Zoopla reveals major shake-up for its software services

Zoopla has revealed that it is to roll all its agent software offerings into a single, mobile enabled platform for its 10,000 estate agent customers over the next few years. The ‘new direction’ will be introduced slowly and is designed to help estate agents offer the kind of ‘always on’ hybrid-style service popular with consumers. This will include tools not just for agents but also their customers including landlords, tenants, vendors and buyers. “Our new software strategy will give agents the power of disruptive online and mobile technologies resulting in an improvement in the quality of leads and efficiencies for their businesses and, in turn, providing value to their customers,” says Charlie Bryant, Managing Director of Zoopla. To drive the changes the portal has created a new division which will invest several million pounds in new technology, lead by former Skype tech executive Carl Oliver. The initiative will see its various software offerings including Jupix, Alto, Expert Agent and PropertyFile eventually re-engineered into one CRM service, although this is not on the cards yet. Zoopla’s initiative is part of the portal’s drive to reposition itself as a provider of digital tools to agents following its £2.2 billion acquisition by US…