A national online agent whose sellers value their own properties and upload their own adverts says it believes its service is an industry first.
Mouse House lists on both Rightmove and Zoopla, and currently has 148 properties for sale, ranging from a £1.2m house on the Isle of Wight to an £80,000 terrace in Nottingham.
Sellers are currently encouraged to do their own valuations using Zoopla or Mouseprice.
A spokesperson for the firm said: “As we are nationwide and only have one base in Nottinghamshire, we ask that the sellers do their own valuations.”
She added: “We are having a website redesign and our new website will have a valuation tool so that people can do it on our site. This will be available in a couple of months.”
She said of the property details supplied by vendors: “There is a degree of trust with the seller. We cross-reference all the details with the Land Registry website when we receive the property information, and if the property has been previously listed with other agents, then we check the previous details.”
The firm says that sellers can upload their own property details, including photographs and room descriptions, “from the comfort of their own home, in a similar way to how eBay and AutoTrader work.
“Mouse House then takes over the selling of the property, providing a full estate agency service.
“Mouse House set up this unique service, the first of its kind in the UK, in response to the changing property market.
“The internet now plays an important role in the way people buy houses. According to Zoopla, 93% of house buyers use the internet to search for a property.
“However, no estate agents have offered a service which enables home owners to upload information about their property and sell online.”
The firm charges £295 including VAT.
Mark Whitehead, co-founder of Mouse House, said: “Many other industries have moved to selling online – travel agents are just one example. I see estate agency as being no different.
“As house sales are improving we want to help Britain get moving by offering a cheap online property selling service which our customers have control over.”
While Eye understands that neither Rightmove nor Zoopla insist on agents having to make valuation visits, we also understand that agents do have to visit the property to check accuracy of marketing information.
A Rightmove spokesperson told Eye: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are going to look into this further.”
Zoopla has not responded to our request for a comment.
Comments (37)
No 1 office, online, they were charging me per 100 properties, but booted me off and made it per 50 properties, doubling my fee.
When a trainee of mine made an error on RM by passing on a number without permission I was booted off RM within 24 hours and then held to ransom to get listed again, they doubled the fees!!! It was no doubt done on purpose to raise the fees, it went from £3500 pcm to £7k. I sold the company in the end as I could not keep up, RM staff are all ignorant t wats!
£7k pcm? What – 10 offices in the company Paull?
Wardy – try virtual PAs – even answer in oyur company name 24/7 – not just for over-spill but to take every call, pass message and then call back. Saves long rings and also unprofessional anwering machines. Let's you get on with the dishes…
maybe he and the wife take it in turns to do the late evening customer support?
''You take that call darling, I'll do the washing up''
At no point was I envious until now, how come he gets let off the washing up?
"leave the washing up to soak, take the call, finish the washing up, then make a cup of tea"
"Yes dear"
Before everyone (Mr Mealham) gets their knickers in a twist, can I just point out that the story says RM are looking into it.Which is a good thing right?
I seem to remember a similar entrepreneur based in Nottingham with the same model (although clearly not the same common sense) who wasn't allowed on any of the portals for exactly the same reason.
Funny that, wardy – Nottingham clearly must breed a 'special' kind of "Estate Agent"! 😉
LIKE THE KIND THAT, on their website claim "We open 7 days a week from 8am-8pm…"; "Our business has been built upon providing the highest level of customer service. Our customer support is open 12 hours a day, 7 days a week…" – however in OTHER places on the same site they state "Our phone lines are open 7 days a week – Monday to Friday from 8am-7pm & Weekends 9am-5pm."
They can't even get THAT right.
Robert
Interesting 'Feedback' comment on the Zoop website:
"Many thanks for the revised valuation with which I am much happier!
Magda, Submitted: 19th May 2014"
You've gotta laugh… haven't you?
If I didn't care what it is doing to Agency I would laugh; it's certainly a joke.
Most of these comments are hilarious.
The best was from Robert May – you tell them sir!!
" in accordance with the Estate Agents Act of 1979 your firm is not an Estate Agent. EA 1979 requires competent and experienced staff to exercise reasonable skill and care." – I can name a large number of 'estate agents' that do not comply – probably why we all have a bad reputation.
