The Paul Smith column: Why is staff turnover so high at the hybrids?

Holding on to good staff is important in any profession.

For a start, you want to hang on to the expertise they’ve built up, especially if you’ve invested a substantial sum in training.

Plus you don’t want to have to spend yet more money on recruiting a replacement if they only stay a few months.

It is interesting to note, then, that according to LinkedIn (Premium), the average tenure of people classed as ‘employees’ at Purplebricks is 1.3 years, based on 1,116 people listed on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn doesn’t differentiate between whether these people are fully paid up employees or self-employed Local Property Agents.

At Yopa it’s even shorter, at one year, based on 198 ‘employees’, while Tepilo fares slightly better at 1.5 years, based on 58 ‘employees’.

Compare this with Countrywide, at 7.3 years – a company where you would expect people to be jumping ship because of fears over their future. Which gives me even more admiration for Countrywide’s ‘foot soldiers’ who have remained loyal to the firm, despite its ups and downs.

It therefore appears that Local Property Agents providing services to the hybrids are not staying long in the job – and one possibility is because they are struggling to bring in the income they thought would materialise.

Just do the maths.

Let’s say you receive around £250 from your hybrid master for every property you list and assume you list ten a month, giving you an income of £2,500.

As a self-employed person, you have to pay all your costs from this – car, petrol, accountant and so on.

Then you have to pay the taxman.

Plus you don’t get sickness or holiday pay. And the hours can be extremely long. You soon realise you need to list an awful lot of properties in one area every month in order to make ends meet.

We’re not seeing that when we look at market share; we can see the numbers just don’t add up. So if you are looking to become a Local Property Agent, if LinkedIn is anything to go by, I wouldn’t expect a long career with the company you join.

 

How do we rebuild trust in estate agents?

According to leading marketing research company Ipsos MORI, estate agents remain the lowest of the low when it comes to trustworthiness.

Well, OK, not quite bottom slot – that falls to politicians and government ministers.

But we’re right there with journalists, bankers and professional footballers when it comes to the Net Trust in Professions barometer – which is disappointing but perhaps not altogether surprising.

So why is it like this? Why don’t the public trust us? What more can estate agents do to improve the public’s perception and what should our trade bodies do to support the process?

Part of me wonders whether the trust issue is an urban myth that keeps perpetuating itself.

If you keep telling people enough times that you can’t trust an estate agent, you start to believe it.

Or, given the lack of control over who becomes an agent and the absence of licensing, something I have called for incessantly, are there too many unqualified, un-vetted and incapable agents peppering the profession, supported by redress schemes which do very little to police the industry?

Indeed, why aren’t the trade bodies doing more to push estate agents to up their game to become trusted professionals, like lawyers and judges?

Perhaps things have changed over the years.

Estate agents are hungry for leads and have no excuse not to phone a prospect or a customer back, once one of the main sources of a client’s frustration.

Or are we hindered by people’s views of hybrid estate agents, where technology has replaced human interaction in many processes, making it more difficult to resolve issues?

There’s research now that says 48% of people choose estate agencies based on trust, which means they are far more likely to take ratings and reviews into an account when choosing an agent.

Five star reviews on Google and Facebook are worth their weight in gold.

Estate agents, therefore, have even more reason to give a brilliant service to every single client they come into contact with. They are no longer transactional agents. They need to become relationship agents.

A large part of their role is customer service, ensuring the customer experience is the absolute best it can be.

Incentivising staff to deliver fantastic service that generates genuine five-star reviews is now becoming the norm in agencies.

As with any survey of almost 1,000 people, you would want to know more about the people who answered the questions.

Did they put nurses and doctors, teachers and professors at the top of the list because they themselves work in the public sector? Or are they people who have had a genuinely bad experience of their own with estate agents?

Perhaps there’s only one solution to the age-old question of trustworthiness. Is it now time we gave ourselves a makeover – and called ourselves nurses instead?

 

Fast forward with Facebook video

The tech giants Facebook and Google are increasingly under scrutiny over the power and influence they wield – and the data they have access to.

I have even heard some people say that Facebook is on its way out – despite all evidence to the contrary.

But one of the reasons for their success is they are simply delivering what the customer wants – including easy access to information and the ability to reach wider markets than ever known previously.

From an estate agency perspective, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to imagine life before Facebook – even though vast numbers of estate agents are failing to put their properties in front of the very audiences most likely to be interested.

We are having amazing success with our unique FLINK software, which creates multiple property ads on social media.

But like all tech opportunities, we need to keep moving forward with the times. I’m told that Facebook will eventually only accept video, not images, when promoting a business, as it aims to become the next Netflix.

It’s time to get that selfie stick back out of the cupboard and train your staff in how to shoot video on their mobile phones.

