Entrepreneur’s attempt to ‘kick Rightmove into touch’ flounders

Proptech entrepreneur Kae Travis’s bid to make agents ditch Rightmove and try a different approach isn’t, perhaps predictably, going to plan.

The Neg reported last month how Travis was hoping to make another splash into the estate agency market with the launch of Find Properties – a portal that will be developed and controlled by estate agents.

Six years ago he also tried – and failed – to launch a vendors’ self-service ‘pay as you go’ decreasing sales package for just £24.99 per month reducing to £9.99.

But it seems the property sale winds are not in Travis’s favour this time too.

SLOW START

His Find Properties campaign has gotten off to a slow start with agent responses only amounting to double figures.

Travis told The Neg: “I wanted to take this opportunity to address a few comments from the naysayers. No previous attempts have halted the Rightmove juggernaut, why would this? We don’t need a portal because we pick up the phone and call clients!

“To win this you’ll need deep pockets. But my point is very clear. Without your data Rightmove has no value.”

Travis has ambitons which would see agents simultaneously listing their properties on Rightmove as well as their own portal – such as Find Properties.

He adds: ”Consumers would still flock to Rightmove in the interim due to zero marketing spend and your business operations would remain unaffected.

TOO GREAT TO IGNORE

“But having your data simultaneously listed on your agent-owned portal in high agent numbers for a nominal monthly fee that you decide would give all member agents a lot of leverage when it comes to negotiating Rightmove fees. The risk for Rightmove would be far too great to ignore.”

While his ultimate long-term goal would be for all agents to migrate exclusively to Find Properties Travis is quick to point out that this would be based on leads, strategy and agents organically promoting their own portal via their website, email footers, shop windows and word of mouth.

“We can talk about multi-channel marketing budgets and the requirement for ‘deep pockets’. But if you think about it, where will consumers go if only one place aggregates their data?” he asks.

Travis argues that agents who think that they don’t need an aggregated portal are naïve and need to put their ‘consumer cap on’.

Someone needs to trust someone if there is to be change.”

Ric Pickford, Director at Bramhall-based Snapes Estate Agents, is one supporter and says: “Whether we like it or not, the reality is house hunters want a one stop shop where they can view all property matching their criteria in an easy to view format.

“I’ve put my money where my mouth is to support previous attempts to offer an alternative, especially when they were focused on a click leading directly back to my brand. From what I have seen Find Properties does this.

“Collectively we seem to be better at blocking attempts, as opposed to making them work. Boomin, Agent Mutual V1 and even Zoopla to some extent. Someone needs to trust someone if there is to be change.”

Travis adds: “Find Properties will be 100% agent-owned and agent-funded. There is no risk of Find Properties demutualising, or issuing new share options or floating on the stock market or agents becoming the minority shareholder.

“If you are serious about change. If you care about your industry. If you’re tired of failed portal attempts. If you’re sceptical about this project. If you joined the ‘Say No To Rightmove’ campaign. If you have two minutes spare whilst sipping on your morning latte… just get in touch.”

More information HERE.