Archive

Generating leads is a crucial and age-old part of estate agency. Before the internet, lead generation was just as important to...

The property market has bounced back with all of the expected resilience and flexibility that is its hallmark since it reopened...

2020 has definitely been a year of change. With little warning, the pandemic disrupted the day-to-day operations of almost every industry...

The only certainty at the moment is ongoing uncertainty. It’s something we’ve got used to in 2020, but it’s still not...

Recent Natters have explored the differences between the UK and American models of agency, and why Purplebricks failed to make a...

A family-run agency which last year asked people to “make an offer” to buy a franchise is now claiming it will...

Estate agents and small businesses are being warned to take greater care over passwords to stop hackers breaking into their systems. David...

For a mixture of reasons, I now only write this column every two weeks. At first, I missed the weekly consideration...

A new agency called Eazy Agent has launched - it’s another online operation, this time with a starting price of £249. For...

A new study confirms the growing trend of buyers wanting good broadband links - and the possibility that homes without them...

In the first of a series of articles, Emma Vigus, managing director of mio, the estate agent sales progression platform, explores the...

“Let’s Zoom later”, “are we Zooming in the morning or afternoon?” “Yeah, I zoomed the client earlier” – variations on these...

We all know the world has gone digital—nothing new there. Every time you jump online, you’re one of 4.5 billion internet...

Let me start by wishing everyone well in these uncertain and precarious times. I truly hope you, your families, friends and...

Two auctions held behind closed doors have been deemed a success, and evidence that the property market can still function despite...

The lightbulb moment for LonRes was born out of sheer frustration. I’d just missed out on a deal and the postman...

In the last few Natters I’ve focused on the slow death of local newspaper advertising, and how many agents are now...

The landscape of the estate agency market in the UK is evolving to reflect changes in the way we live our...

The 2010s were a good decade for disrupters. Early on, Airbnb and Uber shook up the holiday lettings/hospitality and traditional black...

New research suggests the internet and broadband coverage have become even more important to buyers and tenants. The study - involving 228...

For a very long time, it was one of the best ways – if not the best way – of generating...

A hub-style agency says it’s achieved what it calls a mega-sale - and claims it’s the largest ever by a hub...

Logbooks about properties must be made available up-front at the point of marketing and not later in the buying process if...

Property portals generate revenue from estate agents regardless of the outcome of the transaction. This relationship has resulted in a fundamental...

Yes, believe it or not, we’ve nearly reached the end of a whole decade. And what an eventful decade it’s been. We’ve...

Homesearch, the data service which launched this year as free-to-use with a subscription model launching in 2020, has announced it’s introducing...

The head of a new property portal is urging agents to forget about spending money on For Sale and To Let...

An estate agency says it is now holding weekly online auctions in addition to its bi-monthly traditional ‘showroom’ auctions. Loveitts, which operates...

A high profile estate agency selling some of the most expensive homes in the west of England has shut two of...

The collapse of Thomas Cook, widely seen as failing modernise with the expectations of modern shoppers, is a clear lesson for...

There are those who say that PropTech is at risk of becoming a bubble market, and others who say bubbles don’t...

In the old days an agent would procure clients based upon their position in the high street, the size of the...

Innovate or Die. But What is Innovation? It Isn’t just PropTech A certain Mr Dick Whittington Esquire was once convinced that the...

Richard Rawlings’ annual roadshow opens on September 3 with the first of 17 stops across the UK, each giving a three...

When an industry disruptor enters a marketplace the impact on existing operators can be significant. It has been seen most notably...

Hello and welcome to the start of a new week and a new Property Jobs Today column, bringing you the industry’s...

The industry press has given substantial space to recommendations from the Regulation of Property Agents, the government’s working party which has...

In the last ten years Google's revenue, largely from pay per click ads (Adwords), has grown by 527% (Source: Statista). In...

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint made against a listing on property website Houser.co.uk. In January, the complainant notified...

A 176 year old agency is claiming success with its first online auction lot selling for over twice the guide price. It...

