Sarah Beeny claims on TV all online agents have to be regulated

| Rosalind Renshaw

Property guru Sarah Beeny claimed on national television yesterday that all online agents belong to a body which she named as the National Federation of Estate Agents.

Beeny was appearing on ITV’s This Morning programme, and was asked by presenter Amanda Holden if online agents had to be regulated.

Beeny replied an emphatic: “Yes.”

She said “all online estate agents” had to belong to the “National Federation of Estate Agents – they have to do that, and they have to verify properties”.

She said that this allowed them to feed into property portals.

Beeny, who runs an online agent called Tepilo, was on the programme to plug her show about people selling through online agents.

Beeny said “really good high street agents” were not concerned about online agents, but that “quite a lot aren’t very amused by it”.

On a busy day for the airwaves about online agents yesterday, two vendors who sold their homes without high street agents told their stories on Radio 4’s You and Yours programme.

One, in Cornwall, sold her bungalow for £245,000 using private sale-by-owner site The Little House Company.

She said she had saved about £7,000, and while it had taken longer than she had anticipated, she would do it again.

She did, however, warn that to be successful, sellers needed to view their house as a commodity, and not be afraid to ask searching questions of would-be purchasers, including whether they had funds.

A second seller used Housesimple, an online agent, to sell her home in Cheshire for £745,000.

She said she had invited some local agents to her home to check that the valuation was right. She had then written the narrative and her husband took the pictures.

She said that as a purchaser, she never went into agents, but only ever visited Rightmove.

She said she just needed an agent to facilitate the property going on Rightmove “and I could do the rest”.

Property commentator Kate Faulkner spoke of the power of the two big property portals, saying they had been set up in the first place because of the monopoly of local newspapers, although they had now become something of a monopoly themselves.

She said that a private seller was at a disadvantage through not being able to use them.

But Faulkner also said that marketing a property was the “relatively easy bit” and that where agents scored was in their ability to hold a chain together.

Beeny’s Sell Your Home series starts on Monday on C4.

She has said it won’t feature her own online estate agency, but she did tweet out: “All about saving thousands by using online estate agent like my @tepilo xx”

 

 

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54 Comments

  1. Trevor Gillham
    October 17, 2014 at 06:55

    That property must have cost a fortune in weedkiller.

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  2. surreyagent
    October 17, 2014 at 07:22

    The Cornish vendor saved £7000 in fees – if the agents in Cornwall are charging nearly 3% I'm relocating my business……

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    1. wilko
      October 17, 2014 at 14:13

      Problem is your comments will have been seen by about a 1000 people…..her programme millions!! They should at least tell viewers at the beginning that she has a vested interest in online…..Mind you…look what happened to lorne Spicer and her career!

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  3. realpundit
    October 17, 2014 at 08:35

    In case you want to see what Tepilo have sold in the last six months, this is illuminating: http://dev.getagent.co.uk/branch/35637

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    1. wilko
      October 17, 2014 at 14:08

      its a good point, but unfortunately it doesn't matter what Tepilo have sold….they take their money up front and so couldn't care less beyond that.

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  4. clarky46
    October 17, 2014 at 08:40

    Is that NFOPP or NAEA? Journalistic attention to detail? Tepilo recently lifted some of my photographs of a development to help sell a property. I noticed and they, politely, took them down. Classic case of 'on the cheap' online only with no local knowledge or presence so resort to using other agent's resources, probably as provided by the seller but you get the point. Everyone is so obsessed with the cost of an agent that they can't see the 'value' of one.

    As an industry our PR is so poor we don't get it over to the public who have this image of agents being flash pillocks who hang out at wine bars all day while the office junior does the paperwork and banks the big cheques for them.

    We recently completed a sale that had been ongoing for over 12 months due to complex legal issues (leasehold). I also personally lent the seller over £1,000 so that another law firm acting for the freeholder would even look at the work. We billed it – standard 1% fee, so £1,600 plus VAT after 12 months of holding it together. Is your average online only agent going to get involved for the fee they charge? Don't think so.

    In a good market almost anyone can agree the sale of their property by getting it on the web. They may have to resort to local knowledge (agent) to get the price right which of course they'll do for free and no obligation. Any number of buyers will camp out on their doorstep, claim all sorts about cash in the bank then take 6 months to possibly go through with it. Mr Self-Sell will find the time every week to follow up the deal, prod the right people in the right place, call agents and people down the chain, massage everyone without rubbing them up the wrong way. Er, I don't think so.

    My business started in the early 1990's in the bad times for property sales, I've survived the crash 5-6 years ago. At the risk of 'be careful what you wish for' let's have the hard times back and sort out the business models that think High Street agents are outrageously expensive. Try running on 4 sales a month at £500 a go – even the online boys won't live with that.

