Chief of online selling platform hosted by Rightmove hits back against ‘moaners’

The CEO of a company which recently began offering an online property purchasing service via Rightmove has hit back against ‘moaners’ who have described it as ‘not good news for the future of high street agents’.

Neil Singer, who heads up both commercial property agency Singer Veille and online buying execution platform clicktopurchase.com, says residential agents have ‘misunderstood’ what is happening.

As The Negotiator reported of the 5th July, Singer Veille is making the 16 commercial properties it lists on Rightmove available to buy via clicktopurchase, which enables people to submit offers and digitally exchange contracts.

The announcement prompted a wave of protests among many sales agents who, despite Rightmove saying it has ‘no plans’ to introduced such a service for its residential listings, are worried it’s a ‘slippery slope’.

But Singer (pictured, left) says that: “I think the property profession as a whole now recognises the benefits of technology.

“I suggest that those moaning online have a lot of time on their hands; perhaps they would be busier if they embraced change.”

Singer also claims that similar worries voiced by conveyancers about clicktopurchase when its ability to help speed up property sales via blockchain were introduced have since proven unfounded.

“The abuse from solicitors was extraordinary – a year and a half later, the Law Commission, Law Society and [the] government are all engaged in how online technology will help the legal process and profession.  We don’t receive negativity from this [sector] anymore,” says Singer.

James Dearsley (pictured, right), in his regular proptech review published over the weekend, has pitched into the debate, saying that: “From Rightmove’s perspective I do see why they are thinking about this but I just think it is a crazy knee jerk and ill thought through move on their part.”