Purplebricks Review - Are They Any Good? (2023)

Although online agents have been around in the UK for some time now and claim to be the largest online estate agent. Not many people have had the opportunity to work with them, so knowing whether or not they are any good requires a little more research.

What many people do not first realize is that the service offered by an online real estate agent is very different from that provided by a high street real estate agent or a local agent. So will you get the same service with purple bricks as traditional real estate agents? Most online agents offer a reduced service and Purplebricks is no different. They'll set up an online ad for you on two of the major real estate portals (Rightmove and Zoopla) and then leave much of the selling process up to you.

Some people find this to be a good option: you pay a lower rate and don't have to deal with any real estate agents. However, if you expect a level of support from a real estate agent or are inexperienced in selling a property, the Purplebricks experience may be disappointing. You may even find that paying around £2,000 to get such a small service makes online estate agents poor value for money.

Below we've outlined how Purplebricks works, including how much they charge and some of the research we've done on home sales performance. We also looked at some of the customer reviews about this online real estate agent.

We hope this information gives you a more complete picture of the top-rated real estate agent and helps you decide if you're the best agent for the job.

How does Purple Bricks work?

Purplebricks is an online real estate agency (sometimes called a hybrid agent), which means their service differs from what you might expect from your standard real estate agent. Online agents take a more hands-on approach to selling, often selling on a preview service as an extra. The operation of Purplebricks when selling your house is usually the following:

1. Purplebricks will create an ad for you on Rightmove, Zoopla and on your own website and then let you take charge of the selling process.
2. They have an online platform, a UK call center and a network of "Local Property Specialists" who provide support through the process.
3. However, it is important to remember that a local real estate specialist is not the same as a local agent,Nothey are a real estate agent.
4. These 'experts' often cover large 'local' areas and multiple sales at the same time.
5. They will be available for minor inquiries, but will not carry out your sale as a commercial agent would.

So how much does Purplebricks charge?

Purplebricks Rates

There are two main Purplebricks rates and pricing options:

1. Pay now
2. pay later

Purplebricks is now also offering a free sale with their money back guarantee. Purplebricks charges different rates depending on whether you are in or out of London. Both options are flat fee, which means they don't charge a percentage of your home's sales price, so they're not dependent on the sales price. In a mid-priced British property, this fee works likeabout 0.5%compared to traditional agent fee structures. Again, it differs if you are in or out of London. Their rates work as follows:

• Purplebricks Fee (within London) -£ 1.499 (0,43%)
• Taxa Purplebricks (outside London) -£ 999 (0,6%)

Purplebricks places a lot of emphasis in their advertising on being an affordable and effective alternative to high street real estate agents.

However, the most popular online agent has repeatedly gotten into trouble with the Advertising Standards Agency for being misleading about its rate packages:even on your own website.So we've done the legwork for you, detailing each of your home's seller packages. Purplebricks now offers a money back guaranteewhat we analyze here.

pay now prices

out of london

• Title price:£999 (including VAT)
• What is included:Photography and floor plan, UK based support team, listed on Rightmove, Zoopla and Purplebricks and a "local property specialist".

London and surroundings

• Title price:£1,499 (VAT included)
• What is included:Photography and floor plan, UK based support team, listed on Rightmove, Zoopla and Purplebricks and a "local property specialist".

late payment prices

The ASA's most recent complaint about Purplebricks is about the following claim on their website: sellers can 'pay when you tell us or up to 10 months after the ad is posted...(no extra charge)'. The ASA found this misleading because Purplebricks' deferred payment options come with conditions that mean the seller of the home cannotyou actually end up having to pay more.

Below we've outlined the fees Purplebricks charges and what you should expect to include if you choose the deferred payment option.

Price outside of London

• Title price:£999 + cost of partner transfer company OR £360 admin fee
• What is included:Photograph and floor plan, UK based support team, listed on Rightmove, Zoopla and Purplebricks, a 'local property specialist'.
• Additional conditions:You will need to decide whether you want to work with Purplebricks' partner property transfer service or pay a £360 administration fee and work with your own legal representative.

Price in London and surroundings

• Title price:£1,499 + partner transfer company cost OR £360 admin fee
• What is included:Photograph and floor plan, UK based support team, listed on Rightmove, Zoopla and Purplebricks, a 'local property specialist'.
• Additional conditions:You will need to decide whether you want to work with Purplebricks' partner property transfer service or pay a £360 administration fee and work with your own legal representative.

