Archive

As you probably know, I have been no fan of OnTheMarket (OTM) over the years. You may see this admission as...

There’s a new twist in the row between a Cornish agent and the Advertising Standards Authority. The row revolves around a tweet...

Over 15,000 households have exchanged after listing with an online agent in the second quarter of 2018 - that’s eight per...

An agent from Cornwall who has waged a long-running campaign against online agencies in general and Purplebricks in particular has been...

A hybrid estate agency has launched in Bury, one of the first of its kind to operate in the UK on...

By now we’ve all seen news about the long-term decline in property sales and competition from online alternatives leading to ‘more...

A decade ago we were still years away from Purplebricks, Countrywide was a colossus in the industry, no one had thought...

One of the country’s best known regional traditional agencies, Pygott and Crone, has used a promotion in local news outlets to...

TV property expert Sarah Beeny says she expects online agencies to take 70 per cent market share in the future -...

A recent holiday in the US gave me an opportunity to catch up with property news over there - and surprisingly,...

In an era when we are never far away from our phones, tablets or laptops, buying and selling property is benefitting...

Two online agents and a number of PropTech companies have been named in startups.co.uk's Startups 100 index. Coming in at number 64...

The prospect of technology transforming the selling and buying process, including more power for portals and especially online agents, dominated parts...

One of the world’s leading agency and PropTech analysts says the race is on for who comes second in the UK’s...

One of London’s leading estate agents is advising sellers to consider giving the negotiator who sells their property a bonus, and...

New research appears to show that Purplebricks, HouseSimple, Yopa and other prominent online agencies are most popular with vendors selling in...

The operation of ‘online estate agencies’ has changed substantially in the relatively short few years of their existence: I have spotted...

One of the country’s leading PropTech entrepreneurs has responded to recent criticism of online estate agencies and their allegedly-poor record of...

We think about technology all the time. At least, I do. And there’s nothing left in property that technology hasn’t touched...

A new report by the residential property team of a legal firm has found widespread criticism of online agents’ over their...

A lengthy analysis of the online agency sector, based on material supplied by an online agent, suggests that its market share...

Traditional solicitor estate agents north of the border have a higher success rate than any other estate agency model. The claim comes, perhaps...

Leading independent property expert Kate Faulkner says the current row regarding the accuracy of Purplebricks’ sales figures should be the trigger...

Pressure continues to mount on Purplebricks to reveal its sales data after a weekend during which claims about its effectiveness continued...

US bank J P Morgan has predicted that Purplebricks, which it says now has around six per cent of advertised homes...

Well, I don’t know about you but after the holidays I've got an imprint just below my navel where my belt...

Who says things slow down before Christmas? The opposite appears to be the case, at least when it comes to the...

It’s traditional before Christmas to either review the year past or anticipate the one ahead - but I’m intrigued about what...

Yesterday morning OnTheMarket confirmed its IPO plans but with no firm date. The question remains on whether the float will be...

As we hurtle towards the end of 2017, it’s time to reflect on the year that’s just been.   Even better, this property-based...

Online estate agent eMoov recently set itself apart by directly addressing the issues of openness and transparency that have long dogged the online business...

The fact is that most house hunters simply do not have the time, let alone the inclination, to trawl around properties...

So at last someone has woken up to the fact that Purplebricks needs to be clearer about how it charges for...

A long-standing traditional agent says the real success of online agencies is not their share of the market but that they...

As those of us in the industry know, there is a fine balance to strike between disruptive technology – and the...

There is growing concern that online agents who do not chase-up on behalf of clients are leading to delays and fall-throughs...

When Kenneth Bruce, co-founder of Purplebricks, published an emotional post on social media this week, my first reaction was; what a...

The founder of a new online sales assistance service says agents are often unfairly blamed by the public for failings in...

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...

Arun Estates reports that it has netted an additional £350,000 in fees thanks to a scheme designed to woo vendors using online...

Online estate agency eMoov has announced the appointment of a new marketing expert. Lucy Milne - formerly marketing director of Just Eat...

“When an industry is new, still finding its feet, finding its purpose, the tendency is for those few people within it...

Consumer group Which? says the public should be wary of claims made by online estate agents. This follows a series of complaints about...

