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No ‘brilliant’ agents will have lost out from Purplebricks’ controversial ‘commisery’ campaign, the beleaguered brand’s former head of customer support has claimed.
Speaking on the newly launched Agents MVMT ‘Pass the Syrup podcast, Steph Walker, who was head of customer support for Purplebricks the UK and later head of recruitment in the USA, stuck up for the slogan but added that the company – set to be acquired by Strike – lost its way.
Walker, who has since launched The Agency UK, said: “Commisery wasn’t saying agents are shit, it was saying don’t pay more if you don’t get more.
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“No brilliant agents lost out to Purplebricks, if you did you weren’t that brilliant.”
Walker added that Purplebricks shouldn’t be criticised for trying something new and added that people didn’t necessarily come to the brand for the fixed fee but due to the marketing and then met a really good agent.
She said: “I have not been a part of it since 2019, but since I left it has have been hit time and time again by people without a clue about estate agency.
“Whether you like or hate Purplebricks, one thing it did brilliantly was build a culture, people will laugh but it was evangelical, you would have run through a Purplebrick wall for colleagues.
“People were trying something different.
“If you have been sat in four walls of branch and done the same thing for years and have an opinion on someone trying something new, then you are what is wrong with agency.”
Fellow guest Matt Baldock of Essex-based agency Charles David Casson disagreed, claiming the adverts implied agents were lazy and said firms shouldn’t feel sorry for Purplebricks after the way it came for their business.
The Agent MVMT initiative has been launched by Ben Madden, director of Fine & Country Turnham Green Terrace as a new way for agents to interact and discuss industry issues.
“Dont pay more if you dont get more" - was that really the message?
If so, it's no wonder the business is failing. A crystal -clear message that inspires engagement is essential, not mumbo-jumbo that merely creates awareness.
Hardly a surprise a former senior employee is defending PB. The reality is PB tried to mislead the public and basically infer that agents didn't do anything much for their money and they could do the same job for a lot cheaper. The advertising was slick, but lets remember they were in trouble on at least 19 occasions with the ASA for their misleading adverts. They also didn't do the same job. If they had been honest about what their alternative model was, people could have made up their own mind, but they tried to convince me they were getting the same level of service for a fraction of the cost, which was simply not true. Eventually the public started to see through them and look how it has ended for them.
Hardly a surprise a former senior employee is defending PB. The reality is PB tried to mislead the public and basically infer that agents didn't do anything much for their money and they could do the same job for a lot cheaper. The advertising was slick, but lets remember they were in trouble on at least 19 occasions with the ASA for their misleading adverts. They also didn't do the same job. If they had been honest about what their alternative model was, people could have made up their own mind, but they tried to convince me they were getting the same level of service for a fraction of the cost, which was simply not true. Eventually the public started to see through them and look how it has ended for them.
I hate to see any business fail but PB arrogance knew no bounds, squandered millions of investors cash on the way!
Their “no commission slogan” was misleading from day one. “Any fee paid, is a commission” and trading standards should have been all over it. No loss to the industry of great hard working agents.
Purple Bricks tried to be the Ryan Air of the estate agency business. The difference being that Ryan Air rarely failed to get you there whereas PB failed time and time again. The public finally cottoned on to the con.
I was a territory owner. We absolutely smashed the market in our area. The agents did everything start to finish. The problems we had was no help from head office, no proper post sales and useless solicitors generating complaints. As agents we looked after our customers. The tech never changed. The agents now have though, become an agent overnight, no experience and go value a house the next day. Its just so wrong, its turned into a listing service the last 3 years
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"lost it's way" You don't get lost driving down a no through road, you're just going the wrong way
“Dont pay more if you dont get more" - was that really the message?
If so, it's no wonder the business is failing. A crystal -clear message that inspires engagement is essential, not mumbo-jumbo that merely creates awareness.
Hardly a surprise a former senior employee is defending PB. The reality is PB tried to mislead the public and basically infer that agents didn't do anything much for their money and they could do the same job for a lot cheaper. The advertising was slick, but lets remember they were in trouble on at least 19 occasions with the ASA for their misleading adverts. They also didn't do the same job. If they had been honest about what their alternative model was, people could have made up their own mind, but they tried to convince me they were getting the same level of service for a fraction of the cost, which was simply not true. Eventually the public started to see through them and look how it has ended for them.
Hardly a surprise a former senior employee is defending PB. The reality is PB tried to mislead the public and basically infer that agents didn't do anything much for their money and they could do the same job for a lot cheaper. The advertising was slick, but lets remember they were in trouble on at least 19 occasions with the ASA for their misleading adverts. They also didn't do the same job. If they had been honest about what their alternative model was, people could have made up their own mind, but they tried to convince me they were getting the same level of service for a fraction of the cost, which was simply not true. Eventually the public started to see through them and look how it has ended for them.
I hate to see any business fail but PB arrogance knew no bounds, squandered millions of investors cash on the way!
Their “no commission slogan” was misleading from day one. “Any fee paid, is a commission” and trading standards should have been all over it. No loss to the industry of great hard working agents.
Purple Bricks tried to be the Ryan Air of the estate agency business. The difference being that Ryan Air rarely failed to get you there whereas PB failed time and time again. The public finally cottoned on to the con.
As I've said before, PB were not an estate agency but merely a tech company offering a property listing service, nothing more than that.
I was a territory owner. We absolutely smashed the market in our area. The agents did everything start to finish. The problems we had was no help from head office, no proper post sales and useless solicitors generating complaints. As agents we looked after our customers. The tech never changed. The agents now have though, become an agent overnight, no experience and go value a house the next day. Its just so wrong, its turned into a listing service the last 3 years
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