Agents whose properties appear – often without their knowledge or consent – on the website NetMovers are in a ‘win win’ situation, the firm’s director has said.
The firm, which was an online agent until last year but is now a portal, did however agree that ‘aggregator’ websites which scrape agents’ listings should be given clear regulatory guidance.
It denied that it ever scrapes properties but said it was aware that third parties which feed into it do scrape properties from elsewhere.
NetMovers director Rick Jones has now responded to a series of questions put by EAT on behalf of readers.
EAT: Is NetMovers no longer an online estate agent?
RJ: NetMovers changed its status as an estate agent on 2 August 2010, though we have not taken any instructions since around June 2010.
EAT: Are you now a property portal?
RJ: Yes, developments of the NetMovers website and services mean we are now able to classify it as a property portal.
EAT: Where are you getting your properties from?
RJ: We list property from three types of source. These descriptions are explained on our website and each property we list is tagged with one of these labels, for clarity. They are quite prominent but we are currently considering if we can make them more so.
Direct Property: (rental only) These listings are created via a landlord or home owner, who uploads the information about their property for prospective tenants or buyers.
Partner Property: An estate or letting agent, working on behalf of the owner, creates the NetMovers property entry to enhance coverage and reach more potential buyers.
Search Property: Entries are collated by NetMovers, using details from estate agent outlets across the UK and worldwide. Our long-term goal is to deliver unsurpassed access to property information. These details are fed into our system by third parties.
NetMovers does not scrape for information, although we are aware that some third parties, which feed into our service, do.
EAT: Do you think it is right that these properties are appearing online when neither the agent nor vendor knows about it?
RJ: All these property details are in the public domain; more importantly, they are in the public domain in order to attract a buyer or a tenant. Displaying properties for sale or rent is a service that we provide 100% free of charge to the agent.
From the standpoint of a vendor, I would appreciate that I am getting assistance with the marketing of my property and if I was an agent I would be happy with the reduced marketing costs. Taking advantage of NetMovers is a win-win situation.
Now, I am aware of some possible issues, such as out of date listings, which is a problem shared by all property aggregators, and was one of our motivations to set up the Relocation Service; this means that by making a phone call to NetMovers, buyers and tenants can receive real human help with their search for a new home.
EAT: If I were to email NetMovers, or call, about a particular property listed by NetMovers on Google Maps, I understand you would pass the lead through to the agent. But what would you do with my details? This is bearing in mind that I am told you sell leads for mortgages, conveyancing, etc.
RJ: Our handling of information is in accordance with the Data Protection Act; but it is not our company philosophy to sell mass leads. No individual’s information is given to a third party without their consent through our Relocation Service.
Our Relocation Service grew out of a shift in focus from vendor to purchaser or tenant. Making public domain information more widely available and offering relevant support services makes absolute sense from a customer point of view – and this is why we are here.
For example, NetMovers understands that by supplying a high quality of service to our users, we can assist them with many aspects of moving. For this we ask if we can refer them to an outside company, such as a removal firm, a conveyancing solicitor, and so on.
Another example is that one sticking point with property inquiries, which is consistently raised by both estate agents and vendors, is those that prove to be a waste of time.
The NetMovers Relocation Service ensures a client is in a position to buy prior to passing the enquiry on, which is a service most beneficial to both our members and the agents. It is also where we extract our leads.
Finally, NetMovers is investing heavily in its platform and vast improvements to our system are constantly being worked on. Even the leading platforms display many properties that are out of date and our new systems will improve the performance and frequency of updated property listings.
I do believe property aggregator portals need clear regulatory guidance, mainly for the protection of the consumer. I have spoken to the Property Ombudsman’s office about the possibility of this.
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