have financial implications, but the main strategy for revenue generation should be, like many other high traffic volume websites, not to charge the user, but instead allow companies to advertise their products on the website”.

    Interestingly enough the response was overwhelming, we received 125 emails from Journalists all over the UK asking for more information about our business model.

    Guess what the heading of the press release was.

    “UK Property Portal Shares Set To Tumble As Finders And Sellers Say Move Over Boys We’re Coming Though”.

    Surprising that four days after that was seen by 125 journalists, the Rightmove shares started to fall, we like to think helped.

    To be honest, I for one believe that if you abandon a free market attitude which enables you to advertise where you want and pay as much or as little as you want, in favour of a huge national site that you own one share in, then five years down the line, you'll be moaning about the “Agents Mutual” the way you do about RM.

    Finders and Sellers believes free is the only way forward.

    • 24 May 2013 12:31 PM
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    WEB PORTALS

    Where have all the applicants gone? They are out there presumably, somewhere in the ether....

    We have good market share and a good register of property that I feel is sensibly priced. BUT very few applicants are registering and web portals have fast become my least favourite marketing tool.

    I started in the business in 1991. Back then it was only the local paper or national advertising that was available. It was much more simple, potential buyers had to visit the office, or call into the office and register in person. Great. we might even get them out viewing straight away!

    These days, thinking about it, buyers that look online are not being gently hooked, they are being bombarded with marketing bumf, but is it helpful to them... or us?

    6-20 photos
    flooplans (3d or standard)
    Virtual tours
    pdf brochures.
    etc..

    Nowadays, I am sure that we still have the same number of buyers around, but they are online fixated with 'property porn', as one buyer put it.

    Fine, but what if they don't like the properties they see? Do they actually call the agent and ask if they have anything else. Rarely, I am guessing. I suggest it is more a case of lap-top closed. End of.

    How do we reach these applicants? What is it they are actually looking for? (We know that a third of buyers buy something they hadn't at first considered.) Have they got a house to sell in our area? etc..

    We don't know because they can't be reached. Great for them. No talking to what they stereo typically envisage is the shiny suit hard sell brigade.

    Times have changed and the majority of agents understand that this 'Del Boy' approach doesn't win many fans. We just want to talk to them don't we, to listen and understand buyers needs and then sell to their needs.

    We need buyers right now more than ever. Web portals don't help agents and I am not sure they help buyers either.

    How did we sell property in the early 90's? We had a box FULL of applicants that we have spoken to, or already met and a phone.

    Hind sight and all that and now we have to keep up with the Jones' and of course some agents won't know life without the internet. However, I am sure that less is more.

    We are currently thinking of maintaining a web presence but stripping back to a few lines and a one good photo. that we may to find out any more about it they will have to call, won't they....?

    Any comments gratefully received.

    Cheers!

    • 24 May 2013 12:31 PM
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    They rebounded when the details came out!

    If this was going to be a Agents portal for Agents should details such as how many portals the member agent subscribes to be a matter for discussion a lot further down the road, once it has more than 6 member Agents who possibly don't agree that there should be a restriction?

    The writing is already on the wall! I don't doubt they will get money and develop something but with such restriction in place already it is likely that this will favour some a little more than others.

    • 24 May 2013 11:38 AM
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    Yes, where exactly does this leave PropertyLive I wonder…

    Having read the Agents' Mutual proposal/business plan, I have to say it seems extremely viable and very well thought out. We definitely need to get behind this! The best bit of all has to be restricting agents to only one other portal. And then there's the bit about not being allowed to promote any other portal whatsoever, instead member agents MUST promote the Agents' Mutual site.

    Brilliant. No wonder rightmove shares have taken a dip.

    In time we might get the added bonus of FALLING rightmove/Zoopla subscriptions, when they realise that we are definitely only going to go with one of them.

    • 24 May 2013 11:30 AM
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    Anyone watching the rightmove share price? Seems there was a 5% drop around the announcement yesterday but a strong rebound this morning and now tanking a bit again this morning.

    Look at the 5 year share price graph and you'll understand why something HAS to be done about rightmove's dominance in the marketplace.

    • 24 May 2013 11:26 AM
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    Nick Salmon said....
    "And it would not involve pulling off any other portal in order to list."

