Boomin, a new property portal, has announced that it has secured the support of several major estate agencies.
In the first of what the company says will be a number of signing announcements, Boomin has unveiled ten major operators who have chosen to be founder members.
The agents backing Boomin:
Foxtons
Chancellors
Andrews
Century 21
Hunters
McEwan Fraser
Dacre, Son & Hartley
Ryder & Dutton
Miller Metcalfe
Mishon Mackay
The statement from Boomin says: “The new portal, which has been over two years in the making, promises to be more than just another listing site. New features will open up the market, raising interest and engagement from a wider audience through the provision of deeper real time information and increased agent connectivity. Boomin will surprise, excite and engage in ways that will keep people coming back time and time again.”
The company says that any new agents who sign-up now will qualify for ‘founder member’ status, which brings many benefits including a free equity share allocation and use of the platform itself until January 2022 at no cost and obligation whilst earning new and recurring revenues.
Michael Bruce, executive chairman and co-founder, is currently hosting live daily webinars for agents with his brother, Kenny Bruce.
Michael Bruce commented: “The response to our daily webinars has been overwhelmingly positive with more agents signing up every day to our new and innovative portal for the home.
“Boomin harnesses the latest technology to facilitate a greater number of property transactions, provide new services centred on the broader home and even during the free period that runs through the whole of 2021 offers agents new revenue generating
opportunities.
“The early endorsement by many of the leading and most respected agencies in the country highlights the strength of the proposition and confidence in the entire team to build Boomin into a household brand, backed up by an impactful multimillion pound marketing campaign.”
Following the announcement by Boomin today, Nic Budden, Foxtons CEO, described the new portal as an “exciting step forward for the property market”, adding that Foxtons are “pleased to be a founding member”.
Glynis Frew, CEO of Hunters, commended Boomin for being “very customer focused and in Hunters’ view is different to anything else we have seen before”.
She continued: “The Boomin team possess vast experience and have combined their knowledge with leading technology to deliver a platform that offers a great customer experience.
“At Hunters we believe technology is the accelerator and we will utilise Boomin in tandem with our CRM, SKIPA, to deliver the best customer journey for our customers.”
Robert Scott-Lee, managing director, Chancellors, said: “We have been extremely impressed with Boomin‘s game changing proposition, how it advances the overall experience for customers and agents and the flexibility and adaptability that comes with their entrepreneurial approach to everything. We are proud to be founder members.”
Stuart Matthews, managing director, Miller Metcalfe, commented: “We are always searching for new and innovative ways of taking our marketing to the next level.”
He added: “After hearing about Boomin and what they can do, we couldn’t wait to get on board and give our clients that little something extra. We are excited to see what Boomin have to offer and look forward to working with them.”
Comments (23)
To all agents out there DON’T DO IT! DON’T SELL YOUR SOUL!
Don’t forget what they did to us. No amount of tech can undo that damage.
Will this get enough traction for another flotation? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Articles of Incorporation of whatever SPV they plan to use to handle agent equity, specifically stated that there will never be a flotation of the company? It’s so easy to do too.
Of course it will float. Agents are being given equity as a sweetener not for a say in its future direction.
So this is OnTheMarket meets Rightmove, powered by Purplebricks?
ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Offering is very similar to the goings on when RightMove and On The Market started out, so nothing new. Now, look at them both!
The agents list is interesting and how ‘out of touch’ they are with the real industry goings on over the last few years. All I see is agents who hope to get the run on others …. maybe they will come to regret their association? Certainly the independents will consider it another relationship nail in the coffin between them. Time will tell, but I for one wouldn’t trust any person and get into their bed, who tried to put you me out of business.
‘Put you and me out of business’ – that’s exactly what the Bruce’s tried to do. What bare faced cheek to come back to try and get us back on board and how shallow minded are their newly recruited followers.
I don’t think they’re trying to get the run on anyone, as any agent who signs up is classed as a founder member. 100s have joined and this list is a tiny selection.
