OnTheMarket: ‘We are on growth path to overtaking Zoopla’

OnTheMarket has confirmed that it chalked up record visits for July – and chief executive Ian Springett says it is on a growth path which is on course to overtake Zoopla.

Springett claimed OTM has achieved in six months what it took Zoopla three years to do.

OTM said it had 5.2m visits last month, up 18% from the 4.4m in June. It uses Google Analytics as measurement.

The site also claims to have attracted more than 2.4m unique visitors last month, which was an increase of 17% on June’s figure of more than 2m.

Springett said: “From a standing start just six months ago, the growth in our traffic, engagement, property stock and agent membership has been impressive.

“It took Zoopla three years to reach 5m visits per month, even having acquired PropertyFinder, Hot Property and ThinkProperty along the way.”

Referring to a column in the Financial Times last week, Springett went on: “You may have seen some commentators asserting that all we have achieved is to strengthen Rightmove as it gains traffic, agents and property stock at the expense of Zoopla as the ‘dispensable number two’.

“However, the reality is that we are on a growth path towards overtaking Zoopla and then building to provide a genuine low-cost alternative to Rightmove.”

 

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54 Comments

  1. GPL

    “However, the reality is that we are on a growth path towards overtaking Zoopla and then building to provide a genuine low-cost alternative to Rightmove.”

    ….and that quite simply put, for all the detractors, is where we are at….. although the launch of OnTheMarket.com has demonstrated that if every single UK Estate Agent signed off Rightmove today and signed up with OnTheMarket today…. portal advertising would shift in a blink because the UK Estate Agency Industry chose a New focused Portal Marketing Provider.

    It’s quite a thought ….

     

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  2. EHenderson

    Mr Springett has been very clear that they would be number two by January. Let’s see how close he gets

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    1. ElTel

      It was never intended to be a race to number one by Christmas!  GPL has got it in one – an alternative, viable and cost effective portal owned by the industry for the industry.

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      1. smile please

        Ehenderson is right, never mentioned number one. Mr Springett always said by year 1 they would be number 2. Lets see if it happens.

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        1. Disillusioned

          I have more reservations about OTM than most, but anybody holding Springett to an exact date about being no2 seriously need to give their heads a wobble. They are the ones for whatever reason want OTM to fail.

          Come Jan if he is there or thereabouts then he has done as near as damn it what he said. God help him with part 2 mind!

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    2. NewsBoy

      Hoopla first and Wrongmove next. One at a time. This really is way beyond my expectations and is making our very risky investment look a little more secure!

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    3. GPL

      EHenderson…. sorry? OTM and its members are accountable to you why?

      To clarify….. Mr Springett doesn’t speak for me personally.

      My sole interest is where we are in 5 Years time which is why I invested for 5 Years!

      Your comments indicate that you… EHenderson…. are a sunbed/top-up tan lady….. pop a £ in the slot and instant result!…. you have a tan!

      Mid to Long Term is what matters in the New Portal World…. this is no sprint!

      Mr Springett is welcome to engage in the publicity arena however I as a paying OTM Member am way more engaged in where we are in 5 Years.

      Suffice to say, 6 months in…. OTM has much to be very positive about!

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      1. smile please

        Without stepping on EHenderson’s toes, the members are not accountable to her and she has not indicated they are. GPL we know you bleed OTM but when a head of a company sets outs its goals (to obtain more members) and then either achieves the goal or fails they need to be prepared.

        And before we dissent into “You don’t want it to work” i do, i just cant see how it cant at the moment. I will be surprised if by Feb ’16 it is the second choice portal but hope it does succeed.

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        1. GPL

          I bleed real estate agency and OTM marketing focuses on that….. OnTheMarket has a focus on our industry and is not there to benefit shareholders by whatever means.

          So, yes, in a portal way….I bleed OTM.

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    4. wilko

      @ E Henderson…….you do make me laugh more and more.

      Your posts are beginning to have an air of desperation about them. I don’t have a crystal ball but here is what you will be posting at 7am on Jan 1st whilst we are all in bed nursing hangovers.

      If OTM is no.2 at that point……You will disagree with the figures.