Not included in the title fee:

Hosted Views:

• £300 outside of London
• £399 in and around London)

Observation:Purplebricks' service agreement states that they reserve the right to withdraw supported viewing service at any time during the sale of your home. When making this decision, they will take into account the number of views they have already had and the comments they have received. Pursuant to this agreement, if Purplebricks decides to stop hosting your exhibits, you will not receive a refund.

CEP

Purplebricks charge £84 for an EPC, but you can get one for much cheaperhere.

Announcement Updates

• Premium listing on Rightmove £125 for 12 months
• Featured Ad on Rightmove £149 for 2 weeks

The Both for £249

The cost of a premium or featured listing will vary depending on the package your estate agent has with Rightmove, however some sources suggest the average fee is £10. That means Purplebricks is scoring a significant mark here.

The cost of the mandatory transfer service (only 'Pay Later' option):The amount varies depending on the type and location of the property you are selling.

For more information on Purplebricks streaming partner, seeour research here.

Can Purplebricks rates be negotiated?

No,you can't negotiatewith Purplebricks on his fee while working on afixed fee structure. They also do not offer coupons or discounts.

Do Purplebricks agents receive commission?

No, Purplebricks is commission free, as each customer pays a flat fee instead of a percentage of the final sale price. Critics argued that the zero agent commission results in agents completing transactions as quickly as possible, rather than finding the best available deal.

Can I use two real estate agents if I am selling with Purplebricks?

Yes, you can use Purplebricks and still use two or more real estate agents if you want. Selling with Purplebricks and another real estate agent is fine, as long as the additional real estate agent does not have a single agency agreement in their own deal and agency agreement. Purplebricks claims that they allow you to use additional agentson your own terms and conditions.

Do you still pay purplebricks if they don't sell?

If Purplebricks does not sell your property within 10 months, and a qualifying offer of 90% of the property's valuation has not been made, you do not have to pay them. In itPurplebricks Money Back GuaranteeStates:

'*Flat rate money back guarantee redeemable if no qualifying offer is made within 10 months. Qualified offers account for 90% of the property valuation provided.'

How do previews work with Purplebricks?

Purplebricks Standard Payment Plansdo not include assisted views. This means that unless you pay an extra £300 (or £399 in and around London) to have a home visit by an estate agent,you will have to organize the views yourself.

This system has its advantages and disadvantages. If you have enough free time (not working full time or working from home), it is possible to arrange home visits yourself. More often than not, you'll have to put the needs of the home viewer before your own, with multiple views a day to organize. Assisted views, on the other hand, take the stress out of organizing.

Unfortunately, Purplebricks' terms and conditions are at odds with that sentiment. As mentioned above, the Service Agreement states that Purplebricks reserves the right to withdraw the assisted viewing service at any time during the sale of the property. You will not receive a refund. In addition, if you wish to apply for the money back guarantee, you cannot refuse any home visit arranged by Purplebricks LPE.

In summary, if you are selling with Purplebricks:

• You will need to organize hearings yourself if you have not chosen the Assisted Hearings package.
• This is an additional cost of £300 to £399 depending on your location.
• Purplebricks may withdraw its viewing service at any time.
• You must accept all previews that Purplebricks sends you or you will not qualify for the money back guarantee.

Purplebricks shoot photos?

Yes, Purplebricks takes photos of your property. This is taken into account in the Pay Now and Pay Later payment options and is included in the cost.

Does Purplebricks do reviews?

Yes, Purplebricks does free home appraisals. This, like most online agents, is included in their paid packages and as a stand-alone service.

Does Purplebricks overprice properties?

There hasn't been enough research on this to conclude whether or not Purplebricks overvalues ​​the properties. A Which.co.uk study found that Purplebricks undermined just 11% of the properties they reviewed. On the other hand, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence from appraisals to suggest that Purplebricks has a history of making inaccurate appraisals that can affect how you price your home to sell.

As we advise all home sellers, the best way to ensure a true valuation of your property is to compare the valuations of various real estate agents. You can do this using ourfree real estate agent comparison tool.

Does Purplebricks include transportation?

No, Purplebricks does not include ownership transfer in their standard "Pay Now" payment plan, but you can choose to add their recommended movers (Premier Property Solicitors) as an extra. However, if you choose the 'Pay Later' option, you will need to sign with the recommended carriers or risk paying a £360 administration fee to work with a legal representative of your choice.

Do I need my own lawyer in Purplebricks?

Although Purplebricks recommends its own transfer attorneys, you still have the option to choose your own. If you choose the 'Pay Later' plan, you'll need to pay a £360 administration fee to do so. Read our Purplebricks property transfer service review to find out if their lawyers are worth the money.