I must say I really dislike the term “Founder” anything. That’s the reason I won’t have any involvement with Agents Together. I felt that a bunch of industry consultants calling themselves Founders was a trifle condescending. Especially given the lack of credentials of most of them.
Agree, was hugely disappointed to see some of the names who got behind it (the charity). Not saying the idea isn’t good but think it should have been done without the bruces. Many of the people who got involved were anti-bruce brothers and very vocal about it. Now licking their arses. So two-faced and which is why I don’t look at anything they put out any more.
I’ve got this picture of The Bruce Bros virtually grabbing Agents by their hair and running them repeatedly into a virtual wall ….and eventually the Agents are dazed/confused enough they give in and hand over their money ……again?! and again…..and again!!!
The reality…. is those Agents willingly queue up at the giant door marked “Gullible? Welcome to The Bruce Bros Magic Emporium” …….they rush through like school children attending the circus, throwing their ticket money into the “Golden Bruce Bucket”.
You’ve got to hand it to The Brucie Bonus Boys though …..they make their dreams come true off the backs of those who just can’t resist the…. “this time, it’s different”.
Someone needs to invent an “Estate Agents Restraint System – EARS!” and hand them out free to those Agents who clearly can’t help getting sucked in again?! …..or sell “EARS” to Agents for £350 per month on a 5yr contract!
DOH!!!
PB v2 surely……… wolf in sheep’s clothing………if you get into bed with this lot, don’t turn your back on the shower curtain (to mix my metaphors) But why are Foxtons and Chancellors joining the Lemmings?
It can only be hoped after their derisory and insulting attitude towards mainstream agents over recent years that this concept results in Bruces faces being covered in cake!
No doubt these firms have been offered heavily discounted/free subscriptions and quite likely share options on floatation. Sound familiar ?!
Yet another portal is the last thing Agents need.. And this time it’s going to grab and use YOUR data too !
Agents signing up need to go into this with their eyes open.
Bruce’s want to float another company and make millions.
They are promising agents they too will make £££
Ask the LPEs at PB how much they made from the float and what they were promised.
Once its floated the CEO has a responsibility to shareholders (not agents) to post increasing profit figures….. how do you think they will do that?
Any should not join up, no matter how attractive it looks. The Bruce’s have shown many times they are not the agents friend.
Wise words.
Well said Charlie Lamdin.
The definition of madness is keeping making the same mistakes and expecting a different result.
This is Onthemarket/Rightmove/Zoopla.etc. 2.0 – another data grab, another IPO, shareholders who put £millions in taking out those same £millions and many more, shareholders in control & not agents, ARPA under the control of investors and not agents.
Do agents still need to “incentivised” with “equity”?
Exactly my thinking. It would be interesting to hear from some of the PB staff and whether they did make any money. I have seen various comments from ex-staff who say the struggled to earn a living, got treated terrible by the BBs.
They were disruptive last time ……so why are they going to settle to be another portal now?
So its fairly simple strategy to give away free memberships to a load of Rightmove loathing estate agents. Riding the wave of resentment and offering them hope of breaking the shackles, only to change tack later and switch to a for sale by owner model. Possibly with a few purplish tinted local property agents thrown in for effect….
So friends be careful what you wish for at this point….
That sounds like the RM model.
Looks like Mr. B has been busy on his garden leave. We joined the webinar and have to admit we were excited by what we saw and can’t wait to start selling our customers some lamp shades and faux plants and flowers.
I’ve read through the list three times – they appear to have missed Purple Bricks off!
Interesting that these agents appear at first glance to cover all areas across England. The strategy to obviously to be seen everywhere. I wonder if they were turned down by other brands, or these committed agents came knocking?
Also intrigued what happens when the wheels come off the current ‘happy’ ride agents are experiencing with current market conditions – which portal will these agents kick into touch first to cut costs? Mishon Mackay only earlier this week announced they were back in bed with Zoopla.
Lots of promise that this portal will offer something new and the over used “exciting”. But really, do agents require another fee collecting portal?
The Bruces are probably the only people who will siphon even more value out of agents and the public than RM.
Not a bad scalp – Foxtons
Not an independent though. They’re a PLC.