      If OTM is not no.2 ……….You will be ****-a-hoop and posting no end of “I told you so” posts.

      Have you not worked out yet that, whichever happens, and whatever you post….it doesn’t matter. It wont change a thing.

      OTM will have 4 years still to grow and develop, we’re getting good leads 7 months in and that is the most important part of an advertise spend……getting leads…..which I’m sure you agree .

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  3. PeeBee

    Now then, chaps and chapesses – we have the opportunity here of making a real difference and I think we should jump on it.

    Down the other pub they are already slurring their hearts out over this like a juiced-up bunch of whineos (deliberate typo) and that irresponsible Landlord is serving them up drinks on the house to keep the fires stoked.

    Lets all have a sit down in the snug, sip on an orange juice or two and keep this where it should be and where it has pretty much started well – a discussion between professionals who all should want what is best for the industry and its’ customers.

    I hate bar brawls – but that being said I’ve never ran away from one and have never yet been second-last man standing… and I certainly don’t want to wreck THIS fine establishment.

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  4. Bix006

    I do hope that OTM stops talking about providing a ‘low cost alternative’ sometime soon and instead focus on providing ‘a website that punters actually want to use’.

    Bullying out the opposition out doesn’t warrant the level of back-slapping congratulations that OTM seems to be affording itself. There is an increase in traffic because buyers/tenants are slowly catching on to what is happening – not because they saw ANY advertising or have a preference for OTM due to its incredible user experience.

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    1. PeeBee

      I’m sorry – “punters”?

      We, dear Sir/Madam, have ‘valued customers’… or ‘clients’… or even ‘friends in the making’.

      Please don’t try to cheapen professional Estate Agency by using such vulgar terminology for the most important ingredient to its’ success.

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      1. PeeBee

        Oh, dear – your ‘Dislikes’ speak volumes upon volumes.

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        1. Bix006

          Much like OTM, you may have jumped the gun on the data. If we’re judging this as an unpopularity contest, seems there’s very little between us.

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          1. PeeBee

            If this was a ‘game’ – which it isn’t – you’d be trailing now by HUNDREDS.

            As it is – I have valued customers to service.

            You go get back to your punters – and let’s leave it to the audience to decide, shall we?

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            1. PeeBee

              Obviously not…

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            2. Bix006

              ‘…valued customers to service’? Do they pay extra for that?

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              1. PeeBee

                Well… that obviously depends on what you’re comparing the cost with, doesn’t it?

                The answer however is irrelevant – I have yet to receive a complaint…

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  5. Ric

    What is a shame, is what appears to be a fair few agents/companies waiting for No.2 to be achieved before joining and by waiting they are slowing down the process of getting there.

    Anyway our area: RM No1. OTM No2 & Z is a distant No.3 although Z cannot fall any further behind without the companies propping it up closing and like wise OTM cannot catch RM up anymore now without me and my fellow AM agents agreeing to pull stock from RM.

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  6. wilko

    I think that Zoopla have actually ended up helping OTMs growth.

    Zoopla put their prices up to their customers but haven’t used any of the money to advertise their site anywhere near the amount they used to.

    They are more keen on diversifying away from being a property portal and moving into other sales areas like utilities and phones and f/s – something they chose to do in preference to “taking on RM and OTM”.

    Most anti AM ers were saying “Zoopla won’t take this lying down”……well , it looks like they have, and are slowly moving away from being a property portal.

    In a bizarre way they seem to not be bothered about OTM lately and more interested in their on going development of other aspects of their business, which is fair enough.

    I think they realised that there isn’t room for 3 portals in the short to medium term and want to concentrate on other aspects and leave it between RM and OTM.

    At the same time many potential buyers are keen to get ahead of other viewers by registering for exclusive, early property alerts on OTM……And it really has been showing in the form of increased leads, both phone and e mail.

    It is interesting how the debate seems to be changing again with a certain amount of relief being expressed by OTM members that the project really is actually working and now providing good leads, whilst the anti (for whatever reasons) brigade just continue with empty arguments that now, quite frankly, don’t actually matter any more.

