UK industry doesn’t like us, laments Purplebricks co-founder Kenny Bruce

Spotted on social media – and it reminded us of Johnny No Mates or the Millwall fans’ chant, No One Likes Us.

Kenneth Bruce, half of the successful brother duo behind the global phenomenon Purplebricks, is clearly a bit upset that he’s not more popular.

Writing on LinkedIn on Friday, the day that Purplebricks launched into America, Kenny said: “I know the industry don’t care much for Michael and myself or the great work Purplebricks has done in the UK.”

However, he goes on to praise his team and to thank them and their families.

Earlier on social media, Bruce had voiced his thoughts on LinkedIn about a Telegraph story alleging malpractice by an un-named high street agent said to be prioritising applicants who use its mortgage services – and apparently paying them £1,000 to do that.

Bruce wrote: “When I read this I thought what a crying shame for our industry that this sort of practice goes on . . . introducing a new practice or product is ‘how does this affect our customers and people?’ When the answer is it does not benefit both, then bin it.

“Clearly this practice was introduced to benefit the company and no one else. What a shame for our industry and profession.”

The City looked as though it did not know what to make of Purplebricks’ American adventure. Its shares started at 389p on Friday morning, went up to 412p, but finished the day where they began. The shares were however tipped in yesterday’s Mail on Sunday Midas column.

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34 Comments

  1. Chris Wood

    “Clearly this practice was introduced to benefit the company and no one else. What a shame for our industry and profession.”

    Carried off without a hint of shame or irony. Bravo Mr Bruce, Bravo.

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    1. r29woolf

      I thought it was perhaps the best bit of satirical comedy I’ve read in a long time.

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      1. JimmyDimmy49

        Kenny/Kenneth (never ‘Ken’) is a popular man at the bar… the hypocrisy of the LinkedIn comment though is eye watering!

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  2. ArthurHouse02

    I am amazed at the man. He bangs the drum about agents charging for non selling fee related services, yet his company charge an extra £300 if you do not use their conveyancing services…Pot…Kettle!

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    1. PeeBee

      I believe you’ll find it is £360.

      The pot blackens!

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  3. AgentV

    “I know the industry don’t care much for Michael and myself or the great work Purplebricks has done in the UK”

    Let me give you a teensy wincy hint about why we don’ t care much for you…… because, with your vast amounts of investment money, you are using a combination of subsidised business practices to deliberately undercut me, you are marketing untruths about the service that I provide, and you are claiming that you can save people upto twice as much as I charge……why?…..for the deliberate aim of driving my small ‘family supporting independent’ out of business so that you can make millions more money for yourselves…..more than you could spend in a hundred lifetimes.

     

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  4. J1

    Popular man, Mr Bruce.

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  5. GPL

    What concerns me most Kenneth is your last line “Thank You x”

    That “x” is just eeeeeech!

    If you can go and clean up your own business practices Kenneth then you can climb those stairs to that Purple Tower and spout forth, until then, pipe down and keep counting your money …..that you can certainly be smug about.

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  6. GPL

    Give a 100 Dollars to Charity for every comment here today Kenneth…. that should raise a healthy sum and it also shows that you read about Our Industry.

    Your Industry is simply advertising a brand, the rest of what you do is merely noise.

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  7. dompritch134

    seems that Property Industry Eye shares an unhealthy obsession with PB, two articles today and almost one a day for the last 4 weeks.

    On social media only negative posts are quoted for PB and I really wonder on the neutrality of this site.

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    1. Property Pundit

      No-one forcing you to read or comment Dom, just remember that.

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      1. GPL

        dom…

        are you saying you just want…

        PurpleIndustryEye? ….the Review Site …..where all the reviews are positive?!

        sounds familiar?

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    2. El Burro

      ArthurHouse02’s point doesn’t trouble you then?

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    3. LD1602
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    4. LD1602

      Apologies for the blank post

      Please see below link to Dom’s review of PB from earlier article

      https://www.allagents.co.uk/review/245057/

       

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      1. dompritch134

        Oh dear yet another fail!

        As your contemporaries have already tried to assert this same allegation, i would like to refer you to a property which i sold via PB and was verified by Allagents and by PB.

        I’m not an estate agent nor do I work for PB.

        So please do not make slanderous allegations with no facts.

