Online Estate Agency – The Rise of The Machine (Interview CEO of emoov)
June 21, 2018
Q: How are things going for emoov in the world of UK Estate Agency? I am sure things are looking very rosy and you will be able to dispel any myths out there that the online estate agency sector is not doing all that well with valuations to sales ratios and are just being held up by big city investments.
The sector has grown by 196% since the end of 2014, according to Rightmove. Our listings are now at an annualised 13,000 making us the seventh biggest estate agency business in the UK. Purplebricks are now in the top three. Therefore how can anyone honestly and with a straight face claim that the new sector is not growing?
The evidence that I see with regard to sales vs listings ratios is that so called online agents’ performance is the same as high street agents. I mean, why wouldn’t it be when we all advertise in the same places? And please, magic applicant hot boxes and exclusive buyers? These relics of the profession are as obsolete as fax machines.
‘Big city investments’ are indeed supporting the new sector. As they are supporting Ocado, Uber, Transfer Wise, Twitter, Snapchat, WeWorks etc etc… So what? The traditional sector is way too obsessed with the profitability of the ‘online’ model when they should be much more concerned about their own.
Q: Though we consumers are shopping more and more online, there is still that slight reluctance to steer themselves away from the high street estate agent – In your opinion, outside of the cost saving opportunity, why should the seller and the buyer look to engage and trust emoov?
24/7 accessibility. More control through technology. Better service. A better price achieved (1% by us on average according to Zoopla stats). Plus the avg £3000 fee saving of course
Q: PropTech is shaking up the industry with many elements of estate agency streamlined thanks to new software, CRM, apps and more – Is emoov an adopter of #PropTech – Maybe you now have your very own #PropTech incubator at your head office?
We don’t operate an incubator. We build our own proprietary software based on customer journey desirability, a quest for cost efficiency and through rigorous testing and evolution. So yes, I guess you could say we are an adopter of PropTech although I’d say that given our unique platform we are actually PropTech pioneers.
Q: I’m a passionate, ambitious and a hard working individual and would love to get in to UK Estate Agency and make myself a good living – What opportunity can emoov give such a person if they are considering becoming a local agent with you?
As a Local Property Agent, the opportunity to work and progress within a company that’s at the leading edge of the industry and is growing fast, always innovating. Earnings are greater than the high street equivalent for those that are prepared to step out of their traditional agency comfort zone.
Q: What is the vision for the next five years?
To cement ourselves as the UK’s best known and loved estate agent and with a 10% market share. And to ensure a profitable return for those investors that have supported us so well.
You May Also Enjoy
Thames Valley Rents Surge to £1,448 – 6% Above UK Average
Average rents in Thames Valley reach £1,448 pcm, nearly 6% above the UK average, new report reveals Rents in Thames Valley reach £1,448 pcm, nearly 6% above the UK average of £1,369 Wokingham and Reading highlighted as key areas of interest for renters and investors Renters in Thames Valley are more likely to be older than anywhere else in…
Read More 
July’s HMRC Property Transactions Report
Headline statistics Headline statistics from the latest transactions data include: the provisional seasonally adjusted estimate of the number of UK residential transactions in July 2026 is 96,710, 1% lower than July 2025 and 2% lower than June 2026 the provisional non-seasonally adjusted estimate of the number of UK residential transactions in July 2026 is 106,620, 5% higher than July…
Read More 
Almost half of homesellers hit by broken chains
The latest research from House Buyer Bureau has revealed that almost half of home sellers who form part of a property chain have seen that chain break during the sales process, with buyers changing their minds and pulling out by far the most common reason why. House Buyer Bureau commissioned an independent survey of 1,072…
Read More 
Only 1 in 10 new-build homebuyers happy
Just 1 in 10 new-build buyers got the home they wanted before moving in The latest research from UK Property Development (UKPD) has found that just 11% of people who purchased a new-build home in the past two years were able to personalise their property exactly as they wanted before moving in. As a…
Read More 
One-third of tenant income in the UK goes on rent
Lomond’s Summer 2026 Quarterly Insights report reveals tenants now spend an average of 32.7% of their yearly income on rent UK average rents rise to £1,369pcm, increasing by +4.3% in the same period last year Average rent in London reaches £2,418pcm, 76% higher than the UK average The average age of renters across the UK is now 31.5 Lomond, the UK’s leading network of lettings and sales agents, has…
Read More 
Six in 10 UK businesses look to adapt operations in response to extreme heat
37 per cent have increased heat-related investment, with 23 per cent considering it Cooling equipment, including air conditioning and ventilation, is the most common investment priority (28 per cent) Barclays anonymised client data shows that air conditioning suppliers saw cash inflows increase by 4.3 per cent year-on-year into Barclays accounts Consumers claim 25.1°C is their…
Read More