Before we go any further, assuming you are an Agents’ Mutual member, let me ask you a question. If you had...

Humberts, a member of Agents’ Mutual, is today launching an online-only option and claims it can list online-only properties on OnTheMarket. Such...

There’s a distinct sense of déjà vu over the debacle of OnTheMarket. I avoided joining two years ago because I couldn’t see...

After my article last week predicting that Agents’ Mutual would likely seek to raise external capital, including possibly on the public markets,...

There has been a sceptical reception from City analysts to Agents’ Mutual’s decision to restructure and float on the stock market...

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...

  You’ll see a lot of 10th anniversary stories in the property industry and consumer media in the coming days: early August...

Given the shift change in the estate agent world at the moment, with online models becoming more prevalent (think easyProperty’s £60...

We’re already more than halfway through 2017 and, against all the odds, it’s pushing 2016 close in terms of eventfulness and...

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

To give you a nice distraction from the post-election madness, here’s an interview with Charlie Wright, founder of CIELA (or The...

A study described as the biggest of its type seeks to explain why vendors choose - or avoid - online agents. The...

A consumer group which has consistently promoted online agencies says they achieve closer to sellers’ original asking price than the national...

Since we last spoke, the ESTAS – the biggest and best property awards ceremony in the UK – has been and...

The comparison service Get Agent has released the full details of its analysis of the performance of four different online estate...

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

Purplebricks' share price moved up over two per cent yesterday on the strength of its latest trading statement - but its...

Even some of the most successful professionals from other professions fail to grasp the most important point when it comes to...

The new chief executive of the Guild of Property Professionals has accused some online agents of carrying out “aggressive” marketing campaigns...

As debate continues over the merits of upfront fees against post-sale commission for agents and consumers, the fledgling UK ProperTech Association...

Purplebricks’ advertising is very negative and critical of the competition. They talk about 'commisery', trying to make potential sellers feel ripped...

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

Fledgling trade body The Charter for Independent Estate and Letting Agents (CIELA) has described Purplebricks as the 'biggest enemy currently facing...

Harry Hill - former chief executive of Countrywide and the founder of Rightmove, and one of the most respected figures in the...

1) Who are you? Kevin Ward – Director and founder of Agentlocator.co.uk 2) For those not familiar with Agent Locator, can you explain...

A new website supporting high street estate agents has recently launched. Agent Locator provides an online platform for high street estate agents to showcase...

A new website that will allow vendors and landlords to compare the expertise and fees of estate and letting agents has banned online...

Online estate agents have been accused to “the callous exploitation of naive sellers” by the software executive behind the idea to...

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

There were some absolutely brilliant figures released recently by telephone answering specialist, Moneypenny.  The highest call volumes diverted from agents to Moneypenny occurred between 10am-11am...

An Essex estate agent who believes he is the youngest in the industry has explained his success to Estate Agent Today...

eMoov is to offer virtual tours to clients free of charge - a service for which it says rival online agents...

This week we have the Head Shepherd of EweMove, Glenn Ackroyd, in the hotseat. He’s been co-owner of EweMove Sales and Lettings,...

Barely a week goes by without an announcement relating to the latest player entering the online agency world and when they...

A hybrid franchise agency is looking for new partners to expand its reach in the Midlands. Campbells says it is looking for...

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

Ed Mead, one of the most high profile estate agents in the industry, is leaving London agency Douglas and Gordon to...

The bank Credit Suisse has launched a new monthly survey of online estate agents, using a simple eight-element questionnaire. The bank -...

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

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

Swiss bank UBS has given an upbeat assessment of online estate agencies in the changing housing market - but it warns...

The old and eternal debate over whether or not tenant fees should be banned continues to rumble on. It’s a major concern...

As we have just passed the 6 month half way point of 2016 we thought it would be a good idea...

A survey of over 2,000 people suggests that online estate agents lose out to their traditional counterparts in terms of public...

A consumer group which champions home owners claims twice as many members of the public support the stamp duty surcharge as...

Respected westcountry estate agent Chris Wood is to offer consultancy and training courses through new industry training group Agency Mentors. Wood, who...

The days are getting longer, the sun is starting to appear on a more regular basis, Easter is just around the...

