‘Property Marketplace’ allows sellers to invite agents to pitch for business

A new PropTech online platform called BestAgent Property Marketplace is to launch next year following a series of 12 meetings this autumn.

It describes itself as definitely not a portal, but as a platform for any seller or landlord to use to invite all potential agents to make a personal pitch for their property and custom.

Agents listed on it will be those who have subscribed to the service; the people behind the platform say that agents will be asked to pay “a low sliding-scale cost for any instruction they win” which could be around £10 per £100,000 of the asking price of the property.

“Imagine you need to sell your home, and with one step, you trigger personal approaches, pitches or tenders from ALL agents for your instruction, without having to reveal your contact details, until such time as you have selected which agents you wish to invite to do an appraisal” says the publicity material for the new service.

The BestAgent was concept was founded by Charlie Wright, a property industry software designer who was the man behind the ill-fated Charter for Independent Estate and Letting Agents; this trade group never launched, despite many meetings and deadlines as it attempted but failed to win a critical mass of members.

However, in June this year the same team launched BestAgent Supplier Marketplace to 80 suppliers. This offers CRMs to connect their products and services for BestAgent users although to date only one CRM has connected.

But Wright says his new service - BestAgent Property Marketplace -  is a different product meeting a different need.

He calls it a ‘prospecting site’ for estate agents containing every property address in the UK, a directory of all residential sales and lettings agents, and an inventory of all currently available sales and lettings properties.

“Whether it’s movers looking for agents to instruct, or proactive agents contacting prospective clients, it’s intended to make it easier for sellers and landlords to find their agent of choice. It contains listings of all agents and all properties for sale and to let, with direct access to agents for movers. It also allows agents to upload a welcome video that will play to any owner who clicks on the agents map marker” says the publicity material.

The platform will next year be launched to the public but Wright says he first wants input from agents at a series of meetings across the UK beginning on September 25.

www.bestagent.co.uk