Rentright is a Lettings only portal that has chosen to stay with the method of their customers paying a set monthly amount each month for advertising, rather than on a pay per lead basis.
Websites such as Zoopla, who have bought out propertyfinder.com, have chosen the pay per lead basis as has the newer website propertyindex.com. Both sites charge £1 per lead and around £3/£4 per Landlord/Vendor enquiry. It will be interesting to see what happens with the newly acquired propertyfinder.com pricing module. Given that zoopla claim the pay per lead is the way forward, one could assume that propertyfinder.com’s pricing will change. It remains to be seen.
Anyway, which is right and which is wrong? Who are we to judge? However, we at Rentright, have been around Southampton and Portsmouth this week getting the word on the street from both existing and new customers. Very definitely the feedback, all bar one person was that a set monthly amount is much better as it allows an agent to budget their marketing spend annually. Given trying times this seems the most effective option. The one agent who seemed happy with the idea was asked “why do you feel differently to others we have asked” – response being: “I have not had a lead yet, it has cost me nothing, so I can not say”. Interesting stuff?
The main feedback has been as to how you quantify a lead. Is it a specific viewing request, more information required, or a non specific “I’m looking to Rent in Portsmouth, I’m looking to Rent in Southampton?”
Some agents have even suggested that some of the more unscrupulous counterparts would send dodgy emails to the competition. However I have been reassured there are measures in place to contest any discrepancy in charging. All well and good, but here at Rentright we feel that our time money and effort is better spent in genuine customer service, rather than arguing with an agent what is a lead or not a lead. It also helps keep our membership costs at an extremely affordable level.
As we are active in SEO, we have no need for pay per click and neither do we have a need for pay per lead.
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