         

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        1. El Burro

          You’re not an estate agent nor do you work for PB yet you subscribe to an industry newsletter in Property Industry Eye?

          And you say WE have an unhealthy obsession with PB???

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          1. dompritch134

            I am involved with property and yes i like to keep afloat of industry news!  What is your problem with that?

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            1. El Burro

              Nothing other than the fact this started because you accused another poster of being obsessed with PB.

              You’re across all his posts for the last month together with what is happening with PB on social media but you don’t work for PB (although others obviously think you do) and you’re not an estate agent (the target of PB’s misleading claims).

              I repeat, and you say WE have an unhealthy obsession with PB???

              Shakespeare I believe, ‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks’.

               

               

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          2. Property Pundit

            He’s someone who doesn’t even know the difference between slander and libel.

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            1. dompritch134

              A false and malicious statement ‘Property Pundit’ I  think perhaps you were not educated to a great level?

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              1. Property Pundit

                Slander: ‘The action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person’s reputation’
                 
                Libel: ‘A published false statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation; a written defamation’
                Back to school Dom.

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                1. dompritch134

                  2.
                  a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report:
                  a slander against his good name.

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    5. GPL

      dom…

      we got fed up reading about OnTheMarket, even I admit that!

      PIMPLEFARTS keeps us entertained for now.

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      1. dompritch134

        Fair enough 🙂

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  8. Property Paddy

    Leave him alone, he cant help himself, I blame his parents, they should have taught him to share and keep a stiff upper lip.

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  9. GPL

    Now, you’ll need to excuse me… the only purple I am seeing today is the purple heather.

    Yes, I know, a few days off again, 2 wheels & an engine, this time The Mull of Kintyre… I had forgotten how lovely it is here… very quiet roads and wonderful sea views. If I see any other purple things I will remove them!

    Back to Our Industry coal face tomorrow ….and no, it’s not a Harley Davidson I ride, that’s more Kenneth’s style I think…. lots of polishing and admiring.

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    1. Mark Walker

      I, and some colleagues, did the Kintyre Way last year (on foot).  It’s a 5 hour drive just to get there from the north of England!  My highlight was a detour to the island of Gigha for an afternoon and night and there was a Michelin restaurant there which was a surprisingly pleasant find.

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      1. GPL

        Well Mark, The Mull of Kintyre was bonny both yesterday and today. Busy yesterday as Sunday, very quiet today

        I visited my cousin who is buried in a beautiful cemetery next to the beach overlooking the Isles. He fell asleep at the wheel on the way home late one night, aged 32, and he now resides in this lovely cemetery.

        On a cheerier note, spoke to New  Jersey Couple at Hotel last night, various topics, Trump, Castles, Scottish Whisky, Real Estate incl buyer & seller fees and huge annual property tax, plus the chap was a Law Enforcement Officer – Guns!? ….3!!! in his patrol car, sidearm, shotgun and semi automatic rifle! I’ve just got a laser measure and a dictating machine!

        Back to the Housing Market tomorrow

         

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  10. David B

    Is this referral fee times 2 for sale and purchase?

    http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/purplebricks-says-it-does-not-receive-excessive-referral-fee-for-conveyancing/

     

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    1. Property Pundit

      A thread definitely  worth reading again.

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  11. ajl12no

    Hardly surprising Purplebricks is unpopular with those who can see straight through it’s model… upfront fee for loading onto a portal with no guarantee of sale. I wonder what the success rate is as they won’t release the actual figures of homes sold. Homeowners would do just as well advertising in the press. Purplebricks is just an expensive advert.

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  12. Chris Wood

    Just worth repeating here

    Purplebricks CEO and Kenny have both made statements that the company sells (completes on) between 80 and 91.6% of all the property they list. GetAgent.co.uk published independent data which showed that PB PLC didn’t even come close to that figure*.

    If GetAgent data was incorrect, why have PB PLC not had it removed by request or heavyweight lawyers? Perhaps the FCA and AIM regulator should examine the PB PLC statement a little more closely.

     

    *57% listings to completions at most in the sample used.

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  13. GPL

    I sense a New Property Show…..

    ” Fact or Fiction ”

    Contestant suggestions ?

    Now! …… don’t all SHOUT ……..PURPLEBRICKS!!!

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