Local newspaper readers are now starting to hear about OnTheMarket.
Today this full page advertisement appears in the Grimsby Telegraph, having already appeared in yesterday’s Scunthorpe Telegraph –courtesy of DDM Residential.
Is this the first time that OnTheMarket has been advertised in the press?
Meanwhile, OnTheMarket has also been featured in a local newspaper editorial story –and we wonder whether this is another first.
The Hereford Times reports under the headline “County’s estate agents set to reject major property websites”.
The story quotes agent Gerard Flint, of Flint and Cook, who said: “It is really Rightmove and Zoopla who are dictating the situation to us now, where it should be the other way around.
“Agents have been unhappy for a while.
“What has happened is a third portal has been created by estate agents themselves.”
The paper also quotes Lawrence Hall, spokesperson for Zoopla.
He said Zoopla welcomed competition but said the new portal is “troubling”as it requires agents to advertise clients’properties on only one other portal, which he said was not in the consumer’s interests.
Hall told the paper: “This new portal is a good example of where certain agents’interests can diverge with those of their clients.”
The Hereford Times report is here
Comments (6)
It's not the locals you want to watch – it's the NATIONALS… http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/constructionandproperty/11246981/Estate-agent-wars-could-make-it-harder-to-sell-your-home.html
Rommel didn't publish his plans before going into battle, so where I applaud all those promoting OTM, bear a thought in mind. RM & Z come the new year will have a counter plan for when OTM is launched, so don't give away any secrets from now till then. Keep promoting OTM but remember the wartime heading, the "enemy is listening".
I am not surprised the spokesman for Zoopla is troubled. Agents are voting with their feet in support of Agents Mutual, the current Duopoly have only themselves to blame, unreasonable and relentless increases in annual charges year after year, especially when businesses were trading through probably the worst recession since the 20's. Agents Mutual is seen by many in the industry, myself included as the last chance to break this Duopoly and breath fresh air back into the market. Lets face it customers ultimately go where the intellectual information is placed. Clearly the bashing that Agents Mutual is getting, is because it is now recognized as the most substantial threat to break up the current Duopoly, long live http://www.onthemarket.com.
Comments like "Lets face it , customers ultimately go where the intellectual information is placed" makes me think two things
1) That they havent consumer at the heart of everything they do , dont get me wrong, I would like more competition amongst portals but dont agree that removing it from certain placed is the right way to do it. I believe AM should use innovation and tools , not just trying to restrict advertising
2) Dont remember globrix which, at launch, had more property than rightmove and was going to be the saviour of estate agency, sent me 3 leads in 3 years….
"I believe AM should use innovation and tools , not just trying to restrict advertising"……Are you really saying you think OTM would work with just "innovation and tools"???… It wouldn't have a cat in hells chance……just like Globrix!
No doubt Mr Hall loses sleep at night worrying about the interests of our clients. Actually, I wonder why it can be in the best interests of anybody (apart from the duopoly's shareholders) to have anything more than just one portal….
Well done DDM Residential by the way – excellent stuff!