Hunters adds Devon franchise branch
Hunters, has announced the launch of an additional franchise branch in Torquay, Devon, located in Fore Street, St Marychurch. The branch will be led by director Nick Petty and will provide a full suite of sales and lettings services across the local area. The branch is a conversion of McCarthy & Co, which has been operating since 2013.
Glynis Frew, Chief Executive of Hunters Property Plc, said: “We are delighted to welcome Nick to our growing network. The challenging market conditions have meant that we have brought forward our technical capabilities and we continue to go from strength to strength, growing our footprint across the country while continually evolving our offering.
Exchange Train – a disruptor website where solicitors can compete for business
We had this from site owner, Alexander Beagrie. We’ll let him tell you about it in his own words:
I am the owner of a company called Exchange Train Ltd which is an online comparison website where solicitors compete for business.
I have launched this website to disrupt the market. Exchange Train is the only website in the world that gets solicitors to bid for their customers, bringing power and confidence back to the consumer.
We are not like ReallyMoving and other ‘lead generator websites’ that churn out information for solicitors to bombard the consumer with multiple ‘sales calls. Everything is in house and done through the website.
“If it’s so customer focused why would solicitors want to use it?”, you may ask.
Well, what we do that no one else does is give the solicitors the opportunity to pitch to each customer individually whilst in the full knowledge of who the competition is and what they are pricing. This gives each solicitor COMPLETE transparency on where they sit in the market AND how best to approach new customers.
I am 25 years of age and started this business as a one-man band with sheer determination to go after the big boys in this space. We have just been taken on by Seedrs CrowdFunding to which we will be seeking investment in November and this money will be used to accelerate our marketing reach astronomically to hit everyone seeking a solicitor throughout the UK.
In a time where the economy where people are so price sensitive, I can’t think of a better time to launch a service that helps with exactly that.
I didn’t realise consumers had lost their confidence. How much will this cost the solicitor and ultimately the consumer. How much do Exchange Train and the agent get?
From the website:
Cherry pick the 5 initial offers you like the most. Your chosen solicitors will then be given 24 hours to make the most compelling best and final offer, including a unique deal sweetener at their discretion.
What is a deal sweetener?
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A conveyancing process with a ‘happy ending’ perhaps……………………………
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Exchange Train – what a nasty idea.
“As a conveyancer I would stay well clear and advise anyone I know who is moving home to stay clear too. Only mediocre conveyacers would compete on price as a factor for the public to chose a lawyer. The last sort of client you would want is one who wants lowest price as that means they want something for nothing which will mean a very involved deal by a client who may not read anything and who thinks they know best.” Discuss.
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Playing Devil’s advocate, conveyancers don’t necessarily have to undercut the competition as they get an “opportunity to pitch.” If you can clearly demonstrate to a prospective client that you are worth a bigger fee, maybe you will get the business.
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I am wondering how much this 25 year old knows about solicitors/conveyancers?
I am presuming we are looking at the Conveyancing proposition as this article is positioned on PIE?
1. There is no time left available in the working day to be ‘pitching’ for work in this way. EA – do you now want your conveyancer doing even less work on their files?
2. Most solicitors are not sales personalities (one of the primary reasons EA and conveyancers come at the process from different stand points). They should be but they are not.
3. You want conveyancers to ‘start competing’ for business. Really? It’s been one of the most competitive market places for years – that’s why the fee is so low that no one can make any money from it. Let’s not drive it any lower!
My suggestion is get yourself a job in a conveyancers’ office for 12 months – then you might ‘begin’ to understand this market.
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Here’s a welcome ‘going’ for some, no doubt.
I’m out of here.
This particular Elvis (overweight… balding – but no jumpsuit) has left the building.
No doubt I’ll pop up somewhere in the future – but don’t hold your breath – and even let out a sigh of relief that I’m done posting here.
Thanks to all that have read my rantlets since the day EYE hit our screens. The debates/arguments/whatever you’d like to call them have been a blast.
Sorry to go – but it has to be done.
Ta-ra, peeps.
Best wishes
Your colleague in Industry
PeeBee
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Is rummaging for a home portal quitting as well?
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Exchange Train certainly sounds a bit off the rails to me. Was it the forerunner to Broker Conveyancing that did something similar years ago where Solicitors set their own fees for work. If you wanted loads of work you had your fees really low, and then when you had enough the fees were raised again? I guess it is similar to that.
If the owner had actually done his research he would know what consumers want is service. Not the cheapest Solicitor but one who knows his stuff, does a proper job and moves quickly and professionally to completion and acts on the clients instructions. Unfortunately I think we can guess the types of firm who will get involved with this idea.
Doesn’t really sound like an idea that is in the best interests of clients.
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I didn’t realise that Property Eye had become an online Dragons Den… can my teenage son pitch his ideas too… they were inspired by Mr Quirk’s expert insight into how to do Conveyancing better the other week… it’s a sure winner, a breath of fresh air, with astronomical potential ..
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