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    1. PeeBee
      October 17, 2014 at 08:59

      WELL SAID, clarky46!

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    2. Ric
      October 17, 2014 at 11:13

      Absolutely spot on! Especially the last bit…… roll on some tough times to sort the good from the bad….

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  5. Trevor Mealham
    October 17, 2014 at 09:27

    Online passive intermediates who do no more than provide a board with the owners details do not have to be a member of a redress scheme. Estate agents whk take consumer contact and may provide further related services have to be a member of a redress scheme……………… Unfortunately tbe rule makers and breakers such as BIS, Treasury, HMRC have not addressed now now outdated 1979 Estate Agents Act to regulate anyone who provides property advice to other parties to have to be regulated……………..There remains several Hg St and online only agents running outside redress……….. The biggest worry are the "guru" jokers who sit outside redress catching people often with BMV, lease option and sandwich deals. A few are fine. But most need bringing into regulation and / or be closed down…………….Its a shame the Sarahs dont practice what they preach. Its a shame RM and Z allow budget models in

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  6. wilko
    October 17, 2014 at 09:47

    Someone definitely ought to regulate theirs (and all online agents) photographs….check out the photos on the £1.65million house that tepilo are marketing in Wimbledon Village, or the one in Rainham, Essex, at £260,000. Absolute SHOCKERS of the highest degree…..and to think that those photos were actually paid for up front……also take a look at the photos on chris' easyproperty website. Search for Manachester and Newcastle upon Tyne to see a masterclass in how NOT to photograph property!!! Blood is really boiling about this…..people are just being robbed in up front fees with absolutely no one looking out for their actual interests. These photos and property descriptions I have highlighted will COST the seller/landlord massively, and continue to do so, unless there is some sort of quality control.

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    1. easy Chris
      October 17, 2014 at 11:11

      these are landlord provided, we of course do speak to landlords to improve their pictures and offer a service where we can do it for them,this is an education to many landlords who currently don't use an agent and we are bringing them into the "agency" market.
      what makes my blood boil is opaque pricing and charging tenants huge admin fees,robbery indeed,guess its horses for courses. Can't comment on your photos or your prices wilko as you like to hide behind your username,but I am sure you are brilliant in every aspect of your business…. 🙂

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      1. Ric
        October 17, 2014 at 11:15

        oh ay up……. easychris……. quick comment and hide.

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      2. Paul H
        October 17, 2014 at 11:59

        "these are landlord provided"…That's right Chris you wash your hands of it and pass the buck over the landlord/seller.

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        1. easy Chris
          October 17, 2014 at 12:27

          its called choice, do it yourself or we can do it for you, clearly understood business model. Fail to see how this is washing our hands ?? believe me we try our best to upsell these services,we are not a charity lol.
          we have clear transparent pricing vat included,buy what you need not what you don't,simples !

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          1. Paul H
            October 17, 2014 at 12:32

            "its called choice"…Do you think it's a good idea to give the landlord the choice of doing their own property description and if they choose to do it themselves what advise/guidance (if any) do you give for this?

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          2. wilko
            October 17, 2014 at 13:48

            Chris, in offering your so called "choice" for landlords to upload incredibly POOR photos to YOUR site, can't you see that you are ruining your product that you believe in so much. a. landlords who upload photos like the ones in ,say, Manchester, are not going to let them as effectively as if their properties were photographed properly . and b. anyone thinking that they might use your site to market their properties is going to have a little look at the type of marketing it offers in , say, Manchester, and use someone else….whatever the cost. If you can sit there and say that this is acceptable marketing for a national company that has taken £millions in funding then your problems are a lot worse than I originally thought….and that was bad enough.

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          3. MinnieMouse
            October 17, 2014 at 14:02

            I have looked and if that what a vendor or landlord chooses who are you to say its wrong? It is their property, their choices and their money.. Face facts, change is coming and you cannot compete!

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        2. MinnieMouse
          October 17, 2014 at 13:44

          How is giving a choice washing your hands? If anything its giving the consumer what they want and not what YOU think they need!

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          1. wilko
            October 17, 2014 at 13:59

            Have you "LOOKED" at easyproperty Manchester 9 property photos!!!!! I don't know what planet you come from if you think these photos are in any way acceptable….If a surgeon suggested that people should have a choice to operate on themselves the outcome would be the same ie NO WINNERS!!!

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  7. MinnieMouse
    October 17, 2014 at 13:32

    @PaulH – Why do you feel its necessary not to embrace any change at all? It seems to me that the vendor-public has spoken and the future is Orange/Purple!