Otherwise the only stick you’ll need is the one to beat yourself as you realise the world has moved on – and you’ve been left behind.

x

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68 Comments

  1. AgentQ73

    Length of time worked there isn’t the same as staff turnover. PB  have been going 4 years ? And have been recruited heavily in the last couple of years. They may well have high staff turnover but making an assumption like that based on linked in given how long they have been going and how their staff numbers have grown over the last two years in particular is ridiculous.

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    1. Chris Wood

      I agree that using this methodology it is quite possible to draw false conclusions.

      That said, a number of reputable sources have all put staff turnover in this sector at </> 30% as well as anecdotal evidence contained within Trustpilot customer reviews claiming frequent changes of ‘experts’ during marketing.

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      1. AgentQ73

        That may well be the case. From what I have seen around my patch I would guess it is about right but that article is nonsense. One huge flaw in the PB model is when a LPE leaves. The new LPE  who inherits (often stale overpriced) stock gets paid absolutely nothing for having to deal with someone elses mess. Also they store keys at home so if there is ill will when the LPE leaves the new LPE is reliant on someone who has left/been sacked to get them back.
         

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      2. cyberduck46

        >number of reputable sources have all put staff turnover in this sector at </> 30%
         
        What reputable sources? You really have to be careful repeating what others have said, you are liable for any damage and have to substantiate the claim. I can remember you claiming a 14% (or was it 17%) conversion rate and quoting an alleged reputable source.
         
        So how does that manifest itself? If you look back 12 months would you expect to see 70% of the LPEs that were there still being LPEs? Or could it perhaps be that 80% are still LPEs but some of the newcomers have left within the year?
         

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      3. cyberduck46

        Come on Chris, names of the reputable sources please. Details of how the 30% is calculated.
         
         

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        1. Room101

          Likewise cyberduck46 can we have your source of just 15%-20% of property returning to market after marketing breaks and fall through with Purple bricks that you regularly “assume”.  Thanks.

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          1. cyberduck46

            Room101, it’s a rough approximation which comes from my own data, which is itself a proxy of the number of listings both new and those returning to the market.
             
            Now if Chris could do the honourable thing and name these reputable sources and provide the details asked for.
             
             
             
             

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            1. Room101

              cyberduck46 – A rough guess of an approximate stab in the dark suggests something in the order of 15%-20%.  The fact of the matter is you don’t know.  No one owes you any explanation based on your own poor standards.

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              1. Quags

                Exactly right, all the while PB continue to spout lies and false facts, I don’t see why anyone else should have to justify stats that they have no need to lie about.

                I’d be surprised if it wasn’t higher than 30% from what I see in our area.

                “it’s a rough approximation which comes from my own data”  – whilst asking others to justify themselves.

                 

                You couldn’t make it up.  Or maybe you could…

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  2. J1

    Sorry Paul

    This is fake biased reporting of an unreliable source and this article should not have been published

    I dislike PB as much as the next person but I dislike this article more

    Apologies

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  3. dompritch134

    Another poorly researched article, with the usual rhetoric.

    Should never of been published.

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    1. AgentQ73

      Morning Dom posted the below for you but you must have missed it.
      Hi Dom
      You dont have to explain yourself so I appreciate the response.
      I can see the points you make above and can understand why you would hold those opinions, even if i dont agree with them.
      I still cant believe anybody thinking of investing in PB would take the comments on here with anything more than a HUGE pinch of salt. Even if they did surely that would help an share trader like yourself, for every share you buy and sell you must feel you know more than the buyer or seller of that share. Surely this forum would give you and Duck an “edge” ?
      However your points above could apply to many industries and sectors of the economy, so other than feeling you have overpaid Estate Agents in the past (i guess you are in the South East, so the “savings” you claim dont apply to vast swathes of the country) I still cant understand why you spend so much time and effort defending a business that you have successfully used once ?

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      1. dompritch134

        I have explained myself to you once and will not entertain you further.

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        1. AgentQ73

          Hi Dom with respect you replied rather than explained. You still haven’ explained why you spend so much time and effort defending a company and only that company you have successfully used once ? You also haven’t explained why you feel you need to provide (in your opinion) correct information to investors you are in direct competition with ?

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          1. Property Pundit

            Comment. Insult. Never an explanation. Just the way he rolls. He’s even worse on twitter.

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          2. cyberduck46

            AgentQ73,

             

            Why do you need to know his reasons? Perhaps he’s seen things he doesn’t like and has got into the habit of commenting? I think that’s part of it with me. It’s not just investors who are being misled here it’s any members of the public who find the site too.

             

            >Part of me wonders whether the trust issue is an urban myth that keeps perpetuating itself.

             

            Urban myth? This comes from market research. Estate Agents have always been high up in the distrusted profession tables.

             

            I could give you some ideas as to why they aren’t considered trustworthy but perhaps Estate Agents who regularly post on here should provide a few ideas. I know PeeBee doesn’t trust Estate Agents because I’ve seen him giving such advice on another forum.