    But it is for this very reason that Property Live and any other alternative has not and will not work. As to be a serious player they will need to enter the market from a position of strength.

    This new venture appears to have the right business plan and is not just 'another' portal doomed to fail!

    • 24 May 2013 11:19 AM
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    The Jack Russell/Shih Tzu cross is a commercailly available product for vendors; it helps them choose an agent.

    "strewth missus got got yersen a feckin Jack Shit!" weeds out most corporate negs.
    "Jeez there's Jiz on me new Next Trousers" weeds out another level of Agent
    Us old stagers, knowing that doggy love juice will soon brush out once it dries, slam dunk the instruction at a full 2% with ease consumatte "He likes me doesn't he?"

    • 24 May 2013 11:13 AM
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    Paul

    Your point about a new single window sticker is a good one.

    Thought. As an agent - if you had 2-3 sellers who you had found buyers for but didnt have properties for your clients to buy. Would you be open to introducing your clients to 2-3 other agents listings if your leads were worth £1-2,000 a time?

    Would an extra £2,000 to £6,000 for sub intros be worth having where another agent has a property and you the buyer/s?

    What if some of your portal leads you don't have alternative properties for. What if fellow local agents don't do some portals you do?

    Portals create property alerts that agents could do between themselves. Agents know when a seller becomes a buyer.

    • 24 May 2013 11:09 AM
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    The day we all pull our properties from rightmove and zoopla will be so newsworthy that we'd get free publicity in every newspaper and incredible word of mouth.

    This sort of revolution is not quite as significant as the Arab Spring but it will be a commercial uprising to match no other and will get people talking and visiting the new site.

    It is great to see the rightmove share price falling, perhaps their shareholders will be putting pressure on the company not to bite the hand that feeds it.

    Is the share price still falling?

    Is there still time for rightmove to win back the goodwill of their customers with lower pricing or have they already blown it?

    This reminds me of Ratner killing his jewllery business by saying the stock was rubbish. Maybe rightmove will be forgotten as fast as he was when we remove our content.

    • 24 May 2013 11:08 AM
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    Knowing Ian Springett from his work on Primelocation Mk 1 and the great job he did in building it up for the sell-off I have great respect for his abilities. Good luck to his project.

    However, I note that the announcement of Agents' Mutual has come hot on the heels of NFOPP making public the tendering process in respect of Property Live. Surely no coincidence of timing?

    I am aware that there is at least one other highly credible and very attractive proposal in the offing to create a viable and cost-effective agent-owned portal. It would work with or without Property Live. It would be open to all agents. And it would not involve pulling off any other portal in order to list.

    May I suggest it would be as well for agents to pause for just a few weeks to see what comes out of the Property Live tendering process before they leap to the conclusion that the Central London venture is the one to go with.

    • 24 May 2013 11:08 AM
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    Paul

    INEA brings platform that unites agents. We are also EAT advertisers.

    RM and zoopla were backed by the corporates. My pionts are valid.

    What is to stop the large 6 from upping pricing later as RM and zoopla have done

    Many large agencies will not work with smaller agents so why would smaller agents support such a new model.

    Last - if agent A has a property and agent B a buyer or tenant - if a better result can be achieved why should agents not work and do deals direct with other agents. Buyers are just other agents sellers. If an agent knows their seller wishes to buy and agents can cross share property data then you have deals that will happen regardless of portals later sending a buyer alert out.

    I also believe portals give to much property info out. Years ago we gave limited advert info so interested buyers had to contact. The agent could then do their sales pitch and attempt to get the caller to become a client. Thus another listing on.

    Portals in their current format have many faults compared to much agency practice of yester year.

    I would want to know why this would be different to RM and zippy and hkw it would bring more direct contact back rather than just give info away.

    Agents want listings, sales and lets. The best way is to unite local agents and give agents a new better product. Each other.

    • 24 May 2013 10:56 AM
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    If RM/Zoopla have all our listings then obviously they get all the traffic and we get the leads. Take the listings away and it's just a house of cards. It's a simple premise but the problem for these new guys is we'll only move our stock if the alternative portal is widely known.

    Build a brand that tops every online search for property and thats when agents will come. Build an eco-system to keep us and thats when agents will stay.

