‘More people have heard of Zoopla than Rightmove’ claim

| Rosalind Renshaw

New research claims to show that more people have heard of Zoopla than Rightmove.

The research was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of ZPG, and reveals that Zoopla leads all UK property portals with the highest level of national consumer brand awareness.

The research, conducted between June 29 and July 3, questioning thousands of consumers across the UK, shows that Zoopla’s national spontaneous brand awareness amongst all adults is at 38% versus 34% for Rightmove and 2% for OnTheMarket.

There are also signals to increased vendor activity later this year with 7% of consumers surveyed by Harris Interactive expecting to sell in the next 12 months, up from just 5% in February.

Lawrence Hall of ZPG said: “This research reinforces how the Zoopla brand remains front of mind with consumers when thinking of property search and research.

“This is a difficult market in which to establish brand loyalty which we have done through constant innovation and differentiation.

“And our high levels of brand awareness and usage are helping us to deliver record levels of instruction leads for our members to take advantage of.”

Neither Rightmove nor OnTheMarket wished to comment.

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48 Comments

  1. Robert May
    July 17, 2015 at 07:11

    Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf?

    Report
    1. Robert May
      July 17, 2015 at 07:14

      (I tried to post Baghdad Bob? but that was too short for Eye)

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      1. Robert May
        July 17, 2015 at 09:33

        The problem is,  Zoopla is to agent loyalty what Cillit Bang is to Limescale; somehow all the positive vibes  from 2009  when Zoopla were gifted the foundation of the empire from Think property and  in 2012 the  loyalty and penetration of Primelocation and Findaproperty has been dissolved.
        Zoopla is nothing without the loyalty and respect of its paying customers and no-one can deny that loyalty isn’t seriously eroded.
        If you don’t like the Baghdad Bob reference think long and hard about how your audience are going to react, This story might  make great reading  for the board but out here we can see the tanks rolling past you in the background.

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  2. cmRENTandSALES
    July 17, 2015 at 07:29

    Poppy-****!… Based in Essex, every vendor I talk to knows Rightmove first… Was the market research taken in front of Zoopla’s head office building or something ??!

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  3. ElTel
    July 17, 2015 at 07:35

    What a load of twaddle! Try moving out of London.

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    1. Robert May
      July 17, 2015 at 07:39

      Not likely! the maps clealy show outside the M25 “Here be Dragons”

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    2. NewsBoy
      July 17, 2015 at 10:59

      Certainly you can hardly see a single Hoopla sticker in any agents windows around here and never, ever mention of them from clients. It must be just London.

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  4. PeeBee
    July 17, 2015 at 07:53

    “The research, conducted between June 29 and July 3, questioning thousands of consumers across the UK, shows that Zoopla’s national spontaneous brand awareness amongst all adults is at 38% versus 34% for Rightmove and 2% for OnTheMarket.”

    Thousands?  TWO thousand and ninety-eight to be exact.  Hardly a mahoosive spread.  They probably would have stopped at 1017 if RM weren’t massively out in front at that point…

    The stats add up to only 74%.  The other quarter of the carefully selected sample of the public voted WHAT, exactly – sounds like we all need to advertise there!

    Well done, Zoopla – you have awarded yourself the Self Pat On The Back Prize of 2015…

    …to go with the others from previous years in your tiny trophy case.

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    1. Robert May
      July 17, 2015 at 08:46

      Name the current mayor of  Gloucester?
      Name the couple who used to live at No25 Cromwell Street until  about 1994?
      There is a gulf of difference between fame and notoriety.

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      1. PeeBee
        July 17, 2015 at 08:51

        “There is a gulf of difference between fame and notoriety.”

        Yup – and some never know which side of that gulf they’re standing on from one minute to the next! ;o)

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  5. Disillusioned
    July 17, 2015 at 07:53

    Somebody needs a word with the headline writer here.

    ‘Zoopla first, then Rightmove’ would have been a belter.

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    1. HarryN
      July 17, 2015 at 08:38

      Funny. You mean “Zoopla first, then get ready for the most almighty shafting of your life!”

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  6. surrey1
    July 17, 2015 at 08:07

    This is fast becoming like the crazy ex girlfriend who keeps turning up unexpectedly to announce how good you were together. Desperation not that alluring.

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  7. Paul H
    July 17, 2015 at 08:09

    I don’t think even the staunchest of Zoopla fans could believe this survey to mirror reality.

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  8. stephenjury
    July 17, 2015 at 08:25

    Me thinks Alex and Lawrence have gone fishing and got a big bite. I’ve used Harris before and a credible research firm. The headline is bonkers and not reality, but the case you are debating the top two is the point of the story.

    Reading between the lines, Who is OnTheMarket?

