The online agency Housesimple has rebranded to become 'Strike' with immediate effect.
The news comes as a surprise given the apparent success of Housesimple as a brand, widely regarded as one of the strongest online names behind Purplebricks.
It invested significant marketing a year ago when it became the first estate agent in the UK to sell homes for free, regained the ESTAS Best Online Estate Agent of the Year just a few weeks ago, and expanded into new parts of the north of England.
The new brand is launching across the North of England with a combined ITV and Channel 4, radio and digital marketing campaign, "appealing to buyers and sellers looking to strike a better deal" according to this morning's announcement from the firm.
Sam Mitchell, chief executive officer at Strike, says: “Strike is here to redefine the way we move. Estate agency hasn't changed for 200 years, we've been overcharged and underwhelmed. It’s time for a change.
“We set out to shake up the estate agent industry last year, becoming the first estate agent in the UK to sell homes for free. In the process, we’ve become a market leader across the North, including in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield. We’ve sold £1 billion of properties and saved our customers over £15 million in total fees since we launched our free service.
“But now it’s time to go even further. With Strike, we’re taking everything customers loved about Housesimple, making it more intuitive and adding a new mobile edge. We’ve launched a new app that lets you sell your home from your phone. And expanding across Tyne Tees, into Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough, doubles our geographic footprint and makes Strike a real northern powerhouse.”
Mitchell has often been sharply critical of the agency industry and this morning's announcement continues the theme.
He says: “Estate agents are notoriously inflexible. Strike’s mission is to make moving easy. That means we are constantly adapting and improving our service to what people actually want. For our customers, this means saving you money, whether you need stress-free mortgage advice or to sell for free. An intuitive, digital experience that’s safe, hassle-free and puts you in control. Real, friendly experts supporting you at every step. And of course, a jargon-free and straight-talking culture, working together to sell homes quickly, easily and for the best possible price.”
Online agencies' market share has been stubbornly sticking at between four and eight per cent for some time, according to a range of market monitors, but the rebranding statement says "Demand for online services has never been higher."
The statement also includes a quote from the online agency's majority investor, Sir Charles Dunstone, who says: “We are so excited to be challenging the establishment with Strike. We believe the way Strike blends people and technology to sell homes for free is a truly disruptive proposition that will lead to a great deal for customers.”
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This guy is absolutely clueless, who keeps throwing money at him?
They come they go
However
Covid has maDe people think about ALL their expenses.
And agency commissions will not escape this.
Would he charge nothing if he was using his own money?
He probably wouldn't be doing any of what he is if it was his own money.
Just a personal opinion but it seems ill-advised to have re-branded, wasting many years of brand investment and squandering brand awareness.
And Strike? That has some pretty negative connotations - take your pick of 'three strikes and you're out' or Arthur Scargill.
Thankyou EAT for this article. Up until a few weeks ago we'd never heard of this company......but then we started getting "enquiries" about our properties via Housesimple.....we assumed they were another "webscraper" company but as the "enquiries" were free we took a view.
Now it transpires that they themselves are an estate agent.......how the hell did another "estate agent" get hold of our properties ??
Is this what is behind the name change.....perhaps hundreds of estate agents have threatened litigation if they didn't stop using other peoples properties without their consent ?
Having just checked their new Strike website the enquiries we had under Housesimple seem to have now "disappeared".........interesting !! Any one else had this problems with these muppets??
There is nothing illegal about touting
Apologies everyone....ignore the above article...it was "The House Shop"...NOT House Simple...so many "me toos" sounding similar out there....duh !!.....Monday morning :)
Complete joke should not be classed as an 'estate agent' and certainly should not be winning ESTAS or any other award that is meant to be for the industry of estate agency. The definition of estate agency is earning a 'FEE' yes a fee! for transacting on a property.
It would appear to me this company just scrapes data for mortgage application potentials
No an estate agent is there to sell property what they charge is nothing to do with any definition.
I have never sold anything for nothing but if others choose to do so..........
They won the ESTAS Best Online Estate Agent of the Year award. Would be a bit weird if that didn't go to an online agent, wouldn't it?
You can disagree with online agents, but they do make up a small part of the market and, by rights, should be included in any awards ceremonies that go around.
Estas....hate these for profit awards players.
Along with the serial linked in chest beaters.
Anyone who thinks agents charge too much are not doing the job correctly. It is, at times, a very difficult job and if you do everything as it should be done you’ll earn every single penny.
HouseSimple are by far the worst estate agent that we deal with in our area. They’ve listed about a dozen properties in total with only one selling and ‘all’ of the other properties swopping agents and selling. We can never get hold of them if we’re unlucky enough to have them involved in chains from other parts of the country and often the info they give us regarding chains is incorrect. Pay Peanuts get ‘HouseSimple’ or ‘Strike’.
Strike two, Three Strikes and your out
"The statement also includes a quote from the online agency's majority investor, Sir Charles Dunstone, who says: “We are so excited to be challenging the establishment with Strike."
Not sure Charles Dunstone, part of the Chipping Norton set and a former Tory donor, could ever be described as challenging the establishment. Strikes me that Strike would have much bigger investment and resources than most high street brands.
Not entirely sure, also, if this rebrand is really necessary. Always seemed to me that HS were one of the better and more respected online agencies. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
The process of buying and selling a property has too many moving parts - it will never be commoditised - my first boss - the late great Hugh Robertson told me on my first day “ people buy people “ after 25 years as an agent it is as true today as it was then
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