A marketing phenomenon: Agents promoting OTM before even seeing it

| Rosalind Renshaw

One extraordinary feature about the launch of OnTheMarket has been the huge marketing push given by local agents.

The phenomenon has been worth millions in free advertising to the new site and is surely worth an article in a marketing journal.

It would certainly be an interesting one: how to make your customers work for you, when they have never even seen the end-product they are promoting and against a seemingly relentless tide of negative headlines.

While it has always been said that Rightmove’s marketing was done in the windows of high street agents, it could also be said that the world has moved on since the property portal giant launched some 14 years ago.

People may still walk down high streets, but now they are more likely to be seen in shopping malls or ordering goods online.

The later-launching Zoopla has, notably, not only used estate agents’ windows and advertising, but embarked on an enormous push into public awareness. In London alone, hoardings, branded taxis and buses are everywhere.

OnTheMarket has not totally reinvented the original Rightmove wheel – but the stickers are more plentiful and certainly bigger, possibly reflecting that the stakes are higher.

The really extraordinary aspect is that so much of the marketing was done by agents before the site had even been previewed by any of them.

Another major phenomenon is the other branding, created by agents themselves – for example, sweatshirts and lapel pins.

How many agents have, voluntarily, done this for Rightmove or Zoopla?

Lapel pins (sported below by Acorn group CEO Rob Sargent, on the right, and group MD Neil Louth) were especially manufactured for the Acorn group, and will be worn as from today by all client-facing staff.

We would also like to know how early you were out and about this morning, making final adjustments to your window.

Steve Morris Estate Agents, in Sutton Coldfield, which had been doing the OTM countdown in its windows, had James Morris go into the office at midnight to put in place the final sticker.

James couldn’t exactly object to his midnight shift, since Steve Morris is both his boss and dad – which perfectly sums up what a lot of high street agency is still about today.

Please keep news of any particularly innovative window displays or other marketing initiatives coming Eye’s way.

We would also be interested to know of new marketing pushes from Zoopla and/or Rightmove agents.

One appeared yesterday, in the form of a full page advert in the Sunday Times ‘Home’ supplement. The advert showed a number of portal logos but not OTM.

In a full page taken by Countrywide brand Hamptons International, the advert was headlined: “We will market your property with the strongest online exposure”.

The copy said: “Not all agents market properties in the same way. We work with all the leading property websites including Rightmove, Zoopla and PrimeLocation to ensure your property secures the most exposure and, as a result, the best possible price.

“With 93% of customers beginning their property search online, can you afford not to work with an agent that advertises on all the most popular websites?”

Acorn Neil & Rob

Acorn group CEO Rob Sargent, right, and group MD Neil Louth with lapel pins

Morris agency

The Steve Morris agency window, and below, James Morris ready for his midnight update

James Morris

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20 Comments

  1. Robert May
    January 26, 2015 at 07:54

    Please accept this comment as constructive. There are 15 Agents local to me who are members of Agents Mutual, I am registered as an active applicant with at least 6 of them and am a client of 1. Not one of the Agents has thought to use their CRM system to email me about OTM. With some 300,000 vendor clients and I am guessing about 900,000 registered applicants along with another 200,000 landlords and 800,000 tenants, the most obvious and singularly most effective , targeted marketing opportunity is being missed; At virtually no cost other than the tiniest bit of effort from 4600 admin teams everyone currently live, active and known to the Agents Mutual members could have been (should be) contacted. I would further add all AM members remember to check their press advertising, a number locally are failing to include the OTM logo and some are still promoting the Duopoly ( one of which was dropped several weeks ago). Agents Mutual is a good thing and should be congratulated for everything that has been achieved but you can not afford to have a collective marking campaign that is anything less co-ordinated than the single department processes of Rightmove and Zoopla. Attention to detail is essential.

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    1. ElTel
      January 26, 2015 at 08:23

      Dear me Robert. If you were signed up to OTM you would know that all this will be happening from 9am today! Why promote OTM to our database when there was nothing to view?

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      1. Robert May
        January 26, 2015 at 08:31

        Fair point, let's see how many emails I receive at 9 am. You didn't think clients ought to have been told beforehand?

        What about the AM members promoting portals they no longer list with, what is the explanation for that?

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      2. Robert May
        January 26, 2015 at 08:40

        Just checked with a branch manager who is in early, he knows nothing about this , has had no instructions so to do. Please explain.

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        1. ElTel
          January 26, 2015 at 09:28

          If OTM members haven't the initiative or inclination to email clients today with the prepared template supplied by AM they are either stupid or badly managed. It appears your branch falls into the latter category Robert.

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          1. Robert May
            January 26, 2015 at 10:02

            My branch? what are you talking about I am an applicant, a vendor client and a landlord.

            The point of my post was that however well prepared, the actions are not being to carried out on the ground. I was highlighting that you have a disadvantage over centralised coordinated marketing departments who are not hampered by prepared templates sitting with a tardy staff member or which slip down the priority list because of a viewing or an offer.
            I don't think the 15 local Agents to me are stupid or badly managed but I do think you are a little niave to think because something should happen it will. Management fails from the top down not the bottom up.

