‘We’ll knock Zoopla off the number two spot – and soon’ declares Springett

| Rosalind Renshaw

Knocking Zoopla off its perch as the current number two portal is Ian Springett’s immediate ambition for OnTheMarket.

He said: “Our objective is to be at the number two position and to get that as quickly as we can.”

However, he also made it plain that he does not under-estimate what OTM has to achieve on a daily basis.

He said: “We are in a constant battle, and they [the other portals] will come after us hard.”

He said both Rightmove and Zoopla had been “bleeding the industry”. Rightmove, he said, had continued to put up its prices during the recession – something which he said agents had not forgotten.

Agents had been expecting a price war after Zoopla merged with the Daily Mail portals.

Springett said the merger had been given the go-ahead on the basis that it would provide a competitive alternative to Rightmove. But lower prices had not happened.

While OnTheMarket had been created as a means of disrupting the duopoly by pulling some agents off both, he said that the degree to which numbers had apparently pulled off Zoopla had been “unexpected”.

Springett said local newspapers had been helpful regarding OnTheMarket. For example, Archant had worked with its local agent advertisers on marketing: “Even though its property search is still powered by Zoopla, it knows which side its bread is buttered.”

Asked by one journalist if Zoopla would close, Springett said: “I don’t think it will. I cannot give you that headline.”

However, Springett did not rule out several specific scenarios that he was also asked about, including Rightmove merging with Zoopla, Zoopla going into private sales, or OnTheMarket acquiring PrimeLocation: “I would never say never, but we would have to look at it commercially,” he said.

To further questions, Springett indicated that he was not unsympathetic to “better” online agents gaining membership, but said that at the moment their lack of premises meant they were unable to fulfill the central requirement of co-branding.

He also revealed that the Country Life website, which has been used by the likes of Knight Frank and Savills, does count as a “one other portal”. That means some of OTM’s founders will be pulling off what could be seen as their hallowed home turf.

Springett observed: “We have a very committed and united board.”

Springett also spoke about OTM’s refusal to show property data such as when a home was first listed and its history of price reductions.

He said that no vendor whose home was advertised in a local newspaper would want to see such details given out in print – and nor would a local newspaper expect to provide these, let alone give its own valuation.

Yesterday, however, in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Zoopla boss Alex Chesterman defended precisely this practice, saying it was what consumers wanted in the way of transparency. See story below on today’s Eye.

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27 Comments

  1. Typhoon
    January 26, 2015 at 07:25

    It may be what the consumer wants in regards to additional information about property marketing history but they don't want totally inaccurate valuations which throw them. But agents want neither and it's the agents that pay Zoopka's bills

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  2. interestedobserver
    January 26, 2015 at 07:27

    In other news, what is property industry eye going to do for content now? 😉

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    1. harry hood
      January 26, 2015 at 11:55

      why do you call it content?

      it is unbiased, unmotivated news.

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  3. GPL
    January 26, 2015 at 07:51

    Zoopla's valuation tool is at the very least inaccurate, at its worst… misleading! The time a house had been on the market, largely irrelevant! If you have the consumers interests at heart Mr Chesterman, which is both homebuyer and homeseller then where is the function to display the quality of the potential buyer etc… no, that's right Mr Chesterman, that's part of the estste agents job… your company, Zoopla!… just churn the easy data and charge your members for the privilege…. if only it was THAT easy Mr Chesterman… an office full of computer programmers churning data for display?…. that's the difference between your business and ours…. we don't live or work in the virtual world, we live in the real world where a real estate agency service matters! Cash in and move on Mr C…. and roll-up Lazerous Dunstone who claims to be the next consumer saviour… how hollow those words because we know that standing on a pile of money demonstrates that you were good at making money… but at whose expense and with how much integrity?

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    1. EHenderson
      January 26, 2015 at 08:56

      If its irrelevant, what's your problem with it? Surely that would mean that consumers aren't interested in it?

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      1. GPL
        January 26, 2015 at 09:20

        The length of time a house has been on the market for sale is largely irrelevant unless you are one of the slooooooow potential buyers who thinks that length of time on the market means discounted price…… where I work length of time means….. not the right buyer yet!…… perhaps you are from the school of keep dropping the price until it sells?….. I'll stick with price it correctly from the start and be patient in terms of finding the right buyer to pay the right price….in contrast to the Corporate Agents who drive Homesellers prices down very often…. in order to get their fee!….oops?….. find a buyer! What else can I explain for you?

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    2. 1stTimeBuyer
      January 26, 2015 at 10:03

      You do talk some rubbish sometimes.

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      1. GPL
        January 26, 2015 at 10:13

        If you want to cast abuse, print your name and phone number and I will do likewise then either phone me or better still pop in and see me… I suspect you are one of the abusers who hide behind their computer. Shuffle off to your playroom.

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  4. Chrispy
    January 26, 2015 at 08:21

    Good to see that the first 7 articles this morning are about pushing OTM #followtheadvertisersmoney

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  5. wilko
    January 26, 2015 at 09:36

    "Chesterman defended precisely this practice, saying it was what consumers wanted in the way of transparency"…Therein is your problem…Chesterman sees the buyers as the "Client"….We, of course, see the seller as our client.

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    1. danny
      January 26, 2015 at 10:15

      Wilko, what percentage of your client base is made up of people selling up to emigrate or die ? Your seller is your buyer ….

