Online Estate Agency – The Rise of The Machine (Interview CEO of emoov)

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.

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

Closing the gap on client relationships and recommendations

New research from iamproperty has highlighted the growing disconnect between what buyers and sellers want from their agent and what they experience, which could be killing recommendations from happy clients. iamproperty’s quarterly consumer survey revealed that only a third of respondents (32%)¹ would recommend their agent following their experience. With many agents relying on recommendations…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Northern Ireland to expect over 25,000 new home movers

Belfast-based estate agency John Minnis has revealed that Northern Ireland is to welcome an estimated 25,000- 30,000 new arrivals from the UK and Europe over the next five years, as migration to the region reaches its highest levels in more than a decade. Recent figures show that 11,700 people relocated from other parts of the…
Read More
Breaking News

Red tape and rising costs stifling new-build availability across the capital

The latest analysis from London estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed how protracted building timelines are preventing the capital’s housebuilders from delivering the level of new-build housing stock required to meet demand, with new homes currently accounting for just 7.5% of all properties listed for sale across London. Benham and Reeves analysed the latest…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

UK’s new wave of ‘second cities’ offers strongest yield growth for property investors

The latest research from West One Loans has found that whilst investors may continue to favour the nation’s key cities such as London, Birmingham, and Manchester, a new wave of ‘second cities’ is delivering the strongest growth in rental yields. These emerging markets are offering investors the chance to achieve attractive returns, driven by rising…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Decline in change of use further constricting housing supply

Jonathan Samuels, CEO of Octane Capital, believes that a decline in conversion projects could ultimately prevent the Government from hitting its ambitious housing delivery targets, as the firm’s latest analysis has revealed that the number of homes created through change of use has fallen sharply in the last five years. Octane Capital analysed official Government…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Annual price fall driven by south, which could be harder hit by rumoured property taxes

The average price of property coming to the market for sale rises by 0.4% (+£1,517) this month to £370,257. However, average new seller asking prices are now 0.1% below this time last year following several months of muted price growth The dip in annual prices is driven by London and the south, as the south…
Read More