An advert sent out on behalf of an online agent to Zoopla customers has annoyed agents who also received it.
However, Zoopla has defended it, saying that any customers can choose to advertise in this way.
A Zoopla spokesperson said: “Our email marketing services are available to all our members on a local basis and many of our traditional agent customers use these and do similar vendor-led marketing campaigns.”
The advert was for YOPA, the online agency in which Savills has a stake.
One of the agents who received it told us: “So I am paying them [Zoopla] to market our properties at the same time as they are sending out emails like this in my area to my potential customers. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.”
I think this is just the start…..it’s all becoming very incestuous and hypocritical. YOPA, Savills, OTM, Zoopla all with a link. What next…..any ideas anyone?
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If only we had a website that only agents with offices and no unfair charges could go on……i would call it something catchy like ONTHE MARKET.
It might not work though becuase agents are spinless gits!!!
I herby call a RIGHTMOVE & zOOPLA sTRIKE FOR 1 MONTH. Starting when ever any respectable body gets off their arses and calls one.
Its the only way the media, rightmove, zoopla will take notice that online is bad for the consumer and local jobs.
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Bless you….let us know how we can contact you and tell you about our small but growing group.
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I just run a Letting Agency but was frustrated to get an email saying “why waste money on renting” which I think is poor again from Zoopla who I pay to promote my Letting business!!! Forget tenant fee “double dipping” to me this is worse!!! Zoopla should we all start to leave again??!!
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I simply can’t see how or why any honest and professional estate agent could justifiably be offended at this. Are those agents really saying that their competitors should not be allowed to use this facility from Zoopla?
All agents can (and should) use all legitimate and legal methods to advertise their services and compelling selling points – that’s what effective marketing us all about….Getting the right message, to the right people, in the right place, at the right time. (Thank you Peter Knight for those superb words of wisdom!)
Perhaps these “annoyed agents” should use this excellent facility from Zoopla to promote their own compelling communication – which I assume would be something other than this rather crude message about cheap fees. I certainly intend to!
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Is the reaction partly because the claims made in the promotion can’t actually be verified as true? There is a massive amount of manipulation of data which thankfully is now being partly addressed. Agents are also having to contend with promotional claims that cherry pick facts like a celebrity glutton in Fortnum & Mason’s food hall.
The apparent failure of ASA to control advertising, the fast and fluid anonymity of online advertising means many smaller agent who have to make concious choices between eating, advertising and marketing will have natural resentment towards those who are splashing other people’s cash on advertising that sometimes doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.
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Exactly!!
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Hi Robert,
I entirely take your point in respect of the validity of any claim made in advertising. Any specific claims must be verified and true of course.
However, the posts from AgentV, DSS59 and Typhoon appear to be questioning whether Zoopla should even offer estate agents the use of such a marketing channel. That appears to be their view which I would, very respectfully, disagree with.
As I mentioned in my first post…
“All agents can (and should) use all legitimate and legal methods to advertise their services and compelling selling points…”
Surely nobody could argue with that perfectly reasonable position could they?
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Simon, I respect your view but my objection is that these adverts are being designed and constructed to draw our customers (and presumably yours?) with misleading and half truth information.
If you are going to claim your customers save x amount then surely you should have to state they will be charged whether they sell or not, and what the likelihood is that they will sell (completed sales to listings ratio declared). A prospective customer cannot be reasonably able to compare a ‘no sale no fee’ basis to a ‘pay whatever’ basis without this information.
Also have a look on Yopa’s website. Their immediate comparison is for a 2% fee plus VAT on a property worth £250,000. Who out their charges 2% on selling a property worth 250k?…once again it’s done to insinuate traditional agent fees are far more expensive than they really are!!
The marketing is designed totally to grab your customers…..as it is being sent to people your properties have attracted to register with zoopla…and we all know that 80% of getting a customer is making the contact in the first place!!!
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The questioning is a vocalisation of the frustration, many agents are in a very frustrating and some desperate place.
There are lies, partial truths, deceptions, censorship and bullying by people who are attempting to force disruption on an industry where being honest, decent and ethical is currently a handicap. Qualities that ought to win business are currently used as a weapon against agents, that is maddening.
Zoopla are a service supplier with more obligations to their customers than either Rightmove or OTM Being a service supplier to a competitive industry that is under massive pressure right now is not an easy job and the sort of comments being made are to be expected
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Mr Bradbury – you say
“All agents can (and should) use all legitimate and legal methods to advertise their services and compelling selling points – that’s what effective marketing us all about….Getting the right message, to the right people, in the right place, at the right time.”
