Boomin’s Michael Bruce tells agents: “We will not let you down”

Boomin, the new property portal, will finally launch this week.

The website was supposed to launch in December 2020, but the introduction of the portal was delayed despite a major marketing campaign.

It was a disappointing start for the platform. It had been suggested by a number of agents that they did not have the take up of agents they expected.

But four months later and the Boomin website is now ready to go live.

The new platform will launch on Good Friday 2 April with more than 5,000 agency offices now signed up. However, it is important to point out that growth in those committing to the website has been predominantly fuelled by free listings under the portal’s short-term introductory trial offer.

Agents signed up the portal before the close of play today will have free use of the platform for almost 12 months.

Michael Bruce

Michael Bruce, executive chairman and founder of Boomin, said: “Reaching launch day is a milestone moment in our development, some two years in the making.

“I would like to thank the entire team for their tireless dedication and commitment working remotely but collectively during unprecedented times and also a big thank you should go to the founder agents that have placed their trust in us. We will not let you down.

“The real hard work is just beginning as we progress our journey. Our platform will never stand still. We will continue to test, learn and innovate to drive the customer and agent experience ever forward.

“Boomin will always strive to ‘make good things happen’ for everyone.”

Boomin will be promoted across a range of media channels, including TV.

 

Sneak Peek at Boomin’s new TV advertising campaign ahead of Friday’s launch

 

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56 Comments

  1. AgentQ73

    Sure lots of TOs and LPEs heard similar in the past.

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  2. smile please

    Do we need yet ANOTHER portal ……. NO just another 400/500 per month expense.

    And to make things worse he has tried to put high street agents out of business for the last few years.

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    1. James Christchurch

      Smile Please – yet aren’t all your competitors on your High Street trying to put you out of business by trying to take the listing?
       
      … and if you think about it- you are probably doing the same yourself?
       
      I suppose every agent is trying to earn a crust and get every listing (And so by definition take food [business] from your competitors mouths)
       
      Aren’t we all out for ourselves in this world?

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      1. smile please

        Sorry James I don’t see your point.
        I am not paying my competitors £500 per month.
        There is absolutely no reason to back boomin 

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        1. James Christchurch

          My point in my original reply related to your second paragraph and Bruce’s time at Purplebricks and him trying to put you out of business
           
            The point was every agent is trying to put every agent out of business the problem with Purplebricks Is that they did it quite well.
           
          I suppose another question is … did main stream estate agents have to compete with purplebricks by pulling their pants down on their fees or should’ve they done something else to counteract the threat that PB gave in 2015/16?
           
          what are your thoughts on that Smile- Please?

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          1. smile please

            Well for a start purplebricks did not do a good job they have spent far more than they have brought in and lurch from one ASA complaint to the next with constant stories of a toxic workplace and the no doubt soon to be IR35 fallout.
             
            Secondly if joe blogs estate agents down the road had be running me down for years and then came into my office to ask me to give him £500 per month to back his next business venture he will be slung out on his ear.

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            1. paths

              If they “didn’t go a good job” then why are you so upset by them?

              The comments on this site related to any PB/Bruce news are comical. So full of bitter agents.

              If you all spent more time concentrating on building a sustainable long term businesses than whining about portal fees and PurpleBricks then you might get to a point where you don’t need to worry about either anymore!

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              1. smile please

                Paths,

                I have a sustainable business running just shy of 20 years and i am profitable unlike ‘Bricks’

                If you ran a business and a competitor ran you down with lies (substantiated by the ASA) and then came cap in hand begging for you to back their next business venture …. I think you maybe a little ‘miffed’

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      2. hampshirebornandbred

        I don’t think that’s the point.  Why would any agent want to support someone who took great delight in stabbing us all in the back with PB and kept twisting it until he’d made enough money to scarper and think about another way to make even more money at our expense?

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        1. James Christchurch

          Every estate agent is stabbing you in the back

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          1. Dick Value

            Boomin rep by any chance?

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            1. James Christchurch

              Nope – just hard working Estate Agent in the South of England who worries about stuff I can control Mr Dick V.

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          2. hampshirebornandbred

            No they’re not, they’re competitors.  Big difference.  Most are friendly rivals.  MB and KB set out to discredit decent hardworking agents, disparaging them along the way whilst successfully conning the public into thinking our job was easy and simply involved finding a buyer and nothing else.  Frankly, any agent supporting their latest venture should be ashamed of themselves.

