POrtals
Everett notes that Google keeps changing Agents are becoming more selective,
its search algorithms every six months or though. BrightSale has actually withdrawn
so, “so that when you’re trying to optimise from Rightmove; other agents have
your site, you’re trying to hit a moving trimmed the number of portals they are
target. SEO [search engine optimisation] is spending on. Dan Lee says many agents are
not a one-off job.” Portals live and breathe becoming more aware of the distinctions
the internet, leaving agents to concentrate between different online presences.
on selling properties. “They’re taking more control of where they
Besides, portals tend to dominate the put their properties, though they don’t
search engine result pages. It’s difficult for want to be beholden to a single source.”
an agent to get such good results on its
Portals live and
Rightmove’s recent results showed the
own. Peter Everett says, “The reason agents number of advertisers unchanged, and
should come to us is we will get them breathe the internet, average spend per advertiser actually
higher up the rankings. Tenants will find
leaving agents to
increasing. The largest agents – Halifax,
an agency quicker by coming through us. Countrywide, Connells, and LSL – have all
We’re number one on Google, while an
concentrate on selling
renewed their contracts. Some agents may
agency might be on page seven or eight.” be cutting their presence on third tier
Many of the newer portals get most of
properties and
portals in order to focus on the most
their traffic through SEO and don’t run important sites.
conventional advertising campaigns.
getting instructions.
But another reason for the buoyancy of
However John Notley, sales director at Rightmove’s results is the overall swing
Digital Property Group, says agents peter everett, Lettingsearch.co.uk from offline to online spending. Alex
shouldn’t underestimate the importance of Chesterman says, “Agents are putting more
branding. “Brand searches are pretty Another reason for agents to use a portal online than they were historically. It’s the
significant,” he says. Users will often google is the increasingly sophisticated analysis offline spend that has really taken a hit.” He
the portal they want. that the portals can give them. Peter thinks online marketing took a 25 per cent
To get an idea of the importance of Everett says “We can give agents the click- share of estate agents’ budgets before the
portals, look at BrightSale’s figures. In through rate on each individual property,” recession, but it will take three-quarters of
November 2008, 28 per cent of its business letting them see whether a property is their marketing spend by the time we
came from direct searches, but 63 per cent attracting tenant interest and what types of emerge from the downturn.
from portals. Going it alone, BrightSale property are most popular. Lettingsearch is There’s a good reason for this. Cost per
would lose two-thirds of its business. also bundling Visihome’s information lead is lower and the results are also more
Portals greatly increase the size of an package together with the subscription for trackable and easier to manage. While
agent’s footprint on the internet, and agents who want it. Peter says “The key print media cost per lead is around £50
increase its reach. thing is knowing what to do with the data. according to some agents, figures from
Alex Chesterman says, “An agent’s The smart agents get it like a flash!” GCG Consulting show costs mainly in the
toolkit really needs to combine multiple DPG’s Insight is another useful tool for region of £3 to £5. The second generation
routes to attract leads” both online and agents, giving each agent a view of how are even cheaper: £1 per lead at Zoopla
offline, including both portals and its own their properties are doing on the site. John and a big fat zero at Globrix.
site. He points out that many users are Notley says, “It hands agents a level of It’s not surprising then that the value of
faithful to just one portal, so that “if agents analysis that they haven’t had before. They property ads in local papers has halved, as
want to attract the widest possible no longer have to have a hunch about shown in recent results from DMGT
audience, it makes sense to be on more what’s the most popular type of property in (Northcliffe) and Trinity Mirror. Dan Lee
than one portal.” their area – we can tell them.” also points out local newspapers’ property
web sites can often only show a couple of
thousand users, “That’s not really worth
Rightmove, still the anything,” he says. “You need the eyeballs.”
market leader and Newspapers are trying to use digital to
still making great prop up print, but it may not work.
profits, but not It’s an interesting time in the world of the
the only option for portals. Not all will survive, that’s certain,
agents but some will thrive. And as Martin Dell
points out, “Agents just want leads.” Portals
appear to be an increasingly good way of
providing those leads, giving agents not
just buyers, but vendors too.” As long as
portals are value for money,” Martin says,
“agents will continue to use them.”
Do you agree? Add your comments at:
www.propertydrum.com/articles/portaljuly
PrOPErtYdrum JULY-AUGUST 2009 15
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