             

             

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            1. AgentQ73

              Hi Ducky 
              When I see someone with an agenda I wonder what the reason for the agenda is, curiosity or noseiness I guess. I can see why most posters have the opinions/agendas they do (not condoning them by the way) but i struggle to see the motivation for yourself and Dom.
              Thanks for engaging.

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              1. cyberduck46

                So what do you think the agenda is for those you aren’t asking?
                 
                Just curious.

                 

                Chris Wood for instance.

                 

                Robert May.

                 

                AgentV

                 

                PeeBee.

                 

                smile please

                 

                Woodentop

                 

                others…

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                1. AgentQ73

                  I didnt ask them because i think i know the answer and view their comments through that prism.
                  I think the “agenda” for most is to bring to light aspects of PB that do not show PB in a great light, aspects that PB do their best to keep under the radar. The reasons for this I suspect are many and varied. 
                  One thing I suspect you and Dom may not appreciate is why the volume of comments on PB. I have a competitor who I have issues with, nobody on here would care or comment. I suspect every EA in the country could say the same thing but nearly every EA in the country has a common competitor and an agressive newcomer at that. 
                  Do you agree ?
                  So what do you think Doms agenda is ?

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                  1. cyberduck46

                    AgentQ73,
                     
                    Perhaps there’s more to it than that. Why don’t you ask them rather than guess?
                     
                    For instance Robert May develops software which he tries to sell on twitter and on here. Chris Wood fancies himself as a “talking head” and a candidate for one of the Agency organisations. He’s resigned twice for remarkably similar reasons. The second time after he was overlooked as a candidate for an officer position.
                     
                    I think if you asked all of those people they would say they don’t think PB are of any concern as a competitor. So perhaps you need to get to the bottom of that with some questions in regard to their real motives?
                     
                    I get the feeling Dom is quite impressed with PurpleBricks and thinks that a lot of the comments on this site are unfair. I’d point you also to MrLister, he claims that his partner is an LPE and he claims that many comments on here are wrong. The vast majority of my posts are when I find incorrect posts. I was a customer and have researched them thoroughly from an investment point of view and still keep up on everything as I want to maintain my knowledge for investment reasons.
                     
                    There’s a lot more to it than just unfairness though. You can tell that by the fact many of you have resorted to personal attacks and name calling. Even though I’m not a shareholder I’m not going to be put off by intimidation. Nice try though.
                     
                    Now go and find out what the real agenda is of these people 🙂
                     
                    For me the overall agenda is a selfish one, about preserving the status quo because I see no attempts to do anything about the problems in the industry. Yet there are organised attempts to discredit PB.
                     
                     
                     
                     

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                    1. AgentQ73

                      Perhaps there is more to it than that but given everything I know I am happy that I understand their positions and motivation.

                      “I get the feeling Dom is quite impressed with PurpleBricks and thinks that a lot of the comments on this site are unfair.”

                      You may well be correct but there is a lot in the world that is unfair and i cant for the life of me see why you and Dom spend so much time and effort trying to address this one issue.

                      “I’d point you also to MrLister, he claims that his partner is an LPE and he claims that many comments on here are wrong.”

                      I know some LPE do a great job, but i also know that not all  do an equally good job. I also know many high street agents some do great jobs some dont. People are still people at the end of the day.

                      “You can tell that by the fact many of you have resorted to personal attacks and name calling. Even though I’m not a shareholder I’m not going to be put off by intimidation.”

                      Frankly I find that a bit insulting, I speak and act on my own and take responsibilty for my own actions alone. If you can show me where I have resorted to personal attacks and name calling I will gladly apologise. If you cant please dont tar me with the same brush as other people. I have not attempted to intimidate anyone.

                      ” I see no attempts to do anything about the problems in the industry”

                      I refer you to the portal juggling campaign ? Pee Bee is quite vocal on Twitter calling out any agents he sees juggling. Also it could be argued that Mr Woods attempt to be elected would have led to him trying to address said problem, but that is specullation i accept.

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                    2. cyberduck46

                      >You may well be correct but there is a lot in the world that is unfair and i cant for the life of me see why you and Dom spend so much time and effort trying to address this one issue.

                       

                      Well, you’d have to understand the people and I’m not going to start telling you that so you’ll just have to get on with your failure to understand.

                       

                      I’ve already explained to you that I believe I know more than most about the company and want to stay current so it serves me to challenge anything that I perceive as misleading. Such as the claim by Chris Wood above.

                       

                      There’s more to it than that though but I’m not going to start explaining what kind of person I am because there are plenty of stupid people who will bring it up in the future and try and ridicule me.

                       

                      So you’ll have to get by with not understanding.

                       

                      As for the portaljuggling campaign. Can you explain the timing of the campaign? Seems to have only come about relatively recently yet surely it’s been going on since Rightmove began.

