Purplebricks in the headlines.

The share price of Purplebricks increased yesterday on the back of the announcement of their interim results and also being named in Bloomberg’s inaugural Business Innovator’s List.

Michael Bruce, CEO and Founder of Purplebricks, commented: “We are delighted to have been recognised by Bloomberg as an Innovator in the real estate industry.

“Our compelling proposition of personalised, high quality service and affordable fees provides the best of both worlds, resonating with a growing number of customers and posing a fundamental challenge to traditional estate agents, who currently dominate the £4bn market.”

Michael Bruce, Chief Executive of the Company, yesterday  purchased 320,000 ordinary shares bringing his total holding to 41,237,225 Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 17.2 per cent. of the Company’s issued share capital. Paul Pindar, non-executive Chairman of the Company, yesterday  purchased 300,000 ordinary shares  bringing his total holding to 11,020,281 Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 4.6 per cent. of the Company’s issued share capital.

Both Directors must feel fairly confident about the company’s future by adding to their holdings, personally I am not yet convinced, already a  H1 2016 loss before tax (£6.4m), obviously these are early days and advertising and promotion will be a large part of these costs.

I do not expect Purplebricks to have it all their own way and they should expect a major fight back from traditional estate agents, other online agents will also not be sitting on their hands, only recently online agency HouseSimple has announced that they will be introducing  High Street agency style No Sale-No Fee option for vendors.

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Damaged timber from Dry Rot
Estate Agent Talk

Mould and damp – what you need to know ahead of winter

With the winter months just round the corner, problems with damp and mould can become far more prominent. Autumntime is when many people turn on central heating systems and choose to close windows, preventing fresh air ventilation needed to allow damp air to leave a property. Unfortunately, the combination of warm and damp air can…
Read More
Breaking News

Rental price and average salary tracker – September 2025

London and South East see biggest dips in required rental salary year-on-year London and the South East saw the sharpest dips year-on-year in the average salary needed in order to rent the average home in that area. London saw a 4.2% drop, whilst the South East saw a decline of 2.9%. Yorkshire and Humberside saw…
Read More
buying at auction uk
Breaking News

The cities where buying beats renting – with just a 5% deposit

British first-time buyer mortgage payments are typically 17% cheaper than renting, even with a low 5% deposit The average 5% deposit is £11,412 based on a typical first-time buyer property price of £228,233 Among major cities outside London, the biggest gap between owning and renting is in Glasgow, where buyers could save more than £4,750…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove’s Weekly Mortgage Rates Tracker

Average rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Average rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 4.51% +0.00% -0.37% 5-year fixed 4.55% +0.01% +0.01%   Lowest rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Lowest rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 3.77% +0.05% -0.07% 5-year fixed 3.97% +0.10% +0.29%   Average…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Data and commentary from Rightmove on stamp duty reforms

Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert said: “We’ve been calling for stamp duty reform for some time now, as it’s a significant barrier for many people moving home. Abolishing it completely would remove one of the biggest barriers to moving, unlocking more moves at all stages of the property ladder. “Our data shows that only 5%…
Read More
Breaking News

Second-time buyers dominate demand for longer term fixed mortgage deals

Second-time buyers are dominating demand for longer term fixed mortgage deals, fresh data from Moneyfacts Analyser can reveal. Of those looking for fixed term deals on moneyfactscompare.co.uk: Almost two-thirds (58%) of second-time buyers who compared mortgage deals using the moneyfactscompare.co.uk website were considering terms of three years or longer in the 30 days to 1…
Read More