Agency network Team has said that even before Zoopla’s acquisition of the Property Software Group there was growing concern over the “gradual concentration of power in the hands of one big software supplier”.
Meanwhile Rightmove said it has no problems with the acquisition by its competitor. A spokesman said: “We have a happy relationship with Property Software Group and see no reason for this to change.”
Team has a long-standing relationship with IT provider Resource Techniques.
Yesterday, Team’s IT director Kerry Applin, of Chapplins, in Fareham, Hampshire, said: “As traditional high street agents, the question of ownership and control of something as vital to our businesses as the software we rely on every day was always an absolutely key issue.
“In fact, it was precisely with a view to protecting our independence, by avoiding the possibility of finding ourselves at the mercy of some all-powerful supplier with their own agenda, that we entered into our partnership agreement with Resource Techniques – a highly successful arrangement which has worked to everyone’s mutual benefit for over 25 years.”
She added: “Unlike ordinary independent agents, who simply have to take what their provider is offering, we have been intimately involved at every stage in the development, testing and fine-tuning of our TeamWorks software – a process that continues to this day. The end result is a package which we feel meets the real needs of traditional independent agents more closely than anything available on the open market.”
She went on: “If you’re an independent high street agent, and you’re concerned about the danger of control over your precious data falling into the hands of some big, faceless corporation, Team membership is the only real alternative.”
Meanwhile Justin Morris, of software provider Dez Rez, said: “We will be watching to see how agents react to the union between Zoopla and PSG. There’s room for multiple business models but it’s too early to guess whether agents will feel that this could stifle the market and prevent them from delivering a full range of services.”
I wonder who’ll be doing the advertorial pitch tomorrow ….
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12 months before Zoopla the online agent is launched….wait and see
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Didn’t i read somewhere a while ago that their CTO put five million into emoov?
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Get Realistic, Agent.
Why on earth would a portal become an online agent? Are you going to become a portal?
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What a great idea for a business! Goodness grief, change the record…
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There are other portal feed systems out there that agents can operate on their own their own web portals (and keep back up copies of!). Just Google ‘agents mutual real time datafeed’ or ‘rightmove real time datafeed’ etc.
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The big question is the worry of access to agents data for their own personal gains. This is where the Merger & Monopolies Commission should be looking at desirable and unlawful activity.
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Agency Network Team. So that is a collusion of agents working against other non member agents to better themselves based on a collective of opinion and buying power? Should Team and The Guild get a letter from the CMA too?
We are often asked ‘Why Team?’ and ‘What benefits does Team bring to members and customers?’
Our fundamental aim is to increase our members’ profitability, market share and relevance in their local area.
Sounds like they have Team(ed) up and are guild(ty) as charged your honour.
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