Property Portals? – A Vendors Guide
What is a Property Portal?
It’s the online websites and Apps that Estate Agents use to market properties for sale and letting. The big three are Zoopla, OTM (OnTheMarket.com) and Rightmove.
Most people have already used a property portal
As someone now considering selling your property you will have no doubt already used a property portal from either a buying or selling perspective. However, it can be challenging when agents are trying to sway you to instruct them based on the ones’ that they use or more topically how many property portals they use. Therefore, we have produced this useful guide to help.
What we use here at Fresh
Here at Fresh we know estate agency and we understand what works, what doesn’t work and what is just not necessary. This is why when it comes to property portal marketing, we use Zoopla and OTM. Why? Because Zoopla is number one in Swansea and then we use OTM because it’s also very popular and is the rising property portal in the UK.
So why do we not use Rightmove? The answer is simple and can be seen in the below stat: –
As you can see from the above screen shots when you search for properties in Swansea Zoopla has 1652 properties compared to Rightmove’s 764. This is over double.
Question 1: What buyer looking to buy in Swansea would not look at Zoopla given it’s the portal where ALL the properties appear to be on? The serious answer must be ‘None’. Therefore, if your agent in Swansea is on Zoopla you are covered.
Question 2: Do serious buyers look at just one portal? I don’t think so. I certainly wouldn’t. Would you? I would go onto Zoopla and then check OTM and Rightmove just in case. And what will I see? Duplications of the same properties across the portals.
Question 3: So why do certain agents push that you should use them because they use three Property Portals including Rightmove? Answer: They are just trying to gain what we call a USP (Unique Seling Point). They think by telling you that they are on three portals and suggesting you are missing out that you will instruct them. Well for the reasons already given in questions 1 and 2 this is just not the case.
What are the real questions I should be focused on?
- Is my Swansea agent on Zoopla? If yes, then what other advertising techniques are used outside of this property portal? For example, the Buyers Register or social media.
- What experience in the industry does the individual/agent and their team have? If there is a team!
- How do they apply themselves to the key areas of the selling process? Valuations, Viewings, being kept up to date, negotiations and property progression once a sale is agreed.
When the above questions are answered properly by an experienced and skilled agent you will soon understand where the real value in an estate agents services is.
Our Concern over EXP Agents and why you should be wary
What is an eXp Agent? You see them most commonly with their picture on the For Sale boards! And then with an eXp stamp on there. Therefore, it’s most commonly an individual who has decided they want to have a go at estate agency. They sign up with the eXp group who will provide all their systems, portal advertising and procedures. This is all done for them for a share of the profits and means they don’t have to have any experience in systems, marketing or how to process anything. No, they can just jump in and try and sell houses.
The concerns should be obvious and it’s the same concern we had with The Purple Bricks model, which after a period in the public’s eye and backed by massive television advertising was sold for £1 in 2023. Yes, just one pound. Not so successful then! It failed for some of the same reasons I believe the eXp model will fail to be the option of choice for vendors in the long term and that’s because, in the main, it promotes individuals, often with little experience, who cannot possibly be brilliant at all the key stages of selling a property. At least not compared with a multi skilled sales team.
Compare the above situation and the concerns that come with it with the Fresh Sales team.
Here at Fresh we have a sales director with over 30 years’ experience in estate agency who oversees a sales manager who likewise has over 30 years’ experience in valuing and managing sales teams across Swansea who sits over a sales team of negotiators and admin staff who all specialise in key areas of sales negotiating, HMO sales, marketing, admin and file chasing.
In summary the question is this? Who should you entrust your valuable asset to? An eXp individual with perhaps a helper over the Fresh sale team packed with experience, know-how and a chain of managed accountability for quality control. When you understand this gulf of value there is no question. You choose the Fresh team every time.
Do you want to arrange a property Valuation with our experienced sales manager? Please just call us on 01792 464757 (Option 1) or email sales@freshsalres.co.uk
Visit our website: https://freshpropertyhub.co.uk/sellers/