New free portal jumps in to challenge Rightmove

Hi this is James from The Big Property List, I want to answer some of the questions below – I’m not going to get involved in the discussion about how successful or otherwise we will be but would just say ‘lets see’.

I also wanted to say thanks for all the messages of support we’ve received from Estate and Letting Agents and requests to find out how to list your properties on our site. That question is answered on our website in the 'About Us' section.

Quality of data – prices at 0.00, old pricing, missing information

The data is pulled directly from Google Base and is always up-to-date at the moment you view it. Our portal will display the data (price, description etc) exactly as provided in the feed to Google Base. If your data is wrong then either it has been changed since your feed was last sent or was incorrect or not entered in the feed.

We will shortly be publishing guides on how to get the most out of your Google Base Feed for those that are interested in maximising enquiries from Google Maps and other sites that use that data such as thebigpropertylist.co.uk.

Only a few listings in certain counties i.e. Kent

We have noticed that county searches don’t return all results (including from Map search) – but the adverts are there in the system. For example a search for ‘Kent’ from the map search retrieves 41 results – but search using a postcode in Kent and it will display all the results you expected (e.g. 775 properties near TN24 8XU).

We will be working on improving the search facility this year – we’re a new site and some things will take time.

Some counties seem to be missing

There are three different definitions of county in Britain and we had to pick one – it is hard to know where people will say they live – for example I live in Hampshire but the postal address is Berkshire. We are looking at ways to improve our map search.

Private Sales

Our property data comes from Google Maps (or Google Base). As private individuals can upload property adverts to Google Base our portal will inevitably contain private listings. We do not have a preference towards private sales versus Estate Agents but want to reflect the market. We have been testing a facility to make it easier for individuals (including Estate Agents) to list their property on Google Maps via a simple form but decided to remove it as it was one element of the ‘pre-tested site’ that we were not entirely confident would stand up to the site traffic we have experienced in the last week.

Sorry this has been such a long comment and I hope it has helped. Please feel free to get in touch directly via the website with any feedback, questions or comments you may have.

• 17 August 2010 12:13 PM

Will: You state "Anything that shows agents properties for sale to the market is good." Hmmm... don't know if I would necessarily agree with you there. Firstly there is the quality of the website to consider. A poor website will be exited quickly - probably without your property being viewed. Secondly, what is the point of advertising on a website that no-one knows about? If your property is listed on a website which falls on page 52 of a Google search, then you are going to get no hits. I would question how many people have the patience to search past page 2...?

Face facts - AoS is right. Once you get past the biggest 3 or 4 portals, people struggle to remember the rest. All the earlier bull about crisps is just blowing smoke. What the Hell does a preference for foods have to do with buying and selling houses?

Anyway - Tudor were always the best in my opinion!

• 17 August 2010 10:43 AM

Will, the role of a portal is for the end user to be able to locate and pin point anything and everything they want, in one place. Rightmove delivers that already...absolute superb from a public point of view.

Do the public want and need another advertisement-plagued site that doesn't work half as fluidly as needed and simply recycles the same properties that they have already seen on the major portals?

While you've assumed many here are not 'sales people', I'll assume that you know the answer to the above.

• 16 August 2010 17:21 PM

Ha! All the negative comments definately come from non sales persons. Anything that shows agents properties for sale to the market is good. Would not like to be selling may home through someone like jon

• 16 August 2010 16:40 PM

YAWN!
Another portal that IF it takes off will eventually charge us the same rates as all of the others. Just what we need. To have to advertise on another portal. As far as the 'free' portals go, PropertyLive was a waste of time. Globrix does ok (well it's free and you get enquiries). The next thing we will hear is that there is a new property glossy that will give us free advertising.

• 16 August 2010 15:44 PM

Also, please try my website:

www.justanotherportal.com/nothingnew.betterthanrightmove

• 16 August 2010 11:55 AM

There have been some very embarassing comments posted on this thread. I'm actually cringing.

I hope it is vested interests and not an honest opinion, else that is cause for concern.

• 16 August 2010 11:54 AM

Will, shall we all guess which web site you work for, only a child could hold those views unless employed by them. Challange rightmove, silly boy!