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    1. Ric
      July 17, 2015 at 08:35

      …… read between the lines….. if they are talking about you, they are aware of you and they are worried about you! Not seen RM produce a survey like this! Any reason?

      Great news is – send this survey report/story out to the masses and for everyone who had not heard about OTM….. is then aware! Bit silly really if you ask me….own goal even if the point was to keep OTM a secret.

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      1. Ric
        July 17, 2015 at 08:36

        forget the word even above sorry.

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    2. Robert May
      July 17, 2015 at 09:56

      Not quite Stephen, it is a Ratner moment if you ask me. This looks more like a “please don’t fire me because” internal thing than anything that can be taken seriously.
      There will be disquiet that the love and respect for Primelocation  3 years ago has become open hostility which is likely to affect and damage further the relationship between DMGT (Print & Digital) and its customers.  With 249 million  reported visitors to Zoopla to  sample  just 0.0008% is simply laughable.
      No doubt this was first reported to the board as a positive thing but there is little doubt this comment string will get back to board members who are not   all that convinced alienating the customer base so often is good for long term business.
      Traditional media dominance is ended, finished! As a result those that have profited in the past from a captive  advertising revenue base are very vulnerable, hence the media support for firms like yours. Here is the rub you are disposable glove puppets who will be discarded once they are done with you.

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  9. Ric
    July 17, 2015 at 08:29

    ouch, stop it, please stop it from hurting so much….. I have jaw ache and a side splitting pain in my side……. I thought laughter was meant to make you feel good, but this is just hurts too much……

    In other news I asked people outside my office yesterday if they had heard of my company and an overwhelming 100% said yes! 99% had heard of RM which delighted me and only 20% had heard of Z…… So its official following our survey, my company is more recognised locally than RM and Z.

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  10. Disillusioned
    July 17, 2015 at 08:39

    ‘Fans’…..Behave Paul! That sums you up, you support portals like your football team, blind loyalty, through thick and thin and whether they are performing or not

     

    You are running a business for god’s sake, Im on Zoopla, I know what I pay, I know what it delivers and as soon as it doesn’t there aint no loyalty from me, im off. So much I dislike about Zoopla and Ill bet a penny to a pound within the next 6 months some gimmick they produce will pi$$ me off that much Ill be gone. Fan ? ….no chance.

     

    And as you say,I wouldn’t believe much that is written in this article, but it is no more far fetched than some of the tosh you and the likes of GPL spout on about because not even the most staunchest of OTM fans would believe you, would they?

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    1. Paul H
      July 17, 2015 at 08:44

      Yes but what are our thoughts on the result of the survey carried out by the company instructed by Zoopla?

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      1. Disillusioned
        July 17, 2015 at 08:59

        Personally Id agree with you, a load of made up nonsense.

         

        And next week Ill probably agree with you when Rightmove churn some figures out as well, another load of nonsense,

         

        The week after when Springett chucks some figures out, what do we do then?

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        1. Ric
          July 17, 2015 at 09:00

          Completely agree Disillusioned – we just chuckle at them all and keep looking after No.1 – ourselves!

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    2. wilko
      July 17, 2015 at 10:34

      Disillusioned…..”within the next 6 months some gimmick they produce will pi$$ me off that much Ill be gone.”

      And that’s just it……when the public owned portals increase fees and allow private listings there needs to be an alternative choice that is not for profit, in my view…………….

      BTW, I’ve just bought the new OTM away shirt, I like it as you could wear it with jeans…….What do you think of the new Rightmove 3rd shirt? Don’t you think they have released too many recently? My kids will be wanting that and it costs me a fortune(especially as they always want the premium listings printed on the sleeves and a featured property on the back) . It’s all about money nowdays, isn’t it.

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  11. Mark Walker
    July 17, 2015 at 09:00

    Wow, things must have really taken off for Z since we left them and the 2 enquiries per annum.

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  12. Beano
    July 17, 2015 at 09:48

    I have recently signed up to Zoopla as a current Scammove client. I want to see if I can survive on their leads – lettings. Zoopla have been very good in offering me an introductory deal for a short term to test the water. I would like to thank those behind (and backing) otm for giving me this opportunity. This offer has definately not been available previously!

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    1. Beano
      July 17, 2015 at 10:06

      BTW I am a supporter of OTM, but as an agent on one portal I couldnt justify the move.

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      1. Robert May
        July 17, 2015 at 10:16

        I have said  several times that a Copper and Tin level membership that allows agents like you  to join Agents Mutual Affinity group without having to subscribe to OTM would be a good thing.  What seemingly hasn’t been considered are that not all agents are on two portals so subscribing to two is an additional expense not a saving.

        If you could join AM without subscribing to OTM  would you?