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  7. Paul House

    To enter a tough market place and in only 6 months achieve the same amount of traffic that it took Zoopla 3 years to achieve is an achievement. But I think the whole project is now on a knife edge, if OTM can somehow get to 7500 branches and number 2 then Z will be in decline and thousands more will wish to join, but if branch numbers start to dwindle then OTM could be on the slide down a slippery slope that may prove difficult to climb back up.

    But Ric is right, some agents appear to be waiting around for number the 2 spot to be achieved before jumping on board. Personally, I feel that many of those agents now need to be pushed along in some way. There are a number of ways OTM can achieve this and many possible incentives that can be given that will help OTM achieve their targets.

     

    I suspect the next few months will be quite interesting. 

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  8. the message

    I think after 3 years Z was charging about £50 a month, which is probably the true value to anyone advertsiing on OTM. The rest is investing in the future, in the hope that what Springett says is true, and he can defeat the horrible pillars of evil of Z and then R. I would imagine Spingit has also spent about the same in marketing as Z did in 3 years, paid for by you trusting investors

    And on top of that £250, members are also directing a lot of their own space (windows, chat etc) towards OTM and away from even their own websites, which seems counter productive but cest la vie.

     

    For many of us that extra “investment” seems far too much, especially when it seems to be being spent on either high end marketing (sunday times, country life) or other expensive ways of buying short term traffic. If the investment was going into building a website full of features the consumers wanted I would be more inclined to join, but it is building traffic around what the early sponsors wanted – high end london.

    And ultimately this isnt around how many agents they have advertising, scraping sites had all of inventory but people didn’t go, it is around having a website that people want to go to, and that needs a heck of a lot of work.

     

     

     

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    1. Ric

      The website is being built to have features wanted by “consumers” hence no products like Featured property or Premium listings…. so far they have remembered who their “Consumers” are!

      Z thought the end users (visitors) were their consumers and filled the site with features easy to sell against for agents not on Z, that said RM was the main issue for Z as they got it right, just show houses in a nice clutter free format and more so have the majority of property displayed.

      OTM will do well NOT to over complicate the site and replicate what RM has been for years, simple, smart looking, clutter free and full of property.

      IF people want extra info make it 2, 3 or 4 clicks away or even send them to Z, as the real buyers react to pictures, floorplans, address and price and the ability to then get a viewing or make contact with the selling agent in a click. Nothing else is required!

      People do not decide what area to live in based on RM/Z or OTM they know where and why they want to live in an area, they know what size the property must be, how many rooms it must have and how much they have to spend, they are simply looking for which house ticks the boxes and the property portals are simply a property comparison site.

      Agency vanity is crazy when we think anything other than the right price matters! (although present your properties well and the right price is the icing on the cake) But the fact is, how we present our properties convinces the next vendor to potentially use us, whilst a buyer would still buy a property with awful pictures if the price was right and 9 out of the 10 boxes were ticked.

      My point being the end users of OTM just need to see property and nothing more as that is the core reason they are on the site, knowing it is easy to see photos, rooms, prices, floorplans and more so can get hold of the selling agent easily to view and communicate.

      Spend more time on their mobile website would be wise also, as this is the key moving forward in my opinion and their mobile website is not as good as it could be.

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  9. PeeBee

    Comment of the Week so far has to be what I’ve heard emanating from the Landlord of the other pub –

    “I have read several celebratory comments in the other pub, a Pub that honestly seems to be full of ageing drinkers slapping one another on the back and ordering another round, a bit off putting for any new punters I’d say. My advice to them would be to stay where you are, don’t venture out of the smoke filled room and never put yourself in the position of having to face real opposition.”

    Ironic, really, that we are having such a fun-filled time having a chat, a laugh and the inevitable banter that he has not only taken notice of it himself but then tries to tell the few malcontent regulars that put up with his antics just for the free beers being doled out that while the atmosphere here is totally bouncing off the walls it’s a pretty grim place to go.

    “Smoke-filled”, Mr Shinerock?  Are you SO out of touch with reality that you are unaware of the ban on smoking in pubs?

    It was introduced on 1 July 2007, Sir.

    Need any other assistance with current legislation pertaining to your profession?  Pop in for a chat and a pint sometime – we love to help those who need it most.