• 16 August 2010 10:18 AM

Why would any agent want to help another property portal break into the market? Aren’t there enough?

Third party advertising is enough to deter me from wanting my properties listed. Sites with advertisers are so clumsy, so user unfriendly.

Easy on the eye and very user friendly is the key to a successful site; I don't want to admit it but rightmove has it all.

Finally, if one is going to exert time and energy helping to establish a property site, make sure it is your own!

• 15 August 2010 21:04 PM

Terry Katona - "Your forgetting one thing posters, Beeny has access to milions of viewers via her tv shows, in the public's eye she's more well known than RM,..."

YOU forget one thing. NOWHERE on Beeny's television appearances is there reference to Tepilo. So what on earth makes you think that someone thinking of buying or selling a house would search for Sarah Beeny, Tepilo, or antything else remotely similar, for that matter?

But - just to be sure I tried out the theory. I googled "how to save money selling or buying a house online" in the hope of proving myself wrong. Results? Nil. Nada. Zilch. I gave up looking for Beeny or Tepilo in the search results on page 11...

I then guessed you would respond with 'Ah - but you weren't specific enough,' - so I refined my search thus: "which z-list channel 4 celebrity runs a website for selling and buying homes".

Guess what the result was...

Your one track mind has just become derailed at your own hand. Clever!

• 15 August 2010 18:27 PM

Your forgetting one thing posters, Beeny has access to milions of viewers via her tv shows, in the public's eye she's more well known than RM, and people like to relate to what they know, couple that with people looking to save on selling costs, and her site cannot be ignored.

• 15 August 2010 12:54 PM

@ jd. Just because she/Tepilo is talked about a lot doesn't mean she will make a "challenge" to the industry. It's just a lot of noise (that in all likelihood is Tepilo staff).

The EA profession is generally quite a close community and we like to share our experiences and help out fellow professionals. If we see people posting comments that we disagree with, or if we think they are misleading - we will try and shed some light on the subject and come to the truth together, and find out what use of time/money/resources is going to get us the best return. After all, "Everything that shines ain't always going to be gold".

Thats what I see these comments for anyway!

My experience: So far I've seen nothing at all from Tepilo.

• 15 August 2010 12:37 PM

Just a quick addition has any one noticed how every thread seams to end up including the "Tepilo" or "Sarah Beeny" word.
If agents think she is not going to make any head way in the industry why give her a second thought. Those who do think she will be a challenge maybe its time to review your business operational plans then.

• 14 August 2010 13:22 PM

Will are you for real first of the big property portal is not linked to Google as has been established and as for taking on rightmove not any time soon.
Regarding your site gpmproperty.com and the banner advert on it.
Google is not a property portal it does have among other data available on its map service property for sale data, plus a large amount of other information pubs shops etc if you wish.
The big property portal does not even have up to date or even the total listings available from Google and images do not match details.
Not a good start.

• 14 August 2010 13:17 PM

check out how to advertise these free portals and challenge RM my web www.gpmproperty.com

• 14 August 2010 11:53 AM

At last. A serious challenge to RM. All estate agents in Britain should embrace google portal and The big property list and advertise them on your web and all schedules, it's easy.

• 14 August 2010 11:46 AM

Terry Katona, Sarah Beeney, or whatever persona you wish to adopt in order to promote your 'Pet Website Of The Day':

Congratulations on your selectivity also. AND, for being bothered enough to trawl t'internet long enough to find two positive reviews. Like the way you describe yourrightmove as 'unbiased'. They would describe Atilla The Hun in a positive manner...

SO, 'Terry/Sarah/whoever' - here's the result of MY trawling:

"Waste of time, our property has been on Tepilo for months, not had a single enquiry! We've given up and have gone with a local agent, they have just sent out 150 brochures in the first week!"

"My property has been on the site for 2 months. I've not had a single inquiry let alone had anybody willing to view. Good idea, bad publicity - not many people know the site even exists!"

Source: reviewcentre.com
And, yes - before you get your knickers in a knot, there were two positive reviews which you will cry I have chosen to disregard... but if you choose purely to argue false positives, then I will purely argue false negatives.