When employing a new member of staff there are a lot of checks and balances put in place by any business...

All the most successful startups of recent years – from Airbnb and Uber to Just Eat and Deliveroo – have melded...

The founder of Zoopla has explained how the portal got its name and branding, and the philosophy behind it when it...

PropTech start-up BestAgent is to stage a day-long event for suppliers to the agency industry later this month. This follows BestAgent founder...

Ultra slow broadband speeds could knock a quarter off the value of a property according to research undertaken by online agency...

1989 was a significant time for the property industry: it marked the beginning of the end of a period of unprecedented...

Having a responsive website - one which is designed to automatically resize to fit the size of the screen of the...

This month’s MIPIM conference in Cannes once again played host to the final round of the much coveted MIPIM Startup Competition.  The...

Rightmove is undertaking an investigation into a PropTech app that has tried to list private sales on the portal. The perhaps-ironically named...

A new sales portal has launched with a radically different business model, aiming to pay agents to list on it. It’s the brainchild of...

There’s been another raft of movers and shakers in the industry in recent days, so this is a busy Property Jobs...

I don’t think I can add anything more to the excellent 2019 pieces we’ve seen on EAT in recent weeks –...

The chief executive of Emoov and the founder of the new portal Rummage4Property had a dramatic spat on Twitter just hours...

When was the last time you looked at your business and really thought about what you could do to improve? Yesterday? Last...

Yet another estate agency has announced that it’s shutting branches and opening a centralised hub. This time it’s Newman Property Experts, a...

Given that online property portals, dominated by a handful of websites, are by far the most popular home search method, it...

How will things be done in the future? There’s no knowing, of course, given the many variables at play, but it’s...

Not so long ago, the best estate agents were those who did the best work for their clients and therefore built...

The culture of impatience and instant gratification has a lot to answer for. It has forced the hand of the property...

The chief executive of Emoov, Russell Quirk, has suggested that the unexpectedly low take up of online agents may mean that...

A new internet and DAB radio station specialising on the subject of property will launch from purpose built studios next month. Property...

Several agents have asked me whether they should consider ditching their high street offices and move to an out of town...

Google celebrated its 20th birthday last month. Yes, it might be hard to recall a time when it wasn’t integral in...

I am a patient man; a pacifist. Yet there is little in life right now that would satisfy me more than...

A warning to people selling their homes to beware of internet-based scams offering cut-price surveys has been sounded by a leading...

Next week ludlowthompson celebrates its 25th anniversary. Here, I catch up with Stephen Ludlow, co-founder and now executive director of the...

Making my way to our London office on a busy commuter train, my mind got busy thinking about the new do-it-yourself...

Traditional estate agencies should make their work appear more of a luxury and even showcase the prices of individual elements that...

Cast your mind back to July 2008 – Gordon Brown was Prime Minister, the Euros were in full swing in Austria/Switzerland...

In recent weeks, you could have been forgiven for thinking that you’re not actually in the UK.  Flash floods aside, the...

The For Sale board is one of the oldest marketing tools available to agents, but it is still considered one of...

Clients of software provider Reapit can now integrate with leading sharing and online valuation service The ValPal Network. The objective is to help Reapit...

The Federal Trade Commission - the US equivalent of the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority - will today discuss how the...

Maplin, Toys R Us, Carpetright, Warren Evans – what do they have in common? All are well-known high street chains that...

In the modern marketplace – where people live their lives on their smartphones and tablets, social media has a bigger influence...

  An assessment of nine online agencies undertaken by a property website has seen Emoov come out on top after being analysed...

Three weeks has flown by (I missed an early deadline last week - apologies) and I find myself writing the next...

Getting your property marketing right is vital, and the starting point is with professional images.  With most buyers browsing the internet for...

Alice Hickmott is the perfect advertisement for apprentices in estate agency - especially as we are now in National Apprentice Week.  Essex...

Whether you’re an estate agent, letting agent or property manager, having the right software in place – to enhance, upgrade and...