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      1. GPL
        January 26, 2015 at 10:19

        Oh Danny Boooooy… the lights, the lights are faaaaaading…

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      2. wilko
        January 26, 2015 at 12:59

        @ Danny, I think your response here demonstrates your lack of industry knowledge and skills. Every pro agent knows the 1st rule of agency. Explain why listing what someone paid for a property on a site is in our clients ( remember – only sellers, according to the 1st rule of agency) interests.

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    2. GPL
      January 26, 2015 at 10:18

      Wilko… perhaps it is the consumer that Mr Chesterman should charge rather than those members that advertise property on Zoopla… if he is providing his view of his consumer then he should charge his consumer for his service.

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    3. MF
      January 26, 2015 at 10:27

      I wish he'd have the same attitude towards transparency when setting his subscription rates to agents.

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  6. danny
    January 26, 2015 at 10:40

    " Springett also spoke about OTM's refusal to show property data.He said remember before it was technically possible, well people where fine with that so well just pretend it doesnt exist anymore even if it available on the largest two websites" Im sure if enough of our agents tell them they don't want things like this as its "distracting" then eventually they will fall into line"

    Dont get me wrong , its not the idea I dont like, its implimention like this, the boss of the shiny new website talking about what vendors would and wouldn't expect in print media…. really ??

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  7. Robert May
    January 26, 2015 at 11:02

    Ian said "Agents had been expecting a price war after Zoopla merged with the Daily Mail portals.
    Springett said the merger had been given the go-ahead on the basis that it would provide a competitive alternative to Rightmove. But lower prices had not happened" Some people questioned that view as early as October 2011 predicting fess of £1000/ month and by April 2012 explained to a disbelieving audience what would happen. Peebee; the industry archivist will no doubt shoot me down for claiming anything that isn't bang on the money but the road to today can be traced back to August 2008!

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    1. PeeBee
      January 26, 2015 at 11:34

      Mr May – for many it won't be an easy task to look back – but it certainly has been a long and arduous journey to get to where we are today. I have to say that I doubt it would have got to its present point had your goodself and your 'friends and associates' not have been what I would describe as a significant part of the steering mechanism.

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      1. Robert May
        January 26, 2015 at 12:18

        By friends and associates I am guessing that is reference to a Murmation of Monikers? Even this morning a polite reminder to check press adverts and inform clients and applicants of the change is met with conceit, hostility and rudeness so you will understand why the anonimity of Ampersat and Co was nescessary.

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        1. PeeBee
          January 26, 2015 at 13:52

          Robert – I (sadly…) got to consider 'Ampersat' as one of my ever decreasing circle of friends – and I'd never even had the pleasure of a handshake! His demise – alongside that of George Daws xFNAEA hit me hard and one day I'll get around to entering a licensed establishment, buying a couple of stiff ones and leave them on the bar in memorium of my departed Friends in Industry. But yes – the likes of those are the guys I refer to – and yes – I also totally understand why the need for alternate identities was deemed necessary. It has to be said though that you have, one way or another, 'won over' many of those that were originally your biggest critics/hecklers, by nothing other than proving that you know what you are on about and more importantly, BEING RIGHT.

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          1. Robert May
            January 26, 2015 at 19:40

            I thank you for that Peebee. it is not a case of being right, I am in the fortunate position of being back from a coalface that has been worked before. Being right, being honest and being loyal is expensive so I hope someone will now pick up on the stuff I am trying to tell the industry and instead of thinking I am wrongly motivated people now start to understand my loyalty and understanding of Agency and the benefits of hearing me out. (Especially on the data feed and hosting developments)

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  8. harry hood
    January 26, 2015 at 11:51

    Springett observed: “We have a very committed and united board.”

    First rule is never believe anything until it's officially denied.

    Big question is would the other founding members change the 1-portal rule to avoid a founder leaving?

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  9. Woodentop
    January 26, 2015 at 21:13

    We took two properties off Zoopla agents today at the vendors request!

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    1. Clarkuk
      January 27, 2015 at 11:39

      Congratulations… I think! Not 100% sure what the relevance of that comment was, maybe a bit of background would be nice. I'm guessing you went with OTM and dropped Z, did you stay on RM? Was it that the vendors didn't want to be on Zoopla? or was it in fact your a better agent than the other company? Is the house listed for the same price? What was it that attracted them to you? c'mon give us a clue!!!!

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      1. Woodentop
        January 27, 2015 at 15:17

        Both vendors had been listing with Z, we haven't used them for a few years now (was one of the first to use them years back when they first started) and they received that Z touting letter about needing to be on their web site. They were on it and never had a single enquiry from the two agents they were on with. Yes same price, saleable properties. The answer to that is simple and common ….. "its on the internet dear vendor, it will do all the leg work for me, so I'll sit back and amuse myself on other things" (like posting on EYE!) Where do some of you people find the time to be on here all day? You can tell who work for a living.

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        1. danny
          January 28, 2015 at 15:29

          So they weren't from Zoopla agents then, they recieved a letter saying your properties not on Zoopla… But the you say from Zoopla agents …. I took a couple if instructions today from Lord Lucan, he's living in Kent. I thought the theme was making stuff up and writing it down

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  10. Robert May
    February 4, 2015 at 10:49

    Is there some sort of bet on? Ian has to knock Zoopla off No2 before this story archives?

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