Picture of the Week – and we apologise that it is not, well, more pictorial.
If we could make it more illustrative, perhaps there’d be a few tarts’ knickers in a boudoir, or more politely a bungee jump.
The home is a perfectly pleasant two-bed flat in south west London, marketed by easyProperty.
But talk about ups and downs!
According to Zoopla, it has had more price changes than a wonky avocado in Morrisons – no fewer than 17 price changes in under a year.
That works out (even my notoriously shaky maths can do this) to an average of more than one a month. While there were no price changes in December or February, there were three price changes in November alone.
According to Zoopla, it started out with an asking price of £800,000, and has gone as low as £625,000, while bouncing back up to £800,000 three times. It is currently on at £675,000 – we think.
http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/40033723#QgY1s4wwxFriufKG.97
Perhaps this is a new selling strategy by Easy? Linking asking price to stock market movements?
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I had a similar thought – but mine was more based on tidal movements…
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Hmmm…
According to Rightmove, it was last reduced on 27 APRIL, not 31 March as stated on Zoopla.
EVEN MORE shenanigans to uncover – and I know just the chap!
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This one will be ‘a chalenge’ to say the least. It has had AT LEAST THREE SEPARATE OUTINGS on Rightmove:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-48114096.html (current listing)
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-56491519.html (previous listing – its’ cache on 20 March shows it as For Sale, at a price of £700,000 (which fits with the Zoopla history)
and
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-58692236.html which shows the property at the time of one of its’ many outings at an asking price of £800,000 – so take your pick as to when this particular incarnation was applicable to.
And there is every possibility that there are more hiding further back in search archives that, to be frank, I can’t be @r$ed to look for.
‘Evil twins’ are what I like to call them, aka ‘doppelgangers’ as others refer to these strange anomalies, are something that Rightmove are perfectly aware of. When I raised the matter of properties with ‘twin’ listings, each with different RMIDs, I was advised in an email:
“Listings over time can be assigned a different Rightmove property ID – this does not mean that it goes out with a new date or in our alerts”
I seriously query the reason for this. Surely a listing is a listing; it does not need to be replaced on a regular basis.
Or – does it…? I’ll leave you all to think about that.
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As the website says ‘Sell your home with us and benefit from our knowledgeable local agents’
Presumably the vendor is making the most of this knowledge and pricing according to how their LPE sees the market at that time?
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Maybe they are utilising the knowledge of ALL of their ‘local’ agents here and not just the one who claims to be most ‘local’ to that particular property?
It sure looks like a different one gets a stab at it every three weeks or so…
Just wait ’til the ones here ‘oop North’ get their go – they’ll have that shack down under two hundred grand in a heartbeat!
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Surprised that this didn’t attract more comment is an understatement.
The article states
“According to Zoopla…” on two separate matters. Not that Zoopla have made any statement or comment – just that the evidence is there to see.
So maybe Zoopla need to make a statement. And where’s better to make the request than here:
OPEN LETTER TO ZOOPLA
Compliance Department, Zoopla Property Group plc; c/o Property Industry Eye; via The Internet
Dear Sirs
You may be aware of an article on Property Industry Eye, in relation to a current example of a property with some sixteen confirmed price amendments over a period of twelve months being displayed on the Zoopla and PrimeLocation websites.
The nature of the price amendments – which include five price increases, and eight upward or downward movements in excess of ten percent of the stated Asking Price – indicates a pattern of potential manipulation of listings, the existence of which has been accepted – and subsequently condemned – by industry and consumer bodies, and is now known as ‘juggling’.
In response to the condemnation and stated illegality of ‘juggling’ listings, Zoopla Property Group plc’s last stated position was as follows:
“Where any agent deliberately attempts to circumvent these processes and manipulate their listings to mislead consumers, we have a dedicated compliance team whose job it is to identify these rogue agents and remove them permanently from our platform. We take this issue very seriously and Zoopla has led the way in providing accurate and transparent data to consumers to help them make smarter property decisions”
Can Zoopla Property Group plc please advise what their CURRENT position is in relation to Estate Agencies which #portaljuggle, #pricejuggle or otherwise manipulate – or facilitate the manipulation – of properties advertised on the Zoopla platform, a practice confirmed to be in contravention of both current Legislation and The Property Ombudsman Code of Practice.
The above is, I suggest, necessary simply because the previously stated position doesn’t appear to be being enforced or even thought about. Maybe it’s time for a refresh, a re-write – or at least a revisit of your previous assurances and to actually #DO_SOMETHING.
I look forward to your response.
Yours in gleeful anticipation
PeeBee
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