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    1. easy Chris
      October 17, 2014 at 13:45

      @minniemouse are you taking the Mickey …… 🙂
      change is coming,embrace it,compete with it but you can't ignore it..

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      1. MinnieMouse
        October 17, 2014 at 13:47

        Well it was better than being property girl! Change is coming its brilliant and well needed.. Its about time some colour was injected in to the property world =)

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        1. Paul H
          October 17, 2014 at 14:04

          I am genuinely amazed that Stelios would put his name to an outfit like this. It's shocking.

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          1. MinnieMouse
            October 17, 2014 at 14:05

            Really why? He can make money he is getting publicity and you are talking about him errr win win comes to mind!

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          2. easy Chris
            October 17, 2014 at 14:09

            whats shocking @paul H is you seem to think choice is a bad thing. Its empowering landlords and bringing real value to the market. We have just closed our 2nd round of fundraising and do doubt you will be amazed and shocked again. The future is bright …….

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          3. MinnieMouse
            October 17, 2014 at 14:12

            Like I said the future is orange/purple! and very bright indeed!

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          4. wilko
            October 17, 2014 at 14:55

            I wonder if Stelios has seen the photos of the properties on the site? "Choice" is great…..as soon as my potential landlords and vendors have seen the quality of photos(which reflects 100% on easyproperty offering) their choice will be made a lot easier for them. I just really can't understand why easy chris and his new girlfriend minniemouse would say that those photos are acceptable?

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          5. MinnieMouse
            October 17, 2014 at 15:23

            I did not say they were acceptable, kindly do not add words to my mouth. What I stated was it the choice of the vendor or landlord to decided if they want what you call professional pictures (you are not a photographer) or if they want to do them. They are not blind they can see what they are uploading. Why does it have to be your way or no way?? As for being easy chris's girlfriend – sticks and stones and wahhh wahhhh put your toys back in your pram!

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      2. Ric
        October 17, 2014 at 18:34

        I agree EasyChris, change is coming and can be very good. But for one last time…..not a tough one…… who is responsible for the error that 3 miles is in fact 4.8, which makes the round trip 9.6 miles and not 6……….or will EasyProperty not answer questions from a concerned consumer? Have you heard of CPR?

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  8. Paul H
    October 17, 2014 at 14:54

    "embrace change"….What on earth are you talking about, what change? Your just a web/tech company masquerading as estate agents that asks landlords to upload their own photos, descriptions etc (god knows what advise you give to people who decide to compile AST, Prescribed Information etc) on to your system, you then forward it to Rightmove and Zoopla. Do you really call that being an estate agent?! You are not offering any "change" in fact your offering a far less of a service than nearly every single online agent that's come to the market in the last few years and that really is saying something.

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    1. MinnieMouse
      October 17, 2014 at 15:21

      You cannot change the fact that the public are speaking and they love the choice much to your despair! Why do you not want people to have change? Why can they not have a choice in your opinion?

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      1. davehedgehog
        October 17, 2014 at 15:31

        Hahahahaha this one in Gordon St is my personal favourite:
        https://easyproperty.com/search/manchester/any-radius/any-property-type/any-bedrooms/from-any/to-any/page-0/per-page-20/sort-by-most-recent/#property-view-2412954445719230753

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        1. MinnieMouse
          October 17, 2014 at 15:37

          If that is the choice of the landlord to show those awful pictures who are you tell him otherwise!

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          1. easy Chris
            October 17, 2014 at 15:52

            @minniemouse exactly…… although to be fair we DO contact them and ask they take better shots or buy the service from us. I don't disagree some of the property pics are not great but thats THEIR choice.
            I suppose I could charge them a huge commission, admin fees,then charge the tenants admins fees……..then again…

            Our services are at a very early stage we have a long pipeline of new products coming.

            As for minniemouse being my girlfriend well I am happy she is a friendly voice in this forum full of traditional agents so hostile to change, so girl friend indeed 🙂

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          2. RealAgent
            October 17, 2014 at 15:55

            I will tell you why MM and Easy Chris its because what you are doing is making a poorly regulated industry the wild west. Allowing landlords the forum to take these kinds of property into the public arena is appalling and to do so under the banner of progress and technology would be laughable if it wasn't so dangerous. Frankly your business model is a disgrace and I don't think I am in anyway exaggerating to say that you are playing with lives here for the sake of what you believe is a money spinner. You don't care about service, you don't care about saving clients money, all you care about is you trying to win market share using price as a selling point. I sincerely hope you get hauled over the coals for your hands off, responsible free business. The sad thing is that it will be at someone else's misfortune.