Are purple bricks good?

. So are purple bricks good? The answer depends on what you want from the sale of your property. Yes, Purplebricks can help you save money if he can sell your house for the right price. However, they lack services compared to traditional real estate agents. In our research, we found that Purplebricks had only sold around half of the properties it marketed.

Purple bricks are a good choice if…

• It's set up to handle most of the work (views, marketing).
• You are not satisfied with the service of your local agent
• You prefer a fixed fee structure and are willing to pay more for standard services

Purplebricks Reviews

Even with a quick Google search, you can see that many people have strong opinions about Purplebricks. In fact, they claim to be the UK's highest rated estate agency, with over74,000 opinions on Trustpilot.Taking a look at Purplebricks customer reviews is essential to deciding if they are suitable for your sale.

Many of these Purplebricks comments ontrusted pilotthey shine, although from time to time there are also very negative comments.

The positive reviews focus on the price and the efficiency of the online system. Many people are satisfied with the way their home is advertised and the ability to manage their portion of the sale online.

Where there are problems, they tend to revolve around serious communication problems. Complaints tend to revolve around difficulties with the online system and the lack of ability to get in touch with a real person. Many of them come from people trying to buy a property. Complaints about the company's legal partner also constantly arise.

See how long it should take to sell your home

The positive reviews of online real estate agents on Trustpilot contrast with the reviews onall agents, whose reviewers rate Purplebricks with just1.2 stars out of 5. Many complain about the customer service that Purplebricks provides. Others are disappointed by the lack of support they received in the sale and feel they have been abandoned after paying the fee.

Last year, Purplebricks asked Trustpilot to remove just under 1,000 of the 8,500 reviews it received for its real estate agency services. It is unclear how much this affected his ranking on the site.

• Trustpilot Purplebricks Review:4,5/5
• Review of Purplebricks from allAgents.co.uk:1.2/5
• Reviews.io Purplebricks Review Score:1.37/5
• Feefo Purplebricks Review Score:4,6/5

We gave Purplebricks aAverage rating 3/5based on reviews on the web.

Fake Purplebricks Reviews and All Agent Controversy

In 2017, Purplebricks was at the center of a controversy over "fake online reviews." After a series of negative reviews on Glasgow-based consumer review site 'allAgents.co.uk', Purplebricks threatened legal action if the negative reviews were not removed from the site. In response, the owners of allAgents accused the UK's largest online agency of "corporate bullying". Purplebricks was then suspended from the site in an attempt to avoid legal action.

Were the allAgents reviews fake?

It's hard to know for sure. AllAgents received negative news prior to the Purplebricks incident. They reportedly provided real estate agents with products that allowed them to manipulate valuations. However, the website took precautions against this behavior, stating:

“We have automated and manual authenticity checks, each reviewer's information is verified, and each review is moderated by a team of industry-experienced moderators before being published. On average, 1 in 5 reviews fail the moderation process and are not published on all agents.”

Purplebricks then stated that it had audited the reviews on the allAgents website and said that29% were fake, and other23%lacking enough details to decide. However, all the agents stated that their audit request was rejected. Director Martin McKenzie responded by saying: “We hope the (legal) fund will never be needed. However, until Purplebricks provides the results of its audit or agrees that these reviews are genuine, providing a commitment to allow us to continue hosting your reviews without fear of litigation, then it will have to exist. It's about so much more than all the agents, it's about free speech.

Purplebricks no Watchdog of BBC TV

In 2017, Purplebricks was featured as a featured business on the BBC's Watchdog TV show. The show allows viewers to file complaints with companies and investigate complaints against those companies.

The episode, which featured an exclusive interview with Purplebricks co-founder Michael Bruce, explored claims the online real estate agent had made in allegedly misleading ad campaigns. Highlights included:

Anecdotal evidence from several disgruntled Purplebricks customers

A client felt betrayed after receiving a loan from an unknown financial entity (Close Brothers), when he believed that the business was exclusively with Purplebricks. Another client claimed that the assigned LPE failed to inform him that the original buyer had been replaced by someone in a large property network. This caused the sale to fall through and the seller took the sale to a high street real estate agent.

The news that the ASA (Advertising Standards Agency) had banned six claims made by Purplebricks

At the time of the show's airing (2017), the ASA had banned six claims Purplebricks had made in its ad campaigns and website over the past 18 months. One inaccurate claim was that Purplebricks clients could save £4,158 compared to traditional estate agents. The ASA said these allegations could not be supported and were likely to be misleading.

