Archive

Millions of people use online property portals every year to conduct their property search, whether it be for sales or for...

For the record, this isn’t my last Industry Views for Estate Agent Today, although by the time you read this I'll be...

It’s not an easy time for many renters (and homeowners). The cost of living is going up across the board for...

The hot topic of rent controls has remerged in recent weeks, with passionate voices on both sides of the argument speaking...

We know that agents rely heavily on property software solutions to run their agency, particularly to ease the burden of administrative...

The pandemic has led to many people ditching more formal wear as they work from home on a more regular basis,...

What estate agency is going to look like in the post-pandemic world, and what the role of the physical branch will...

2020 gave rise to an exodus from the city as work from home became the mandated norm for large swaths of...

Zoopla has revealed that some 200 agents have joined its new Product Research Panel, testing new innovations introduced by the portal. First...

The stamp duty holiday came and went with much fanfare. For many buyers it represented a rare opportunity to make some...

Zoopla data has confirmed that buyer demand started to moderate in the months prior to the initial stamp duty holiday tapering...

RVU - the ZPG-owned company that already owns Zoopla and independently-run price comparison and financial services - has acquired online mortgage broker Mojo...

Back in April, leading portal Zoopla launched a new multi-million-pound marketing campaign, its biggest ever, to help agents capitalise on the...

This time out, I’m in conversation with one of the big three established portals. Since it was founded in 2007, Zoopla...

Homeowners staying at home during another lockdown are doing more than sharing memes of groundhog day or doing family quizzes on...

With the Government announcement this week of another national lockdown across England amid the surging coronavirus infections, it once again puts...

ZPG, parent company of Zoopla, is to buy another comparison website business, in addition to running its existing Uswitch service. Insurance group...

Recent debate about urgent need for reform and better collaboration within the property industry, has once again come under the spotlight...

It’s been an unexpected year for the property market, shaped by the effects of the pandemic. We didn’t quite anticipate the...

Zoopla has linked with a PropTech company led by the former boss of Purplebricks to offer agents free virtual viewings services. The...

As the impact of coronavirus unfolds, we are in constant conversations with customers to understand the challenges they’re facing and to...

There’s been widespread outrage amongst agents at Rightmove’s offer to allow some agents a deferred payment scheme operating for just three...

More than 18 months on from the acquisition of ZPG for £2.2 billion by Silver Lake Partners, a US private equity...

We recently asked readers for their questions to the portals - the questions they couldn’t really ask their local reps, but...

How can estate and letting agents nurture leads who aren't ready to sell or let a property instantly? It's a question many...

In a previous Natter, I promised to talk more about CRMs – and here I stick to that promise. Following on from...

Hello and welcome to the final PJT before September - yes that means summer is almost over.  Yet even during the holiday season...

One of the agencies most active in the creation of OnTheMarket is trialling a return to listing on Zoopla after an...

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...

With the UK population spending longer in rental accommodation, due to the upfront expense of buying a home, their time and...

Mark Witherspoon, well known in the agency industry as the former data services director of Zoopla, has joined the TwentyCi company.  TwentyCi...

Estate Agent Today can reveal that the new Federation of Independent Agents has recruited an expert from the two leading portals...

In these tougher times, we recognise that helping agents win new inventory is the key to their businesses.  There were more than...

The monthly index of house price changes in Britain’s major cities, for many years operated under the Hometrack banner, has been...

Zoopla is radically changing its strategy by exploiting the freedom it has under its new private equity ownership. That’s the conclusion of...

There’s nothing new about identifying 10 figures who have helped shape an industry over the past year, but that doesn’t mean...

Another year is nearly done – and what an eventful year it’s been. We’ve had more than our fair share of breaking...

With portal rivalry hotting up again, Zoopla has announced that with immediate effect it’s removing all non-property related adverts from all...

Zoopla founder Alex Chesterman - who sold the portal company for more than £2.2 billion to US private equity fund Silver...