I have no issue with that.
Please be good enough, however, to show me what is “legitimate and legal” about the subject ad/tout/call-it-what-you-wish.
WHERE, for instance, is the PDFL notification – as required under The EAA 1979 and TPOS Code of Practice?
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HI PeeBee,
I bow to your legal knowledge in respect of this issue – I’m genuinely impressed and thank you. I can only assume that if this specific advert is illegal for some reason it will be removed and appropriate action taken…and that ultimately may well prove to be the case – we shall see,
You have conceded the point (and indeed implicitly supported the proposition) made in my previous two posts that…
“All agents can (and should) use all legitimate and legal methods to advertise their services and compelling selling points…”
Consequently I take it that you also agree that, IF legal, all agents should have the right to communicate in this way via Zoopla’s marketing facility. Surely,that can be the only position of a fair minded and logically thinking individual like yourself.
This does not appear however to be the position of other posters on this forum who seem to be of the opinion that certain types of estate agents (mainly “on-liners”) should not be allowed to use this specific marketing method for some reason, especially to promote messages that they don’t like (cheap fees for example) – legal or not.
Whether it is DESIRABLE or not in the minds of YOPA’s competitors (that’s all of us) to see a “cheap fee” message promoted in such a manner is another question altogether of course and therein I suspect lies the real motivation behind their concerns.
My strong suggestion, for what it’s worth, is that we should all use the most effective marketing methods like these tools from Zoopla ( as long as they are indeed legal) to promote other even more compelling arguments to persuade potential sellers to use our services.
That’s what I intend to do.
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Mr Bradbury
Personal opinion to one side – basic cards on the table.
If such methods of ‘advertising’ their services are being dangled in front of the faces of those who feel they need such a leg up against their competition, then clearly some will deem appropriate to use them, with the expectancy of receiving some form of RoI.
Individual Agencies have a choice as to whether they conduct their business in this manner; whether they deem canvassing/touting/begging or call it what you will to be a necessary part of their marketing strategy or not.
Those that do will naturally spread their bets with as many sources as they have available to suit their budget, and also those they believe will produce the best RoI.
BUT… their material must be compliant. You say
“I can only assume that if this specific advert is illegal for some reason it will be removed and appropriate action taken…”
Too late! is the cry – the offending material has already gone out to the intended audience; the potentially irretrievable damage to others done.
Do you think for one nanosecond that Zoopla will send a communication to every recipient of a marketing email that is non-compliant advising the of that fact and recommending that they take no action to contact the offending company if that was their intention as a result of receiving same? Of course you don’t – and that is how such things set people off.
Every time a gob-on-a-stick mouths off – whether it be on TV, radio, podcast, YouTube… or blog, post or Tw@t about it to all corners of the globe – about how they achieve better ‘this’; more ‘that’ and for much less of ‘the other’, then the intended deed is done. Worst they’ll get is a rap on the knuckles from ASA and one of those collectors items – the ‘Informal Ruling’ – that they seem to relish in accepting.
SO – what’s the worst that can happen? you may think. You will lose a few of yours; you’ll take a few of theirs – swings and roundabouts in the grand fairground of life and industry.
That be the case – enjoy the ride… and try not to barf up your last – or next – meal.
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HI Again Pee Bee,
So you agree with me then!
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The above was not an opinion, so I don’t see how you can take that as being the case.
But – seeing as in best Bob Mortimer fashion you won’t let it lie – I’ll tell you what I think, Mr Bradbury.
I think my obligation to my vendors is paramount to my job as an Estate Agent. Not only do I think it – I know it, as that fundamental principle is the skeleton which The Estate Agents Act 1979 is woven around.
I think that I should devote as much time, effort and resource as possible to servicing those vendors; managing and meeting their expectations – to sell THEIR properties, the task that they have instructed me to do for them in goof faith that I can perform to their aforementioned expectations.
I think my vendors do not want me spending valuable selling time and effort trying to poach/solicit the next piece of meat to be fed into the sausage machine – they want me to spend it doing something for them.
I think if you look after what you have got well enough, then more comes your way naturally.
I even think we may agree on quite a lot of the above – but I’ll wager we are poles apart on the manufacture and distribution of sausages.
Have a good weekend, Mr Bradbury!
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Right back at you dude – have a good one!
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Totally disgusting and a reason we are not with Zoopla. They have the potential to put estate agents out of business, but the industry doesn’t seem to recognise that. And Rightmove have similar muscle.
