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http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/zpg-signs-up-four-major-estate-agencies-to-new-multi-year-agreements/

Zoopla has added to its stable of agency software with the announcement to the stock exchange this morning that ZPG has acquired Expert Agent. The price was not disclosed. The purchase follows the announcement on January 31 that ZPG was in negotiations on a potential further acquisition. Expert Agent is claimed to be the “most widely used” estate agency software in the industry, used by around 2,300 branches. Today ZPG said that there was a “strong fit” with the company’s overall mission and strategy to offer the UK’s most comprehensive products. Established in 2003, Expert Agent was the first UK provider to take estate and letting agency software online and provides fully cloud-based software solutions and essential systems for the day-to-day management of inventory, marketing and communications for estate agents and lettings agents across the UK. The acquisition of Expert Agent was described as part of ZPG’s continuing mission to provide the most useful resources to and be the most effective partner for UK property professionals. Expert Agent has a strong track record and experienced management team with deep knowledge of UK property and software markets. Expert Agent will continue to operate as a standalone platform and brand and the team will become an integral part of the Property Services division of ZPG. Mark Goddard, managing director, ZPG Property Services, said: “This acquisition helps us continue to enhance the services we offer to UK property professionals, including software and CRM, digital marketing and data insight tool. “We will integrate our MoveIT and MyPropertyFile products into the Expert Agent platform in time to provide its members with a range of new revenue opportunities. “Our ambition is to be the most effective partner to the UK property industry and this deal is another step towards that goal. We look forward to welcoming Mike and his team to the ZPG family.” Mike Griffiths, managing director at Expert Agent, added: “We have known the ZPG team for many years and the combination with Expert Agent will be a clear win for UK agents. “Whilst remaining an independent solution, we will now be able to take Expert Agent to the next level with the backing of ZPG by integrating its existing products and investing further in the platform to ensure our members benefit from an end-to-end marketing and software solution.” Just under a year ago – last April – Griffiths spoke out after Zoopla’s acquisition of the Property Software Group, saying that many independent agents would “want to stay with an independent software provider”. He claimed that after he sold GMW Systems, his previous estate agency software business, to the Assertahome portal in 2000, “independent agents saw through it and were not prepared to give a ‘big brother’ corporate access to their client d

Estate Agent Today has been told that a deal between the Property Franchise Group and ZPG - the new name for the Zoopla Property Group - means 100-plus branches are to return to listing on Zoopla and PrimeLocation portals in the near future. The portal company has signed a long-term marketing and software deal with the Property Franchise Group, which covers hybrid EweMove and the high street agencies Martin & Co., CJ Hole, Ellis & Co., Parkers and Whitegates. This totals some 400 offices across the country and ZPG says it expects 100-plus of them to return to Zoopla in the next few weeks. As part of the deal, the Property Franchise Group has also extended its agreement to use Jupix, the ZPG-owned software platform, for a further three years in its Martin & Co business. “This deal allows [our franchisees] to list on attractive terms on the UK’s number two and number three most-visited portals to ensure their customers get the widest possible exposure for their properties and we are looking to ensure that the majority of our franchisees select ZPG as their core marketing partner for 2017 and beyond” says Ian Wilson, chief executive efficer of the Property Franchise Group says. In a statement announcing the deal, Martin & Co’s Exeter managing director Christopher Perring says: "In December we made the decision to move away from OnTheMarket after poor lead levels and a lack of external marketing ... We re-joined Zoopla and in the first week received more leads across our sales and lettings departments than we had done from OTM in a whole month." https://www.estateagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2017/2/100-plus-branches-to-return-to-zoopla-in-new-franchise-deal

Zoopla is now called ZPG.

From Reuters: "Jefferies says for the third time in a row, Zoopla has made the right move with respect to acquisitions (also bought uSwitch (market leading Price Comparison website) and PSG (market leading property software group)".