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      3. jan - byers

        So why back RM then

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      4. jan - byers

        But you are backing RM?

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  3. gardenflat

    No thanks.

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  4. JonnyBanana43

    F off.

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  5. Jay Watcher

    My concern is first he tried to put all estate agents out of business. Now he will do the same by using the agents on the portal to manipulate figures and use this against the agents not on the portal. What he does not realise this is going to affect small agents who work very hard to put food on the table to give another £400 to another “not required” portal.

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    1. jan - byers

      But they do not have to use anopther portal
      Some may choose to dump RM and use booming

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      1. Woodentop

        Ah the RM dump thingy again. Yep without doubt ripping agents off with charges, however they are not going away. Far too many big players supporting RM, so people need to get over the RM will not be going away and are effective in the market place with the public.  
         
        As Smile Please commented, yet another web portal. Do we need another one?

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      2. Jay Watcher

        So how many agents actually did leave Rightmove not many. So people will need to have Rightmove, on the market doopla not Zoopla and then the list goes on…….

         

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  6. Property Ear

    This guy insulted me and tried to put me out of business – I wish him nothing but Boomisery

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    1. James Christchurch

      Are you saying Micheal Bruce came to your town and targeted you and your agency specifically Property Ear?

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      1. Property Ear

        Yes James, he was after us all, via his cheap and tacky tv advertisements. Are you perchance one of his newly recruited sheep?

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        1. James Christchurch

          Ok .. so he targeted you in a public fashion on TV… he targeted us all Property Ear

          Yet, is your competitor sending touting letters to your listings or door knocking your stock any worse?

          I wish was recruited by him PropertyEar – things are tough in our town – listings hard to come by and every agent pulling their pants down on fees. Maybe time to become a Proptech person myself

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          1. Woodentop

            Big difference between a local agent trying get your business, than a national campaign spending £multi millions to put you out of business claiming “Commissary”.

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            1. James Christchurch

              Will have to disagree with on that Woodentop .. everyone is trying to put you out of business.

               

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              1. Woodentop

                Yes but when its my local completion I know where its coming from and easy to counter. They don’t spend £meggar millions trying it on. I just them back with their own medicine …… they soon stop.

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  7. JonnyBanana43

    Hopefully soon it will be “Bustin..”

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  8. CPestateagentesq

    It’s all about the IPO..

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  9. MarkRowe

    Crazy. If you align yourself with this then you really do fall into the gang that has the FOMO.

    Take a step back. Realise the history and journey of the Bruce’s.
    Recognise that you have survived without them for a very long time. The industry doesn’t need the Bruce’s to come along and save the day.

    You are okay and will be more than okay without another website, especially from someone who only a few short years ago was saying how traditional agents ‘didn’t work hard for their money’…. now he’s asking for a portion of that money… go figure!

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  10. purplepatchy

    Do you think I’d be stupid enough to even give you the chance to let me down? #Boomisery

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  11. jimboglos8261

    No thank you Mr Bruce!

    Anyone that thinks this is anything other than an opportunity to make the Bruce brothers another fortune, at the expense of high street agents is frankly an idiot.

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    1. Trisha H

      Just like Wrongmove then and I bet you still list with them dont you

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      1. AgentQ73

        Rightmove is a parasite, it needs the host to stay alive. The Bruce Brothers in their PB guise tried killing the host off. Big difference, but i suspect you knew that already.

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    2. James Christchurch

      JimBoglos – So do you run your estate agency as a charity?
       

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      1. jimboglos8261

        No i don’t run my business as a charity. But, I also don’t give my new competitor in town all my stock to list to give them traction in the area.  We all created the monster of Rightmove years ago and are having to deal with it.  We then did it with Zoopla.  Some agents then thought OTM was the answer, which it clearly was not. Why would we do it again??? Why now would we support a project that is being led by people who have already tried to wreck our business’ once?  At least RM, ZPG and OTM did not have a track record of trying to kill off high street agents when they launched.

         

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  12. Gangsta Agent

    Seems the Boomin brothers have a fan, but we know the way this goes, big it up, get money from idiots, give themselves shares, then sell them off for millions. Only 2 people having it off here!

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  13. New Order in a Joy Division

    James Christchurch you are obviously an employee trying to limit damage control but you have a microcosm of the feelings agents have for the Bruce brothers.