Whilst Onthemarket is struggling, for the sake of traditional agency, ( and maybe even the new digital revolution) it really needs to survive. If it doesn’t, as an industry we are at the mercy of Zoopla and RM. RM have just slapped a 15% increase (non negotiable) on us for 2017 . We feel powerless to withdraw from them as it would be commercially very damaging.
Time the industry woke up and smelt the coffee time too for Onthemarket to get serious about some powerful fresh marketing to put them on the map in brighter lights to the public and the industry.
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So sad to see AgentV comment on every story about online agents. The best way to hit back is to go focus on your customers and improving your own business processes as opposed to slating theirs here.
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I’m not against onliners per se….I’m just against misleading and dishonest marketing designed to gain business by rubbishing what we do …and business models designed to gain market share, creating huge wealth for a few, by putting the majority of us out of business, at the same time as giving vendors (and buyers) a much poorer overall experience.
In actual fact if a locally based hybrid system was designed from the ground up to give the best customer service experience, the best achieveable results and share the proceeds amongst those on the ground doing the hard work……then I would back that all the way…..oh wait……that’s the ‘high-tech, full service, local expertise, no sale no fee independent model’ isn’t it?
Perhaps it just needs some more developed prop-tech and marketing to help get the truth out there more!
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Why don’t the ‘online listers’ just advertise and market what they do, what they cost, and that you pay whether you sell or not……..end of story.
Why do they feel they have to make misleading comparisons to what we do?
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Because propaganda has made them the ‘good guy’ and so all agents who pay rates and rent are the enemy.
Incredible situation really.
I believe good always beats evil in the end…i just hope i am as good as i think iam by just having one office and doing the best i can.
Spoke to my dentist yesterday about purplebricks…she said who?? i fast forward adverts……
have a good weekend guys.
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Hearing your points AgentV… just odd how much time you spend on here… Best of luck with the biz in 2017
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I can’t for one moment accept the stats they’re quoting and would like to know what Zoopla have done to substantiate these – Ros, can you query this with Zoopla to see what checks they have in place?
At the very least they should be able to substantiate their 30 day claim by checking their electronic listing stats.
I genuinely can’t accept their 98% claim as for this to be the average they would need to have a substantial number above 98% which completely bucks the industry norm, something that simply can’t be achieved by an advertising only outfit.
Finally, given they’re so keen to share their stats, perhaps they could tell us how many properties they actually complete on. If their 98% claim is based on those properties that actually complete, it’s totally misleading if they only complete on 10% of their instructions. In this scenario, 90% of their clients would have paid a fee with nothing to show for it and Yopa would be misrepresenting their abject failure as success in order to generate more unsuspecting consumers into spending money with no chance of an outcome.
As an industry, something really has to be done to prevent stats to be manipulated in this way.
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The problem is not challenging the claims but getting something done about them; An agent took a clear case of portaljuggling to NAEA, he was told to resolve it with the agent, when he insisted that wasn’t good enough he was told to take it to trading standards.
There is very little point in having regulators or authorities that don’t regulate and have no authority
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And professional bodies that blatantly allow one members main thrust of advertising to be ‘rubbishing’ the business of it’s other members.
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Also……how does anyone save over £3,000 in fees on average……unless of course they are comparing to their own ‘Savills Fees’.
Our average fee is under £2,000….no sale, no fee…so no one can ever save ‘thousands’ against using us. I bet this is also true for many independents out there!
One thing is for certain……we need somebody to do an up to date unbiased survey of modern day independent agent fees….then no one can make these continuous false and misleading claims without at least using accurate data…..they should also have a statutory warning applied (for those ‘don’t sell, pay anyway’ online listers) that ‘You could lose hundreds, if your property does not sell’
I would also argue that you are also extremely likely to lose thousands on your final sale price, but since we have no way of categorically proving that (yet!!) we cannot state as absolute ‘Our average customer gains £5,000 on their sale proceeds compared to online listers’
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I agree with some of the comments made about the stats being put across by YOPA potentially being inaccurate or misleading or whatever but whos to say they haven’t been verified as accurate, let’s pretend for a minute that they’re accurate….
I personally don’t see the issue with Zoopla sending out this email. I would compare it to days of old when your high street competitors would be promoting an editorial in the local paper when all you had that week was your available properties to promote. What’s the difference?
I would suggest that the reason it’s grinding people’s gears is that it’s an online offering undercutting your fees.