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        2. James Morris
          January 26, 2015 at 12:12

          Sounds like the agents in you area are lacking some what! Not only have we posted the advert on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ pages. Have just sent out an email to all of clients as well.

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          1. Robert May
            January 26, 2015 at 12:35

            Genuinely, well done James! I apprenticed into agency in 1986 and watched 'Agent Affinity Group itis' damage Devon Team. Each and every agent in AM has an obligation to spread the word in a consistent manner. I was quite taken to see that leading from the outset Gold members are not using the OTM logo in their press advertising and other household name members aren't using the logo either. There is one of two reasons for that, it is either lapse or deliberate. Someone at HQ should be mindful of those agents who, despite an agent's sign up to AM see traffic to OTM as a competitive distraction taking traffic away from their own site.

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    2. PeeBee
      January 26, 2015 at 17:27

      Oh, dear – 'ElTel' has got it all SPECTACULARLY wrong with his digs at Mr May! What makes it worse is that Robert actually stated his position in the first two lines as being "applicant and client". The old sayings are the best – LISTEN (or in this instance READ) what is being said before you respond with otherwise useless information.

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      1. Gloslet
        January 26, 2015 at 18:40

        If I read the OTM terms of business correctly, member agents are obliged to co-brand everything – headed paper, emails, websites – with OTM, not RM (or Z).

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  2. Chrispy
    January 26, 2015 at 08:29

    We've decided to wait and see what its like and after just doing a local search found 6 properties,52 on RM, 48 on Z. Please explain to me how to 'spin' this story on a valuation as I understand that we don't like paying fee's but when was the last time you heard the public saying that they love EA's and how we charge them??

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  3. James Morris
    January 26, 2015 at 12:09

    Not the best photo of me!

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    1. Robert May
      January 26, 2015 at 12:43

      The more telling photo is the office paintwork, get the junior neg outside with a bucket and cloth! That used to be my job every morning till I wasn't the junior neg.

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  4. Robert May
    January 26, 2015 at 12:49

    Well done to Craig Bees of Bartram & C0!!!! first evidence I have of an agent emailing their client and applicant database out of their CRM system. Good man Craig.

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  5. Taff
    January 26, 2015 at 14:24

    I had intended e-mailing all our clients last week, but got lumbered by other jobs that took priority. Anyway, yesterday I e-mailed ALL our clients and ALL applicants registered with us. This morning I e-mailed EVERY vendor who had hasked for a valuation but not instructed us yet. Although 95% of the letters are the same, all 3 letters needed "tweaking" as you are speaking to 3 different groups of people. Certainly no negative feedback received from anybody yet. The site isn't perfect yet (eg why does a search for agents in "Wales" throw up an agent in Ormskirk? Why aren't all my offices listed?) but I have no doubt these are teething troubles and can be ironed out soon. I suggest regional feedback meetings or at least the facility to e-mail in all concerns, so that they can be addressed.

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  6. Woodentop
    January 26, 2015 at 15:06

    We were mailing and emailing everyone we have contact with including trade contacts last week (push of a button!!!!). My area has no glitches, except 2 corporates who are not on OTM and we are getting plenty of new instructions ….. and more than a few who are fed up with them being promised RM or Z would sell them, but haven't).

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    1. Robert May
      January 26, 2015 at 19:29

      I think you have hit the nail on the head Woodentop, the hesitance in sending out the prepared letter is not being sure how to. Invariably the directors and partners don't sit in on software training and as this isn't a match mailing but a general mailshot there is likely to be uncertainty how. Without specific varitions for th 50 or so suppliers. Find 'people' select either vendors, applicants or suppliers and run mail merge, output email to everyone. The software suppliers ought to be happy to provide the brief training this requires and the good ones will prepare a helpsheet on how to do it.

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      1. Woodentop
        January 26, 2015 at 21:20

        Well most estate agent software suppliers already provide a mail shot option for "all" your contacts or to sub group them at the push of a button with an attachment (ie letter or promotion flyer). Even the tea boy can do it and if he can't the business needs to rethink its operations. For those that haven't but can , DO IT NOW.

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  7. Taff
    January 26, 2015 at 15:51

    Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? I took a phonecall from a Mr B. (Applicant No 61285/1 in case I ever have to go back and prove it) querying why so few of the local properties were now listed on RM. They've got a sale agreed on their own, and intend viewing in Gods country next weekend – ie they're as motivated as they come. "We've seen a few properties we like, but they aren't there any more. They can't all have been sold!" Music to my ears Mr B. Of course I politely pointed out that the properties have just been moved across to OnTheMarket.com. Where do you think he's going to look when he sits down to look for properties tonight? Amazingly, he also asked "Do you have to pay Rightmove to advertise with them?" Strange how some people think things work.

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  8. Robert May
    January 27, 2015 at 07:13

    It is a pity this particular story dropped off page one Ros, there is more to say on this to help OTM. 23 hours on and nothing heard.

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