The UK’s oldest surviving property portal, FindaProperty launched 15 years ago, is now powered by Zoopla, triggering suggestions that the brand is on its way out.
Users who visited the site on Monday morning found to their surprise that, although they appeared to be on FindaProperty, the website address was actually Zoopla.
The same does not apply to PrimeLocation, whose website functionality seems vastly improved as from this week – although the changes did spark some consumer anger that ‘saved’ properties had been lost, with one saying that he was off to Rightmove.
Notably, however, the FindaProperty ‘site’ is plastered with Zoopla promotions, and email correspondence from staff at the group ends with links only to Zoopla and PrimeLocation. New multi-million pound marketing campaigns have been launched for both Zoopla and PrimeLocation, but not for FindaProperty.
A Zoopla spokesman did not directly answer EAT’s questions about FindaProperty’s possible demise, but said: “The FindaProperty brand still exists and will be retained for the foreseeable future for the benefit of all loyal followers of this brand.”
The website change to FindaProperty follows the integration of all three brands on to a single technology platform.
It means the whole Zoopla group is now operating as a single entity. It was also clarified that Globrix is not part Zoopla, but is separately owned by the Daily Mail group and is now a ‘partner site’ being powered by Zoopla. There is no information as to Globrix’s future.
Alex Chesterman, founder and CEO of Zoopla Property Group, said: “Following our merger at the beginning of the summer, we have been working very hard to consolidate all of our brands and partnerships on to a single technology platform in order to deliver the benefits to our users and members.
“We have taken the best-in-class features and tools we offer to our users and members and combined these in order to ensure that we are the most useful online resource for property consumers and most effective marketing partner for property advertisers in the UK.”
FindaProperty was launched in 1997, just two years after the similarly named Propertyfinder.
It remained largely a southern brand for some years, restricted by the fact that its original sales force consisted of just one man, Ferenc Schuster, who worked from his home in Surrey and got around by bike – although it did fold up so he could hop on a train. That's him pictured below. The site was sold to Associated Newspapers, owners of the Daily Mail, in 2004 in a £13.8m deal.
Propertyfinder underwent several changes of management before finally morphing into Zoopla, whose main stakeholder is the Daily Mail group.
Comments
Zoopla are just arrogant pigs!! They have upped their charges for the 2nd time in the last 2 years I have been with them, and not just a small amount. I have recently joined a new portal "propertypropertyproperty.co.uk" which is proving to be effective. I have now dropped zoopla and not looking back
I hate zoopla. Not user friendly - really child like mentality - unhelpful staff.
Rude!
Bully tactics
We are agents and used to advertise with zoopla and fuind a property, since they merged, they have deleted us off line twice in error, doubled our rates to over £700 per month - and DONT BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE AS MANY PROPERTIES ON LINE AS ADVERTISED!!!
Disprespectful - Big Boy - Bully tactics - And really hopeless!
Go for Right move - Much better at least they have a smart appearance - and dont change their prices according to the wind.
I hat e zoopla and our customers do too.
Have a great New Year - Bye Bye Zoopla -
More agents need to stop using Zoopla -
Greedy little....... S.....
FIndaproperty was by far the best site. Second was property finder. Now both are gone. Zoopla is terrible, what on earth were they thinking? Why didn't they keep the other sites. Now there is less choice, asn as zoopla is unusable, I'm forced to look on rightmove or primelocation which are both dull, poorly thought through, unengaging and c**p.
I see zoopla folding soon, being bought by rightmove and there will be even less choice.
Time for a new moving to come into the market I feel to copy what findaproperty and propertyfinder did well wipe the like sof zoopla from the internet.
As a customer that have always used the findaproperty website, I find the Zoopla site a nightmare, basically its CR@P!!
They should have just left the findaproperty website. As a customer it was userfriendly, I will not be using the Zoopla site at all.
Since the merger, our e-mail leads dropped 90 % , e-mailed them two times buy nothing back in 24 hrs and still nothing till now. Not happy with Zoopla overseas at all. !!
Ferenc Schustek will gratefully be remembered
for a long time.
That was a great achievement.
One sale`s man! £13,5 deal after sale in 2004.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT MAN???
WHERE IS HIS BICYCLE???
I hope HE has been treated with respect.
I would make out of HIM a symbol for the whole Company!
What is everyone being told by Zoopla/Findaproperty in terms of payment?
There appears to be no more Findaproperty, in fact it appears that all FAP is now is a logo that appears on the Zoopla site.
We're being told we have to continue paying for both services, at an extortionate rate, and that Findaproperty does exist in it's own right.
What is everyone else being told? Is anyone just a member of Z and not FAP (or vice versa)?