    One thing for certiain – IF I ever think I need the ‘advice’ of that particular Landlord then I know for a fact that my time will have been called.

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  10. Clarkuk

    Well done OTM,

    growing 18% months on month.

    obviously figures are always manipulated but if they increase by 17-18% month on month it will double in the next 5 months and then January will be quite exciting.

    Not sure where this would leave OTM in relation to Z and RM (as they all seem to use different statistics) but 10 million visits by 5 million people a month cant be bad.

    I’m still not convinced that OTM will do what it set out to achieve by Jan but its definitely making waves.

    Personally, I still won’t join YET.  Not until I see the value in what OTM can do for ME will be better than the other two.

    good luck to you all and well done for taking the plunge. If you keep at it you may see me there.

     

     

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    1. Ric

      Afternoon Clarkuk, if you are a RM/Z agent now, it has already done something for you!!

      Drop Z and watch absolutely no effect on your listing capability and your sales to listings ratio….. it has already showed many only one portal is actually needed…..

      I am sure most would agree, if OTM fails, very few if any would go back to RM & Z and probably just stick with RM.

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      1. wilko

        @clarkuk, I have to endorse Rics comment. Why not come off Z and just stay on RM for a while……..save your money. I promise you won’t see a difference in your sales., and your profits will increase with your annual Z savings.

        As a matter of interest clarkuk, if the vast majority of pro agents were to set a date, say next year when they all switch from RM to OTM would you back a campaign like that, because that’s where I think this is heading?

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  11. Landlord

    Amazing

    I have looked at what is being said.

    I am one of your ‘customers’, sometimes, but I buy property in the sale room, and from both on-line and shop fronted estate agents.

    The real thing is that the world has changed and continues to do so, and if you think that you can hold this process up you are as wrong as King Canute.

    Customers, be they buyers and renters want complete market choice, if they can, they will always go to the supplier that can offer that.  Why are you trying to provide a partial service ‘OTM’, luckily venders in the main do not appreciate the saving or have a fear of not being able to pop and see the agent is stopping them from using on-line agents.  I have only disposed of two properties in the last 5 years.

    I have used an on-line agent, the results were very godd I do not think I could have done any better. I have also used a traditional agent and as I choose very carefully and had a special deal on price I cannot fault the service, but most agents would not have given me the deal I got.  Next time I will choose the best option for the property and I am very unlikely to pay a set %.

    I am surprised that the situation has not moved away from ‘shop fronted’ agents fast than it is doing, agents tell prospective customer that a very large % of there lead come from the internet.

    The days of going down the high street looking in windows and being patronised by an office junior on the front desk should have gone, often to be given incorrect details, missing house that they should have spotted.

    Now nearly 100% of people look on the net either themselves or someone else looks for them, but what good reason is there to look on partial market web sites.

    Just my point of view.

    A landlord

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    1. PeeBee

      Of course, you are entitled to your view – and it is quite probably a view that some others may well share.

      And for people like your goodself the good news is that there is a choice – always has been – of how you do your business and who with.

      No-one is trying to stop that – we are simply offering an alternative – but for some strange reason there are people who seem to have a problem with that.

      If they don’t like it then they simply walk away and that choice is no longer an option for them.  Yet the reality is that they don’t – and keep on returning to go over the same old ground – which makes reasonable people wonder why.

      Funny old world…

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    2. Digital Expert

      You talk sense, Landlord.

      Of course as a consumer and a real life customer of agents you will be happy to use high street & ‘Virtual’ agents, as will the rest of the populous. The only people who believe they can alter consumer behaviour, or pull it back, are those who are patting themselves on the back because after 7 months and all of the marketing budget being spent they have achieved nearly a tenth of Zoopla’s traffic – yes, they are well on the way of pulling Zoopla down. Hilarious.

      What a ridiculous celebration of abject failure. Magnificent.

       

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      1. Digital Expert

        ….a tenth of the traffic and none of the brand awareness of either Zoopla or Rightmove I must add.

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      2. PeeBee

        SIX months, actually.  Check your ‘facts’ before committing to a post.