To say legendary ZPG founder and CEO Alex Chesterman left big boots to fill when he stepped back from day-to-day operations...

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

The head of a controversial property portal says agents can by-pass some GDPR marketing restrictions by using his service’s social network. Ben Davis,...

Outspoken online estate agency chief Russell Quirk says the estate agency industry is “really p****d off” with Rightmove trying to ride...

OnTheMarket’s trading figures for the six months to the end of July show, as predicted, losses while the company is building...

The latest figures from Purplebricks, contained within the agency’s annual report released this week, claim that 81 per cent of its...

What are the magic ingredients for building a strong brand, attracting new customers and building trust with your target market? Gareth Helm,...

Humberts - which when it was operating jointly with Chestertons was a prominent supporter of Agents’ Mutual and OnTheMarket - has...

Zoopla Property Group's founder and chief executive, Alex Chesterman, is to step back from day to day operations at the end...

Running an effective property business in today’s market relies on the clever use of technology.  The right technology will make your agency...

Another OnTheMarket founding estate agency - Strutt & Parker - has rejoined the Zoopla and PrimeLocation portals. Some months ago the London...

As if to prove there are two ways to interpret every figure, a new analysis of Rightmove’s recent trading statement suggests...

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

An article in Investors’ Chronicle says the dominance of Rightmove and ZPG in the portal market could be under threat from...

First things first, I have to mention the World Cup. The dream is over, football’s not quite coming home (not until...

The Advertising Standards Authority says its compliance team is considering its next steps following the refusal of estate agency PDQ Estates...

The stock market and at least one City analyst have shrugged their shoulders at the claim by Purplebricks that it is...

Another update from OnTheMarket this morning claims the portal is now listing over 550,000 UK residential property listings, in excess of...

So here’s the thing. It’s summer - not much going on, school holidays about to start, industry publications filling out space...

OnTheMarket has announced to the City and its shareholders that it’s to reveal its annual results tomorrow - the first such...

Last time out I looked at the growing importance of content, social media and design – but these should only form...

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

ZPG’s sell-off of the Australian arm of housing data company Hometrack to REA Group, a multinational digital firm specialising in portals and...

Zoopla Property Group (ZPG) has confirmed that it expects its sale to Silver Lake to complete in Q3 2018. As part of...

How can you use data to benefit and better your business? It’s something you’ll no doubt have asked yourself down the...

Two high street estate agents have used the medium of the local press to come out fighting against the threat of...

A study of estate agencies and portals floated on the London Stock Exchange suggests that digital companies have shown much better...

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

ZPG shares have rocketed up in value by 30 per cent this morning on the back of a £2.2 billion bid...

There's been a shock announcement that ZPG - operator of Zoopla, PrimeLocation and Hometrack, as well as uSwitch - has accepted a £2.2...

An online question-and-answer article with OnTheMarket chief executive Ian Springett has suggested that its focus of criticism may be shifting from...

OnTheMarket has announced that industry software company Reapit is introducing a real time data feed for its clients to upload their properties...

ZPG has sold the Australian arm of housing data company Hometrack to REA Group, a multinational digital firm specialising in portals and...

Manning Stainton, one of the major estate agency chains operating across North Yorkshire, is to return to listing on ZPG. It will...

Just like that, the Easter Bank Holiday has come and gone and I find myself now looking ahead to the Summer.  The...

As always seems to be the case with Purplebricks, the hybrid agency has had a good week...and a bad one. Undeniably impressive...

ZPG has announced that it has signed a listings agreement with Chestertons, one of the estate agencies involved in the founding...

The share price of OnTheMarket slipped again on Friday - down around five per cent on the day and ending at...

A property technology analyst has floated the idea that portals could become eclipsed by powerful alternatives such as Google, triggered by...

Have you noticed a new turf war going on on the fringes of the agency world? It’s not a high-profile battle like...

One of the leading PropTech analysts says Rightmove’s huge success means that it has two difficult choices ahead if it is...

ZPG’s comparison website uSwitch is to be the headline sponsor of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent.  The company says it will use this...

