Site review: property search engine Globrix
Launched earlier this year, Globrix is a property search engine which claims to have nearly every property on the market in the UK listed on its site.
Rather than charging estate agents a fee, as sites like Rightmove do, Globrix scrapes listings from estate agents' websites, hoping to make the site more comprehensive than its rivals.
Nestoria launches OpenStreetMap-backed search engine
Property search engine Nestoria has launched a new version of its site that only displays maps from community geodata project OpenStreetMap (OSM).
The move – a sign of the growing potential of the open source mapping tool - means Nestoria users can view charts from OSM or existing provider Google when searching for properties in the UK and Spain.
Email Marketing: Making Bacn not Spam
Dela Quist looks at why 40% of subscribers to an email database may not open a single message they are sent for six months or more.
He says this is not necessarily a bad thing as they are ‘unemotionally subscribed’ – they still want to receive messages from you but are not in a position to take up your offer today.
Rightmove revamps site as competition increases
Property website Rightmove has unveiled a revamped version of its site, with a new look and feel as well as improved navigation.
Online ad spending up 40%, overtakes direct mail
The IAB’s online ad spending figures for the first half of the year are out, and show a gain of 41.3% to a half-year record of £1.33bn.
Online now accounts for just under 15% of the total ad market in the UK and could reach £2.75bn this year, according to the group.
It passed £2bn for the first time last year.
Tesco's online empire expands with clothing move
Yesterday’s papers were full of talk about plans by Tesco to grow its online empire and cause even larger headaches for online retailers in the UK.
Both the Observer and Mail on Sunday report that the supermarket giant is set to announce its long-anticipated move into the online clothing sector – one it has been planning since last year.
Is Zillow.com the new Boo.com?
Disruptive US-based real estate aggregator Zillow continues to confound and amaze with the news that it has raised another $30m, taking its total fundraising to a staggering $87m.
Yep, $87m. I normally turn instantly prickly when I hear the phrase ‘Bubble 2.0’, but I may have to revise my view slightly. I'd hate for Zillow to be burning cash at a rate not seen since the heady days of Boo.com.
Yet in this day and age $87m is a fortune. Internet businesses just don’t need that kind of money to put themselves on the map. Or do they?
Tesco's online property partner pulls out
A major estate agency partner has pulled out of Tesco's newly launched property website, concerned that Tesco's practice of listing private seller's homes for £199 conflicts with its own business.
Tesco moving into the online property market
Supermarket giant Tesco is planning to provide a website for private sellers to list their property for sale without the need for an estate agent.
According to the Telegraph, private sellers will be able to list their houses for £199, with viewings and offers arranged through the site. Customers will also get a Tesco 'for sale' sign.
Blockhunter matches homebuyers and sellers
Blockhunter is a recently launched property site that, instead of listing a range of properties for sale, reverses the process and helps sellers find buyers looking for a home in a selected area.
Social media: the best and worst of 2009
Email marketing: six steps to improving customer engagement in 2010
Web 2.0
Graham Charlton
Strategy & Planning