        There again – you will try any trick you can to add weight to your flimsy argument – so fudging the facts is what we should expect.

        Why don’t you just call it a year – see if that gets you a ‘Like’.

        You’ve got more chance of justifying the word ‘Expert’ in your alias than you have of making an impact on the fate of OTM.

        Suggest that’s one fact you need to get used to.

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        1. Digital Expert

          Actually, Agents Mutual have been in existence for nearly 2 years….doesn’t make it sound any better, does it?

          You can attack me personally all you like, PeeBee. Doesn’t make my point less true or valid.

          Which part of the argument is flimsy? OTM unofficial (which means rounded up) figures are a tenth of Zoopla’s (50M uniques a couple of months ago). And this is something to celebrate?

          Let’s pretend this is month 6, so OTM’s half way to gaining No. 2 spot?

          It isn’t even close to gaining on Prime Location…

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          1. PeeBee

            Okay – we apparently have another contender for ‘Ridiculous Comment of the Year Award, 2015’

            ‘Digital Expert’ happily puts forward “….a tenth of the traffic and none of the brand awareness of either Zoopla or Rightmove I must add.” as his/her offering – and I would say it’s going to be hard to top.

            The facts are as follows:

            FIVE MILLION visits from 2.4 MILLION unique users – that’s 3.78 percent of the entire population of the UK – and you say that there is NO brand awareness?

            Considering that approximately 32% of the population are either too young or too old to realistically be considered as purchases of property, the actual figure is nearer 5.6%.

            Using your own analogy and figures that means there is apparently half the population that hasn’t been on Zoopla this month – oh my word – we have a disaster in the making if only half the people in the UK who CAN potentially buy a house aren’t looking to do so!

            Careful – some might consider you an eejit with such badly thought-out and inept

            Okay – we have another contender for ‘Ridiculous Comment of the Year Award, 2015’

            “….a tenth of the traffic and none of the brand awareness of either Zoopla or Rightmove I must add.”

            FIVE MILLION visits from 2.4 MILLION unique users – that’s 3.78 percent of the entire population of the UK – and you say that there is NO brand awareness?

            Considering that approximately 32% of the population are either too young or too old to realistically be considered as purchases of property, the actual figure is nearer 5.6%.

            Using your own analogy and figures that means there is apparently half the population that hasn’t been on Zoopla this month – oh my word – we have a disaster in the making if only half the people in the UK who CAN potentially buy a house aren’t looking to do so!

            Some might consider you an eejit with such badly thought-out reasoning.

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            1. Digital Expert

              A rather tedious read, PeeBee.

              Whichever way you bake it, 5m is a tenth of the 50m visitors to the national brand Zoopla (OTM isn’t one) and even less than RM.

              Ian S believes OTM will overtake Z by January. You realise how laughable this is, right? Its out of money, and out of traction.

              Ask Harry or Brenda in the street, they have neither heard of, or need OTM, or anachronistic agents’ rhetoric about ‘taking control back’. They like lots of property, lots of information, and lots of really useful tools and buying & selling their house quickly.

              Where does OTM fit in here? It’s exclusive, backwards and folly of the highest order.

               

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              1. PeeBee

                “Whichever way you bake it, 5m is a tenth of the 50m visitors…”

                Firstly – congratulations on your razor-sharp mental arithmetic there.

                Secondly – who, exactly is disputing those figures?  Not me; nor are any of the other posters.  I wonder how many people are now frequenting the local shop that opened six months ago, compared to my nearest Tesco Extra (the biggest in the UK)?  I bet they are proper gutted that it’s not exactly the same number of shoppers and a ‘Digital Expert’ like you says it should be.

                They’ll be crying their eyes out at the thought of their abject failure and probably won’t even bother opening shop tomorrow.

                Oh – wait a second – they’re sensible people who, given a pound of 5h!t wrapped in Christmas paper would know what it was – AND IGNORE IT.

                I’m REALLY pleased you consider yourself an ‘expert’ in ‘digital’ – because in this common sense world we live in, you’re plain and simple on another planet.