    You keep referring how we are all in competition which is correct, but what you seem to be missing is there is a mutual respect for others in agency and understand the challenges they face. Yes competition is there and we try to out do each other. But what we don’t do is try to rape and pillage an industry, and then step over their bodies afterwards offering to help.

    Bruce damaged this industry, he used agents to insinuate that their value was negligible and the public didn’t need them. This has created animosity towards Bruce, who is very clearly not on our side.

    Agents have long memories and better customer service.

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    1. Hillofwad71

      NOIAJD

      “I have been waiting for a guide to take me by the hand”  DISORDER

       

      “Room full of people, room for just one

      If I can’t break out now the time has just come ” SOMETHING MUST BREAK

      “Guess your dreams  always end  ,they don;t rise up just descend” INSIGHT

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    2. jan - byers

      I can think of many agents I have zero respect for 

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    3. James Christchurch

      New Order in a Joy Division – If you search for my comments – you will see I have been here a while and a humble estate Agent from the South of England.  
      I am glad your competitors have mutual respect together. Gladd they dont tout your listings, dont door knock like the ba$tards from a certain chain in my town, bull5hit my vendors with false viewings, tell out and out lies to get business, refuse viewings unless the first time buyer books a mortgage appointment, and then sign up to their conveyancers that are so bl00dy awful – all the agents in town say becuase of them – all chains are taking an extra 5 weeks. 
      Bruce is no worse or no better than 75% of this industry and until we can start to work togehter – we will always be looking for someone to blame.
      Will I be joining Boomin – no – I cant afford it – unless people on the free valuation insist they are there … then I will have to pay and make savings else where

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      1. Woodentop

        Welcome to the real world of business. If you can’t cope with it, think of doing something else. Dog eat dog is the reality of life, deal with it.
         
        Bit ironic that you object to others doing what Bruces have always done and seem happy for them to do so!

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        1. James Christchurch

          Woodentop – I don’t like – I just roll with the punches.
          I certainly don’t take it personally either – a lesson many commentators on this thread could learn from

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  14. majortom1

    Are the Bruce’s using their own money to launch this ?

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    1. Hillofwad71

      TheBruce Brothers  can be thankful they aren’t  still sitting on the BODS at Bricks .Axel Springer have just announced a £5m investment in Nested .If they were still there they more than likely they would have been stongarmed by Axel to dip in their pockets to join  in the investment like Bricks were into  Homeday in Germany by Axel.The jury certainly still  out on that one .
       
      Must be another Ian Curtis lyric for that 
       
       

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      1. majortom1

        Nested accounts dont look great to me. It does amaze me the amount of money that gets invested in these new starts / big new ideas when actually you could make some already good businesses greater with this type of investment.

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        1. Hillofwad71

          Homeday aren’t too clever either and they kicked off before Bricks!

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  15. Cheesybiscuits

    I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything to fail so much. If you are a Boomin’ rep, I think the above comments tell you everything you need to know.

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  16. Russell121

    I think they’re hoping that if they throw enough of other peoples money at something, then it might stick. Purplebricks are still waiting 9 years on.

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  17. OverHalfWay

    Share buyers may have been gullible, buying into ‘ShXXt Bricks’ making you, your fortune.  But estate agents I hope are not. I think Boomin to Busting. So as JonnyBanana43 repiled eariler its the ‘F off’ from me to.  🙂

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  18. majortom1

    surprised at Foxtons

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    1. Hillofwad71

      There must be something rather special in it for Foxtons -something very special indeed

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  19. GeorgeHammond78

    Boomin’s Michael Bruce tells agents: “We will not let you down”……… save it for tomorrow mate!

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  20. Woodentop

    So agents are going to spend more time and resources trying to sell another persons web site from the many already out there, that do what your customer needs. Oh the catch is I (the agent) will be getting paid for cross selling. That should go down well with your customers. Are you nuts, your competitors are going to make it clear and loud at every listing what this shower are at.  
     
    Customers do not need another web portal, they will not thank you for being bombarded with sales calls. Public want PRIVACEY and don’t give too hoots to your portal charges and as for making money off their back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
     
    HELLO BOOMIN, where is my answer to you not going to turn this site into a private sellers portal once you have used the agents to get you established?    

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  21. Property Poke In The Eye

    Agents don’t forget!!!

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