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          3. MinnieMouse
            October 17, 2014 at 15:56

            Honestly cannot see why all these successful EA's are so scared by a little choice and competition. Why is the word choice so awful to these people! 25 years in a traditional model is enough to make you realise that a real change is needed!!!

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          4. MinnieMouse
            October 17, 2014 at 15:59

            @RealAgent – how do you just to such assumptions? You don't know me you don't know where I work or what I do. I however know that you are scared of change and people taking away the little bit of business you have managed to keep your claws in to for far too long.

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          5. wilko
            October 17, 2014 at 15:59

            The landlord can upload what he likes then!!!!!!!! Have the terrible photos on easyproperty.co.uk got no restrictions!!!! . I have no problem with easyproperty giving the choice to landlords to upload their property pics but for EVERYONES sake at least have some sort of minimum acceptable quality. Otherwise, the WHOLE SITE will continue to be a ridiculous laughing stock to everyone (except the backers who will lose their money)!

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          6. easy Chris
            October 17, 2014 at 17:04

            @wilko happy to have a reasoned debate,the basis of our model is choice and empowerment using our lower operating costs to deliver services at competitive prices. If we were to insist on landlords using our photography our model would not work as we would essentially not offer choice. The photos on our site vary as they do with most on-liners and some traditional agents, from the very good to the not so good,we do check every listing and where we think the photos are not great we do advise them to do some more or offer to do it for them for a fee. Sometimes we refuse to accept photos for various reasons [ believe me I have seen them].
            we know a photo even a poor one is better than no photo at all.
            Can our quality control improve of course it can but can any of us truly say our business is perfect in every way. We are working on some tech fixes to resize some of the photos as they do like abit odd sometimes when shown in summary format.
            As for growth well lets see when we start really pushing our services nationally which we have yet to do,you'll find our growth accelerating. We have just finished our fundraising and as expected we have smashed all targets,we will use these funds to grow our business and improve our product.

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          7. davehedgehog
            October 17, 2014 at 17:37

            I'm not telling him anything Minnie (I'm too busy laughing) but if this was my website I would call him up and perhaps give him a little help or advice (maybe suggest going onto a good Estate Agents website to see how they have taken photographs) before posting them on your site. Do you really think these are going to get more people coming back to your site and how many people are going to view this property? With these photos it will never let, therefore this Landlord is losing £550 a month. Maybe paying a decent agent a reasonable fee who will take decent photographs and market the property properly and rent it out quicker could possibly pay dividends?

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          8. RealAgent
            October 17, 2014 at 17:37

            I think I made my point Chris. By all means spell out publicly what you do to ensure the properties you represent for Landlords, to consumers who are reportedly trusting that third party representation means some quality and safety control and I will happily take those comments back. Do you check to ensure deposits are safe?, do you check to make sure there are valid gas safety certificates?, do you ensure that the properties are fit to be let? Or do you just allow someone to advertise under your banner and tenant beware. If its the latter then I don't think thats responsible or professional.

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        2. MinnieMouse
          October 17, 2014 at 16:01

          @Wilko – but they are not!!! look at Easy's website, look at PB's website they are getting bigger and bigger hour by hour!

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          1. MinnieMouse
            October 17, 2014 at 16:07

            Otherwise, the WHOLE SITE will continue to be a ridiculous laughing stock to everyone (except the backers who will lose their money)!….. oh and Wilko, why is that your problem exactly? Go back to your traditional office with your traditional ways and leave change to the ones that know about it =)

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          2. easy Chris
            October 17, 2014 at 16:09

            @realagent never have I heard such rubbish bordering on slander, a very poor representation of a TA and if thats what a realagent is like then it makes us more determined to beat you….let me know your real name and make those comments again …… make your point by all means but do it professionally and within the bounds of fair comment.

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          3. wilko
            October 17, 2014 at 16:47

            Ok, Calm down a moment and see if you can understand what I'm saying- and respond. Before I start let me say to you that you are right"it isn't my problem" but bearing in mind you have decided to post on this forum – which happens to be about professional property and marketing- then please be kind enough to respond to comments that other users raise. Firstly could you at least answer my question "do you think that the photos that easyproperty have allowed landlords in Manchester and Newcastle (to name but 2 cities) a. reflect an overall image that easyproperty can be proud of? and b. Do you think that easyproperty, with the photo choices that it's clients have uploaded is providing the best service to landlords and tenants alike? After all the whole company business model relies 100% on marketing yet you allowing a handful of landlords who have only paid you a small fee to ruin your overall image before you have really even got going ? oh…..and as far as easyproperty really storming ahead instruction wise they now have a massive 20 instructions across 3 of the biggest cities in the uk….Manchester Newcastle and Birmingham…..Last month they had 18……so do you consider that a really rapid growth…especially bearing in mind easy chris said he had 1000s of landlords "signed up" before launch…???

