Can you sell property without Zoopla or Rightmove?

May 16, 2016

Given the huge portal costs and the attempts by the On The Market to break this duopoly, can you successfully sell a property as an estate agency without using these three behemoths?
Most industry experts would laugh and say no.
It’s impossible.
The reach of Rightmove and Zoopla is so extensive that you’d be seriously deluded to think it’s possible.
I though am not so sure.
I accept it’s standard industry practice but I think many of the hits on Rightmove and Zoopla are habitual net twitchers.
Personally, I check each daily still – having moved only 6 weeks ago.
I can’t imagine I’m alone either?
I think reliance on these two portals does lead to a level of complacency.
How many estate agents invest as much in their own websites, Facebook pages, Facebook ads and Twitter as they do onpaying portals?
An estimate of £1600 a month for portal fees I guess covers it.
That’s a whopping £19,200 with fees increasing annually.
Now what would a carefully crafted, SEO scaffolded website with linked social media pages cost a year to set up and maintain?
A fraction.
What would a blogging strategy cost estate agents per month? £100?
So I ask here in all seriousness, without any denigration of the giant portals with their giant fees, can you not consider alternatives?
Have you considered other options?
With Rightmove profits for 2015 running at £144 million with Zoopla Property Group amassing £33 million, don’t you as estate and letting agents think there could be an alternative marketing strategy?
Not dropping the portals, but thinking, negotiating better rates so the cash cow of portals doesn’t get overfed with your estate agency money?

Stuart Walton

www.getprocopy.com

 

Alex Evans

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