In a show of changing consumer behaviour in the property market, new research has revealed that digital-savvy movers are favouring specialist...

Why I won’t buy Purplebricks shares and why if I had any, I’d sell fast… In its latest adverts, Purplebricks attempts to...

The Charter for Independent Estate and Letting Agents says Purplebricks is still not complying with a ruling made by the Advertising...

According to The Branding Journal, a brand is “a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's...

In 2018, Google will introduce changes to the way it ranks websites, meaning sites will be ranked on the quality of...

They say presentation is key (something that Theresa May now knows all too well after her calamitous conference speech). But equally...

It used to be so easy. Around 20 years ago there were what we now call full-service estate and letting agencies, and...

What does your role involve? As team manager for the property team, I make sure PAs and clients are happy and...

How has the world of estate agency changed in the last few decades? That’s the question this week’s Natter is going...

I’ve been in France for the past few days and depending on your viewpoint, I made a spectacularly good or singularly...

An estate agent who is campaigning for boards to be banned in his local area says they should be 'confined to...

As someone who spends his days peering into the PropTech world, one thing I’ve observed is the way in which certain tech prompts...

An estate agency that has just launched in south Devon says it is giving its customers the advantages of a 24-hour...

If you’re a busy estate or letting agent, you’ll find that it can be quite difficult and time-consuming locating the right...

Once upon a time there were estate agents. That was it. Nice and simple. If you marketed and sold residential property,...

Property has been changing hands for centuries, but when did estate agents as we know them today – with their branches,...

You saw it, right? This article from Monday’s Guardian? It says that one in five estate agents are at risk of...

House hunters in the UK are the global leaders in online property research according to a new study from HSBC.    The bank...

Reapit has launched a new digital product following agents’ demands to handle an increasing volume of out of hours dealings with...

Foxtons is reported to have teamed up with Oracle to improve its targeted digital marketing and lead generation. Oracle’s Marketing Cloud product...

An organisation that calls itself the Cornish Republican Army - and which has claimed responsibility for starting a fire in one...

How many property professionals are truly happy with their revenue? High levels of competition from new market entrants is a significant...

One of the industry’s leading trainers and consultants claims there is “a gaping hole” in the way agents use marketing content...

Our recent roundtable on the government’s proposed ban on tenant fees generated 10 tips for growing your business. Since then, we’ve been...

A network of almost 80 independent estate agency offices has launched what it calls a hard-hitting campaign against 'internet-based call centre...

A one branch independent estate agency has this week launched a fixed-fee sales option alongside its traditional commission-based service. WH Breading, which...

A telephone number is more than just a number. To consumers, it gives useful information about the company it belongs to....

We live in world where the online economy is just as important as the offline economy. Whether your business is online...

Google, under the command of parent company, Alphabet, has set its sights on building the world’s first digital city, in Toronto,...

An internet monitoring service operated by international financial services giant Morgan Stanley says OnTheMarket is continuing to lose both its share...

Think ‘fake agents’ are no threat to your business? Think again. The rise of online agents - dubbed by some as...

I was recently contributing to whitepaper by a major bank about the future of the property industry and, as I was...

In this Natter we have an exclusive interview with David Cox, CEO of ARLA Propertymark and one of the best-known figures...

An online estate agency which says it could be the next Purplebricks says prejudice against internet property transactions is waning  “With Neil...

Only one in nine customers of estate agents regard face-to-face contact as the most important element of the process to determine...

OnTheMarket has swatted away the latest criticism from a long-term critic, online estate agency head Russell Quirk - although it has...

A Scottish property portal now ‘live’ and claiming to list almost all the homes for sale north of the border, says...

Instant gratification is nothing new. It’s been around for millennia. It’s an in-built survival instinct for humans – that want, that...

When I read about the possible formation of yet another ‘mutual’ with the aim of furthering and protecting the interests of...

The rental market has had to face a raft of changes over the past year, including the introduction of the 3% stamp...

