Zoopla has announced that ten branches of leading London agent Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward have returned to it this week for an initial 12-month trial.
It has hinted that it could drop Rightmove if the trial goes well.
KFH has some 60 branches in total and left Zoopla just before the launch of OnTheMarket.
The branches now back on Zoopla are Fulham, Bayswater, Clerkenwell, Earls Court, Chelsea, Holland Park, Marylebone, South Kensington, St John’s Wood and Brook Green.
In recent months, a number of agents have gone back to Zoopla, following the dropping by OnTheMarket of the ‘one other portal’ rule.
Returners include branches of Carter Jonas, Strutt & Parker, and Humberts.
Zoopla claims to be particularly strong in the capital, currently listing more London rental properties than other portals, with almost 45,000 available rental homes.
Zoopla managing director Charlie Bryant said: “We believe that in London particularly we are the only choice for agents, representing the best value for money and offering agents real returns for their businesses.”
Paul Masters, group operations director at KFH, said: “During the trial period, we will be testing their performance against that of Rightmove, which will help us assess which portal we list with next year alongside OnTheMarket.”
In other portal news, newcomers Commercial People and Residential People have jointly secured more than 100,000 property listings in the five weeks since launch.
The listings are from 1,600 agents in the UK, UAE and South Africa. Over 20,000 of the listings are in the UK.
The portals, which offer free listings, are set to launch in India, Nigeria and China by the end of this year.
Both the portals are operated by proptech firm Commercial People.
Comments (11)
Everyone should just start advertising on Gumtree…far cheaper!
I have the radio on here in the office and yesterday I heard the OTM radio advert 8 times…..8 times! I was about ready to pull my hair out by the end of the day. Just. So. Annoying.
Could have been worse and it was the one by Nationwide.
This is true.
As much as I disagree with aspects of OTM ……they need to double/triple/quadruple their efforts and drive much, much harder to retain/increase their numbers …..otherwise they are in severe danger of becoming a 3rd/unnecessary portal.
All these “Big Wigs” doddling around their “Ivory OTM Tower” need to start showing why they are deserving of those huge share rewards.
Minor “Announcements” from OTM don’t count as real progress/effective PR …… let’s hear monthly about progress/success, and what about the overall Subscriber Number – where are we with that. Does “radio silence” mean bad news ……if so, how do you reverse any fall-off. Don’t just sit there saying nothing? Do something ….. or you’ll fade away.
You (OTM) are still taking my monthly former Gold Member Subscription …….don’t just waste it? Give me a reason to remain with OTM after my “shackle contract” expires next spring.
Definition of OTM management: … wander, drift, deviate, depart, diverge, lose, digress, meander, transgress, cheat, roam, rove, backslide, lose the thread, go adrift, idle, waft, gallivant, apostatize …. have I left anything out?
or, as we say in Glasgow ……”fannying about!”
……and there will be many more back on Zoopla as OTM continue to rise prices, shares drop and the free incentives end.
You can only keep a smoke screen going so long OTM. Trying to keep people with free shares, shafting original members and not being transparent….will all fade eventually.
OTM have served the One Month notice on agents who were on a Free trial, so it’s going to be game over for OTM.
Bad move by OTM they should of kept prices low and kept recruiting agents for at least 3 more years.
3 Main Portals?
Laughable, Madness ……why not, 4? 5? 6!???
Agents, lift your self-destruction revolver, load ….. fire!
SEPTEMBER 3, 2014 AT 06:27#1
I really like it. Reminds me of an RAF roundel so almost like we are going to war against high charging 80 % profit making non loyal portals!
Remeber this:: 5 years ago agents were duped into using onthemarket…
have the founding investors printed how much they each made from the IPO??