    We follow the money, understand that and you understand agency.

    • 24 May 2013 10:46 AM
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    Had a look at the pricing. Not cheap for an unproven product!

    • 24 May 2013 10:45 AM
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    Hi everyone........having now read the intricate details sent to us from the company behind this new idea...........ladies and gentlemen.....I can only say one thing.....this is SERIOUS STUFF.........I'm in.......say no more !!

    • 24 May 2013 10:40 AM
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    Admin, please can you turn off the google adsense adverts, they keep showing the INEA with the sales pitch.

    • 24 May 2013 09:53 AM
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    Not all people go to google/online, many still want to walk around an area. Believe this or not we still get people who are not aware of rightmove when they walk in to the office. And so when asking where else to look we direct them to Rightmove, Zoopla, primelocation. You then see them standing outside the office searching on their phones.

    All that's required is for the agent to give the name of a different website and hey presto.....

    If agents work together on this then it can only succeed and we will be left with a website with lower prices as well as possibly one more portal with their prices lowered.

    I'm struggling to understand any agent that would go against such a proposal unless they have a vested interest of course.

    • 24 May 2013 09:45 AM
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    It would make a massive difference if the only sticker in the window was a new one!

    Vendors would wonder what the hell is going on if they did not see the RM and Z stickers.

    • 24 May 2013 09:33 AM
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    @ @fencesitter curious, I thought that milky tea and leg humping/jumping cross shitzus were features unique to either Somerset or to me. Clearly not. I suppose you must also get potential customers who find that taking family phone calls during an appointment with you whilst the TV is on is perfectly acceptable behaviour? And (as happened to me last night) then want me to repeat everything I've just gone through with hubby so that the MA started at 7PM ends at 8:45 PM? Luckily local pub kitchen didn't shut till 9PM so I just made it!

    I take my hat off to anyone going through the financial & emotional pain & effort of starting up a new portal. My potential clients only seem keen on Rightmove, a (declining) few want PrimeLocation and an (increasing) few want Zoopla! ... as far as they seem concerned, any other sites are a superficial bonus. Until a new site gains momentum ... and how it does that is beyond me ... sadly the punters don't really care.

    Many new sites are understandably centred on larger cities, so for an awful lot of agents in more rural locations (like me) it is very hard to sensibly move away from the big sites to new sites. In principle I would but in reality ?

    • 24 May 2013 09:26 AM
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    If these guys consider that there is a 'lack of choice in the market' (and I don't disagree) how can they justify imposing a restriction on agents by insisting they list on only one other portal?

    I'm very happy to support this, but I won't go with that.

    • 24 May 2013 09:26 AM
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    It is not vendors who choose where the property gets advertised. The Agent sat in front of them does that.
    The hunter gatherer gene in our make up means we will go where the food is available.

    Agents control the data and where the data is that is where applicants and vendors will go,

    The Rightmove monopoly is only as secure and long lasting as Bookmark this page, Add to favourites.

    All to many agents have been suckered in by the Rightmover claim that time on site is a positive thing, from a vendors,buyers and agents point of view is is exactly the opposite of what is required.

    • 24 May 2013 09:23 AM
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    Finally we have something that will allow agents to take back control and stop rightmove in their endless and continuous attempts to raise membership prices to ridiculous levels. They have become a law unto themselves, the status quo simply cannot continue.

    If done correctly I can foresee Zoopla and this new venture as the market leaders within 3 years.

    • 24 May 2013 09:10 AM
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    @fencesitter Whether people are happy to use estate agents is not the issue. The fact is simply that they are going to take a lot of convincing that listing their property on some new portal, rather than the runaway market leader, will deliver the market exposure they want. A reduction in agents' marketing costs is hardly likely to persuade them - unless it is accompanied by a lowering of fees, of course...

    • 24 May 2013 09:07 AM
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    Every vendor I have ever sold for, every potential vendor I have ever advised has always been very happy to employ an Estate Agent.

    Jasper carrot and other limited material comedians might use Estate Agents as topical subject for humour (?) every time the market moves rapidly out of the jealous reach of their audience, but the generally selling and buying public perception of Estate agents is of honest and polite people who will tolerate drinking milky tea or having a Jack Russell/ Shih Tzu cross humping their leg.