You do not seem to realise that your vehement defending of the site has been seen on here many, many times before. Company employees; friends of friends - all believing that by bigging up a service or company they will make all stoopid estate Agents cower in their offices awaiting the day of judgement, or join up immediately.

Thankfully, Agents usually have enough savvy to see through scams such as this.

Over to you...

• 14 August 2010 10:28 AM

You should work for the BBC PeeBee your selective biased twitter editing is very BBC like.
Just found this review from a neutrual unbiased website:

"One customer review said “Tepilo really works. I have to admit I was sceptical, generally nothing is ever free – but was pleasantly surprised. I put my property up on Tepilo – had 6 viewings and 2 offers within about two weeks and accepted just over the initial asking price. If I had been through the more traditional estate agency route I would now be at least £35k worse off – so huge thanks to Sarah and her team for making this possible.”

The review continued “I Thoroughly recommended Tepilo for anyone buying or selling property”

This is quite a review for Tepilo as it is completely free to use.
Sarah Beeny claims “The site depersonalises the negotiation process. Innovative new functionality enables you to provide the ultimate overview of your home and gives buyers the best chance of finding the “right” property.”

Another review on Tepilo says “Excellent site. We found a property we liked and had an offer accepted. It was very straghtforward. I’ve been proved wrong – I never thought I would stand a chance of being able to sell my own property, and assumed I was better off using an estate agent and stumping up the fees.”

The review continued, “I added my property to Sarah Beeny’s new website “Tepilo” two weeks ago and have since had three viewings and now an offer – which we are now looking at accepting. The whole process is so simple – highly recommend this site, and best of all it’s completely free – nothing to pay at all.”

These are quite stunning reviews for a site that has only just been released.
scource Your right move Aug 11th 2010

Belive it or not PB i'm still in favour of sellers using agents, i'm simply pointing out that things are changing and some of the dinosaurs on here stuck in the past need to wake up to what's happening, like i said before it's only a matter of time before tepilo-like property portals gain market share and google start to take notice big time, then you will have a real problem.

• 14 August 2010 03:43 AM

Terry Katona - it's ME having a go at Tepilo, so swing your handbag this way, not at AoS!

Just did what you suggested, and checked out Tw@tter to see what all the furore is about. Read ALL the posts for the month. Here's a typical sample, as far as I can see -

help give hospital parking charges the boot here

The Sun declares war on scroungers

Cheap holidays anyone? 70% off holidays as firms struggle to sell

Not bad - any1 have a car I can borrow?...How much does an F1 driver earn?

Classics - every one of them! Granted, there were a few from folks who have actually listed their property on Tepilo - but NOT ONE from anyone who has actually bought or sold as a result!

Look - I've got nothing against Tepilo (I've saod before that I actually have property listed there and CAN'T WAIT for the first response...) - but don't blow its feathers out and pretend it is the new big bird when in reality it's nothing more than a wren! Your credibility (?) goes out of the same window as the site you are trying to big up.

Oh, lastly - words of advice. Try using full stops in your posts. That's the little spot to the right of the comma you like so much. You look a real muff when you finish every sentence with a comma... ;0)

• 13 August 2010 17:30 PM

You may be in denial ace of spades and doing your best to talk it down but the wise on here are not, Tepilo is going big time make no mistake and it wont go unnoticed by Google and others, in case you haven't noticed things are getting deperate, house price's are falling, we are not far off a 30's style depression and with impending vat rises, sellers will look for new way's to avoid agent fee's, sorry if that's painful news but face reality, things are changing, fsbyo hasn't worked before because of a bouyant economy, it's a whole new ball game now, adjust or die is my prediction, Just follow Tepilo on twitter and see how many tweets from privateers praising tepilo appear daily, have a nice weekend!.

• 13 August 2010 16:45 PM

Any time, AceofSpades. You just keep up my normal job of defending RM against its attackers (that would be the biters of the hand that feeds them all...) and I'll provide the entertainment interludes... ;0)

• 13 August 2010 16:16 PM

I was with it until the 'serious challenge' bit in second line!!

