Paging through this weeks property paper, it seems we’re yet again in the season for selective language used by some advertisers to “educate”, “inform” or simply blatantly sell their services. Some prime examples below of the latest spin plucked from the pages of the Chronicle;
“Many agents rely on just one website…” – Really? I can’t think of a single estate agent in this area who doesn’t have both their own site and subscriptions to Rightmove (and then either Zoopla or OnTheMarket). Most will have further ancillary advertising on smaller websites and web directories (and possibly even social media). This statement is made even worse as it is followed by the promise the advertiser in question is capable (by advertising on two property portals) of “reaching 1000’s of extra buyers”
“Surveyors use our data as a reference because of our knowledge” – Come on, pull the other one! Surveyors use whatever property data they can get their hands on, whether directly from property portals, Land Registry or estate agents. Any surveyor worth their salt will of course ask the selling agent to provide comparable evidence of similar sales as part of their research process but don’t put yourself on a pedestal because they did.
“Short term apathy hits the Bath property market” – No, based on the property stock figures you’ve conveniently quoted from December, the headline should read “Christmas, as usual, meant lots of people temporarily stopped buying and selling houses”
“We will market your property with the strongest online exposure” – Yes, if you’re using all the main property portals plus local websites plus Facebook and Twitter plus a properly optimised agent website. Oh wait, but you’re not doing all of those are you? In fact, is this just a thinly veiled dig at your competitors that ditched Zoopla and Primelocation for OnTheMarket?