                       

                      Plenty of other coincidences. In fact I know PeeBee used to dedicate himself to checking on PurpleBricks. If he’s now spending more time on others then it’s probably because he’s been outed as a hypocrite and a fraud and is trying to make it look like he’s looking at other companies.

                       

                      There’s a common denominator and it’s PurpleBricks.

                       

                       

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                    3. PeeBee

                      “In fact I know PeeBee used to dedicate himself to checking on PurpleBricks.”

                      Incorrect.  I dedicate myself to “checking on” the industry.  Just so happens that PB make it so easy by virtue of volume you end up spending more time on them.  They actually made my “checking” on others easier – maybe I owe them thanks for that.

                      “If he’s now spending more time on others then it’s probably because he’s been outed as a hypocrite and a fraud and is trying to make it look like he’s looking at other companies.”

                      I’ve been “outed” as neither. 

                      As ‘PeeBee’ I have no ego for you to attack.  Sticks and stones can do no harm when you’re chucking them at an anonymous target – except to the one drawing the attention to themselves, which you have achieved with laser-guided accuracy.

                      I’ve been called far, far worse by WAAAAAAY better people than you, Sir – and I’m still doing what I do.  Keep the words coming – leave other good people alone and concentrate your frustrations on my digital personality. 

                      For the record, I have ongoing folders currently on *lots of companies, the first of which (at a brief glance) was opened on 10/8/15 – a full sixteen months before my PB folder was created. 

                      Some have next to nowt in them – others contain HUNDREDS… or even THOUSANDS… of files.
                       

                      *stopped counting at 144 – a gross seemed somehow… apt – and I’m still in the ‘A’s.

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                    4. PeeBee

                      With every ducky quote there’s another that needs reading in conjunction – a balance, as Mr Miyagi would say:  

                      Example:

                      ducky, today @10:24:

                      “You can tell that by the fact many of you have resorted to personal attacks and name calling.”

                      Balance:

                      ducky, today @ 11:51:

                      he’s been outed as a hypocrite and a fraud”

                      Example:

                      ducky, today @10:24:

                      “I was a customer and have researched them thoroughly from an investment point of view and still keep up on everything as I want to maintain my knowledge for investment reasons.”

                      ducky, today@ 15:44:

                      “…I’m a former shareholder and an currently an investor wishing to establish the “truth” in regard to PB.”

                      Balance:

                      ducky, 10/3/17:

                      Just sold my shares. **Out of the 191 “new” listings for the last 24 hours only 140 of them were actually new. Thanks for being patient with my skepticism.”

                       

                      ** Now unless someone – preferably without feathers, a bill… and an agenda the size of Antarctica – knows different, when I learned my ‘O’-Level fail mathematics, 51 as a percentage of 191 didn’t equate to “10-15%” so perhaps Mr ducky needs to revisit this “rough approximation which comes from my own data, which is itself a proxy of the number of listings both new and those returning to the market.”

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                  2. AgentV

                    I know what my agenda is…..I resent marketing and advertising propaganda that is aimed at informing the public that what I do as an independent agent is overpriced and can be done just as well by someone being paid £250….less than a day rate for a plumber to change your boiler.

                    I know that it simply isn’t possible to take a property from first instruction to completion, overcoming all the little issues (and some very big ones) that arise along the way, for that charge….unless of course that person puts in all the hours and work required for far less than the minimum wage. Why would a so called highly experienced expert do that? Would anyone expect their accountant or plumber to earn less than the minimum wage?

                    I also really don’t like people being misled into believing their property will be sold when they pay an up front fee, when that is clearly not guaranteed.

                    I, like many other good independents, am someone who cares a great deal about what they do, and always tries to do the very best they can to achieve the best sale price for their clients. In order to be able to achieve that, I charge a very reasonable fee, except for one occasion (on a vendors request), only on success.

                    I disagree with a philosophy of using investor subsidised fees and untrue propaganda to grab market share, with the intention of destroying small independent family supporting businesses, in order to make already wealthy people richer than they could spend in a 100 life times.

                    wfcddtma

                     

                     

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                    1. cyberduck46

                      >I know what my agenda is…..I resent marketing and advertising propaganda that is aimed at informing the public that what I do as an independent agent is overpriced and can be done just as well by someone being paid £250….less than a day rate for a plumber to change your boiler.
                       
                      Apprantly, according to Jefferies, they achieve a slightly better conversion rate than the average for traditional agents. My own data, which you’ve seen, suggests it’s quite a lot better than the average that traditional agents achieve.
                       
                       
                       
                       

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                2. smile please

                  Happy you think i have an agenda!

                  I am within the property industry, have been for a number of years. I like to think i am a fair and just man in business and in life.

                  I take interest in what EYE publish as it is the most comprehensive daily round up of the industry and Ros has a fantastic writing style that engages. For me its good to hear other industry individuals views and keep up with news.