• 13 August 2010 16:13 PM

Peebee- thanks for flagging that one - it went under the radar!! Very entertaining!! (It is Friday after all!)

Terry - this supposed 'gap in the market' for private sellers has been 'open' for a long time.

The idea = fantastic.

In action = disaster.

Tried and tested, tried and failed. It may pick up a bit more before hitting the wall, but this 'niche' market you speak of will never fulfil your personal expectations.

• 13 August 2010 16:12 PM

I'm sorry - but did someone just use the words "Tepilo" and "success" in the same sentence?

It's a funny old world... ;0)

• 13 August 2010 16:05 PM

I respect your point also and I can see where you are coming from.

Is RM a money making monster, steam rolling there way across the market, like agents suggest? Or should we just embrace it as the very best service of its kind?

The price difference between RM and it's closest rivals isn't even that big, yet it really does shine above them.

• 13 August 2010 15:59 PM

It's only a matter of time before free to list for everyone including private sellers happens, no doubt google is watching this closely, and what with the success of Tepilo that has to be the way forward, there's a gap in the market that someone will sooner or later close!!.

• 13 August 2010 15:06 PM

AceofSpades:
You obviously have a point and I respect it. My point has been made on this site many times, that is that there is no real choice at the moment and it is self perpetuating. If the profession wants RM retain total control then so be it.

• 13 August 2010 14:56 PM

Raymond! why stay with them if you are upset with paying for their service? As much as you seem to detest them, as seems to be the British way with success, they do a good job.

OUR money, yes, but money which they in turn provided a service for - it wasn't a charitable donation! You gave them free advertising, not out of love, but because YOU wanted to be associated with the brand because it was good for business / was what punters wanted.

Promote it on agent websites - they get no traffic though, Rightmove has more traffic than 50% of all property websites combined. Challenging for number one spot requires far more money than getting their in the first place.

Point taken on number ones falling from grace, the same with Sainsbury, but in every instance it requires a huge investment along with a good team and a service or product superior to the incumbent number one.

How would you propose the agent have their say with Propertylive - design by committee - and what do the NAEA know about running a website? I'd also be intrigued to see how 10,000 agents work 'together', can you really see that happening? and would it be ran as a not for profit website? how many companies ran in that manner are ran efficiently and truly strive to move forward?

I fully appreciate where you are coming from and vaguely understand your motivation, but believe Rightmove is offering a good value service and one has the choice whether to pay for it or not.

• 13 August 2010 14:47 PM

"a completely serious challenge" day 1....... website has major flaws, has to retract connection to link with Google, drops FSBO listings service? Taxi!!!!next one please.

• 13 August 2010 14:47 PM

Ray - The public prefered Walkers to Smiths - That's the reason they are the number one brand in the country today.

Now, which portal is by far the most popular with the public?? That's something many agents forget - the experience for the end user.

Rightmove delivers everything you want a portal to provide...and more - the only issue is cost. This shouldn't be an issue at all though.

If RM does not deliver value for money, stop using it. If it does, then it is a great investment. No room for discussion here - make a choice!

• 13 August 2010 14:39 PM

Rightmove spent OUR money AND we gave/give them free advertising on pretty well everything, that's what put RM where it is. The odd short TV campaign did not have a lasting effect. If agents advertised PL on their individual websites as well as all other advertising it would go a long way to becoming effective. NFoPP should make it a requirement of membership to do this? It has to start somewhere, Smiths Crisps used to rule the market -not now though!

• 13 August 2010 14:24 PM

Its awful, how do I get my properties removed from there before my vendors start complaining, some are on at pre-reduced prices!

• 13 August 2010 13:43 PM

Neil: You say "If you would like a national website portal with a national network of agents and an ability to offer corporate style products whilst maintaining full control of your business, but without a franchise fee, have a look at team."

Wise up, pal. If you think THAT is nationwide coverage, then you failed your geography GCSE miserably!

• 13 August 2010 13:32 PM

...which is obviously a problem with Google's offering.

• 13 August 2010 12:39 PM

I'm sorry to say - that site is rubbish.

