Property Software Group, the supplier of software systems to thousands of agents and whose sale to Zoopla was announced yesterday, is just over one year into a five-year contract with OnTheMarket.
It means that OTM effectively becomes a customer of its arch rival Zoopla Property Group.
The ongoing contract includes PSG delivering the functionality whereby agents can list ‘new and exclusive’ properties on OTM before releasing them to any other portal, including Zoopla.
PSG boss Mark Goddard is to become CEO of Zoopla property services – the portals and software businesses.
Yesterday OTM CEO Ian Springett did not directly refer to any possible clash of interest, but wrote to his members as follows:
“You may well have seen today’s announcement on Property Industry Eye that Zoopla Property Group is to acquire Property Software Group (PSG).
“Property Software Group is a major supplier to agents of software systems such as Vebra, Alto, Jupix, Core and CFP.
“The team at Agents’ Mutual has enjoyed a highly constructive and collaborative relationship with the senior management at PSG – right from development, through launch and subsequently in the operation of OnTheMarket.com.
“In January 2015, we and PSG committed to a 5-year contractual arrangement to cover our shared agents’ datafeed requirements.
“These explicitly include the process for both normal BLM and real time feed versions.
“The requirements also cover support in developing and delivering unique functionality for agents to display new-to-market sole agency ‘New & exclusive’ properties at OnTheMarket.com in advance of releasing them to any other portal.
“I have already had assurance from Mark Goddard, who is CEO of PSG and will become MD of Zoopla’s property services division, that it will be ‘business as normal’ with no change in the nature of our relationship with PSG.”
EYE has also asked Rightmove about any ongoing contractual relationship with PSG, which would also make it a customer of Zoopla.
Last night Rightmove said it would not comment for the time being but was looking into the issue.
Comments (20)
I haven’t registered with an agent or portal or sold a property in over 20 years and yet I am continually marketed to by heaps of property industry centric businesses including RM & Zoopla. My crime? Breathing in and out and having an online presence; which is extremely hard to avoid these days if you have phone, broadband, credit file or bank account.
From what you are saying, all I need do is avoid using certain tools, products and portals and use an estate agent who also does not use any of these certain tools, products and portals and suddenly the marketing of said industry products will stop? Sounds too good to be true!
I’ve just had a look at Universal not knowing who they are (thanks Woodentop) and notice they link with something called “Tenant Shop”. So I guess Thesaurus and their parent company / backer / partner “Inchora” do sweet fa with all of your tenancy information it is spewing out into multiple different markets in the market place. And what happens to it from there? I suspect you might want to check your contract on that one.
You talk of “stepping back” What do you suppose? Stepping back in time? It doesn’t make a blind bit of difference what you think or do with your data or how secure you think it is. Whichever way you look at it, your data is not exclusive to you because by the time it gets to you it has been royally shafted by every other Tom, Dick & Harry multiple times and has been harvested from multiple other sources.
The best option you have is to own your space and make it work for you. If you don’t have the tools to do it then “tool up” and raise your standards. As before, in another post, if you are scared of data that does not exclusively belong to you being marketed to by RM or Zoopla then you better take a walk up your high street and tell all of your competitors to stop talking to YOUR applicants, YOUR vendors and YOUR landlords as well. Naughty competitors talking to your exclusive database of people. How very dare they.
I think I have just climbed back on the fence. Angry and annoyed is an understatement.
Just step back and think this take over seriously as your business is seriously at risk as highlighted by the lead story. Zoopla will have access to your data just as RM have with their current system which has also been designed to stop you using third party data feeds starting this June. Since the introduction of “RM Pro” agents have seen a marked increase in their data being used for mailshot canvassing by the corporates (a particular call centre name keeps popping up on the postmark!) is that just a co-incidence that the agents exact client data appears on the envelope?
If you want to loose business then this how they are taking advantage of the independents, most not having a clue that it is happening. It is about time DATA protection was policed and agents contracts should have restrictive clause to prevent third party using your data. However the contracts are drawn up by exactly those that are taking advantage, so read your contracts with a software provider and web hosts, you will be amazed. Thesaurus Technology software and web hosts are certainly independent.
The industry is evolving … but in the wrong hands?
WELL SAID, Woodentop. You’re bang on there.
(the ‘Dislikes’ further confirm that…)
Wow…..what a mess. OTM – An agent owned portal that got it wrong. Restricting portal choice when we all can’t afford to risk leaving RM. ZPG now owning our software ( and control) that is also owned by Mann and Co, countrywide! A competitor. RM an arrogant, patronising business that has totally screwed our industry because every other portal allowed them to ‘win’ the portal race. An industry already under pressure from the Internet/ online agents allowed to lie about fees, expertise etc through TV advertising-the best media outlet. An industry dominated by decent independent agents surviving my giving value for money and quality services BUT without a representation. What a mess…….
