Private for sale by owner website The Little House Company says that a very large proportion of its listings are now from estate agents.
Nick Marr, a partner in the business, said that last year he started offering free listings to agents.
He said: “We currently have about 200,000 listings and a large number are from estate agents.
“I started offering them because the reality was that most of the response that private sellers on the site were receiving was from agents who wanted their business.
“It was impossible to stop agents continually contacting our sellers, so I decided to turn it to advantage.
“It suits agents because it helps them generate leads for their properties and services – and agents are all about generating leads.
“One or two agents do ask about displaying their full details and logos. Most agents, though, would not dream of saying that they list on a private for sale by owner website.
“I am their dirty little secret.”
The claim can easily be put to the test: a five-bedroom home on the market in Eye’s nearest town appears to be a private listing on The Little House Company. It exactly matches a property listed on the portals by a Countrywide agent, Carsons.
Marr said that the number of agents using The Little House Company include online agencies, whom he described as acting “as shop windows for their masters, the portals”.
He also said that a number of developers also list on his site, particularly where they are selling “accessible” homes.
Marr said: “I developed an accessible home section because of demand.”
He said most of the demand comes from London-based developers who have to build 10% accessible – ie, wheelchair friendly – homes on their schemes but then find these higher-priced units difficult to shift.
However, some of the demand comes from sellers who have been upset by estate agents advising them to remove all the accessible features.
Marr said: “We receive phone calls from vendors almost on a weekly basis who have been disappointed by their local estate agent’s attitude towards selling a home with accessible modifications.
“Most home owners have invested thousands in making their homes suitable for disabled or wheelchair users, and they simply want others to benefit from the adaptations.
“I am sure lots of agents have a ‘can do’ attitude but the ones that don’t are really letting this type of vendor down.” See the link below.
Marr also revealed to Eye that The Little House Company, launched in 2000, has been sold to an undisclosed buyer, and will rebrand later this year, with an ambitious new business plan.
However, there is no suggestion that the business will change from being a for sale by owner site.
“We are not an agent, and neither are we at all anti-agent: clearly, we work with agents,” said Marr.
“Private sales are not a big part of the market. However, they are a part, and we work hard at getting out the message that people looking for a home should look at private sales sites as well as at the portals.”
The Little House Company listed on Rightmove in 2004: “However, there was a rumpus from the agents and we were unceremoniously booted off,” said Marr.
“I do think that online agents could quite easily face the same situation that we did.
“Certainly one problem is the perception – held by both the press and public – that online agents are really do-it-yourself sales sites. They can’t see a difference.
“When sellers go to an online agent, it often isn’t about making savings but about having control over their own sale.”
http://thelittlehousecompany.com/property-for-sale/portland_court_upper_thorpe_393081
Nothing new really, Gumtree is full of estate agents listing properties under the private listing section.. some of them even have the nerve to add their logo when the really should be paying like the rest of the agents…………….I have reported at least 30-40 agents to gumtree for listing in the wrong section. Gumtree block them for 1 week then they can list again.
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Nick says: “We are not an agent"
When opening: http://www.thelittlehousecompany.com – there is a video – the title over it reads: Private House Sales – Online Estate Agents
There is even a page showing that TLHC adhere to the TPOS Code?
http://thelittlehousecompany.com/page/The-Property-Ombudsman/473
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Never heard of it and certainly never bothered to list with this or any other similar site. Why bother? 99.99% of all enquiries come from the main two portals. Everything else is a complete waste of time and energy!
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Now, now, NewsBoy – you don't want to be saying that here… The AM Collective will be offended! ;o)
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“When sellers go to an online agent, it often isn’t about making savings but about having control over their own sale.” Says it all with particular note of the last part maybe should read "…… but haven't a clue if it goes pear shaped". Thumbs up to Nick Marr for a frank report.
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Hmmm… wonder how many of them are part of The AM Collective…? ;o)
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Love the pics of the property, by the way – knew which Agent it was up with the second the psychedelic imagery burned its way into my skull… ;o)
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Hardly a 'dirty little secret' – rather agents exploiting a free listing period. And why not? It adds value to the site – or at least it did. This seems a bit of a 'Ratner' moment
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Is it just me, or does the owner seem to have a thing about elephants? I counted at least 8.
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