Franchise giant Hunters is the latest agency to list its sales and lettings properties on three portals, rather than two. The chain...

A mergers and acquisitions specialist says traditional agencies have been pushed into becoming more innovative by the rise of portals and...

New figures released by ZPG suggest increasing numbers of agents are listing on three portals. Amongst the latest agencies to renew long...

Hello and welcome to this week’s Property Jobs Today. If you haven’t caught this feature before, it’s a regular Monday opportunity...

The managing director of property data consultancy Hometrack, Charlie Bryant, is to lead a reorganised property marketing, software and data division...

Hello and welcome to the latest Property Jobs Today, our round-up each Monday of key job moves within estate and letting...

OnTheMarket has told the City this morning that it has already signed up 81 new listing agreements by 5pm yesterday, completing...

OnTheMarket remains defiant despite the decision of Douglas & Gordon, one of its founder agencies, to list once again on Zoopla...

City broker Jefferies is warning that Countrywide’s earnings as calculated through the EBITDA measure could drop to as little as £50m -...

One of the founding agencies behind OnTheMarket has returned to listing on Zoopla. A statement from ZPG, parent company of Zoopla and PrimeLocation,...

OnTheMarket’s share price fell just over five per cent yesterday, continuing its troubled launch on to the London stock exchange. It...

The bank Morgan Stanley says OnTheMarket’s listings have fallen 19 per cent in the past year. In a note to investors issued...

ZPG has revealed that it had 58m visits to its property websites, Zoopla and Primelocation, last month. This is 10 per cent up...

A range of factors - including fierce competition under the supplied housing market, rising property prices and political uncertainty – have...

Most listed agencies and portals suffered share price falls yesterday, creating a challenging landscape for Agents’ Mutual which launches on the London stock exchange...

ZPG says it anticipates a strong 2018 according to a trading statement ahead of the company’s annual general meeting today. The firm...

Analysts have given a frosty reception to the announcement by Agents’ Mutual that it is going to float shares priced at...

ZPG, which operates Zoopla and PrimeLocation as well as owning the Property Software Group, has signed more long-term marketing deals with a...

One of the world’s leading property technology analysts says Purplebricks-style disruptive agencies will be a trend to look out for in...

Asking prices are being cut more heavily than at any time in the past six years says Zoopla.  It says just over...

ZPG has revealed its 2017 annual report this morning with a stream of records - 648 million visits to portals, revenue...

LSL Property Services - which has high street brands including Your Move, Reeds Rains and Marsh & Parsons - has signed...

ZPG is refusing to increase its rejected bid to buy comparison website GoCompare. Earlier this month GoCompare turned down an unsolicited takeover offer...

Global investment bank RBC Capital Markets says OnTheMarket has the potential to undermine the pricing power of Rightmove and ZPG -...

News agency Reuters says a top five shareholder in price comparison service GoCompare says the firm should respond “positively” if ZPG...

OnTheMarket is reported to be threatening an estate agency with legal action. Earlier this week Estate Agent Today reported that Henry Adams, a...

The 15-branch Henry Adams agency has signed up to ZPG, just the day after the portal group said it had seen...

ZPG says that the number of estate agency branches that left to join OnTheMarket but have now returned has reached over...

The ZPG app for mobile users of the Zoopla and Primelocation websites has now been downloaded more than 10m times. ZPG launched...

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

ZPG has announced that Connells is the latest major agency chain to sign a long-term deal with its portals Zoopla and...

Agents’ Mutual is officially making no comment on the timetable for the company flotation but speculation within the industry is mounting...

ZPG says it has reached the milestone of delivering over £1m in referrals to its agents via its new MoveIt tool.  This provides agents with the...

Speculation that OnTheMarket was courting Countrywide to list on its website after flotation may have suffered a setback following an announcement...

One of the most thorough analyses of property portals ever undertaken shows that Rightmove is the world’s most profitable portal company...

Three more complaints about agents made to the Advertising Standards Authority have been settled informally - including one concerning an agency's...