I recently switched to Jupix and am seeking written assurances that none of my data (including client contact information) is or will be used for anything other than the advertising of my customers homes. Other agents must make up their own minds how to proceed.
And did you get that assurance in writing ?
Can I just point out that a ‘contract’ doesn’t automatically define one party or the other as ‘the client’ unless it particularly states so.
A Contract is a formal agreement between two or more parties.
This is absurd.
Yesterday I get accused of not adding anything to a debate – that the ‘Dislikes’ on my posts prove that.
Today I throw up a point that is screaming for debate – and look what happens.
Your inability or unwillingness to debate is one thing, Plank (or ‘Planks’, as the case may well be…) – not everyone can or wants to.
I would suggest however that the clear evidence that you get your kicks out of thumping the ‘Like’ and ‘Dislike’ buttons like a demented Duracell Bunny speaks far greater volumes and explains pretty much everything.
PB haven’t you noticed the sudden jump in newbies appearing on the forum and the jargon they use isn’t EA language. It is the mates of XY portal etc, friends or multiple posts by the same person under multiple handles I suspect. The giveaway is that they only appear every time OTM is mentioned. EYE is likely to go the way of EAT?
Ah ha I have discovered that if you log out and back in an individual can often make multiple likes/dislikes, just like RM they are not unique visitors!
Hi Woodentop.
Certain posters stand out like sore thumbs. They fall into various categories. There are those that post only on one subject. Those that only seek to promote their own product/widget/fluff up their own feathers. Those that appear out of thin air to ‘personally’ endorse a product or person (see previous category) as the new ‘Hovis’ then disappear never to be seen again. Those that think that instead of endorsing it is better to knock the opposition (there’s one in every High Street and obviously now one in many back bedrooms and/or Call-centres…). Those that seek only to troll (that would be me, apparently…).
And the list goes on.
You can’t stop it. The internet makes it easier than ever before to get your agenda across.
Ros, Nick, John etc have clearly produced a platform here that these people recognize as influential – or they wouldn’t bother. Says a lot for the team at EYE – but speaks far greater volumes about those that now need to spread their MDT in this way that they are otherwise mute and invisible.
Oh – and as far as ‘Dislikes’ go – bring them on, I say.
I’m either p!55!ing dozens of the right people off – or PROPER p!55!ng off the few that really need it!
Onward and forward, mon ami! ;o)
Is that ‘check’ to Zoopla?
OTM continually report that RM will want to control our software in the future, But now Zoopla have played a good move and have huge control.
OTM & RM will be in ‘pieces’ about this.
Im still just with on RM and use Thesaurus for my software, so feel in control – but for how long? Have ZPG now got the ‘disruptive’ model?
Right Move will be pissing themselves.
yet again their ‘main’ competitor has ceded the battle to be a portal and is distracting itself with another spinning plate which it knows even less about.
Following on from yesterdays rather comprehensive comments, i would still urge any agent that cares about the future of their business / the industry in general to move away if you can from these software providers.
At the very least do some research on why some think this is a bad thing for agents and take a view. Please do not just ignore it.
The industry has just reached a crossroads with a clear choice to make. The choice is either data centric allowing service suppliers to dominate and harvest vertical income opportunities while base commissions are eroded and local listing rep passive intermediaries become more prevalent or Agents must choose an Agent centric route where they benefit properly from their earning opportunities supported by service providers who are content earn a living by supporting professional agency.
Now that Zoopla has direct, unhindered, access to 8000 agents’ dead file data, the bit that makes comparables valuations systems viable, it is essential that clear and concise agreement is made over the holding, use and distribution of comparables data that is the primary enabler of unqualified advice on value and subsequent fee erosion.
This is just embarrassing for OTM.
“You can only be on one other portal.”
“Can we be on Rightmove AND Zoopla?”
“No.”
“But… aren’t you, like… a customer of Zoopla?”
*Scampers into bushes*
It would be a tragedy if under Zoopla’s new ownership, all our data feeds to Rightmove kept being interrupted for a few weekends.
Sorry but someone has gotten a bit ahead of themselves. PSG is a service supplier which has been bought by a service supplier, there is no change in the relationship between Agents and OTM, if anything PSG now have to be extra vigilante that the clauses within its service agreement do not allow its commitment to its customers to be compromised and that a conflict of interest has not been created.
Best thing is everyone takes out their service agreements reads and understands them and where conflict of interest exist or is created by this acquisition those service terms are amended.
love the way the ‘city’ talks like agents are prey waiting to be tricked..truth is agents are at the top of the food chain and every other business feeds off us. Pity weak agents still using Rightmove cant see this.
p.s, onthemarket isnt the problem/ weak one/ etcetc. They are only as good as the agents who still use rightmove.
time onthemarket closed and let Zoopla get on with the genuine task of beating rightmove.
Wouldnt be surpised if onthemarket was actually created by Rightmove, the way its played into their hands.