Zoopla is to remove aggregators of private seller and landlord listings, and which do not provide agency services, from its sites.
It will expel those already on the sites and ban any that try to get on in future.
The move comes after mounting disquiet by agents and a ban by Agents’ Mutual on aggregators.
Only days ago Michael Stoop of Legal & General’s Xperience criticised the big portals for allowing “what are, essentially, non-agent businesses listing properties alongside those of full-service agents”.
Zoopla Property Group, headed by Alex Chesterman, has now thrown down the gauntlet and given an answer to agents worried about the creep of private advertisers on to portals.
It has announced new advertising criteria, in a move specifically designed to prevent aggregators from listing on its websites.
In future, Zoopla will only accept listings from businesses that meet these new guidelines and which are operating as bona-fide estate or letting agents, offering a full range of agency services.
The new guidelines will require businesses that advertise on the Zoopla Property Group websites to:
* operate as an estate or letting agent, not a pure aggregator
* prepare property details on behalf of the vendor or landlord
* handle enquiries directly with no call forwarding to “principal”, ie the landlord or vendor
* act as an intermediary between the parties during transaction
* not provide a ‘listing only’ service as a back door to private sellers and landlords using portals.
There are currently a small number of advertisers on ZPG that do not meet the new guidelines, said Zoopla.
These businesses – which may term themselves “agents” – will be given until the end of the year to conform or will be removed from the platform.
Zoopla would not comment on specific names that face being kicked off the sites.
However, a spokesperson said: “We are carefully reviewing the business models of all members to ensure that they comply with our new guidelines.
“We will be advising any that don’t of what changes would need to be made by them in order to remain on our sites.
“Any party that is no longer a member will be prevented from using our brands in their marketing materials or on their websites. We have set up a dedicated compliance team to monitor these businesses and also ensure that all members are only advertising properties that are currently available.”
Even before its latest statement, Zoopla had already said it would still not allow the Sarah Beeny site Tepilo to advertise, despite its relaunch from a private sales site to being an online agent.
Tepilo is, however, on Rightmove, where its message is: “Our aim is to reduce your costs and give you more control, because we think the best person to know how a home should be sold is often the person who owns it.”
A spokesperson for Rightmove told us: “Tepilo has been through our vetting process to identify that they work within Rightmove terms and conditions of membership as well as any industry rules and regulations.”
ZPG has also announced it is clamping down on agents who do not remove old listings.
It said the single biggest complaint from users is in relation to listings being advertised but no longer available. A dedicated compliance team has been given sole responsibility to check listing quality and validity and remove ‘ghost’ and/or ‘expired’ listings.
Chesterman said: “Our aim is to provide a high-quality service to the users of our websites in terms of both content and experience.
“We believe that can currently only be achieved through professional agents preparing listing details and intermediating consumer enquiries.
“We will not accept listings from private vendors or landlords or pure aggregators of either.”
%20A%20property%20tale%20for%20our%20times.png)
Comments
So Agent only ?
What about developers and large property companies currently alloed to advertise on the portals,
They are private landlords and sellers too
The portals advertise the very developers agents want to work for.
double standards, big business, big agents with high overheads trying to keep smaller agents from undercutting them....
... um same od same old
@@Jacob,
YOU SAID: "Reason they should not be able to advertise is because it was set up for agents who offer a service to clients":
ANSWER: Good online estate agents offer a full service including valuations, viewings, professional photos and floorplans, negotiations and sales progression. The fact that the service is customisable / optional or cheaper is not a reason to throw them off Zoopla. This is anti-competitive and Zoopla need to be very careful on this point.
YOU SAID: "An Agent will, value a property, write details on a property, have a number of different advertising streams inc zoopla, salespeople calling out on a property, advise clients of changing trends, negotiate offers on a property, sales progress on the sale. All of this is why you pay a premuim and which in turn is why zoopla/rightmove charge us agents a premium."
ANSWER: (Same as above answer) Good online estate agents are able to offer all of this for less. Much less.
YOU SAID: "The third party "agent" will just put the property on the website take a couple of hundred pounds and do nothing further. This is not the service Zoopla want to promote as this is not good for vendors or purchasers (see above for benefits)."
ANSWER: A stripped down service is also possible with High Street agents. How many High Street Agents get clients to do their own viewings and do as little as possible? Just because some agents are doing it cheaply doesn't mean you can ban them. We live in a free country and the competition rules are clear.
