New portal reveals charges to agents plus extra for multi-listing service

The new portal OpenBrix, which is powered by Blockchain, has revealed its fee structure ahead of its formal launch on September 1.

It’s going to charge £75 per branch per month, plus £1 per property upload fee. If agents then want to join a multi-listing system it will operate, they will be expected to pay another £55 per month on top.

“We think this is fair and transparent. Our pricing is sensible and affordable and provides justifiable value and, importantly, agent pricing won’t be hiked as we grow because the agent community controls that – not shareholders” claims chief executive Adam Pigott.

He continues: ”We are pioneering the UK’s first multi-listing service … This feature will be a significant hook to gain client instructions and will open up agents’ inventories to other agents as they so choose, and theirs to others, resulting in revenue opportunities that otherwise do not exist for smaller independent agents.”

Pigott - who boasts over 30 years in property and was the founder of CHK Mountford Letting Agents back in 1989 - goes on to say this makes OpenBrix “a great value platform that agents and consumers alike will love.”

It utilises blockchain to create a linked network of agents to upload listings, and to create a voting and decision-making structure so that all agents have a say in pricing and the direction of the portal. 

Pigott believes this taps in to the current apparent dissatisfaction with ‘big’ portals.

OpenBrix has been operating a Beta version of its service since February and has now revealed that its services include “big tenant benefits” and access to tenant information including payment history and maintenance history, partnership commissions to give agents additional revenue, and branded property listings. 

Some months ago it was announced that former Countrywide lettings veteran John Hards was joining the new portal’s board.