Zoopla is launching a new advert as part of its ongoing TV and radio campaign - and it stars those hermit...

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

Let’s be honest - few people saw this coming. The 89 to 11 per cent majority amongst Agents’ Mutual members for...

ZPG - which already owns and operates Zoopla, PrimeLocation, Hometrack and the price comparison website uSwitch - has acquired the financial...

ZPG has acquired Ravensworth, a major provider of print and creative marketing services to estate and letting agents.  Ravensworth, based in Northumberland, specialises in...

A leading business consultancy which advises clients on investments has refuted a claim by a prominent media analyst that it is...

The stock exchange seems to be on everyone’s lips at the moment. There’s Agents’ Mutual seeking to float on the Alternative Investment...

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

ZPG has stepped into the escalating dispute between portals by revealing record figures on new leads - two hours before the first...

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

Agents’ Mutual (oops, that name might need to change…read on) has been touting its recent legal victory and is about to...

A City analyst has fuelled speculation that Rightmove has a goal to increase its monthly average revenue from each agency from...

The Competition and Markets Authority has released the full wording on its decision to give the go-ahead to ZPG’s acquisition of Expert...

Agents’ Mutual says it will be seeking to recover costs and compensation for losses incurred after what is widely seen as...

The managing director of ZPG Property Services says his firm will never ‘go around’ an agent in order to directly work...

Mark Goddard was the founder and CEO of The Property Software Group (PSG), a property software solutions firm established in 2007,...

Expert Agent says it is pleased the uncertainty surrounding its takeover had ended but suggests the Competition and Markets Authority’s announcement...

ZPG, owner of digital platforms including Zoopla, uSwitch, PrimeLocation, Hometrack and Property Software Group, has been cleared by the Competition and...

High profile estate agency Cluttons has returned to marketing with Zoopla Property Group (ZPG).  The firm rejoined the portal at the end...

Zoopla Property Group (ZPG) has announced it has become a 1% shareholder in international property portal business Propertyfinder Group (PFG). The organisation,...

ZPG says the number of estate agency branches to have quit OnTheMarket and rejoined Zoopla over the past two years has...

Zoopla has been reported as saying hybrid estate agencies will not reach their professed targets of achieving 10 per cent of...

The recent rise in consumer complaints against sales and letting agents suggests that there is a general lack of trust and...

ZPG has published its half-year figures this morning showing a six per cent rise in the number of agents and a...

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

Badger Holdings, owner of 26 agency branches operating under the Townends and Regents Estate Agent brands, has signed a multi-year deal...

Zoopla has launched a new advertising campaign to promote its usefulness to house movers as told through the eyes of hermit...

The Competitions and Markets Authority has released more details of its ‘calling-in’ of the acquisition of Expert Agent by Zoopla Property...

The Competitions and Markets Authority is reviewing the acquisition of Expert Agent by ZPG, parent company of Zoopla and PrimeLocation. A statement...

ZPG chief executive Alex Chesterman has been named in a list of 100 British businessmen regarded as the key disruptors of...

A City consultancy has noted every property advertised on Rightmove in recent months and will track them throughout 2017 in a...

New research conducted for ZPG claims that Zoopla’s ‘national spontaneous brand awareness’ is at an all-time high - with the gap...

It seems prop-tech is exploding at a scary rate, and the latest brands are all trying to grab our attention by...

Connells Group has announced strong figures for 2016 with the total number of properties sold rising five per cent and lettings...

Zoopla has acquired Expert Agent - the latest of a string of acquisitons by the portal. This follows the portal company's...

Excuse the puntastic (or not) title, but as you’ve no doubt already deciphered I took a trip northwards a couple of...

Estate Agent Today has been told that a deal between the Property Franchise Group and ZPG - the new name for...

It’s over. Done. The only ones interested are those with too much time on their hands. For God’s sake - behind...

Zoopla has released details of the profit some of its agents have made from its 2014 offer to purchase shares at...

