By Steve Roulstone

New portal

Reports over the weekend confirm a story I heard not two months ago, that a serious contender to Rightmove and in a lesser way Zoopla, is about to be launched on the market. Recent price increases on the amount charged for portals have been discussed at length within the Industry and have mainly been as the result of Rightmoves belief that as the leading market provider, they can increase costs at will. I may be wrong, but see no increased level of services for increasing levels of invoices?

 

Right to reply.

This is a course of action that rightly in my opinion generates responses and in this case we seem to have had a response, which, if successful, will severely dent Rightmoves position as market leader. I will not comment on the scheme in general because we have very little detail as yet and until we do I would prefer to keep my powder dry.

 

However!

What is worthy of comment and the detail that caught my eye when reading a report on the plans on a property press web site was the initial statement that Agents joining the site would be asked to do so by only utilising the services of one other portal. It seems strange that having stated detail would follow, that such a major requirement should be the only rule released? Unless of course it was released to test the water!

 

Expected reaction.

If that is the case, the reaction seems to be as expected, that people like to choose for themselves who they do or do not wish to run with. If not, then hopefully notice will be taken of the reaction received because it flies in the face of one of the very principals the new site would be battling against in clearly setting itself up as a competitor with Rightmove.

 

Visit the reasons.

Please take on board Agents Mutual that you have set yourselves up as an alternative to Rightmove, not only because of prices, but also because of the manner in which they treat their customers. The feeling that we are dictated to by Rightmove, as a customer of theirs, has increased on many levels over the last few years and is in my opinion, a major influence on our perception of them as a Company.

 

Right to choose.

This is why, when given the right to choose a viable alternative, a large sector of the industry may well do just that. But by telling us in effect, who we can and cannot trade with, is acting in a manner no different to Rightmove in the first place. It is very clear as to why the need for such a rule to be in place is felt to be important to its success. But I would ask those involved to re-consider? Surely a better motivation to potential customers can be found than one that tells its customers how to go about their business?

 

Landlords that matter.

It must not be forgotten that we exist to provide a service to our Landlords, in doing so we should give best advice at all times. It cannot be in the Landlords interest for Agents to withdraw services from a provider because of a principal of business which may in the long run serve to improve what we offer, but will change little from our customer’s perception. Better the providers work on offering a better service which we need to follow, the principal remains the same, but Landlords do not suffer along the way!

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