Purplebricks is to reboot its highly contentious and much-reviled ‘commisery’ campaign that garnered so many enemies within the industry back in 2016.
Only a few years ago the agency was keen to put the controversy the original campaign created behind it, but has now U-turned on this promise.

In an announcement released today, Purplebricks has launched a TV and radio campaign that will encourage vendors to reject the “unnecessary expense of commission-based estate agents”.

The campaign, which launches today, returns the firm to its ‘save yourself from commisery’ moments, and the new adverts, created by agency SNAP LDN, call for the owners of homes that won’t be on the market for long to be more confident when choosing their estate agent and avoid the costs associated with ‘no sale, no fee’ models.

The national TV and Radio spots parody the traditional estate agent pitch, showing how the joy felt on completion can suddenly turn to commisery – the feeling of spending thousands on commission but getting nothing more for your money – when you realise your property was always going to be sought after and you needn’t have second guessed the outcome.

Cost of living

The campaign is designed to make consumers question whether they could make big savings by assessing the quality and desirability of their home before the choose to go with the flow, set against the current cost of living crisis.

“No sale, no fee isn’t a universal proposition that works for everyone,” says Ed Hughes, Chief Marketing Officer at Purplebricks. “And that’s especially true for those with a property that will attract a lot of clicks, viewings and offers.

“This new campaign is aimed specifically at these types of owners, because choosing a traditional agent when you’ve got a sought-after property in a great area might be more accurately described as ‘will sell, big fee’.

“The Purplebricks model is designed to provide an alternative for those that know they have a great seller and refuse to accept the myth that a big percentage paid at the end offers them any more certainty.”

Helena Marston, Purplebricks CEO, says: “Home-owners are still picking up the tab for traditional no sale, no fee agents who need big commissions to prop up their expensive operations. Purplebricks offers movers a way to sell where they can keep more money for themselves and avoid having their natural home-selling anxiety preyed upon.

“This campaign encourages owners of lovely homes to reconsider whether they truly need the outdated approach of the old high-street. Or whether they should join the thousands of confident sellers that have enjoyed a full-service agency experience from Purplebricks without paying commission.”

Jon Boardman, CEO at SNAP LDN, added: “Commisery was a gamechanger for Purplebricks, but it also had a profound effect on peoples’ pockets, saving their customers about £100m annually by avoiding typical commissions. Now is the right time to bring back Commisery. We’ve created wonderfully playful but hard hitting work that reminds sellers of lovely homes, that you can sell your home quickly, at the right price and save thousands ”.

Watch the TV ad