Annoying isn’t it. You take on a stunning property, agree a compelling asking price and your Vendor is desperate to get the...

Zoopla and OnTheMarket have issued their figures for last month’s visits, each claiming their busiest ever January. Zoopla Property Group says it...

A City consultancy has issued a note to investors backing Zoopla Property Group’s acquisition of data company Hometrack, suggested there is...

Zoopla Property Group’s £120m purchase of Hometrack, announced yesterday evening, is part of its aim to create “the UK’s most valuable...

Zoopla Property Group is buying Hometrack, one of the country’s leading property market business consultancies. Established in 1999, Hometrack is one of...

Zoopla Property Group says that in the last three months alone over 100 estate agency branches have returned to its portal...

Property Service Holdings - parent company of the 150 branches trading under the Romans and Leaders names - has signed up...

Zoopla says it delivered a record number of unique appraisal leads to its agent members in December, up 112 per cent...

Zoopla Property Group has acquired the estate agency website specialist design firm Technicweb. The acquisition - its announcement was buried in yesterday's...

Zoopla Property Group's estate agency membership grew five per cent and its property listing inventory was up 10 per cent in...

The mobile apps for Zoopla and Primelocation passed the 8.5m milestone this week, with the former moving into number two spot...

LSL Property Services has sold its remaining stake in Zoopla Property Group according to a City report. LSL - which includes High...

Zoopla Property Group claims that brand awareness for Zoopla is now at an all-time high and is establishing a growing gap...

It is with no pleasure and a touch of sadness that I took in the significance of OTM's recent performance in...

Zoopla Property Group claims that in the past two weeks, over 40 agency branches have returned to listing on Zoopla and...

The Jeffries Group, an eight-branch Hampshire-based independent agency, says it is going to leave OnTheMarket.  Although the group’s website and email branding...

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

An eleven-branch estate agency has announced that it will stop listing with OnTheMarket and is returning to Zoopla Property Group (ZPG). Howard...

Zoopla Property Group (ZPG) has announced the launch of a new feature on its website which will help estate agents to...

Zoopla Property Group (ZPG) has announced that it has invested in a soon-to-launch PropTech startup. The group, which now owns uSwitch and...

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

Zoopla Property Group is seeking to integrate uSwitch, its price comparison service, with MoveIT, its agents’ platform for ancillary revenue generation. It...

What is Properstar? Properstar helps UK estate agents cross the chasm from local to global in respect of advertising their properties. Using...

Paying too much every month for your website? Move your website to us and we guarantee to halve your monthly bill I want...

Zoopla is to offer its members a range of options which effectively mean that those agents who wish to can offer...

Zoopla claims that it has delivered a 40 per cent increase in valuation leads to its agent members in the first six...

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

Several stock market analysts have published reports on Zoopla's half-year trading statement released yesterday. Anthony Codling of Jefferies – the firm which...

Zoopla Property Group (ZPG) has today reported a strong period of growth during the six months to the end of March...

OnTheMarket has changed the claims it makes to prospective clients about its stock levels and market share compared to Zoopla, following...

Leaked emails dating from 2013 and seen this week by Estate Agent Today appear to show a number of estate agencies...

Agency software company Dezrez says the jury is out on whether Zoopla’s acquisition of the Property Software Group will be considered...

Zoopla Property Group has confirmed its conditional agreement to buy The Property Software Group, which it calls the UK’s market-leading provider...

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

Research conducted for Zoopla Property Group claims its own Zoopla portal has a higher level of ‘spontaneous awareness’ than Rightmove amongst...

Countrywide is to lead a group including Connells and Zoopla in a partnership with the proptech company Fixflo, currently best known...

Zoopla Property Group has gone for a new chief financial officer steeped in online and digital experience rather than one with...

Zoopla has confirmed that its next date for announcing its agency membership totals - part of its ongoing rivalry with OnTheMarket...

Both Zoopla and OnTheMarket have ramped up their long-standing rivalry. As we reported yesterday afternoon, Zoopla has revealed what it calls a...