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        1. Beano
          July 17, 2015 at 16:10

          If you mean become a member of the mutual to show support, I suppose, yes.  Interestingly Zooplas quoted fees going forward are not a lot more than otm (+ £60 pm). But we all know what happens down the line dont we Rightmove…..

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  13. Robert May
    July 17, 2015 at 11:52

    @Disillusioned you said “as soon as it doesn’t there aint no loyalty from me, im off. So much I dislike about Zoopla and Ill bet a penny to a pound within the next 6 months some gimmick they produce will pi$$ me off that much Ill be gone.”

    If I can demonstrate to you as I have to others that the  reason for your departure already exists will you give them notice?
    I have demonstrated to various Agents both on and off  OTM  how Agent’s data dissemination  is the straw that ought to break the Camel’s back simply because of  its extent and impact on your business.

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    1. Disillusioned
      July 17, 2015 at 13:10

      Appreciate the offer Robert but I think I get the gist. They ‘nick’ all the data and sell it on and no doubt end up trying to sell products to I might be offering myself.

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      1. Robert May
        July 17, 2015 at 13:46

        Trouble is it doesn’t stop there.

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  14. JungleProperty
    July 17, 2015 at 13:08

    In an effort to keep the ailing brand alive it seems like there is no end to the rubbish they spout. The fact that RM and the bunch with the RAF logo have not commented says it all and says much about their calibre in not wanting to respond to such pony and trap.

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  15. B6RKY
    July 17, 2015 at 13:56

    Hmmmmm…….Maybe I’m nieve, or just plain stupid (I’ve been called worse) but if Z were ever in danger of slipping and becoming No.3 would they not just change and become the largest ONLINE EA virtually overnight? I would think it would be relatively easy for them as they already have a massive database & customer awareness.

    I am certain some bright spark at Z will be in their war room considering contingency plans. For those who think they will somehow quietly disappear if ever OTM reach this imaginary tipping point, think again. The success of OTM could come at a very high price for the industry. Are Agents joining OTM pushing baby (sorry Z) into a corner and potentially creating their biggest competitor to date?

    Z as the largest Online player, with their branding already in place, would be of far greater concern to me than Purple/tep/etc. Somebody has let the genie out of the bottle and if we dont watch out…………

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    1. Ric
      July 17, 2015 at 15:55

      My opinion……. No… can’t see it.

      1. What would their fee need to be to keep the current expectation of their shareholders happy and how would they ensure a month on month growth in line with their current month on month collection of membership fees.

      2. How would they staff this, they currently have an easy set up, like RM and OTM ie we the Agents do the vast majority of their work for them.

      3. Would Z agents stay on Z or leave, causing a further loss to make up?

      4. They would in theory start with Zero houses, as unless the Z agents were happy with this, Z would lose all stock over night. Would Z advertise on RM?? erm I doubt it, but they would be expected to as competing with eMoov, PB etc.

      I just can’t see how Z would make as much money per year as a budget agent as they do now….. they would be better buying other sites like uSwitch to grow in other ways and just fight as best they can to keep their current supporters happy and hope they win a few back if in 5 years OTM has not delivered.

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    2. Ric
      July 17, 2015 at 16:05

      No idea how many offices Z has (don’t actually care) but thinking more on this…..

      Divide their total monthly income by say £495 and you get XXXX ….

      Think XXXX becomes the total number of houses they would need to list to replace the income lost by agents leaving.

      Now I am not entirely sure but I am guessing XXXX many houses could not be listed by any company EVERY month nor would they/could they convince any seller to keep paying monthly fees to stay on their site…. I just think they would have already done it if it was a no brainer!

      What is the Z office count and average monthly membership fee?

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  16. B6RKY
    July 17, 2015 at 19:23

    Hi Ric,

    I think that this would be high up on their list of options if OTM did make serious inroads. Strangely the stronger OTM became the more likely this senario could become.

    And as a last resort? If they had finally lost to OTM? What better way to stick it to those who had hurt their original model.

    Plus if you remember when they started they gave us all freebies for a very long time. I think we got at least 3 years free whilst they built their/our stock and business up.

    Another point is they will blow the other onliners out of the water as they already get referals from the likes of uswitch and conveyencers.

    Will Agents create the biggest monster of the lot?

    To answer your points Ric.

    1. Fee. As for figures I know Z charge £239 per month (inc rentals) per office. They wont have to sell many houses (plus ancillaries) to top that. We are not talking about Rightmoves fee’s here. They are looking for 3 x that plus add on’s.