Undercover investigation into regulations by local experts on Purplebricks property

Watchdog set up an undercover investigation into the work of the Purplebricks LPCs, in which six properties were used to conduct fake property valuations. Some experts have made exaggerated claims about their resumes. One expert said that he had already sold a very high number of properties in the previous months. On further investigation, Watchdog discovered that the specialist in question had sold less than half of the properties he claimed to have sold.

Notice:While the Watchdog episode was certainly enlightening, the episode aired almost five years ago, and Purplebricks has since made changes to address concerns explored in the show.

Is it worth using Purplebricks?

It's clear that opinion on customer service is divided about this online real estate agent. But what about the hard data about your performance? Do they do the job?

It is very difficult to obtain information on how many properties Purplebricks sells. Unlike other real estate agents, they are paid in advance, which means they don't usually keep a public record of their findings.are paid independently.

However, we were able to use our data analysis tools and our access to a variety of data sources, through property platforms and the UK Land Registry, to find out how many of the properties they put on the market actually they were completed in 12 months (which is much longer than the average time it takes to sell a home). We found that Purplebricks had only sold about half of the properties they were selling.

Only 50%.

But, home sellers who used Purplebrickshad to pay the full amount in advance. This means that if they were to switch to a different, more effective real estate agent, they would have to pay both the new agent who sold their house and Purplebricks.who didn't

A search on Estate Agent Today returned similar results. They discovered that Purplebricks had reformed£18 millionin 2019 of the rates of national sellers forproperties that ended up not being sold.

In terms of performance, it's not looking good for Purplebricks.

To learn more about our research on online estate agents, check out our guide.'Street agents vs online agents'.

Advantages of using Purplebricks

• low fixed rates: At first glance, Purplebricks' fees are cheaper than a broker's commission. You know exactly what you are paying for in this tiered system.
• clear payment plans: Their website makes it clear what you get in each paid package.
• assisted views: Unlike hiring a commercial agent, it is your choice to pay an additional fee for assisted viewings.
• more independence: Purplebricks hands-on approach may appeal to sellers who like more control over their home sales.

Disadvantages of using Purplebricks

• Independence comes at a cost: Ultimately, you probably don't have the same sales experience as a salesperson or agent. Managing the real estate sales process yourself and taking tours can put you at a disadvantage. You can get more money by using someone who has the right experience.
• The money-back guarantee has its flaws: In our review of Purplebricks' money-back guarantee, we concluded that the "no sale, no fee" system had a few issues. For example, you cannot refuse any visits to your home for the guarantee to be valid and you must allow Purplebricks at least 10 months to market your property.
• Local Property Specialists: Purplebricks LPEs may not be as experienced as your local agent as they cover larger areas. The local knowledge you get from a street agent is, for the most part, second to none. Local experience is very important.
• Pay more for standard services: You must pay for services that are normally included in street agent contracts (assisted previews, enhanced marketing).

Are Purplebricks cheaper than real estate agents?

Yes, Purplebricks may seem cheaper than a traditional real estate agent on the surface. Purplebricks is cheaper than most estate agents when it comes to their flat fee alone, but there are plenty of added extras as well. Research in Estate Agent Today also found that Purplebricks failed to sell around 50% of its properties in 2019. Although they now offer a money-back guarantee if they don't sell your property within 10 months, they are likely to be more successful. and sell your property for more using a high street real estate agent.

Alternativas a Purplebricks

Purplebricks vs other real estate agents online

Purplebricks vs street real estate agents

Conclusion

Given the difference in the amount charged, we cannot expect Purplebricks to provide the same level of service as a commercial agent. And, if you're happy to take on more of the work of the sale and aren't in a hurry to move, using Purplebricks might be a useful option to consider.

However, if you've never sold a property before and are looking for a little more support, the major brokers are likely to give you a much better result on your home sale. This tends to be true for other online real estate agents and hybrid real estate agents as well.

Anyway, our main advice isavoid the 'Pay Later' option.Choosing to pay in 10 months simply binds you to a variety of additional conditions that can make it difficult to be flexible with your sale. It can also make it even more expensive to terminate your contract with Purplebricks if you are one of the 50% of homes that don't sell using their services.

Purplebricks Contact Information

Here are the two easiest ways to contact Purplebricks:

ADDRESS:Purplebricks, Suite 7 Primer piso, Cranmore Place, Cranmore Drive, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands, B90 4RZ

Business hours:24/7 (online at purplebricks.co.uk)