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              2. GPL

                aah, Digital Troll enters the room and mumbles, rambles, dribbles on…. then leaves….. rather like Zoopla?….. they used to be a Property Advertising Portal of sorts….. now they are the Pound Shop Portal as they will advertise anything to make a few quid…..  an Online Shop that suits you Digital Troll however that’s the level that you clearly shuffle about at…..

                Oh look Digitial Troll….. they also have Troll Dolls for sale! Off you go!

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      3. Beano

        Im glad you thought it was sense, I found it a painful read, which when deciphered, confirmed what one already knows about most ‘landlords’. That they put price before all else….

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    3. wilko

      @landlord….”I am surprised that the situation has not moved away from ‘shop fronted’ agents faster than it is doing,”

      There are many who share your surprise…….perhaps it is because the sellers don’t like the idea of using partial service online agents who lack local knowledge and expertise. They realise that it could cost them £10s of £1,000s of pounds or more off their eventual sale price?

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      1. Landlord

        wilko you are correct

        -but there are many sellers out there that are able to value property as well as many high street agents, who come along with Rigtmove pages of properties that the sellars has seen on Rightmove.

        Where is the extra value there, also in recent times some agents more than other have put property on the market considerablely over market value only to see a slow reduction as the venders hopes are dashed due to inital pricing being wrong ( I do accept that this could be the vendors chioce) it is noticable that it is the same agents.

        Vendors and buyers all now have access to sold prices so both can do their home work if they wish to value a property, I will give you that there are houses that are hard to value and in that case your statement hold good about possibly losing 1000’s.

        The customer now on both sides have a lot more informastion than ever before and this will only get greater as time goes on.

        We all have to accept than things are changing and the market rules, the only change for those who want to go the ‘OTM’ way is for all ‘On Street’ agents to stop using the other portals, customers whould then have to search 2 main portals.

        I think I can safely state that is not going to happen and the comments above I think support this.

        A Landlord

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        1. wilko

          You have some points but in real terms they are generic thoughts and opinions rather than actual fact.

          You said ” sellers out there that are able to value property as well as many high street agents”

          This statement simply isn’t true. Yes, an owner can compare their property with photos of ones in the local are advertised on the portals – but that’s it.

          So you want to sell/rent …..you have looked at your comparisons online and chosen a similar price to that which you have seen others on the market or sold at;

          Firstly that data is too old, even if it is only a matter of weeks  old it doesn’t tell you the figures that current applicants may pay…..only professional agents hold this data as they are dealing with buyers daily, in the local area.

          Only recently I sold a property for c.£20,000 over what the “comparible values stated”……How? Because I was constantly in touch with an elderly lady (who didn’t use the internet) who was specifically looking for a bungalow in a specific, small area. She was a cash buyer and, to her, the property was worth more than it would have been to other members of the public.

          In answering your question “where is the value in using a pro high street agent” ….The seller in this example achieved about £20,000 more than they would have achieved using your suggested method.

          If you need to sell a property in the future I would recommend you set a price using your method and then give it to a pro, no sale, no fee agent at around 5% more than your asking price. You will only pay on results (not the same risk as online agents) and you could end up with 3.5% more in your pocket having paid the agent 1.5%. If they don’t sell it you have lost nothing …….it’s a real no brainer in my opinion.

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        2. Beano

          The above comment in reply landlord and his admirer

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  12. PeeBee

    “You can attack me personally all you like, PeeBee. Doesn’t make my point less true or valid.”

    Excuse me – PERSONALLY?  You are anonymous.  A character.  Nameless.  Devoid of personality.  Does your Bank Card say “MR DIGITAL EXPERT” on the name strip?  Do your bills come in with that name on them?

    I am “attacking” a cyber-person.  I am playing keyboard warrior against keyboard warrior – and you don’t like it.

    Diddums.

    You need to get out more.  Meet people.  Engage brain and then – ONLY then – let your gob loose on them.

    Otherwise someone might just smack you one.

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    1. Digital Expert

      Wow, I really got you angry. It’s only portals – have a Horlicks.

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      1. PeeBee

        Angry?  Me?

        Don’t flatter yourself, sunshine.  I’m having a whale of a time.

        I’ve never stepped up from first gear yet and there’s certainly no reason you’ve shown for you be the first to make me.