    2. Staff. Use the Purple bricks model perhaps? Certainly some sort on onliner franchise is not unreasonable.

    3. Would Agents leave. We are talking about an imaginary future where OTM have taken over as 2nd place portal (projected for Jan 2016) meaning they had already lost more than half their original numbers. If this were to happen there would be no future for Z anyway as the trickle would become a rush if ever tipping point was achieved (and nobody knows for sure what that is or if it exists)

    4. Would Z advertise on RM? Without a doubt as they would no longer be competitors and they know (from experience) that portal advertising is very cost effective. Would they start with zero stock? Unlikely but possible. But they have proven before that they will undercut/subsidise/do deals to eastablish them selves. There brand awareness is very good and I am sure they would throw a lot more money at it.

    Oh and as a final point I think you can forget about the OTM 5 year plan for all but the diehards. I believe that OTM have more like a little over 5 MONTHS (maybe 7 if you want to be pedantic) to live or die by their claims and self proclaimed target. Will they be No.2 by Jan 16? And if they are does anyone really think that they will have had ANY impact on RM’s now total supremacy.

    Well that is my concern anyway. Am I worrying about nothing or barking up the wrong tree? Interesting times ahead.

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    1. Ric
      July 17, 2015 at 23:03

      Evening B6RKY

      Worrying about nothing in my opinion, I just can’t help not to worry about Online Only Agents, whether it be Z Online or RM Online.

      There is a market place for all types of agency and respecting the threat is different to worrying about it, I respect it, but just don’t worry about it.

      But as for a Z Online Model….. just think of the monthly income guaranteed each month from membership fees now (£239 x what? 10,000 offices or more? so over £2m a month)

      Take that back to Budget Agency Fees and over 4,000 listings a month paying £495 to generate a couple of million quid EVERY MONTH to replace lost revenue. But remember that is a couple of million in fees EVERY month they have to replace and keep profit margins the same as now…….. well wait for the expense of RM…

      Imagine them calling RM – Hello, Its Z, we would like to advertise please **tumbleweed moment** as the rep reaches for the rate card with a smug grin!

      Like you say imaginary future!

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  17. Paul H
    July 17, 2015 at 21:10

    @disillusioned…”if zoopla doesn’t deliver I’m off”

    Fair enough. And if OTM gets to the point where I lose money then I’m off too.

    And please leave football out of this, you really have no idea of the pain I’ve endured as a West Ham fan for most of my life. Having people take the **** out of you for being an estate agent called Paul House is no way near as bad supporting the hammers.

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    1. Ric
      July 17, 2015 at 23:07

      Haha, excellent. You are not the only West Ham supporting Estate Agent with a name which has had a few jibes thrown at him in the past!

      (If said Agent is reading this and guessing “is it me” I refer to; then I will just say – TOP BLOKE, taught me much of what I know and sorry about the BMW window when I borrowed your car as a young whipper snapper agent all those years ago)

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    2. Disillusioned
      July 18, 2015 at 10:41

      Paul – I aint falling out with you about football, but if you supported a team whose last 3 owners have been Ken Bates, a Dubai based finance company with a  chief exec who has spent the last 9 months in a cesspit of a jail and then a mad Italian, honestly, you would redefine the word ‘pain’!!

       

      On a different note , don’t ever take anything I say on here personally when I have a pop, fully respect you as an Agent and  I know you will find it hard to believe but Im not anti OTM. I think its a great idea, but a great idea I don’t think will work.

       

      Finally, your name……….best one Ive heard in nearly 30 years of estate agency! (although if its a gimmick and I find out your financial guy is called Micky Mortgage, I might change my mind!)

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      1. Ric
        July 18, 2015 at 11:08

        haha, funny…. liked that so much I had to say it and not just like it.

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      2. Paul House
        July 18, 2015 at 11:43

        Supporting Leeds, now that is sheer pain 🙂

         

        It’s definately my name and funnily enough there’s 3 Houses in the family all in the industry…it was meant to be!

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        1. Robert May
          July 18, 2015 at 14:49

          It is not as good as Peter Best FNAEA at least he can honestly claim to be the Best Estate Agent. Wodderyer reckon Peebee?

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          1. PeeBee
            July 18, 2015 at 19:38

            I’m certain that the Mr Best you are referring to would be far too modest a chap to even hint at the possibility, Robert…

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        2. PeeBee
          July 18, 2015 at 19:41

          “…funnily enough there’s 3 Houses in the family all in the industry…”

          WOW! – a three House family!

          You Lahndoners ARE filthy rich after all… ain’t you!! ;o)

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          1. Paul H
            July 18, 2015 at 20:01

            Not “filthy rich” PeeBee more suckers for punishment 😉

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  18. Paul H
    July 18, 2015 at 09:58

    Oh I don’t mind the jibes Ric, I don’t think anyone who signs up for agency would expect otherwise !!

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