A second “Purplebricks style” lettings and property management portal that will offer its services through a network of local experts with their own dedicated postcode across the UK has announced that it is set to launch this year.
The portal, called apropos, will go live in the second quarter of this year and will provide a system through which agents provide tenancy agreements, referencing and inventory checks, and where tenants can report maintenance issues and landlords can track rent collection and property information.
Lettings agent D.J. Alexander is setting up the portal. While the firm is based in Scotland, the new offering will roll out across the whole of the UK.
As EYE has already reported (link below), a lettings and management business called Accommodation is also planning a launch in the first part of this year, with local property experts key to its strategy. The offering has not been announced in detail but sounds very similar to what apropos is planning.
David Alexander, managing director of apropos, said the firm is looking for licensed business partners who will get their own postal territory, with the back office provided by the portal.
Users will become apropos agents but will be able to use their own branding if they wish.
Alexander said agents will share some of the commission earned once they reach a certain level.
He told EYE: “The agent becomes a licensed business partner.
“Like Purplebricks, they will manage their own territory and keep a percentage of the commission.
“We will only start taking a share of the commission once they get to a reasonable level.”
He said he is hoping to have 15 to 20 agents on board by launch, with the aim of recruiting 100 this year and between 500 and 600 eventually to cover the whole of the UK.
Alexander, who currently runs a lettings and property consultancy business with his brother John in Edinburgh and Glasgow, said the aim is to roll out the technology initially in those cities as well as Manchester, Liverpool and London.
He said property management currently can be too “adversarial,” adding: “Our new platform uses a standardised system to ensure that no matter where in the UK the service is delivered, the experience and ease of use remains the same.
“Apropos will provide 24-hour access for tenants and landlords to input and access data. Both tenant and landlord can view all relevant information and monitor responses and actions directly. This ensures that all participants know exactly what is going on at any time.
“Our mission is to set a new standard in property management and to ensure that the rental experience is beneficial to all involved.
“Key to this is not simply the software – our service will be supported by our experienced head office staff and our growing network of apropos business partners.”
New agency getting set to launch nationally as rental-only version of Purplebricks
“He said he is hoping to have 15 to 20 agents on board by launch, with the aim of recruiting 100 this year and between 500 and 600 eventually to cover the whole of the UK”
Purplebricks have averaged 40 LLE’s over the last 6 years with a multi million pound brand.
100 by year end is just crazy and they’re based in Scotland!!!
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We agree with your main point. Recruiting 100 partners this year is unrealistic. Something may have been lost in translation when briefing PIE. Ultimately we aim to cover the top 100 UK towns & cities which may explain the confusion, but this will take longer than a year.
Having operated in Scotland since the early 80s, with c.4,500 properties now under management in a fully regulated letting market, and having navigated the tenant fee ban in 2012, we hope that approaching this from Scotland will be an advantage.
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If PB could not make lettings works with their funding, this guy has zero chance
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It’s hard to deny that PB have achieved a huge amount in the sales arena but we know how very different lettings is from sales. Having run a large letting business since 1982, and with over 150 staff already in place at our HQ, combined with a 30 strong, in-house team of software developers, we’re determined to make this work. What we’re attempting to do certainly won’t be easy but we’re passionate about delivering a service which genuinely works for tenants and landlords, without any reliance on tenant fees and without having to raise landlord charges to compensate for the fee ban.
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Where do all these experts come from?
Are they shared amongst the various firms ? Freelance?
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We’ve been overwhelmed with the calibre of property professionals we’ve been speaking to in the last few months, all over the country. They all share our passion and drive to really make a difference to the way landlords and tenants are serviced. We’re looking forward to partnering with them to start building a nationwide network.
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