And what is YOUR 'take' on the story, UKLandlord?
You in support of companies like this as well as the Quirk-type outfits?
I agree it isn't just passive intermediaries who are letting the profession down. I am more than capable of showing Grenville Turner an example of a property where his individual Whitbreads all valued a property with £50 of the Zoopla valuation and how strangely the top 4 Zoopla recommended agents were all Countrywide.
I will quite happily go toe to toe with the bloke who put the Mr Chesterman's online valuation algorithm together and demonstrate it does not work reliably other than as a entertainment gimmick a bit like Flappy Bird.
But I think most comply with the law regarding offers. Taken from an email received from a seller today buying from one of these online only property firms ironically:
Having now spoken with ****** from *******, he has advised that "they don't
send anything in writing to say that the offer has been accepted to either
the vendor or purchaser this will be handled when they send out the
Memorandum of Sale to both parties, and as their vendor has yet to choose a
solicitor it may not be happening this week, besides, were an online agency
and were keeping costs down…….." I have asked for an email confirmation
but it would appear that's beyond them.
Or it seems the law regarding EPC's:
With regard to the EPC, he told me to download it from the EPC Register,
I've told him it's not on there, and his response was, "oh they've been
naughty and not sorted it out…. I'll have to speak with them……". It
appears not to be in their remit, as an online agency, to check these
details
“Mouse House then takes over the selling of the property, providing a full estate agency service.
A full estate agency service? Do you accompany viewings or pop out to retake photo's to enhance the saleability… uh, no! Again like the other online offering recently advertised 'just as good as your high street agent, for a fraction of the cost', sorry, not quite! You obviously demonstrate no interest in the sellers and their situation, nor the accuracy of details or the need to abide by CPR's, as I'm am sure the sellers may forget to tell you about the sub station next door, or backing on to a commercial dump. All of which an agent inspecting the property would be keen to note, for fear of the law!
“Mouse House set up this unique service, the first of its kind in the UK, in response to the changing property market.
Unique, am I missing something? Plus I love that online agents feel that selling a home carries as much importance as booking a £1000 holiday or ordering a kettle off Argos online, but then I suppose the market in 'cash for gold' or 'accident at work – need to claim' industry's are on their backside, so they have to make money somehow!
Sellers have always been allowed to do private sales and many have,and will continue to, do so.
I remember a firm starting up years ago that sold a for sale board and a book "how to sell your house in 10 easy steps" from memory for £85.
I've said many times before that it won't be long before "SELF SELL" takes off with online portal support (possibly Zoopla will take the lead to cover the shortfall left by AM desserters)…..We all know how massively confident many people now are with selling their stuff on Ebay, Their Cars on Autotrader, so self selling their property is a natural progression. It wont be for everyone straight away – but more and more people will be comfortable with. I think that the "self sell" movement will not affect the traditional model initially, but it will squeeze the current breed of "online agent" ……If someone is happy to sell with an online agent at c£600 then they surely would prefer doing their own upload on Zoopla for, say £200?
"Zoopla has not responded to our request for a comment."
I don't blame them in the slightest. WHATEVER they say will enrage The AM Collective.
Sorry to disagree Peebee, there is no-one there who CAN comment. They aren't phased by AM but risking a Peebeeing is too much for them.
Alex Chesterman thinks it is possible to value a property using algorithms and has not got a clue why it isn't. Do you think anyone is really going to comment on why the King is stood there in the all together?
I disagree with your disagreement, Sir! 😉
I doubt very much whether Z even know that 'PeeBee' exists, never mind being afraid of any ankle-gnawing that may result from a comment…
…but thanks for suggesting that they WOULD give a shizzle!
Anyway – if it wasn't for that handy valuation tool, how else could I or any other remote Agent 'value' that property for you that you set emoov's office boy the task of last week? 😉
The whole point of that exercise was to show that no online only Passive intermediary firm can claim to offer an Estate Agency service while they are using Online valuation tools to value property.