                  Through my time conversing on EYE i have come across a number of other interesting individuals in the industry. I have met a number face to face, others i converse with. Just yesterday i was sharing tips with another poster over twitter in how they can help move their business forward.

                  Its a good place to help like minded people.

                  I also have an interest in my competitors or third party service providers. I like to know what they are doing. It helps me move my business forward. Thanks to EYE i probably have a commercial agreement with half a dozen providers i did not previously know about.

                  I also like to warn others of poor options in my opinion within the industry (RaterAgent etc). I also think when an agent such as PB are misleading the public its good to talk about it. If an agent is then on a valuation they can point out the misleading advertising they have (as proven numerous times via the ASA).

                  I hope this fully explains my agenda.

                  Now can i ask why you feel the need to go onto an industry specific newsite that you do not credit with a fair news bias but feel the need to comment multiple times on story regarding just one company.

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                  1. cyberduck46

                     
                    smile please, your motives don’t interest me and I wouldn’t expect you to tell the truth if they aren’t what you say they are. 
                     
                    To be honest I don’t have you down as one of the ones who misleads people but I remembered your name because you are always posting on PurpleBricks articles.
                     
                    AgentQ73 is the one who thinks he is entitled to question peoples motives. 
                     
                    As for myself, posting mainly on PurpleBricks, I’d have thought it’s obvious why. It’s a topic I am intersted in and know a lot about and can spot when articles or traditional agents are posting incorrect and/or misleading information. As far as I’m aware I am entitled to post on here bacause I’m a Landlord and it’s a shame you don’t like me posting. You might actually learn something.
                     
                    If there is any enforcement of terms & conditions on here then I hadn’t noticed. Seems like a bit of a free for all. Personally I’d prefer a forum where people have a little bit of respect but I can also lower my standards but I won’t resort to childish behaviour like a few.
                     

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                    1. AgentV

                      cyberduck46

                      Apprantly, according to Jefferies, they achieve a slightly better conversion rate than the average for traditional agents. My own data, which you’ve seen, suggests it’s quite a lot better than the average that traditional agents achieve.

                      It’s not anywhere near our conversion rate.

                      I suspect that people who are willing to be charged an upfront fee are more motivated to sell, or even accept a lower sale price than they really wanted or expected, because they still have to pay.

                      Many Full Service agents deal with many people who just want to ‘test the market’ with an asking price that deters many buyers. At some point they realise that no-one is willing to pay the price they want, and they withdraw the property.

                      Both these factors will affect the averages.

                      That aside though, what is the conversion rate for each model of people that are charged and have to pay a fee? For most Full Service Agents, I think that might be in the late 90’s or even 100%!!!

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                    2. AgentQ73

                      Hi Ducky

                      I couldn’t reply on your response to me for some reason, hence the reason I am posting here.

                      Thanks for your response. I am entitled to question peoples motives just as you are entitled to choose not to explain. As you say I will have to get on with not understanding your motivations.

                      Re the Portal  Juggling campaign I must admit I am not to sure of dates, I am sure PeeBee would be able to give you a bit more info. From memory though the main culprits and focus were high street agents as it was extremely wide spread.

                      I note you ignored/missed
                      “You can tell that by the fact many of you have resorted to personal attacks and name calling. Even though I’m not a shareholder I’m not going to be put off by intimidation.”
                      Frankly I find that a bit insulting, I speak and act on my own and take responsibilty for my own actions alone. If you can show me where I have resorted to personal attacks and name calling I will gladly apologise. If you cant please dont tar me with the same brush as other people. I have not attempted to intimidate anyone.

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                    3. cyberduck46

                      Well let’s just say that I post under the name cyberduck46. There seem to be a few variants of this being bandied about. One clown even posted a picture of a duck on twitter.
                       
                      Another clown signed up on another forum I frequent with the name CyberDi*k but was soon removed because thankfully that forum is moderated and most people show a little bit of respect even if they don’t agree with each other.
                       
                      >I have not attempted to intimidate anyone.
                       
                      Well I suggest you focus on others in the same way then.
                       
                       
                       

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                    4. PeeBee

                      And so it goes on:

                      “As for myself, posting mainly on PurpleBricks, I’d have thought it’s obvious why. It’s a topic I am intersted in and know a lot about and can spot when articles or traditional agents are posting incorrect and/or misleading information.”

                      “As far as I’m aware I am entitled to post on here bacause I’m a Landlord…”

                      …yet you have to the best of my knowledge not posted on a single landlord-related article in the thirteen months you have posted on PropertyIndustryEye – despite it being, surely,

                      “a topic you are intersted (sic) in and know a lot about it” – isn’t it, ducky?

                      #Funny, that.

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                3. PeeBee

                  “So what do you think the agenda is for those you aren’t asking?”

