In a new statement from OnTheMarket, the challenger portal has questioned whether City analysts and others have “missed a trick”.
OTM claims that Zoopla has “reduced” its inventory in the last days. Zoopla last night totally denied the claim.
We put the very serious allegation to Zoopla, and also questioned it with OTM, which last night insisted it was comfortable with its claims which were based on fact.
Zoopla told us: “The figures we have provided to the market have always been accurate and have included UK residential listings, overseas listings and commercial listings. We have recently updated our website to show only the relevant figures in each separate channel.
“Our total listings have continued to grow over the past few months per the figures we have released.”
Yesterday OTM said: “In its Trading Statement of 12 August, Zoopla Property Group claimed that its ‘listings inventory’ had risen by 7% from 828,000 on 1 April to 882,000 on 31 July.
“Agents’ Mutual queried this, noting that whilst Zoopla’s UK sales and lettings search pages claimed property numbers totalling 878,288, searches conducted on the Zoopla website on 12 August returned just 675,540 properties in England, Scotland and Wales.
“It is interesting to note that Zoopla has since reduced the claimed property numbers on its UK sales and lettings search pages so that the total now comes to 692,058 (as at 22 August).
“Zoopla’s Overseas Sales page now shows a figure for properties for sale which, at 22 August, was 152,592 properties. Adding this to the claimed UK number gives 844,650, which is presumably Zoopla’s total property listings – implying a fall from the 882,000 claimed on 12 August.
“It does appear that Zoopla may have been including its Overseas property listings within the UK residential property figures it has provided to the market for some time.
“The figure of 692,058 for UK sales and lettings properties includes Shared Accommodation (provided by EasyRoomMate) and listings which are Sold Subject to Contract or Let.
“A search on Zoopla as at 22 August excluding those categories produced a figure for available properties for sale or to let in England, Scotland and Wales of 422,492.
“Similar searches conducted on 20 September 2014 and 28 January 2015 produced 614,335 and 440,266 properties respectively, confirming that Zoopla’s available property stock fell substantially at the launch of OnTheMarket and has continued to fall since that time as it has continued to lose overall share of agents, UK property stock and traffic to the market leader and to OnTheMarket.”
I think it is best for all concerned if Rightmove, Zoopla and the agents who are working hard to ensure their portal listings are more representative of their current register are allowed to do so quietly.
It is enough that the portals realise their responsibilities towards their wider customer base and that there is fairness and balance.
This is not a matter for point scoring.
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For someone who releases absoltely nothing on his own business you talk about Zooplas figures a lot Ian . It’s the first sign of a terrible business when you talk about the competition more than yourself .. Estate agent 101 my friend , don’t talk shop in the living room
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You clearly have been missing/avoiding/ignoring/utilising ‘LaLaLaEars’ (credit: Robert May) for the last few months in respect of every column inch Zoopla have been spewing out relentlessly.
There’s no coffee for you to wake up and smell, Danny – just unadulterated ********.
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MORNING, portal Reps! Nice to see you’re up and doing something for your respective companies – because ‘keeping your PAYING CUSTOMERS happy’ you’re failing miserably at.
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I note the portal circus juggling act on listings… and I don’t care which company it is!
The only figures that should be discussed are actual, real, bona fide….. LIVE Listings for Residential & Lettings in the UK…. archived, under offer, sold stc, coming to the market, non-live listings?….. are irrelevant in the sense that Joseph Public can only Buy or Rent property that is actually LIVE.
I don’t know what OTM or Zoopla do however I do suspect that Blightmove take a very wide & optimistic view on their portrayal of Listings…. regardless that they have the most I would dearly like to see all portals refer to LIVE numbers in the UK only.
How can one trust much of the information that is banded about by portals when there are levels of manipulation and portrayal at work! It’s like a football match that is decided on stats when actual goals are all that matters!….. and there’s another can of worms?…. football!….. I’ll pass?
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Seriously!? They said, We said..It’s beyond pathetic to be honest and getting really really old.
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Maybe I’m missing something, but why does inventory count matter? Surely what is important is the audience size to advertisers?
this reminds me of competitors arguing they were a better agent because they took more pages in the local paper. I think this is not relevant online.
what would be very helpful would be for PIE to set out all of the available stats. I think one of the old trade magazines used to do this.
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Inventory count matters as it demonstrates how far ahead or behind a rival it is.
At the moment Z are saying dont waste your time advertising (if you are an agent) OR dont waste your time looking (if you are a purchase) OR if you are a seller make sure you get the most comprehensive coverage. All of this is aimed at making OTM appear that it is not working.
OTM are fighting back saying, “All well and good saying that Z but your stock is diminishing, why would a seller, buyer, agent want to support a dying portal, come join us we are growing”
Its all a sales spin whichever way you look at it, but sales spin does work on the public.
As an agent, buyer, seller it is down to you to work out which sits better with you.
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How is that a dislike?! – Not even an opinion just fact!
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Get used to it, smile please – SOME people/organisations simply don’t like the truth!
‘Dislikes’ are great indicators that you’re getting their attention! ;o) #truth_hurts
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The inventory count, current and historic, is used to impress. For agent who have a stock of ghost properties it helps show the agency as more successful than it is, for the portal it is simply SEO influencing content. One is trying to impress the public, the other is trying to impress Google bots.
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‘No choice’ asks “but why does inventory count matter? Surely what is important is the audience size to advertisers?”
Not if the “audience size” is as bogus as the inventory, it isn’t.
Not if the “audience” aren’t looking to treat, it isn’t.
Not if what the “audience” are looking at isn’t actually on the market in the first place, it isn’t.
Is that enough ‘not ifs’ for you? – there are quite a few more…
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I and several others have spent quite a lot of time over the past week or so looking at ‘false’ portal listings.
It is rife – but it certainly isn’t right.
As a result, I’ve discovered, among other things, one Agent claiming “recent sales” on its’ website which were actually sold THREE, FOUR OR MORE YEARS AGO.
Care to have a stab at why these false listings and spurious claims exist, ‘No choice’ – or anyone else for that matter?
The #portalpolice need to issue an APB for those who are guilty of such naughtiness.
Oh, hang on – there isn’t one.
How convenient.
Did I hear someone utter ASA under their breath? Don’t make me laugh.
The only effective way it seems (thanks to the actions of a <growing> few of those who have the best interests of the industry and its’ customers at heart) to control the actions of others is via EYE and Twitter. #magnificent7
Feel free to join the posse, folks! ;o)
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I’m sure he won’t mind (but if he does… sorry, Sir) – but Chris Wood has just Tw@tted
‘One local competitor appears to have 128 properties listed with one portal, 100 on another and 74 on their own website’
Perfect example of what we are talking about here – a SEVENTY THREE PERCENT differential!
There’s a mahoosive difference between certain elements of Estate Agency and The X Files…
…at least on The X Files, the truth IS out there.
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Be fair Peebee, as reported last week the older platforms are now struggling with ‘administrative errors’ somehow properties are just reappearing out of nowhere.
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An OTM topic not on 60/70 comments already?
Seems everyone is having as bad a Monday as me!
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