CONCLUSION: Online estate agents manage to do what High Street Agents do for a 10th of the price. If you charge a premium rate you need to offer a premium service, it's the only way to compete. Offer glossy brochures and helicopter viewings, then maybe you can warrant a fee of £1,000's.
Some landlords still think they will be able to use online letting agents to get their properties onto the portals without paying more than a listing fee - see http://victoriawhitlock.co.uk/victoria-whitlock-s-blog/
Fees so high the can now remove these to pretend to have acted, how long did it take and have they actually done it?
"those that act like a listing tool but offer a more expensive option that no one goes for will still be on." Like Tepilo who are banned?
Trevor, So its just FSBO, private lettings and aggregators that should be banned any other business models?
@Steve well spotted. I saw these points too. I also raised FSBO sites a year ago. A d as Cilla would say Surpise Surprise. Theyre still there.
@Happy Chappy. If only it were true. My fear is that FSBO and private letting models will still be on RM and Z. Unfair to agents. And many aggregators will take private listings at any old price.
@Kensie. Totally agree. All was posted when 100% sober.
As long as Rightmove exists and provide access to the private seller then Zoopla cannot be anti-competitive.
The EA Act makes a very simple definition of an agent but it does make clear that intermediary business activities are not under its control. Regardless, Zoopla are free to determine their terms & conditions and given that the industry is indeed unregulated then ‘stopping private landlords from advertising’ doesn’t actually require a reason.
Read the article people, most of these aggregator sites will still be on. This is just a PR piece. Agents that just act as a listing tool will not be allowed those that act like a listing tool but offer a more expensive option that no one goes for will still be on.
This is their current policy and also the policy of Rightmove already.
I'll believe it when I see it.
The Alex Chesterman PR machine rolls on. Can't believe this will help his upcoming float
Well Done Zoopla !!
As for Trevor Mealham- he has so much time for his silly comments- he is either a multiple millionaire or doesn't care about his own website and is deluded
“Tepilo has been through our vetting process to identify that they work within Rightmove terms and conditions of membership as well as any industry rules and regulations.”
"Yeah, they agreed to pay us."
@ Trevor Mealham INEA
I offer you this golden rule - never post when p*ssed. You will feel silly in the morning
Trevor - The sentiment is quite clear, a listings only service is not allowed on Zoopla. You should be cheering its the sort of anti competition rule you want. You are quite right though policing it is different.
I still don't think there can be an argument for stopping any EA (regardless of fee model) from using any portal if they are covered by the EA act.
I also cant see any reason for stopping private landlords from advetising on any portal site as the whole industry is unregulated. Not that they need a national portal to let properties.
@wakeupandsmellthecoffee
Y?????
Don't wake up more like, they are a bunch of ignorant gits who will all be on the dole in a couple of years time!! Or at zoopla.
Come on RM - you're lack of action on this front is playing right into the hands of ZPG and AM wake up or your complacency is going to cost you big time
Good luck to all those 'so called' agents that want to list peoples properties in Bournemouth whilst being based in Newcastle. This new approach of 'passing on leads' is just a sell out. Genuinely best of luck but you are not agents and never will be.
A fine line must be drawn between EA's and people setting up a website for a few hundred quid, or in Beenys case a few thousand all of which is about to go down the pan.
@ M
I think if you check for the worst offending aggregators - the 'let your property Mr Private landlord for nothing and we'll take the application fees' if in England and Wales. Then regardless of what Z say. I think they'll still be there in 2-3 weeks.
equally - why have such aggregators ever been allowed in Z and RM. It commercially benefits: 1) the aggregator, 2) Z as they earn another subscription 3) the private landlords.
Then there's the sell your private listing cheap aggregators such as tepilo who say save agents fees and use them.
Sorry Trevor, I'm afraid you've lost me there.... What is the point you are trying to convey?
Hey did anyone look up in the sky and see pigs flying.
I did as I went down to the garden centre to buy some rocking horse manure.
Whats the saying. ..... You can a fool a few of the people all the time and some of the people. ................
The litmus test is in 2-3 weeks to google [let property on zoopla for free]. Me thinks in a couple of weeks the real santa will be coming down the chimney too.
Yes obvioulsy this has nothing to do with quality or about helping buyers or sellers,
It is about Zoopla, trying to be the portal of choice for the traditional agents over Rightmove.
Policing this rule will be difficult though, surely, If a business can show that it is regulated by the EA act then Zoopla have to accept their listings?
You can also be sure the big online budget agents will not be banned.