    • 24 May 2013 08:34 AM
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    Questions.

    Will the big 6 totally take their listings off RM and zippy. This would encourage public to go there ONLY.Properties no longer on other portals creates other portals traffic problems

    Would the consortium pledge a 10-15 year price fix per subscription?

    Many large agencies refuse to work with small agents, so other than the obvious why should smaller agents work with large agents.

    Agents collaborating fully by mls would be better giving more agents access to more listings and sub fees. Agents collaborating can achieve higher fees by providing clients greater exposure.

    MLA is a far better ew platform than A N Other portal

    • 24 May 2013 08:31 AM
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    when primelocation was sold to Daily Mail for this huge sum quoted yesterday of £48million, wasn't it effectively to cancel out the huge debts held by primelocation at that time?

    surely this needs clarified before everyone gets too excited. and if true, why should we believe this new project will be any better? will members be liable for debt ? need to know as if this project is not to be sold on down the line, there will be no white knight to the rescue....

    Mr Springett- i assume you'll be reading this today...can you clarify?

    thanks

    • 24 May 2013 08:25 AM
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    "We believe there is a lack of choice in the market..." For us, maybe - but do the public really give a monkey's? Given the choice, I'm sure they would far rather have every single property on the market advertised in the same place. Where portals are concerned, "greater choice" for house-hunters simply means "more hassle." That said, it would be nice to think that this idea might work - if only to put RM's nose out of joint (although, as a slogan, "run by estate agents, for estate agents" is hardly likely to endear itself to the great British public...)

    • 24 May 2013 08:19 AM
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    Mr Springett, telling Agents what to do; only allowing a single other portal presence, is seemingly your own goal before you even start putting a site together.

    Unless you now have a Masters degree in Jelly Juggling, trying to get Agents to do what you want them to do is near impossible. The clue is in the name, Independent Agents are just that, they are independent entrepreneurs who have the right to do as they wish and spend their marketing budget as they wish. This one restriction has rung my alarm bell already.

    The old saying says you will not strengthen the weak by weakening the strong, attempting to get agents to choose either Rightmove or Zoopla without targeting one of them will dilute the effectiveness of your battle plan.


    Mr Springett you picked up one point from yesterdays thread; the mention one about London centricity, this indicates you were following the comments. Assuming you or one of the big 6 are here this morning What is your response to the suggestions yesterday that Radar Homes have already built an Agent owned portal and have a viable number of Independent and corporate shareholder members. Surely a +5% head start of Agents who exactly match your target is a very good place to start. Given that Radar is powered by solid up to date technology is there logic in setting up something completely fresh to compete not only with the duopoly but a Wired wireframe that has to be very close to you own technical and non technical specification and is already in release?
    There is no doubt you will be aware of Radar Homes and Homeflow, if they are to be competition you aim to dispatch with your “one other portal” rule here is a very good opportunity to stick the knife in early, What is it they and the agent members are doing so badly wrong that sees your mutual objective not working ? If you ARE genuinely after building something that is Agent owned for the good of all Agents why aren’t you talking to them? I suspect the small print will need very careful reading, my suspicion is that it is the one agent, one vote aspect of Radar that will not be to the liking of the moneyed and affluent Agents and their shareholder investors. And that is the reason why Radar Homes is not featuring more prominently in this project.
    Pete Henderson gave out his email address yesterday, in the spirit of Agents keeping their options open and taking full advantage of the disturbance this is created, every gent would be wise to hear what all three Agent owned portals have to offer them and their companies before opting for anyone of them. It will be the small print that possibly splits this new scheme from one that is genuinely equitable for its Agent owners irrespective of their financial clout.

    • 24 May 2013 08:19 AM
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    "We believe there is a lack of choice in the market..." For us, maybe - but do the public really give a monkey's? Given the choice, I'm sure they would far rather have every single property on the market advertised is the same place. Where portals are concerned, "greater choice" for house-hunters simply means "more hassle." That said, it would be nice to think that this idea might work - if only to put RM's nose out of joint (although, as a slogan, "run by estate agents, for estate agents" is hardly likely to endear itself to the great British public...)

    • 24 May 2013 08:18 AM
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    Fantastic, the very best of luck wth this project.

    • 24 May 2013 06:59 AM
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