Both Zoopla and Digital are continuing to act as competitors, despite the OFT having given the go-ahead for their merger this week.
However, while the merger is likely to complete shortly, the integration of the two sites is not expected until ‘much later’ this year, prompting a Zoopla spokesman, when asked about agents having to pay dual subscriptions, to say: “It’s business as usual.”
News releases from their respective press offices both landed in EAT’s inbox at much the same time, each claiming significant growth for Zoopla and Digital – but at a time when independent traffic auditors put Rightmove as the UK’s sixth most popular website, in front of BBC News.
The next highest-placed property website is Zoopla, in 83rd place, with FindProperty at 111 and Primelocation at 193.
Zoopla said it has added 1,124 new estate and letting agent branches to its website during the first three months of this year, bringing its total number of paying members to over 11,750.
It said: “This is the largest quarterly increase in advertisers for the property portal since its launch four years ago and has led to the number of property listings available on the website now topping 600,000.”
New agent groups to have recently joined Zoopla include Beresfords (Essex), Farrell Heyworth (North-West), Putterills (Hertfordshire), Greenslade Taylor Hunt (South-West), Newton Fallowell (East Midlands) and Dawsons (Wales) among many others.
Jon Notley, commercial director of Zoopla, who had been with Digital, said: “We’re delighted that so many estate agents and letting agents across the country are now choosing Zoopla as their portal of choice to get the exposure and inquiries that drive their business.
“It is a reflection of the investment that we have made and continue to make to ensure that we are the leading online marketing partner for UK property advertisers in terms of both value and service.”
Meanwhile, Digital said that independent figures showed a 20% increase in traffic during the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year.
It also said the number of email and phone leads driven by its sites (FindaProperty.com, PrimeLocation.com and Globrix.com) to customers rose by 40% over the same period, equating to an average of 28 inquiries per minute.
It also claimed that the number of visits to FindaProperty so far this year grew faster than to other property portals.
EAT asked about agents who are concerned that they are having to pay dual membership fees to two sets of site that will soon become one.
A Zoopla spokesman said: “It will take some time before the businesses are fully integrated, so for the time being it is business as usual and each company will continue to deliver the services to its members as current.
“We will communicate with each member directly about their memberships once the businesses are integrated, but that is likely to be much later in 2012.”
He also confirmed that no decision has yet been announced as to the CEO who will lead the new merged company, in which the Daily Mail’s Digital, led by the able Mark Milner, will be the major stakeholder.
However, heavyweights representing the biggest estate agency chains – Simon Embley of LSL, Greville Turner of Countrywide and David Livesey of Connells – were recruited to the board of Zoopla two years ago, and are known to think very highly of Zoopla’s entrepreneurial boss Alex Chesterman.
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This merger has broken a monopoly.
Before, we were only able to moan about RM ripping us off, now there will 2 companies doing it.
That's what I call competition
Few, f any, make money on line in property other than rightmove of course, who simply charge agents.
These sites have been desparte to find "other" incomes and have failed, hence the take over by the Mail. Route to market clear, cheap to Corporates for content, hit the rest for bigger fees.
Ever thus in newpapers, its what the Mail know, but have failed to use Property as the cheap loss leader to exploit other adverts such as recruitment etc
We are an online estate agent, a recent survey to our 700 sellers showed that only 30 wanted their property on FAP,PL and Z, the rest were all for RM!
We have just been fleeced for another £600 a month that had to be used for.......wait for it.....products
Oh and what products would they be?? mmmmm?? Oh premium listings......the suspense!
I dont give a crap about premium listings on those sites, not even on RM anymore, we give then from free, vendors dont want them and they make NO difference what so ever, RM is drowning in premium listings.
Forget the wishful thinking - this merger takes away choice and increases costs.
2 super portals you cant afford to ignore and as such, you cant opt out of sites in the newly formed 'stable'
Bad news for smaller agents
Every estate agent I have ever known (and it is lots) has portrayed an attitude of 'I'm allright jack'.
As long as there is fragmentation and mistrust between estate agents this march of the Corporates and domination of the portals will continue.
At present, the vast majority of agents in the UK are indie. Our problem is, we have no collective voice. Each one of us operates in isolation and with contempt and mistrust for our competitors in our town/high street.
One voice, one membership of one body, and we would bring these bright minded corporate beings to book.
PBK, the task should be yours.
@PropertyCat
Facts:
1. They are directors.
2. They are shareholders.
3. They have more control than all independent estate agents.
4. Collectively, they run the show.
5. This is not speculation.
The only reason we went back on with them a few months ago was due to the massive price drop, if it goes up we'll just cancel.
I hope they increase the prices so i can tell them to f off
It is pretty clear that @in_the_know is far from 'in the know'. I happen to know that the corporates pay just like everyone esle to list on both DPG and Zoopla and they have no influence on those businesses at all.
