Online lettings business OpenRent has reported a record start to 2013, with 650 new properties listed in January and over 11,000 viewings booked.
Co-founder Adam Hyslop said: “With landlords and tenants keen to reduce the costs associated with letting and renting, our easy to use offering with straightforward pricing is clearly meeting a need.”
OpenRent has also announced appointing former Digital Property Group marketing director Sheraz Dar to the board. Dar, who led the FindaProperty and PrimeLocation brands, joins as a non-executive director.
OpenRent, which says that 100% of the properties on its site are guaranteed available, bans agent/admin fees. Its price of £20 per property (the first is free) includes advertising on all the main portals plus referencing, contracts and deposit administration.
Comments
@ Michael
To be honest we do that too Michael, but only because when you're lisitng 500 or so vacant units it's easier to just wipe your exisiting Rightmove feed on a daily basis and bulk upload them again. This means you don't have manaully change anything on rightmove and ensures you haven't overlooked any amendments to the data.
They charge £40 including reference & VAT.........My Unit cost to Rightmove and my referencing Company is £35 including VAT. Based on their new clients gross profit in January around £3000/mth. However to date £0 because first listing is free.
If Sheraz Dar has been instramental in this business model perhaps this explains the demise of the FindaProperty and PrimeLocation brands
This is the same OpenRent that listed 1 supposedly NEW property on Rightmove in our area for about 10 days consecutively... constantly removing it and re-submitting it day after day so it looked like a new property! Anyone can massage figures doing that but the public aren't fools and will spot this and know what they're up to!