        I’m happily idling along – I’ll let you know when I drop into second gear.

        Actually… scrub that.  I won’t need to let you know.  Even you, in your comfy padded world of ‘Digital’ won’t miss the kickdown

        It’ll rip your head clean off your shoulders.

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        1. Digital Expert

          Yes, your 7 angsty replies suggest someone who’s perfectly calm and unaffected.

          We’ll watch this play out and stay in touch. What a time to be alive.

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          1. PeeBee

            Oh, yes – what a time!

            “Angsty”?  I think not.

            Try “passiony”. Or “commitedy”. Even “wholeheartedy” if you must.

            Your word is just silly.

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    2. Digital Expert

      I don’t like it? I’m laughing my head off at you getting all upset over a debate you aren’t winning.

      Thank you for brightening my day!

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      1. PeeBee

        I’m not after winning any debate.  I’m happily gnawing at an extremely exposed ankle and watching you trying not to yelp.

        Its comical.  You should see it.

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  13. Robert May

    Forgive me for saying but as long as Agent Mutual agents are still selling it  at a rate comparable to if they were still  on Zoopla it indicates that having 1/10th of the traffic doesn’t matter.

    What is happening here shouldn’t be a discussion about the actual statistics but the fact that theese particular numbers are now proven not to matter, proven not to have a significant affect on sales volumes.

    It is an achievement to go from 0  to over 5,000,000 million  visits each month, what has to be taken into account is the pro rata equivalent you  are discussing, 26% of agents generating 5.2 million visits, so it isn’t 1/10th it is comparable to 1/4.

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  14. B6RKY

    Same old, same old.

    6/7 months in and I am still asking myself the same question:

    1. Is it in my interest to join OTM?

    The answer has not changed and is stil no for me.

    Why is it still no?

    1. Brand Awareness – OTM is virtually unheard of in my area. I tell customers that they will not be on OTM and they stare blankly at me as they dont know what it is. I have never been asked if we are on it. I am regularly asked if we are on RM or Z.

    2. Cost – I believe the cost to drop Z and replace with OTM would be about the same. Z costs me a fraction of RM and delivers solid rental leads. I do not pay for Rightmove rental. I havent been contacted by OTM since before its launch which does not inspire confidence that they will be actively recruiting others in my area. I could be wrong in this assumption but where are they? Why arent they looking for more Agents.

    When will/would I join?

    A. When it makes me a substantial saving over Z to make it worth the risk. Z did the same many years ago and the idea was we’d drop RM at some stage. It never happened and we have paid for both for a long time. It was clever of Z and many agents took advantage of their loss leader approach.

    or

    B. When the majority of my customers demand that their property is on it.

    I will continue to monitor.

    The petty bickering on here from both pro and anti OTM parties serves no purpose and wins no friends for Estate Agents in general and does us all a dis-service. OTM has nailed its colours to the mast with its claim to be No 2 within 12 months. Despite attempts from pro supporters to distance themselves from this claim Ian Springett is still toeing the party line and pushing this. His own deadline will be the catalyst for many I feel. I’d be kicking my reps up the a## is I was him as time moves quickly, especially when you don’t want it to.

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  15. GPL

    Yaaaaaawn…… stretching…… lean forward….. strike the match!…… light the fuse….. and….

    Boooooooooooooooooooommmm!……..

    …….there goes Zoopla!…. far beyond the horizon!

    As we see….. dropping Zoopla makes no difference at all!……. so, at any monthly membership price they are of no value!

    Zoopla stood up, raised their hands and surrendered!…… the moment they moved into Pound Shop Portal Product Advertising they acknowledged that any buck income matters….. agents don’t!

    Agents only matter to Rightmove as they are the bees that bring the honey….. the signs are already obvious that Rightmove too are seeking alternative income streams….

    and so…..

    …..we have OnTheMarket.com which enters the arena bang on time to ensure that our industry is retrieved from this Portal Product Fiasco whereby Portal Providers yank Estate Agents like Punch & Judy on a stage….. and all to simply provide their Financial Profit Entertainment!

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  16. 1stTimeBuyer

    18 months in… not looking so good for OTM now.

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