                  Maybe because those “agenda”(s) are so in-yer-face and publicly stated that not only those who know and understand the property industry, but pretty much any reasonable person on the street can see them and appreciate them for what they are?

                  The “agenda”(s) of literally hundreds if not thousands of individuals have been stated – then questioned, stripped, dissected, scrutinised and eventually outed on the ‘pages’ of EYE, EAT and other industry meeting-places over the years, ducky.

                  Feel free to scour the archives of both for clues of mine (although I fail to understand what further clues you require, having that I stated my “agenda” to you a year ago – and you then seemingly accepted my word and actually commended me for it…).

                  My history goes back to at least 2009 on the bog door of our gracious Host’s previous establishment.

                  Here’s one ‘sign-off from me to a poster from 2011 – a time when I had stepped away from the coalface and was not a practicing Estate Agent:

                  “Yours, PeeBee.
                  (ex-Branch Manager/Area Manager/Area Director blah blah etc within both corporate and independent Estate Agency – the name above the door was irrelevant – I worked for my vendors…) “

                  I’ll leave that on the table for you – let’s label it “Exhibit #A”

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                  1. cyberduck46

                    Likewise, PeeBee, I’m not interested in your stated agenda. See above.
                     

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                    1. AgentV

                      cyberduck46
                      #26
                      Likewise, PeeBee, I’m not interested in your stated agenda. See above.
                      Then why post this? Are you really more interested in the opinion of someone on other people’s opinions, rather than those of the people themselves?

                      So what do you think the agenda is for those you aren’t asking? Just curious.
                       
                      Chris Wood for instance.
                       
                      Robert May.
                       
                      AgentV
                       
                      PeeBee.
                       
                      smile please
                       
                      Woodentop
                       
                      others…

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                    2. cyberduck46

                      >So what do you think the agenda is for those you aren’t asking?
                       
                      I was asking AgentQ73 for his opinion. After all he professed to knowing everybody elses agenda which of course is unlikely.
                       
                      Clearly this went straight over a few of your heads.
                       

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                    3. AgentQ73

                      Hi Cyberduck46

                      Again I couldnt post under your response above.

                      “Well let’s just say that I post under the name cyberduck46. There seem to be a few variants of this being bandied about. One clown even posted a picture of a duck on twitter.”

                      My sincere apologies if calling you Ducky caused offence, it was not meant to and I will not do so again. None of the other points you make pertain to me so I dont feel I should be tarred with that particular brush.

                      “>I have not attempted to intimidate anyone.

                      Well I suggest you focus on others in the same way then.”

                      I have been responding to your posts indeed you initially responded to a post I made to Dom, how you feel this is intimidating is beyond me.

                       

                       

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                    4. cyberduck46

                      >how you feel this is intimidating is beyond me.
                       
                      Precisely for the reason given. You have repeatedly been mentioning me when responding to Dom, suggesting that I haven’t responded when I actually did, twice if my recollection is correct. 
                       
                      You reserve your interrogation to just myself and Dominic when there are others you will not understand the motives for. Do you know the motives of Robert May & Chris Wood for example? Do a little bit of research on them.
                       
                      It also seems intimidating to me that you choose to ignore my explanations and still claim not to understand my motives. I’ve explained I’m a former shareholder and an currently an investor wishing to establish the “truth” in regard to PB. Surely that in itself is motive enough? There are in fact other reasons, but this is more to do with the behaviour of some of the characters who post on here and elsewhere. The hypocricy from these people that I see daily also contribute to my actions and you will see that I have little respect for some of the people who post on here.
                       
                      These days I rarely spend much time on this. There are other companies I follow too. Today is an obvious exception but I have had plenty of free time today.
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       

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  4. JasonB29

    High Street agent tells anyone who’ll listen how bad non traditional agents are….non traditional agent tells anyone who’ll listen how bad High Street agents are…It’s getting boring listening to this never ending circle!!

    Consumers clearly have an appetite for both traditional & hybrid, why not focus on what you do as opposed to the business model of others?

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  5. MrLister

    Paul, you clearly woke up, thought  that you hadn’t had a pop at PB for while and have come up with some totally unconsidered stats just to have a dig. The misinformation and bias against PB from posters on here is getting ridiculous.

    The stats are wrong. Their retention is actually very good. Not only do the company invest a huge amount of time and money on training and development but the LPE also invests a lot in their decision to leave the high street and go it alone. You don’t do that lightly.

    Whether you like PB or not their LPE’s (the ones that I’ve met) seem to have a far greater passion and enthusiasm for their job than many high street agents I know. As I’ve mentioned before, I live with one so I do know more than most on here about how they work.

    Last year one of our local branches lost a manager to PB. He’d been a high street manager for 7 years and says he’s never looked back. He was, and still is an extraordinarily focused and committed estate agent. In my experience this is typical of the LPE’s that PB bring onboard. Of the ones that work local to my office, I would employ any of them like a shot   They are most definitely not the “list and run away” numpties that many try to portray on here.