With respect the same goes for you, any other agent or even the owner; you might well be the very best Estate Agent in your area but I know that you can not value a property xxx miles away using an online valuation model.
Sure you can look it up on Zoopla, check out the area on Google maps and Street view, you can even ask what improvements have been made. All of that can be done from a distance but you still can not value a property remotely.
Strange how no-one has taken up the challenge.
I think I said there were a million reasons why I wouldn't. In fairness, "a million" (in £s terms…) could well be an accurate estimate of how FAR OUT I could be, relying on such f*ckwittery (credit – Jonnie [wherever he is…]) as AVMs to do the job that can and should only be done on-site by someone who has at least an inkling of what they are talking about.
Maybe even more.
Jonnie was posting on the other place yesterday.
I think like Greyfriars Bobby he is reluctant to leave Gourmand's Grave.
From this lame excuse of a parody of an Estate Agent's website:
"Hint & Tip: Invite a couple of local high street agents to value your property. This should be a no obligation valuation and should provide you with a realistic guide price for the property."
Interestingly… as far as I can see NOWHERE on their site do they advise a client of their LEGAL OBLIGATIONS under The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007.
Do they have to advise them then?
As mousehouse are advertising the property for sale, then they have a liability – as has ANY Estate Agent or individual – under the same Regulations to ensure that an EPC is made available for that property.
Unless you want to tell me otherwise, wilko…?
Ah I see….when you said "as far as I can see NOWHERE on their site do they advise a client of their LEGAL OBLIGATIONS under The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007".
I thought you were refferring to "their" meaning the client…Of course they have to show them as in the "agent"…are they not doing so?
Fantastic, RM and Z allowing yet A N Other budget agent in, and Z provides an AVM. Why do proper agents support Z or RM???
But for sure AVM's can be very wrong as they work on historic data. As such a vendor could massively get their pricing wrong and Mouse House could come under breach of CPR's for nt doing a PROPER job, like Proper Agents do.
Don't worry, budget models may grow a little over the next 2-3 years, but many cost vendors £1,000's through inadequate service.
If agents start aborting RM and Z more then the market places will be left with just a few budget marketeers.
"Why do proper agents support Z or RM???"
Because they get a return on their spend, Mr Mealham – simple as.
This is an anticipated result of our industry not being regulated.
I'd have thought thet Mouse House are setting themselves up for being sued for presenting themselves as Estate Agents when they seem to be working as an online advertising board with call handlers.
So, now you pay money upfront and get even LESS work done than before ! Are there any depths these OLA's won't stoop to? Who wants to deal with an outfit that has an office carrying out a non-service? Unbelievable. You get what you pay for: nothing for £295.
Mark Whitehead, co-founder of Mouse House, said: “Many other industries have moved to selling online – travel agents are just one example. I see estate agency as being no different.
Sorry Mr Whitehead in accordance with the Estate Agents Act of 1979 your firm is not an Estate Agent. EA 1979 requires competent and experienced staff to exercise reasonable skill and care. Delegating the valuation process to a vendor using Zoopla's random number generator does not tick off any of the prerequiistes of an Estate Agent as defined by legislation.
At best Mouse House is a passive intermediary set up to cirmumvent the policies of the main Portals which are to protect their client Agents.
"At best Mouse House is a passive intermediary…"
Well…
They CALL themselves "Estate Agents"
Their web address is mousehouseESTATEAGENTS.co.uk
And… they advertise on Globrix
…so they MUST BE Estate Agents!
No sign of TPO/OFT/NAEA/RICS mind you…
someone who is affected by them needs to refer them to EA79.
Pointing out that asking a vendor to ask a Bingo machine to pluck a figure out of the air does not constitute Esta Agency as defined by legislation.
Private house sales on Rightmove then really, mouse are just handling the calls.
Owners might as well purchase for sale signs and sell it themselves! I remember a time when estate agents was a service industry. It appears that more and more, agents want to do less and still charge! People are happy to pay for good service.
Mouse House WERE advertising on Rightmove lol…!
Can't see them on Zoopla now either…appears the duopoly have been kicked in to shape by EYE!