Purplebricks Review [Updated 2022] – As one of the best-known and largest online estate agents, Purplebricks have been in and out of the news for both good and bad.
They also have deep pockets with popular TV campaigns and even a sponsorship of the olympics Team GB.
They are a real mixed bag, with people seeming to either love or hate them, so let’s take a closer look at what they offer.
At A Glance:
They are all over the TV and news sites for both good and bad reasons, that makes Purplebricks (all one word, not ‘Purple Bricks’ as some people think!) a difficult one to judge.
Here’s how they perform in the most important areas:
- Potential to save you thousands over high street agents
- Open 24/7 with full online account management
- Additional fees to pay if you don’t use their conveyancing service
- 95% of their customers rated them as ‘Great’ or ‘Excellent’
- Hosted viewings package available for an extra £300
Perhaps a stand-out feature is that they now offer a money-back guarantee if you don’t sell.
This is a strong offer, and we can see why it’s tempting. However, be aware that to qualify, you have to go for 10 months without recieving an offer that is at least 90% of the asking price.
That means it’s not a true ‘if you don’t sell, we’ll give you your money back’ offer.
We’d argue if your property is priced fairly, it’s highly unlikely you’ll qualify for your money-back. However, it may give you the peace of mind you need.
They may be the largest online estate agent but there are some definite red flags appearing about their service already, especially around the ‘hidden fees’. Let’s look at Purplebricks a little closer…
How Do Purplebricks Compare To Other Estate Agents?
With over 27,000 estate agents in the UK alone there’s plenty of choice for those looking to buy or sell property. To find the best one to suit your needs you will need to check out what’s on offer. Let’s take a look at one of industry leaders, Purplebricks, and see how it fares against a few of the others.
Purplebricks vs Yopa
There has been some disquiet over Purplebricks insistence that customers should use the conveyancing service they promote and recommend, and this has led to some unfavourable feedback regarding fees.
Does that open the door for Yopa? Well, price-wise Yopa and Purplebricks are fairly similar -charging a set price of £300 for an unlimited number of hosted viewings.
However, Yopa do not impel customers to use a particular conveyancing service, and feedback wise, they tend to come out slightly ahead. There’s also the fact that Purplebricks shy away from offering “no sale, no fee,” Yopa, on the other hand, actively promote this option.
Purplebricks vs Strike
You might think they are relatively new to the market, but online estate agent Strike used to go by the name of Housesimple, and already have plenty of experience in the field. Although, when it comes down to it Purplebricks has the bigger following, and is more well-known.
When it comes to fees it looks as though Strike is hard to beat, as it’s “free” to use. So, you won’t be strong-armed into paying conveyancing fees, whereas Purplebricks will ask you to do this if you are choosing their buy now and pay later option.
That said, there are a few things you will have to pay out for if you go for Strike. For instance, you will have to fork out £699 for unlimited hosted viewings. With Purplebricks, you can enjoy the same service for £300. Both companies do provide you with a for sale board and you receive the same dedicated level of round-the-clock customer support should you need it.
You should also take into account the fact that Strike only offers in-person valuations in certain areas, however, aside from this, we think they offer a pretty sound service and you could save yourself paying over the odds if you go for this agency.
Purplebricks Vs Emoov
Billed as a “fixed-fee hybrid estate agent that helps people sell their home with total transparency” Emoov recently received a makeover and is now under new ownership.
Sitting somewhere between an online estate agent and a conventional high-street agency, Emoov ask for a fixed payment in advance and then take a percentage of the price once the sale has gone through.
When it comes to overall cost Emoov is cheaper on properties worth less than £150,000 whereas Purplebricks is cheaper on higher value properties – but you have to pay the full amount upfront.
We also note that Emoov (just like Yopa and Strike) won’t call on you to use their preferred conveyancing service – which certainly gives them an edge over Purplebricks.
Want to find out more? Take a look at our full comparison – Purplebricks vs Emoov.
Purplebricks vs Other Online Estate Agents
We’ve compared Purplebricks to Yopa, Strike and Emoov, but there are plenty of other estate agencies out there to consider. Purplebricks has the advantage of being a big player, and if you aren’t fussed about having a no sale, no fee option, they might just suit your needs.
If you choose to go with Purplebricks you will benefit from having the pull of a large and well-known brand. You will also be able to enjoy comprehensive customer support from a proficient team.
However, you will have to put up with the conveyancing costs associated with opting for Purplebricks. Online estate agents offer affordable fees in the main, but you should still shop around.
Purplebricks carry out viewings with the assistance of local property experts, so you may have to pay more than other online agencies for this privilege.
Purplebricks vs High Street Estate Agents
When it comes to Purplebricks vs high street agencies the one thing that jumps out immediately is the price. High street agencies charge more, although many are adapting prices to compete with the online players.
However, there aren’t many high street agencies offering the convenience of paying an upfront fee. What you do get from the high street is that personal touch you might not quite be able to replicate when speaking to online agencies such as Purplebricks.
How Much Does Purplebricks Cost?
Purplebricks offer a fixed-fee package at £999 (or £1,499 for London properties) which is fairly priced compared to other agents. For this, you get:
- Professional photography
- Floorplans
- Listings on Rightmove, Zoopla, and more
- Photobooks for sharing on social media
- Dedicated local expert
- Management of all viewings
- Online viewing schedule
- Offer negotiation service
- Personal support through to completion
- Online platform to manage everything
This is a pretty standard package that you’ll get with most online estate agents.