     

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    1. AgencyInsider

      With respect MrLister, you know a lot about one particular LPE and a bit about her firm and about some of her colleagues. But you don’t have the total picture – any more than Mr Smith does. However, it says this is an opinion piece so I guess he’s as entitled to his view as anyone else.

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      1. MrLister

        Agencyinsider.
        Whether I like it or not, living with an LPE I get to hear a lot more about her firm than just “a bit”! Obviously I have a far better picture that Mr Smith does…unless of course he also lives with an LPE, hears the daily goings on, meets her collegues and see that stats.

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        1. AgentV

          The model reminds me of the appointed reps that used to work for big insurance companies in the 90’s. I knew lots of people in the industry who totally believed in what they did and the company they worked for. They would go around extolling the virtiues of that company to everyone and anyone that knew them.

          At some point many of the companies decided it was too expensive to maintain the ‘workforces’ (many of whom were self employed), especially with newly introduced rules and regulations, and people were either dropped or managed out. The large companies had no care for these people…they no longer fitted in with the agenda. 

          Many good people realised they had spent years of their life building up and representing a company that just dropped them like a stone when it suited. They could have instead spent all those years building up their own little businesses….something that they could sell or pass on at retirement. 

          Worth a thought!
          BSOS23PC

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    2. jackobabe70

      Imagine if the naysayers focused all the energy they plough into blasting Purplebricks into selling some houses?

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      1. AgentV

        What do you do to sell houses then?

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      2. PeeBee

        “Imagine if the naysayers focused all the energy they plough into blasting Purplebricks into selling some houses?”

        Imagine – if Purplebricks’ claims held just one tiny drop of water we’d have nothing to “blast” them for and then the industry as a whole would be a better place for the public and we COULD spend less time – OUR OWN FREE TIME – doing other things.

        But… you don’t seem  the type to have any imagination.

        At all.

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  6. dompritch134

    There has been questions of perceived bias from this site, let me just put this out there the last 3 articles published for hybrid hater Mr Paul Smith CEO of HAART.

    1.Why is staff turnover so high at the Hybrids?

    2.Wheels are starting to come off at online agents.

    3.When is an expert not an expert and isn’t local knowledge key?

    Is it not time for someone on the other side of the fence to have an opinion published?

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    1. AgentQ73

      Hi Dom

      I would guess the guess the powers that be would be delighted to post a piece from someone at PB.

      I posted the below for you above but you must have missed it.

      ” with respect you replied rather than explained. You still haven’t explained why you spend so much time and effort defending a company and only that company you have successfully used once ? You also haven’t explained why you feel you need to provide (in your opinion) correct information to investors you are in direct competition with ?”

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      1. dompritch134

        I will expand further on my reply if you don’t hide behind anonymity.

        Who do you work for or which company do you own?

        What is your name?

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        1. AgentQ73

          Hi Dom
          I dont see why my anonymity is relevant ?
          The vast majority of posters on here are anonymous, it is an internet forum after all. 

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          1. dompritch134

            What are you hiding?

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            1. AgentQ73

              Hi Dom

              My identity.
              Why is my identity relevant to the questions I have asked ?

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            2. AgentV

              AgentQ73
                             A very good reason reason to not reveal your identity is that you may well be stalked and they will do whatever they can to spot any mistakes you might make, damage your reputation, your business and your livelyhood.
              Don’t forget it is claimed that many members of the public can see what is put on this site and it even influences investment decisions. Really not worth the risk to reveal who you are, unless you want to risk having a personal permanent detractor wanting to destroy you.

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            3. Quags

              You really are a piece of work dom. 

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  7. PepeM

    Of course there will be some doing well, but with 740 or so LPEs and circa 6000 instructions in March average 8/LPE Mr Smith is on the right track. Many will be starving and not sustainable.

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    1. Room101

      PepeM LPE head count;

      740 before

      728 yesterday

      725 today

      Its one way of increasing your share.

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  8. MendipEA53

    It’s a bit rich for Paul, or anyone at Spicerhaart, to comment on high staff turnover. Having spent 5 years managing across multiple offices with them I was positively a veteran. Enjoyed my time there, however there was an ongoing issue of staff turnover (and not just at Neg level), so unless anything has dramatically changed within the last couple of years this is very much… Pot. kettle. Black,

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    1. new life

      Totally agree

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    2. revilo

      ‘Pot. kettle. Black’

      I am aware of some who have been on the receiving end of the authors staffing procedures and couldn’t agree more!

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  9. Rivero

    Oh Paul you do make me chuckle!

    You infer SpicerHaart are at the forefront of using Social Media marketing. Yet, your social media strategy is WAY off in my view.

    Successful social media doesn’t work by broadcasting to users alone, at has to be combined with and outweighed by engagement, conversations, free and useful content…and most importantly listening. A cursory view of your social media accounts illustrate to me that you are not doing this sufficiently.