As the old saying goes, just because it’s on the internet it doesn’t mean it’s true - and certainly a few...

I have a confession to make. In 1988 I became a Seekers franchisee. For those of you who don't know who...

One of the earliest entrepreneurs to found a website to allow for-sale-by-owner property listings back in 2000, predicts current online agents...

The head of a new ‘disruptive’ online mortgage service says 2017 will see more major estate agency and other property businesses...

Technology has been continuing to shape the way estate agents manage their customer service offering for years. It’s now a completely...

An estate agency described as operating a ‘pay as you go’ business model says it wants to “disrupt the disruptors” operating...

Auction rooms across the UK are filled with people looking to buy property, from bargain hunters to seasoned investors, ensuring that...

Online reviews play an increasingly vital role in shaping the decisions of customers. Practically everyone using the internet to compare estate...

Connells Group is to continue with its experimental ‘live chat’ facility on its website after seeing a significant rise in valuation bookings...

The Advertising Standards Authority has explained to Estate Agent Today why many of the complaints made against estate and letting agents...

Zoopla Property Group says there were over 53m visits to its Zoopla and PrimeLocation websites in September, up 13 per cent...

More estate agents are using – or at least considering using – virtual reality viewings as part of their services. But what...

A fantastic exclusive this week as I carry out a question and answer session with one of the leading names in...

The key lies in improving your customer experience through technology For Agents, the tremendous growth in online estate agents highlights a strong...

Later on, the title of this piece should become clearer (at least I hope so). First, though, a few bits and...

It’s easy to forget, but there was a time when the internet didn’t exist. When the idea behind the world wide...

For young people the length and breadth of the UK, Thursday of this week meant that the waiting was over and...

This week, 25 years ago the world's first website went live to those of us who were around then.  Amazingly, despite the...

Whether you work from a traditional office, a coffee shop or a bedroom, one thing's for sure is that these days...

With more house-hunters than ever now starting their search for a new home by typically looking online on one of the major...

You may have heard a lot about 'the cloud' in the last few years. In fact, it's become a bit of...

The influential consumer property body HomeOwners Alliance says Purplebricks-style hybrid estate agencies may be “the future”. In a blog on the HOA website,...

Who are you? Sarah Neate, Design and Marketing Manager     Who Are Mid West Displays? We make, supply and install window and interior display panels. ...

Complaints made against adverts issued by property firms have increased by 10% in the last year. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) reports...

Some 82% of consumers say they would prefer to work with a 'personal agent' who can manage the whole process of...

Last time out I spoke about the beginnings of a PropTech revolution, with two major London-based events in the offing over...

I wish it were otherwise, but there’s a crisis just beginning to sweep over newspapers – with, a bit beneath the...

Finding the right estate agency software supplier can be difficult and time-consuming. It's increasingly important to find a partner that suits your...

Who are you? I’m the champion of local owner managed estate agents, leading them in the fight to beat the competition   What...

A digital marketing agency says it has identified ‘top key phrases’ used by would-be buyers when they begin their property searches...

In what some industry observers may see as a shrewd marketing move, OnTheMarket is believed to be considering a name change...

When, during his budget speech, George Osborne announced Capital Gains Tax (CGT) was going down to 20%, I experienced a mix...

Agents' boards get a lot of stick. Many see them as stains on the landscape, some see them as useless in...

Zoopla Property Group says it has recorded a 61 per cent leap in appraisal leads in February compared to the same...

A local council is banning estate and letting agents’ boards after it has been handed legal powers to ‘prevent their spread’. Agents...

Here’s a story with more than a little in common with Britain’s own property portal wars. A long-running legal saga between Danish...

Software. You might not give it much thought a lot of the time, but it’s an absolutely crucial part of how...

Marketing and property often go hand in hand. But from time to time you might come across certain marketing terms that...

There seems to have been a seismic shift in recent years for companies to migrate everything ‘on brand’ online. However signage...