Jonnie,
Agree that shipmove is lots of £, but I think your move/lsl own a chunk of zoopla (don't know if that makes any difference).
does anyone know where agents stand with the contracts?
I paid per lead with zoopla and a fixed fee seperately for findaproperty and primelocation before the merger. Now all findaproperty leads coming through zoopla - its going to triple and none are qualitive or convertable leads.
I tried to canx tpdg before merge but was told if i canx one contract they would both be canx.. Anyone have similar problems or any ideas.
It does seem to be the end for findaproperty.com & to be perfectly honest I am gutted, the whole load a property to Zoopla is a nightmare & now that findaproperty's Editor - the most basic program that a dog could use it - now doesn't work.
To start with the Digital Property Group said Zoopla would be added to their list of sites, now it seems to have taken over.
We would switch to rightmove - but it is silly money every month, we just never used to get the leads from it and with Your Move being a major shareholder - you must be kidding giving your money to another insurance scamming company.
When we first got Zoopla about a year ago everyone seemed to get different deals, ours started at £200 per month then another company two doors down had it for £89 per month
forgot the extra @, no offence!
Get hold of Henry Pryor's chums.
6 pwoperties is quite a lot, the only have to sell one pwoperty a year to keep the Bently on the woad
That posts make no sense, but no surprise!
What ever you say, what ever the price, 6 properties is rubbish.
You're not "in town" are you? 2% on £4,000,000 is? 2 % on £11,999, 950 is?
whoops first week in October and I haven't adjusted the prices. please re-read £4,120,000 and £12,359,950 ....sod it £12,500,000
Miles love one of your Monkeys is out again!
6 properties, give up mate!
Not had that one but the Zoopla deal has resulted in split invoices for DPG Portals (Z,FAP and PL) and Print from Northcliffe. £170/ week is the net increase for an agent local to me, my property ads are down £20 because I don't use their portals. So I can't work out why I am only saving £20 when the portals cost £170? very odd
Please advise the revised price, Mine is £872/month for my single office with 6 properties
Anyone had the RIGHTMOVE Price increase letter this week???
Thieves and Rogues?
It isn't illegal for one company to charge another for a service, so they are hardly rogues. If you don't like it opt out and do it manually for a while, compare the cost and go for the cheapest or most convenient way, your choice.
As for getting round the software firms, I hardly think a bit schmoozing is going to help.
Trafford- we are hit by upload fees from software rouges, can you get round them?
Another early start! The great thing about getting older is not needing to sleep for 8 hours! And as Uffa Fox's father told him; "put the time to good use"
Thank you for the mention EW (but not the famous one). Trust me I am screaming to tell people what I/we are up to but sometimes it is sensible to sit back and assess what you have before you charge ahead and try to change or rule the world. Looking after the people that already support you is always a better long term strategy. It is better to keep a friend than keep looking for new ones. As for the Estate Agent today posters, most of them have very valid points to make and valuing those opinions is important, but at the moment it is just a bit too early.
@Disgruntled Agent the last two weeks have been manic, late nights and early mornings (even later and earlier than EW (the other famous one). My posts questioning the justification for the Rightmove prices rises generated several emails from agents wanting an alternative. There is a strong desire for a 3rd option and I am working hard to find a growth schedule that works for everyone. Please get in touch with tlmallory40@gmail.com If you are in an area that has existing coverage, support and other Agents I can help right now if not I will be honest about the way forward.
For those agents that want a simple portal upload tool to replace Editor, I have some good Techies that have been providing FindaProperty and Primelocation Agents with an alternative upload tool for a few years now.
@EW(but not the famous one) sounds interesting. I must have missed this story. have you got a link pls?
Anyone wishing to continue using your their FAP Editor then I believe I will be able to help you.
Please contact Webdadi on 0208 246 6060
Mark my words this happened in Japan too.
Software's easy on the eye and doesn't look dated, easy to use too. A few hiccups when they copied properties over to new site but otherwise everything's good.
Suppose I'm just waiting to see what they do about the pricing now.....
@Disgruntled Fortunately you are wrong!!!!
Resulting from comments on the EAT story about the latest price hikes from RM a few weeks ago I was intrigued by the posts from someone posting as Trafford and got in contact. Wow! An agent owned site up and running. Technically it seems more advanced than RM and their attitude to towards Agents is a refreshing one of respect rather just seeing agents as a subservient supply of cash.
I got the impression that there is a bit of consolidation work going on but they certainly have some great ideas backed up by some strong technology. It’s a pity these boys aren’t running Propertylive for NAEA!
Watching them on Twitter, it is clear that they know what they are up to. They have some good contacts and some of the industry stalwarts are in their helping them out or supporting them.