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          4. wilko
            October 17, 2014 at 16:48

            Sorry,Last post at minniemouse not easychris.

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          5. MinnieMouse
            October 17, 2014 at 16:54

            @wilko of course I will answer your questions. No I think the photos are awful however, I do believe in giving someone the choice. If that property does not let, that is down to the landord – why should he/she not be accountable for the choices.

            Yes, I agree the service is giving the consumer what they want. I have watched avidly as the new models PB have 900 properties for sale – surely that is a voice?

            Obviously the growth is not massive but they have not been live for a month yet? As regards to 1000's signed up this I am unaware of?

            My bone of contention is the fact that you all seem to pooh pooh anything new, anything that you all have to turn your heads to look at. I was with a corporate for over 25 years I worked the TA to the letter T – things have to change things have grow.

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          6. wilko
            October 17, 2014 at 18:11

            @easychris and minniemouse. I think one of the problems is that you assume that we are all dinosaurs and you guys have the new model that will replace the existing model. Only time will tell on that one and I'm not worried just yet. In bringing up the photos I genuinely think you need a minimum standard of quality to get off the ground as an agent…I appreciate that you are allowing the choice of the landlords, but essentially if you carry on with that policy of landlords uploading such awful photos you are essentially allowing them to trash your site because most tenants and landlords expect better. I know you agree with this, and I recommend this sincerely, that you should have a minimum proposition to include a decent photo pack. If not ,you are allowing the landlords to litter your proposition with photos that are are way sub standard,,,Let's not forget that we are both estate agents at the end of the day, and I do actually believe that forums like this can be used to help each other as well as trading views on issues. That's why I really think you need to address this issue of photos. Like I said , we are both estate agents and our job is to market property. You can't do that effectively with the photos you have on your site at the moment.

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          7. Ric
            October 17, 2014 at 18:29

            I think Stelios has stumbled across a great idea and he is using his EasyProperty to test the idea……….."sought of test pilot so to speak"………………….basically EasyJet could lets be fair save millions I am sure, IF they did not have to pay Pilots and Cabin Crew…………………so he will soon be offering the Pilot Seat as a choice when selecting where you can sit……. it will be the cheapest too, just £1 for the best seat on the plane…………………… assuming you know what you're doing!!!!! EasyJet offering the consumer the choice to do it themselves…………

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  9. PeeBee
    October 17, 2014 at 18:04

    "…we do check every listing…" REALLY?? Please enlighten me and the readers – HOW do you check every listing? Check against what, exactly? Physically? Inspecting every property? Checking details against recorded information? Or what about actually walking three miles to ensure that it IS, in fact, the "short distance" it is claimed to be?

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  10. PeeBee
    October 17, 2014 at 21:43

    "@easychris and minniemouse. I think one of the problems is that you assume that we are all dinosaurs and you guys have the new model that will replace the existing model." wilko – nail:head – you got it in one, mon ami! But here's the thing that they HAVEN'T taken into account. Dinosaurs were dominant on our planet for approximately 135 million years. They were around for some 30 million years before they became dominant – and, in some form or another their legacy lives on some 65 million years after their virtual extinction. Their demise did NOT come about as a result of a few insignificant microbes piddling in their watering hole or stealing a tiny morsel of their cake – it took an event which var-nigh destroyed the planet itself to wipe them out. And you and I know quite nicely that such disasters WON'T befall us dinosaurs of the property world – whether they be orange, purple – or any other colour for that matter!

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  11. clarky46
    October 18, 2014 at 20:27

    I've noticed these 'comment sessions' generally degenerate into mud slinging where the grammar, spelling etc also fall as far. I would like to respond to the masses of comments about 'public choice' that I have no problem with home sellers having choice, it's just that they actually think they are making an informed choice because they think – without reading and understanding anything – that an agent is an agent is an agent. We are all exactly the same and do exactly the same things. If you want a car you can test drive then choose. You can't 'test drive' an estate agent and once your property is exposed to the market (effectively or otherwise) you've exposed it and the whole of the Rightmove/Zoopla/ OTM buying public get to see it!

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  12. mc1
    October 19, 2014 at 06:46

    So yeah, judging from these comments you're all stupidly unprofessional.

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    1. PeeBee
      October 19, 2014 at 10:06

      And of course it would be simply rude for yours not to follow suit – wouldn't it?

      Report
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