Also, I've searched for properties in my area, and a lot of the photos don't match the actual description.

• 13 August 2010 12:38 PM

If you would like a national website portal with a national network of agents and an ability to offer corporate style products whilst maintaining full control of your business, but without a franchise fee, have a look at team. We did and have never looked back. Still use rightmove and other portals, but we are a larger and more profitable business with team.

• 13 August 2010 12:35 PM

Call me old fashioned but it would be nice to include all Counties on the map, Bedfordshire appears to have been absorbed by Hertfordshire.

On another note, if agents wish to promote their own portal then putting it on their letterhead/newspaper etc is not going to be sufficient, by the time a punter has seen these promotional slots they will have already been online and on the likes of Rightmove, users start their search online - fact.

Promoting propertylive will require consumer facing marketing on a huge scale - just take a look at the money spent by Rightmove to attain and retain their market position, they launched with a TV ad campaign before any agents put them on their material. By all means spend away, but this means having fees to generate the required advertising spend, that spend would need to be far in excess of Rightmove's to make a dent in their market share - look at the combined marketing power of their nearest rivals and what do they have to show for it?

• 13 August 2010 12:14 PM

These portals are in business to make money, by charging or cluttering the site with other advertising. The writing has been on the wall for some time. The only way forward for agents is to protect themselves by taking control of their major advertising media in some way.
Unfortunately agents rarely work together, even in something as important as this. PropertyLive is not yet up to the mark, but could be if the NFoPP and its members moved themselves?

• 13 August 2010 11:52 AM

Best web money agents can spend is on their own SEO and working together sharing main portals and resources by collaboration. Small plug. www.INEA.co.uk is free to list to independent agents. We DO NOT allow self sale and next week we are building RM. v3 feeds in, and already have many software suppliers who are happy to feed and collaborate with INEA uploads. We aim to increase our membership to 1,000 agents in the next 12-18 months. So long as agents are TPOS or RICS SOS we welcome you on board.

• 13 August 2010 11:30 AM

..Same old story!!

It's not going to touch Rightmove and the only reason there is any 'interest' is because it is FREE!!

The RM charge in comparison to agents fees, leads and the overall impact on your business is excellent value.

• 13 August 2010 10:58 AM

Another site that's set to challenge the major portals - how are home buyers and renters going to find the site?!!? Seems to be the missing link with all of these launches. We know about it, no one looking for property does.

• 13 August 2010 10:47 AM

It looks better than most of the donkeys we flouting their gcse work around here. However Katya has spotted the major problem with the search engine. Someone looking to buy in Highbury, N1 does most definetely NOT want to live in Dalston, E8 despite them being adjoining postcodes. That is not an easy issue to resolve. In 2008, Findaproperty spent a lot of money employing the services of a seach engine specialist.

• 13 August 2010 10:10 AM

Isn't this just effectively what Globrix tryed with a fee attached?

• 13 August 2010 10:06 AM

Within 24 hours of launch the site has had to rebut its claim of been powered by and associated with Google.
It is competing with agents offering Owner listings for £24.99 and no way does it have the big list for UK property.
any kid with a computer and free webhoasting could do the same as this site. even Rosalind could do as good i am sure!

• 13 August 2010 10:02 AM

cant say i like the logo, however layout is better than Findaproperty, which looks tired and dated as a portal. Lets hope it is successful. Will never be as big as rightmove. But every little helps. Will wait and wait progress.

• 13 August 2010 09:09 AM

It needs a bit more work before it presents any challenge to any of the competition. The search ignores any London postcodes and shows all London property it also ignores the property type and shows all types. You cant skip to any page of the search list. for some reason they are showing properties with 0.00 price (no data clean up/ management) and some of the listed properties have no details page shown when more info is clicked?!

So it was not very polished experience.

• 13 August 2010 09:01 AM

Ticks the boxes Google missed. Agents on here have been pleading for something like this.

OK, it's not so big, but it has only just launched.

The downside I can see is that punters are able to list alongside agents, but, what do you expect for free ?

• 13 August 2010 07:55 AM