Purplebricks yesterday denied rumours of a restructuring plan involving mass redundancies.
Following the move to a fully-employed model in its sales business last summer, Purplebricks announced yesterday that it will be replicating the changes within its lettings field team.
The online estate agency said the move will impact about 30 agents over the coming weeks as it looks to complete the transition to full employment across Purplebricks.
The benefits of the new operating model in lettings is expected to mirror those in sales where the move has been well received, resulting in an improved customer experience and better support for the field team, according to Tom Bailey, Purplebricks lettings director.
He said: “Lettings remains a crucial part of our growth ambitions. Moving to an employed field model will give us a strong platform for our growth and investment ambitions and I am excited to lead the Purplebricks lettings team in the next phase of its growth.”
But EYE was told yesterday by a credible source that Purplebricks’ lettings division will now only focus on London, Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham, with agents in other parts of the UK set to be made redundant.
However, a Purplebricks spokesperson branded the redundancy rumours irresponsible because they are unfounded.
The spokesperson told EYE: “There will be no redundancies at all – including in the field, as our current lettings agents are all currently self-employed.
“We will continue to service our existing property portfolio right across the UK but our growth plans will be focused on these four cities [London, Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham] and therefore the employed positions we’re creating in lettings will also be in these four areas.
“In areas where there won’t be employed roles in lettings, we will be talking to people about opportunities in other areas of Purplebricks such central operations and positions in our sales business.”
So if I have this correct, “we are not making anyone redundant in redundant areas to us, we are merely offering them different work in different areas of the country, or else they will be..?”
I wonder if they’ll update *that* page yet. Probably not.
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The spokesperson told EYE: “There will be no redundancies at all – including in the field, as our current lettings agents are all currently self-employed.
“We will continue to service our existing property portfolio right across the UK but our growth plans will be focused on these four cities [London, Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham] and therefore the employed positions we’re creating in lettings will also be in these four areas.
“In areas where there won’t be employed roles in lettings, we will be talking to people about opportunities in other areas of Purplebricks such central operations and positions in our sales business.”
Semantics; sounds like redundancy to me. If an LPE (lettings) can’t work in one of those fours cities, then they go into ‘consultation’, right? If they decide they can’t or won’t accept a different job role within PB, are they being let go?
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Oddly enough I was ta;king to a guy I work with today who is about to sell his house.
Said he was going on with PB.
I advised that the service was not the best and they were in a bit of poo financially.
His reaction is he knows it is a gamble but he is going on the market at a sensible price in a buoyant market so he is prepared to take that gamble.
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Sadly, some people can’t be told, and think estate agency is sticking a property advert online and waiting for the phone to ring. Yes there are rubbish agents who do exactly that, but a good agent is invested in getting the best price from the best buyer. This can be a difference of tens-of-thousands of pounds. PB get paid simply for listing a property, whether they sell the property or not, which is why they are cheap.
You know this anyway – and for some homeowners it will work out alright with PB. Just not for the majority of sellers, in my opinion.
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I agree to an extent but I do know 2 people who have sold via PB at asking price as advised by other agents
In an easy market I can see why people take the gamble
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The sooner Purple ‘P…..s’ call it a day the better for every home owner, landlord, and property professional. It’s another toxic Bruce train crash , – how boomin’ predictable.
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