Estate agents must take ownership of their marketing if they are to reduce their reliance on property portals like Rightmove and Zoopla, according to Ian Macbeth (main poicture), managing partner at Avocado Property.
Speaking candidly, Macbeth warned that the industry has become dangerously dependent on portals for leads, with many firms ill-prepared should that tap be turned off.
Macbeth believes too many agents treat buyer enquiries as one-off transactions, discarding leads if a property is sold – a short-term mindset that undermines future growth.
“The harsh truth is most agents wouldn’t survive a single week if Rightmove pulled the plug,” he says. “They don’t run targeted campaigns, nurture CRM databases, or drive traffic to their own websites.”
SELF-SUFFICIENT MARKETING
In contrast, Avocado has spent five years developing its #BeatthePortals campaign, designed to build a self-sufficient marketing ecosystem.
Every property is marketed independently for four days before going live on portals, supported by teaser videos, CRM email drops, and live launches on social media.
The results are notable with 19% of sales agreed before portal launch.
Website traffic is also up 226% year-on-year while CRM-driven viewings rose to 29% in Q1 2025, up from 23% in 2024.
Macbeth adds: “This isn’t about ditching portals. It’s about regaining control. If agents reinvested even half their portal spend into strategic content and CRM infrastructure, they’d not only save money – they’d build resilience.”
Macbeth says Avocado now generates around 150 valuation leads a month through its own campaigns – not portals.
“We’re not just attracting traffic – we’re building trust. That’s the difference. That’s the future.”