The is a lot of nen-sensical speculation here which is pointless - why not see what evaluate things on their merits instead of just moaning and getting all excited at every opportunity? One minute this board is full of people posting about how terrible Rightmove's pricing policy is and how real competition is needed to solve this and then when that comes in the form of this merger, everyone starts giong the other way. (alng with no doubt some posts from rightmove staff, etc).
The sensible thing to do is to look at what you pay each portal and what you get from it in return - a pretty simple calculation of monthly listing fees divided by monthly enquiries and see which ones are worth it. For my business, al the protals are cheap compared to alternatives and in fact Rightmove is the most expensive by this calculation. As long as that remains the case, I embrace this merger and await to see the details as they emerge with interest. But we are very supportinve of having a real competitor to Rightmove and having less players to deal with.
the corrupt corporate structure behind this merger?
care to elucidate?
Lots of speculation - reality is we don't know what's going to happen - but if Zoopla & DPG form a single entity that delivers equal or more enquiries than Rightmove, then isn't that a good thing?
Why not wait and see what they come up with!
All agents using FAP and ZOOPLA should come off ASAP as they are about to get fleeced by ZOOPLA AND FIND A PROPERTY AS WELL AS RIGHTMOVE!!
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!
_________________
So your saying have NO portals then??
Rosalind is a monkey if she thinks that this merger is going to increase competition.
Oh wait, EAT is heavily sponsored by Digizoopla.
I wonder if you will write about the corrupt corporate structure behind this merger. Remember Rosalind, if you only have LSL, Connells and Countrywide reading your blogs then they wont also pay you for advertisement.....
Actually, Dave has a point.
The agents who started safe agent got noticed and stood up to ARLA. There were only a dozen of them.
Imagine if a couple of hundred agents with say 1 - 10 offices joined together and negotiated a position....
If the Corporates aren't paying anything, then the power of those who do pay becomes key.
RM = Monopoly
RM + DPG = Duopoly and increased costs
Agents will be forced to pay both giants whatever is demanded UNLESS they join together and negotiate and have the guts to walk away.
I think a 'union' of independent agents could have serious clout could force the issue.
@ in the Know
"I am the lawyer who helped put together the deal." -
er, I doubt it. If you are, then you will be known and are in breach of confidentiality.
"All agents using FAP and ZOOPLA should come off ASAP"
You cant be on FAP unless you are on Primelocation, and you have to pay for both regardless. Zoopla may be added as a compulsory part of the package, but you are either in the DPG stable or out.
I CAN CONFIRM THAT "IN THE KNOW" IS 100% CORRECT.
LSL, COUNTRYWIDE AND CONNELLS CONTROL ALL THE 3 (NOW 2) BIG PORTALS. THEY WILL NOT LIST WITH ANY OTHER PORTAL UNLESS THEY ARE GIVEN EQUITY AND DON'T HAVE TO PAY.
THEY ALSO GET TO CONTROL WHICH AGENTS THEY DON'T WANT TO LIST ON PORTALS AND ALSO WHICH PORTALS THEY DON'T WANT TO SUCCEED AND COMPETE WITH THEIR BUSINESSES. THEY HAVE BEEN CONTROLLING THE PROPERTY INDUSTRY FOR YEARS.
DIGIZOOPLA AND RIGHTMOVE ARE THE SAME AND I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THIS MERGER HAS BEEN APPROVED.
THIS DEAL IS ALL ABOUT CONTROLLING THE INDEPENDENT AND REGIONAL MARKETS BUT AS THE NUMBER OF BRANCHES DECREASE THE EXISTING MODEL OF A COST PER BRANCH CAN ONLY BE SUSTAINED IF THEY INCREASE THE FEES....WHICH THEY DO REGULARLY.
I KNOW BECAUSE I WAS A CORPORATE AND AM NOW AN INDEPENDENT.
I agree 100%.independent agents should all come off these site as its clear we are the only ones that are paying the subscriptions for it.
We need a website that the corporates can't get their hands on and has the power to compete at the top.
It doesn't even need to compete at the top with RM, but if it can get good exposure with exclusive properties from us independents then it has 100% unique enquiries.
The question is, are there any other national sites out there than can fill this gap?
THE TRUTH EXPOSED!!
Zoopla gave 10% equity to EACH LSL, Countrywide and Connells FOR £1 2 years ago.
They also pay NOTHING to Zoopla or FIND A PROPERTY!
On the basis they would force other local agents to pay full price then they would share in the proceeds to the tube of 30% when it is eventually flogged on.
I am the lawyer who helped put together the deal.
All agents using FAP and ZOOPLA should come off ASAP as they are about to get fleeced by ZOOPLA AND FIND A PROPERTY AS WELL AS RIGHTMOVE!!
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!
Greville Turner of Countrywide and David Livesey of Connells - there may be trouble ahead!!! come on lets have some transparency