I started work in 1966 in Exeter with Fox & Sons then moved to a local company in Honiton soon after....

Do you remember Martha Lane-Fox? She was the poster girl for lastminute.com and an icon of the dot.com bubble that ended...

Online estate agent Purplebricks has now completed its pre-Christmas IPO with shares initially valued at £240m. It’s the latest news that...

A six bed farmhouse in Consett, County Durham has been named the most viewed property in 2015 by Zoopla.  The home that...

eMoov founder and managing director Russell Quirk has taken to print to explain why he believes 2016 will be the year...

There were 110 million visits to Rightmove on average every month in 2015. Results for the site, which measured hits from January 1...

easyProperty has become the first online estate agency in the UK to link with an online platform that permits the exchange...

An interesting story caught my eye a few weeks ago. A man from Lytham St Annes in Lancashire attempted to sell...

The new Propcision website says it now has a tool which allows users to see the marketing histories of London properties...

An online estate agency has taken on the established high-end agents by marketing a home in prime central London for £19.5m...

The domain name Houses.co.uk - which we reported last month was for sale for a surprisingly low £3,000 - has had...

It’s rare for an incumbent to pivot to a disruptive business model, even in the face of compelling logic that they...

An estate agent who was jilted by his girlfriend has been jailed for sending explicit sexual images of her to another...

Controversial online agency chief Russell Quirk has described aspects of Countrywide’s newly-revealed digital ambitions as “cursory” and showing “arrogance.” Yesterday Estate Agent...

The chief executive of Countrywide, Alison Platt, has hinted her firm may invest in, or acquire, an internet start-up company to...

The internet domain name of the online estate agency Houses.co.uk has been put up for sale at a budget price, less...

The controversial UK property portal Houser is shortly launching an internet site marketing homes for sale across the United Arab Emirates,...

It’s interesting to read of plans to debate which business plan really is best for the customer, online or traditional estate...

There’s been a lot of talk lately about artificial intelligence (AI). We’ve seen it feature prominently this year on film (in...

The war of words and statistics between rival portals continues apace as OnTheMarket says its visits hit a record last month according...

The internet has changed the way that most businesses operate. In many cases, the opportunities opened up by the emergence of...

So, has everyone been enjoying the fine summer weather we’ve been experiencing? Oh, wait…fear not, I will attempt to inject a...

Tips on using digital signage in your window 1. Why digital signage is an asset to your business - Raise the profile of...

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team has prepared a draft of revised guidelines on property sales, to replace the old...

The rising phenomenon of agent-rating and review websites is a topic that seems to have caused considerable division and controversy among...

The internet and rapidly evolving digital landscape has revolutionised the way people buy and sell properties. With some reports suggesting 95 per...

A review of 30 prominent property sales websites undertaken by a digital marketing company demonstrates, perhaps predictably, a huge lead for...

The National Association of Estate Agents says HMRC have been making unscheduled visits to individual agency offices to check on their...

An online property sales platform - with a catchphrase that says traditional agents’ fees “are bigger than a Texan’s waistband and...

With blue skies and warm summer light making properties look even more attractive to buyers, now is the perfect time to...

Hello and welcome to my brand new blog! Every month I’ll be giving you an insight into the varied, exciting and...

Yesterday we heard about the letter from the CMA warning agents about anti-competitive behaviour. Today, in a scoop for Estate Agent...

Search the internet and you will find a multitude of articles claiming that upgrading a property with green improvements can add...

Estate Agents today are continually competing with rival companies to get instructions and ultimately increase their profit margin. So what makes your...

If it is true (and who would doubt it?) that 90% of property searches start online, then how does this affect...

In the latest exchange in the long-running war of words between Zoopla and OnTheMarket, ZPG claims that the new portal is...

The presupposed notion still exists that new online agents are ‘tech savvy’ whilst the seemingly old fashioned high street agents are...

Regents Estate Agents and Mortgages (REM) contacted Fairfield with the intentions of updating their old displays with bright LED Light Pockets™....