Selling property privately online has again caused controversy amongst estate agents in the UK not happy with the competition offered by online property website at Tescopropertymarket.com
Unlike the US where realtors work in competition with for sale by owner websites UK estate agents have a virtual online monopoly with all the UK’s major portals refusing to list properties sold directly by the owners. The big four UK property websites include www.rightmove.co.uk, www.propertyfinder.com www.findaproperty.com and www.primelocation.com
Tesco’s property website has featured estate agents properties on the new ‘for sale by owner’ property website and have been threatened with legal action.
Qamer Ghafoor, a partner at Flint Bishops, solicitors for Hannells, said that he had written to Tesco on Wednesday threatening the retailer with an injunction unless it removed Hannells’ property details. The threat was accompanied by a demand for damages and costs. Tesco removed the Hannells properties on Thursday “but has not admitted liability”, Mr Ghafoor said.
A letter sent yesterday to Tesco’s City solicitors Berwin Leighton Paisner demands legal costs and an undertaking that Tesco will not repost Hannells properties.
This week Spicerhaart, one of London and the South East’s largest agency groups and a member of the fish4homes network, pulled all online advertising of its housing stock from tescopropertymarket.com over concerns that the site was indeed aimed at those selling homes privately
Meanwhile those determined to try and save money by selling UK property online have a choice of private sale websites a Google search for ‘Sell Property online’ reveals the top five websites as www.homesonsale.co.uk , www.houseweb.co.uk , www.housenetwork.co.uk, www.mypropertyforsale.co.uk and www.homesgofast.com/sell_my_home.php
Supermarket chain Asda was the first supermarket in the UK to branch out into the property market with its own home selling service. Their groundbreaking scheme allows shoppers to look for a new home while they buy their weekly groceries. The supermarket is charging people 1 per cent commission to sell their home, half the 2 per cent average fee charged by an estate agent.