@Trafford, what’s up? From what I have seen it all looks good and if you don’t tell people about it how will they know? You’re not afraid of the EAT posters are you!
When the Torys said "get on yer bike to find a job" the lefties had a pink fit, didn’t do Ferenc Schuster any harm, where can you get those bikes!? £13M
Now every property portal will look exactly the same as rightmove
Just stick to rightmove, far better.
se agent
I think ALLAgents are merging with zoopla, they hit the 50 visitor mark yesterday, did you notice an increase in sales calls to your office?
I too am going to miss the FAP Editor. As a small agent i used this as my main database for rental flats, so when a flat came on it was very quick to relist, obviously it will take quite a lot of item to rebuild this database back up on Zoopla. FAP also resized photos automatically which the Zoopla software doesn't.
I don't mind Zoopla showing the initial list date, along with price changes etc, maybe it will help stop some of the overpricing madness we see time and time again. At least now it seems to be an even playground, initially some of the big agents, like Foxtons, didn't have this listed by their properties.
yeah including the FSBO Evening Standard one!
Findaproperty now being powered by Zoopla makes it a better and faster site. I don't care if they have 10 sites or 1 site and I don't care about the number of sites, I care about enquiries. Luckily they dont charge by the number of sites they have since they power dozens of sites!
New one on me. According to an Agent I spoke to this morning, the print side of DPG; Northcliffe are saying that FP and PL are no longer covered as part of the newspaper advertising.
Anyone got any more news on this?
@Martin, apart from the competitor bashing that goes on here (which as you say is very obvious) the comments section of EAT and LAT is the only real voice the very vast majority of the industry has, so yes it does get taken seriously.
The news stories are often straight PR or propaganda so it is nice for us to have a say.
The biggest hold over us "they" have is the fact we have no open way to communicate our own thoughts ideas and grievances.
More news, somewhat conflicting confirmation on the split invoice between DPGs Digital v Print; a 2nd agent has confirmed the split invoice but said that their Print advertising is going up, the first reported a reduction!
What about shared properties to let? Zoopla doesn't have a category for those???
Patricia - I think a first listed date is great idea!
@ David Sinclair
"Rightmove now has an equal"
How wonderful, so I suppose we won't have long to wait before Rightmove's equal charges equal fees.
I am not an RM or Zoopla employee - just an agent who has paid in advance for advertising to find that only 3 of our rental properties are being listed , only of one of our sale properties and none of our overseas properties at all. I don't like the new site/s, the main advantage to me with Primelocation (unlike RM) was that it linked to our own site - it now doesnt. Also with the Zoopla site they put the date the property was first listed, why?? A refund for this month would be a good start followed by some immediate improvements to their website/s.
We are not RM reps either and left them four years ago. The FAP Editor was brilliant and properties could be uploaded immediately. Since Zoopla took over leads have been reduced to a trickle, properties have been alloated to incorrect street names and we are seriously considering going back to Rightmove. Why would we pay two fees for what is essentially one site?
Great that Findaproperty has become powered by Zoopla - no more rappers in TV ads I hope (never understood this). I dont care how many brands they have, I care about enquiries and we are getting loads form the new merged platfrom. They were slow to deal with an inquiry earlier in week and explained they had higher call volumes than normal which is pretty undersandable given the changes. Rightmove now has an equal.
Does anyone really take the comments section seriously?
Story about RM? DPG and Zoopla have a dig.
Story about Zoopla or DPG? RM reps have a go.
It's about time you all grew up, everyone sees right through it.
Really? are you sure you are not one of the RMreps just on here to poke the fire!
Editor was ere.... Pants? and if you are London Agent would probably be biased towards Primelocation than FAP
We only stuck with TDPG cause of the Editor software... Now that's out the window along with globrix and the FAP website, so I'm leaving.....
All our properties gone so need to upload one by one which will take time. Not able to het through on the phone , they're just combining the 2 rates now as well. It's a proper piss take!
As a small agency its always been FAP OR rightmove for us. With recent events, we are switching to rightmove.
Is it only me who missed the announcement about Globrix? Phoned yesterday to be told it is no longer part of the group and is run from China?!
It has been a disaster!
We have lost all our leads, they refuse to answer the phone, reply to email took 48 hrs, they have effectively halted our business!
No account manager wishes to speak with you either!
@paul
Maybe its because your ratings are poor on allagents and no one wants to do business with you anymore...
The cowards wouldn't tell us first would they!
We've had major issues with the change over, but to be fair, the leads are coming in now. Not noticeably more leads than previously, but I'll we'll give them a chance.
The interesting conversation will be when they try to raise the rates. A tough thing to do when they have effectively removed one site from the deal!
Since the merger we had no email leads for 2 days, emailed them but nothing back in 24 hours :-(