easyProperty, which launches today after months of anticipation within the industry, says it will ultimately expand to handle room rentals as well as its current lettings offering.
Chief executive Robert Ellice - who this evening presides over an official launch ceremony in central London with easyGroup supremo Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou - says in a video released on social media that his service will significantly expand its activity from residential lettings.
Early next year the service will start handling online residential sales, followed then by commercial property. Online room rentals and property auctions will then follow. And if that is not enough, Ellice promises to expand with a similar offer for the property markets of France, Germany, Greece and the Netherlands.
The room rental pledge is particularly interesting, as this market is tipped to expand in London in particular as planning restrictions are eased on the short-term letting of properties and rooms by non-professional landlords. This particular online market is now dominated by Airbnb, which handles room rentals in no fewer than 190 countries.
Ellice's video also reiterates what he sees as the advantage of the known brand of easyGroup well known for choice and no frills.
Ellice also specifies that his business model - which allows landlords to advertise for free on his site only or for a fee if the properties are to be listed on Zoopla and Rightmove -
works by securing a small margin on additional services offered to landlords.
The same principle will exist for residential sales and other property sectors.
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Comments
Is it not a little bit premature to talk about expansion on the day of the launch
Auctions, online room rentals, lettings...whatever next! They're definitely not holding back, are they Maybe they should concentrate on getting a foothold in the lettings market first, which won't be as easy as they seem to think, before they come up with grands plans for expansion. They're a big name and they've got some financial might behind them, but that doesn't mean they can just try and be a Jack of all trades on a whim.
Expanding all over the shop!