    Even worse, in fact, I searched ‘Haart Estate Agents’ on Facebook and the first thing that came up was a lengthy (and very public) complaint about Haart. Now we all get a complaint from time to time I’m sure, but if you’re going to engage in social media you should have an understanding of how to handle a complaint over a public forum…and this was an excellent example of how not to do so in my opinion.

    Meanwhile in my area…Haart market share continues to decline, yes even in the face of Haart (having led the fight against the portals) being on all 3 portals! So forgive me if I FLINK twice before taking your lead on…well anything really.

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  10. hodge

    One large south east agent has over 50% staff turnover. Some recruitment is done via Skype and the motto is you have to kiss enough frogs……

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  11. Pollard36

    First time poster, long time lurker on this site.

    My two cents (for what they are worth) would be squarely put on what a poorly constructed article this is. Stats pulled from two online agents who have been around for nigh on twenty minutes against the longest established corporate in the industry barely constitutes a foundation for an article.

    Whilst the largest content of this particular comments section also seems to have descended in to an obsession with agendas I’d also like to have a say on this: I don’t particularly care on a persons background or motivation when they post. If they choose to put it in to the public domain to be judged on (such as Dom and Chris Wood) then fair play and I’m sure it will play some unconscious part in forming my judgment on their opinion.

    On the subject of Cyberduck and Dom, I for one enjoy their contributions on to this site (for the most part). I may only agree with little to some of what they say, but they offer a fresh perspective and whilst it can and should be challenged, it is also of interest to many and personally the debate adds to my enjoyment of many articles on here.

    Have a great weekend all!

    P

     

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    1. dompritch134

      Hi @pollard36 thank you for being reasonable and taking a view that others may hold a differing opinion but should be entitled to debate them without abuse.

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      1. Property Pundit

        ‘without abuse’

         

        Oh, the irony.

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  12. RichO29

    Staff Turnover – spicerhaart and Mr Smith have serious balls to discuss this area. Spent many years here and i am afraid Mr Smith and his 7 dwarfs should sort there own house out?

    Social Media – Flink finds you more buyers, ha ha that’s hilarious

    Next they will fly over American’s and Texan’s to train there staff how to sell houses and deliver excellent customer service.

     

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    1. BALLY07

      Agreed – Hippocratical

       

      I would advise any readers to go and look through the window of any haart office in the UK.. Return three months later and let me know if the same 17 year old is sitting there as before

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  13. Robert May

    For those who have been here more than 12 months my agenda is quite clear I am anti-disruption, a defender of estate agents , letting agents and property managers, decency and honesty. It is what I have been doing since 1994. For those with a long enough memory I have been doing and saying the same thing week in week out first on EAT and then on Eye.  The record has never changed

    When the Primelocation/ Findaproperty/ Zoopla merger was announced I posted it would create a ‘duopoly’ that would see Rightmove subscriptions rise to £1000 a month. When the AVM’s were made available I posted how it would  allow people without the skill to be estate agents in the proper and professional definition of the term to operate.

    I have banged on about fee erosion and data harvesting. Every time I say anything I am always wrong until months or years later the penny drops and “THAT Robert MAY” turns out to b be on the money. People didn’t like what I predicted about the course of AM and OTM.  That wasn’t naysaying dissent it, was informed hindsight of being a service supplier and  knowing the challenges of building a dominate market leading service in this industry

    Proper estate agency can not be disrupted by the internet in the way  those duped into investing in the sector have been told it can. Agency can’t be ubererd.

    Portaljuggling wasn’t about any single company, it started off about 1 who was claiming to sell everything in 3 months at 99% of asking price. The software I funded and wrote to track that single false claim identified breaches of CPR and BPR on a massive scale.  Gaming of the portals (which was being encouraged by portal reps as it increased portal traffic)  worked against a lot of  agents who were operating within the terms and conditions of the portals, and the codes of conduct of the trade bodies and redress schemes. The  briefing note to investors that got leaked stopped 95% of portal juggling in its tracks because agents of all business models  suddenly realised  what was going on  had been tracked for over 12 months. It wasn’t NTSEAT, the redress schemes or the trade associations who stopped the gaming it was me and the people singled out having agendas.

    I am outspoken and  often unpopular for the  things I say,  but slowly by slowly people are  latching on to  fact I am properly and honestly motivated. The fact I am not motivated by ego, personal gain or profit  confuses a lot of people especially those fixated by what other people have or have achieved.

    Where there is wrongness you will find I have something to say and I will not be bullied  or bought into keeping quiet.

     

     

     

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    1. AgentV

      Society in general, would be a much better place if many more people put what is right, fair and just above greedy, selfish and personal gain!!!

      Its a great shame that being conscientious, caring and truthful doesn’t necessarily automatically guarantee success.

      BSOS23PC

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