Well done Zoopla, yet another reason why I will be dropping Rightmove when AM launches.
@Jacob - well said.
Happy Chappy - the fact is they often purport to be agents offering savings and providing mainstream portal listings.
I pay shed loads for EACH office - they avoid this by having a 'hub' which covers anywhere, no overheads, no service levels, no insurances, no consumer protection - just a spare room in some cases or a serviced office at best.
I just hope agents mutual dont end up supporting rightmove, just as Zoopla look like they are kicking ass.
We all know Zoopla is the best but do the public??
Zoopla recognise that when agents make the decision to drop either them or Rightmove when Agents Mutual joins the party then the portal that best supports traditional estate agents (both in price and performance) stands more chance of surviving.
"Both. The more of these back bedroom unregulated agents masquerading as proper firms"
When did the Lettings industry become regulated?
If a company is offering a listings only service what is there to regulate?
At last!
An actual discussion on a subject instead of juvenile comments.
Chesterman said: “Our aim is to provide a high-quality service to the users of our websites in terms of both content and experience." OK good thats great
“We believe that can currently only be achieved through professional agents preparing listing details and intermediating consumer enquiries"
So Mr Chesterman you seem to be taking responsibility for quality control of EA listings and enquiry's great. So you won't mind ensuring all adverts and details on your site conform to CPR. :0)
Jacob,
Reason they should not be able to advertise is because it was set up for agents who offer a service to clients.
A number of the "Agents" listed are not infact agents they are just a third party to allow advertising and have no interest or skill in selling property.
An Agent will, value a property, write details on a property, have a number of different advertising streams inc zoopla, salespeople calling out on a property, advise clients of changing trends, negotiate offers on a property, sales progress on the sale. All of this is why you pay a premuim and which in turn is why zoopla/rightmove charge us agents a premium.
The third party "agent" will just put the property on the website take a couple of hundred pounds and do nothing further. This is not the service Zoopla want to promote as this is not good for vendors or purchasers (see above for benefits).
Good for estate agents?
Good for the public?
Both. The more of these back bedroom unregulated agents masquerading as proper firms
And yes, I know it doesn't apply to everyone, nevertheless, it DOES apply to many.
Why shouldn't they be allowed to advertise?
Tenants want choice, and if any portal has all of the properties, providing choice, what's the problem with that?
From what I can tell, these aggregators offer the same service as a listing only agent would do, but with larger numbers. If it is out of date listings you are complaining about, that's a different issue.
If the portals are going to start to dictate as to who can join their club, then maybe its time to look somewhere else. Fair competition? - I don't think so.
Sounds good in theory, be interested to see how many are expelled.
Too many internet sites claiming to be "Agents" are about and think it will be too hard to really police.
Glad Zoopla is at least making the right nosies, can really go someway to being the agents top choice over rightmove if they can clamp down on the so called "Internet Agents"
@ 'good for'
You have an implied point of course.
The main portals are SO expensive that if agents are to pay to be on them, we surely deserve some significant benefit. If agents are to recoup the cost of the large portals by re-selling I see all sorts of issues (some a bit like sub-letting without permission).
Also, just like many prefer to buy a car from a dealer as they know they have some sort of comeback and warranty, its a bit like that with buying a house, perhaps more so. So if you look on a market leading website you should know that you are buying from a professional agent,
There is scope for private sales on a website, and I imagine that is what Tepilo set out to be ... and frankly I'd rather that was what it remained.
Good for estate agents?
Good for the public?
Discuss.
Well done Zoopla. You are decent folk.
Not a surprise. Rightmove doing all they can to shaft estate agents.
Total scumbags. We have ALL got to sort these bastards out once & for all.
Shipside, you are a disgrace.
Well done zoopla. When AM get finally/eventually get up and running, I'm know which other portal we are staying with. Goodbye Rightmove...
When was the last time you read the words "Well done" followed by the name of a portal?
Clearly a good move from ZPG in the PR stakes alone! A welcome move nonetheless.
Well done Zoopla. I wonder whether they are thinking about AM in these important changes to generate more loyalty from agents and to raise their practices above those of RM?
good move zoopla.....about time. lines have been blurred...this helps.
anyone in the know care to have a stab at which sites this will affect?
About time.
I know that when they came to me asking for a 25% increase I moaned about it. Glad to see their finally doing something about it
WELL DONE ZOOPLA.
And that includes for clamping down on expired property listings. What a disgraceful practice.