Two property professionals who in the past have worked for Savills and Hamptons International, have launched a hybrid estate agency. Founded by...

As any marketer will tell you, the marketing mix in its most basic form is made up of 4 P’s: Price,...

OnTheMarket is not going to uphold the controversial ‘one other portal’ rule for its new Overseas Channel, which it has launched...

The amount of column inches taken up by ‘property’ is at an all-time high.  In my mind there are two major contributing...

A west country property developer is reported to have taken “a significant stake” in Netanagent, a price comparison website focused on...

The website of the consumer group Which? is asking for readers’ experiences as to which is the better choice - using...

Online agency HouseSimple is introducing a High Street agency style No Sale-No Fee option for vendors, with a reduced fee if they...

I'm sure most of you have seen, or at least heard of the Mad Max series of post-apocalyptic dystopian fantasies.  The latest...

The co-founder of hybrid estate agency EweMove says if the newly-floated Purplebricks fails "the online agency game could be up." Glenn Ackroyd,...

First of all, welcome back everyone. Hope everyone had a great and relaxing break for Christmas and New Year. (Is anyone...

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 survey of 1,000 members of the public suggests that 60 per cent of people would prefer to buy or sell a...

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

It’s time to take a pause, to reflect and put into context—and what a year it has been for our industry...

What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the agency industry during your time at TPO?  For me, the biggest change has...

A large survey of home movers reveals that over one in five of them considered using only an online-only estate agent...

A so-called ‘brand incubator’ has invested in online estate agency Settled. Settled launched in January 2015 but has had negligible impact even...

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

I’m writing this from the brand spanking new Center Parks in Woburn Forest. Set within 365 acres of lush Bedfordshire forest,...

The Property Ombudsman, the largest and longest-established of three official redress schemes for agents, has recorded a significant rise in membership...

Countrywide says the man charged with planning the organisation’s digital future is to step down - just days after he was...

Over the past few years Rightmove and Zoopla Property Group (ZPG) have each been spending massive sums on marketing and product...

The future estate agency model is going to be neither the traditional High Street office nor the online-only alternative - instead...

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

One of the industry debates of the year will be held next week when the inaugural FUTURE : Property Tech conference...

The big online estate agencies appear to have come of age. No, no - I'm not saying they're good, bad, better or...

The controversial description of online agency eMoov as being valued at £20m - even though it currently does not even make...

It’s become almost obligatory for start-ups in many industries – frequently online agents in the selling and letting business – to...

Online agents may soon sell and let across national boundaries as company websites and property portals operate on an increasingly global...

Controversial agency eMoov, which has already raised over half a million pounds in a weekend of crowdfunding, says online agencies now...

It’s always interesting when Which? produces a report that includes estate agency. It asked 1,990 people their views on buying and selling...

The boss of online hybrid estate agency EweMove has hit back at what he calls “skullduggery” in comments about his firm’s...

eMoov has entered into a partnership with peer-to-peer lender RateSetter in another bid by an online estate agency to find an...

An online estate agency is accusing a High Street agent of trying to “sabotage” a transaction by sending a touting letter...

Online estate agent HouseSimple has launched what it calls a “weekly pay-as-you-go estate agent service” which asks sellers to pay from...

The chief executive of online agency easyProperty says the money laundering scandal exposed in Channel 4’s ‘From Russia With Cash’ would...

The annual RESI conference, usually dominated by developers and debates over housebuilding totals, is this year to include a discussion on...

Two interesting developments in the past week have shown how established parts of the agency industry - on either side of...

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

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team (NTSEAT) is to meet with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to discuss complaints...

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld two complaints made against online estate agency eMoov.  The first centred around eMoov’s claim that...

Online estate agent easyProperty has appointed a creative and PR agency to manage an ‘above the line’ advertising campaign ahead of...

OK, you’ve had your fun. Now let’s leave the regulators regulate and work for the public. If you don’t know what I...

Online estate agency eMoov has lodged a complaint with the Competition and Markets Authority over high street agents’ implementation of sole...

The managing director of Hatched online agency is accusing Purplebricks, eMoov, Tepilo and House Network of advertising their rates exclusive of...

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