Personally, it’s good to keep an eye on what the competition is doing (on and off the high street) it certainly helps on valuations and with marketing but worry less about adverts like this and focus more on what you’re doing to get your message across to your local vendors.
As long as you’re promoting why your service is valuable, justifying your fees, showing that you’re leading the way locally through knowledge and quick sales with higher than average viewing and offer levels etc than the clients who don’t want cheap, who want a service, and can see the value in local (and there are more than that who would consider online only) are always going to consider you.
Do what you do well and you will always have a fan base that’s willing to recommend you and business will come. Simples.
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Well said!!
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The problem is that even if something is wrong, if you say it loud enough and often enough…..people, many of whom are your customers, will start to believe it.
It is the constant constructed tirade of propaganda being propagated that will, in time, damage your business….unless it is challenged!
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If it works for them agent V, why can’t it work for you?
You don’t need to be on the telly to reach the right audience. You need to adapt you marketing.
in my opinion it’s no different to the agent next door dropping his trousers when going in after on a valuation.
if the first thing you do after that is drop your trousers too, it’s going to be a hard fight, but for me, I would justify my offering and explain in more detail why your fee is more and how you’re going to help the customer increase their sale price.
I’m just about to increase my fees because we’ve introduced better marketing to our customers (test run before Xmas worked well) add value to your offering and do things well and your client base will increase after every successful sale.
At the end of the day, if cheap is all the customer is after, the chances are you’re not the right man or woman for the job anyway and no matter what you say, you’re fighting a losing battle. Don’t be afraid to walk away from the wrong type of business and focus on the correct clientel.
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Aaron, good points. Perhaps you have more resources available for your marketing. The online listers don’t really have that much affect on our business….at the moment. But this is also a matter of principle. Being rubbished and chastised on TV by lies and misleading information will take its toll eventually. If nothing else, one part of the industry constantly criticising another part of the industry, in the public domain, has one overall effect above all else….it makes the public believe we are all untrustworthy and unprofessional!
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We (Again) have been approached by Zoopla to go back to them.
As OTM has been a wet fart i did listen to what they had to say and was close to going back.
Then i remembered stories like this and just thought “I don’t actually like you!” why give them £X a month when they do this to us.
For now with OTM – Will stay until end of contract then re-access.
To be fair to Z this is the 4 or 5 call in 8/9 months, still not heard a word from OTM!
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Smile, even if you decide to ditch OTM (hopefully you won’t as giving up isn’t the way to reach our goal) I really wouldn’t recommend going back to Z. What’s the point – has your business suffered since you stopped using them? Ours hasn’t changed a jot so if the OTM project fails, you may as well just stick with RM and keep your costs down.
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On the money Shaun.
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“To be fair to Z this is the 4 or 5 call in 8/9 months, still not heard a word from OTM!”
Which simply compounds your feeling of disappointment.
Mr Mead ran an article today about expectations.
OTM need to revisit the fundamental ‘rule’ that the differential between expectation and reality usually equals disappointment.
They need to be managing the expectations of ALL of their Members. Rolling out a couple of bods once every few months decreeing how happy they are with the number/quality/spelling’n’grammar of the ‘leads’ they are getting clearly isn’t providing sufficient buoyancy for your waterborne transportation vessel in the least – nor should it.
You – WE ALL – deserve more than that.
A monthly ra-ra email ISN’T EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION – but I doubt much thought will be being given to what I have read some of their most loyal advocates have been posting of late.
I guess they’re just enjoying the sweet sound of that violin playing…
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What i do not understand is what are the reps / bdm’s being paid to do?
They are not out signing up hundreds of agents, i know all the agents round me have not seen or spoken to the rep.
They must be logging miles and filling in time sheets whilst driving around listening to 5 live all day!
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Zoopla is an entirely worse animal than RM. This is a website that promotes their online valuation tool above and over your own local expertise. It’s happy to promote a race to the bottom in fee’s whilst still increasing revenue from agents. It’s happy to advertise spurious claims made by budget outfits. It wants to sell mortgages, insurance and utilities off the back of your data and listings, that YOU pay for.
I’m not entirely happy with OTM but I will give them credit for showing me that I don’t need Zoopla. We should of killed this leach years ago.
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Would love to have the contacts etc to be able to set up a day on Rightmove or Zoopla where we all replace our first imagine with our actual sales fee.
All the pop up adverts from these liars would then have to sit directly alongside actual sales fee’s, may even get some press coverage for it ?
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