With the portal wars ratcheting up ahead of OnTheMarket’s first anniversary, Zoopla has revealed what it calls a “record number” of...

And so it begins. The first anniversary of OnTheMarket’s launch was inevitably going to bring a further skirmish in the portal...

Let Mid West Displays get your window in shape! Never underestimate the power of high street presence. Image is everything, and what...

Zoopla is launching its biggest ever national marketing campaign including new national TV adverts from Boxing Day. The campaign is called Knowing...

Zoopla, buoyed by its latest financial figures reported to the City yesterday, now claims that OnTheMarket lost 43 per cent of...

OnTheMartket (OTM) recently wrote to its membership saying how well its doing, how membership has increased beyond expectations and how it...

At least one City analyst has given a frosty response to a statement from OnTheMarket claiming that the new portal’s membership...

Zoopla has extended its Special Agents programme with customised data and newsletters, social media activity and a high-value prize amongst incentives...

A central London estate agent is in dispute with OnTheMarket over its leads, number of agencies on board, and visits from...

Challenger portal OnTheMarket is “not attracting a meaningful audience or engaging with its users” and so is likely to fail according...

Zoopla says it will later this week give an update on the number of agents it now has as members -...

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

Zoopla Property Group, which earlier this year snapped up comparison website uSwitch, is launching a new marketing scheme allowing agents to...

Multi-office agencies Stirling Ackroyd, Statons, Alex Neil and Cheffins are amongst those agents which have left OnTheMarket and returned to Zoopla...

Zoopla Property Group is reported to be looking for a new headquarters to house its property portals and recent acquisition, the...

Goodstuff, the company that until now has managed only Zoopla’s TV advertising, has now been given responsibility to buy space for...

Readers of Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today were given an exclusive opportunity to pose questions to Zoopla Property Group...

Readers of Estate Agent Today and Letting Agent Today were given an exclusive opportunity to pose questions to Zoopla Property Group...

Zoopla has appointed a new creative agency, Creature, to handle its next round of advertising. Zoopla, handling the process directly, began searching...

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

What will Zoopla Property Group (ZPG) do if it is overtaken in agent numbers by OnTheMarket?  Does the acquisition of uSwitch risk...

OnTheMarket has queried the listings inventory detailed in Zoopla’s half-year trading statement. Zoopla Property Group reported that its listings inventory had increased...

Zoopla is back in business with its trading update to the City this morning revealing that it has a net growth...

Zoopla is set to announce its latest total of agent members later this week. Back in May Zoopla revealed that it had...

There has long been the assumption and contention in the industry that portals are expensive. This, however, is not the case. Along...

Zoopla Property Group has launched a new service across Zoopla and PrimeLocation to provide users with access to thousands of professionals and...

Some 87 per cent of Zoopla members who bought discounted shares in the firm last year have made additional purchases this summer...

A riposte to Paul Smith's article 'Why Estate Agents Must Stand Up to the Power of the Portals' I just read an...

Zoopla claims that new research shows it leads all UK property portals with the highest level of national consumer brand awareness. The...

The Zoopla Property Group is reported to be looking for a new advertising agency after a clash of interest following the...

Zoopla has launched its Real Time Listings Service, allowing member agents to send updates to property listings on ZPG websites within...

Members of Zoopla Property Group (ZPG) who purchased discounted shares ahead of the firm’s Initial Public Offering last June will have...

Zoopla remains unbowed by its loss of 23 per cent of its UK agents and says it has new statistics proving...

Zoopla says it has lost 16 per cent of its global members in the year to the end of March -...

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

Zoopla Property Group is looking for more potential acquisitions following its surprise announcement that it is buying price comparison website uSwitch. ZPG...

Zoopla Property Group has acquired uSwitch, widely considered to be the UK’s leading price comparison website. It also generates high volumes of...

Zoopla Property Group has appointed Gareth Helm, brand director of MoneySuperMarket, to a new senior role - Chief Marketing Officer. Helm has...