Free-to-list portals claim upsurge as cost-cutting agents join up

The OneDome and Nethouseprices websites claim to have seen a surge in agents joining in recent weeks as an alternative to traditional and relatively high-cost portals.

The OneDome Group, which operates both websites, also says that OneDome and Nethouseprices combined generate an average of three leads per minute for agents, up from 1.7 leads per minute in January.

The sites enjoy over 4.0 million monthly page views across its property sites and over 1.37 million unique monthly visitors.

“In tough times like these, it has become even more clear that the relationship between portals and agents is largely one-sided. No portals could exist without agents’ listings, but still agents are charged to provide their data and pay for the privilege of listing” explains Babek Ismayil, founder and chief executive of OneDome.

“There are a number of alternatives for agents to list their stock for free, like our websites, Facebook Marketplace and others. Also, most other major digital marketing channels like Google PPC and social media advertising charge per click or per lead, instead of charging a fixed fee regardless of the outcome” he continues.

"We are seeing early signs of increased competition in the portals space, too, with several free-to-list portals launched in the last few months and this is good for estate agents and the industry, as more competition will result in lower prices and a higher quality of service” Ismayil adds. 

“We as a company welcome collaboration with any business that provides agents with extra exposure and/or a free service.”

The OneDome Group acquired Nethouseprices last summer and has integrated teams and back office systems; the newly-acquired site will continue under its existing name, which launched in 2004, because of strong brand awareness.

OneDome says it is the only platform to guarantee UK agents with a 100-year free-to-list contract; it generates revenue by working with agents to facilitate home moves and offers an optional profit share agreement.

It’s also offering agents a free update allowing consumers to request video viewings on Zoom, Skype or similar platforms such as Zoom or Skype.