Unfortunately, Purplebricks also do not offer a ‘No Sale, No Fee’ service. There is the option to pay on completion, but if after 10 months you still haven’t sold, the fee will still be payable. That means there is an element of risk when using Purplebricks service.
However, the new money-back guarantee that’s included does help alleviate this problem a little. Though it’s still based on receiving an offer of at least 90% of the asking price rather than successfully selling your home.
Purplebricks don’t often issue coupon codes to help make their service cheaper, but when they do you’ll find it on our Purplebricks voucher code page.
Purplebricks Add-Ons:
When we conducted our Purplebricks review, we found that the prices for add-ons were not very transparent. Most other online estate agents publish the prices of the extra services clearly, Purplebricks do not.
Other than a fleeting mention that their viewings service costs £300, and an FAQ that states a replacement ‘For Sale’ board costs £60 plus VAT, we couldn’t find any clear information as to what additional services you can purchase and how much they cost.
This lack of transparency is certainly a little concerning but doesn’t automatically make them a bad estate agent.
How Selling With Purplebricks Works:
Like most other online estate agents, Purplebricks offer a free valuation service. In fact, although it’s possible to use Purplebricks without first booking a valuation, you’ll find it hard to work out how to do it on their website.
As Purplebricks do not offer a ‘no sale, no fee’ option you’ll need to either pay the full cost up-front or take advantage of their buy now, pay later option. This essentially means you don’t pay anything until the property is either sold, or 10 months have passed, whichever comes first.
Be aware though that you’ll need to use Purplebricks recommended conveyancing service to remain eligible for the buy now, pay later option.
When you instruct Purplebricks, a local property expert will visit you and your property to take photographs, create a floorplan and carry out an EPC if needed. From there, they’ll create your property listing and send it through to you for approval. As soon as you approve the advert, your property will be listed on Rightmove and the other portals.
Like with many agents, Purplebricks allow you to manage all of your viewings, feedback and offers through an online portal. This is great for keeping track of everything.
How Accurate Are Purplebrick’s Valuations?
There’s a debate as to whether online estate agents can offer the same local expertise as their high-street counterparts. However, Purplebricks offer valuations in person.
This means a property expert will visit your home to take a proper look around (although in light of the recent pandemic there’s also an option to have this done via a video call app). Following this, Purplebricks will provide a full valuation report so you can make an informed choice.
How Long Does It Take To Sell A Property With Purplebricks?
This one is tricky to answer! Property sales depend on a multitude of factors, from the current economic climate to where the property is located and the condition its currently in. Purplebricks state on their own website:
“The average time nationwide is just under six weeks. This is far quicker than a year ago when the average was almost nine weeks.”
Is Purplebricks Really Cheaper?
A lot has been made of the fact that Purplebricks is a cheaper way to sell your home. However, this entirely depends on what you’re comparing them against.
If comparing them to a traditional high street estate agent (where your bill is likely to run into the thousands), then yes, they offer a cheaper way to sell your property.
However, if you’re comparing them to other online estate agents you’ll find they are at best on-par with the other leading contenders (e.g. Yopa). Yet, they are also a lot more expensive than several other leading online agents (e.g. Strike who can sell your home for free!).
Any Purplebricks Bad Reviews To Be Aware Of?
As with any business, it’s rare to achieve glowing reviews across the board. Purplebricks gets its fair share of positive and negative feedback. Ratings seem to vary depending which customer review site you look at.
It’s fair to say Purplebricks can’t sell every house they advertise, and that some of the negativity stems from frustrated vendors who find themselves saddled with a home they are struggling to sell.
However, customers have been irritated by the conveyancing fees that they have been hit with and don’t always describe Purplebricks as pro-active enough in the way they conduct their service.
That said, Purplebricks has benefitted from a robust advertising campaign, and is recognised as a steadfast agency that everyone knows. This draw may be enough for some to put aside their qualms and sign up with Purplebricks.
So, Is Purplebricks Any Good?
Our Purplebricks review has found that this is probably the largest of all of the online estate agents and by some distance too. That means you’ll see lots of their ‘For Sale’ boards around and plenty of their advertising, particularly on TV.
The advantage of using an online estate agent with a recognisable brand is an increase in trust and awareness from potential buyers. This isn’t something you’ll always get when using lesser-known estate agents, especially those not advertising much.
We have also found that Purplebricks offer a fairly priced service that includes most of the same things as comparable online estate agents. Therefore, from a value for money point of view, there is plenty to like.
Our Purplebricks review has also uncovered a raft of positive reviews on TrustPilot, including plenty from people who appear to have successfully sold their property which is always a good sign.
Negatives Of Purplebricks:
One obvious negative is the lack of a ‘No Sale, No Fee’ option. This is negated partly by the ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ option but this does mean you have to use Purplebricks conveyancing service if you want to take advantage of it which takes off any shine it offered.
There are also concerns over a lack of transparency, with their website making it difficult to find any prices for the additional services that may be required such as an EPC or premium listing upgrade.
Talking of their website, it’s a really smooth looking website with lots of large colourful imagery. However, it feels like they have gone for looks over functionality as some aspects of the site are quite hard to use. If this is reflected in the listing management area it could make it a headache to manage your sale.
Finally, while there are plenty of positive reviews on TrustPilot, there are also lots of negative reviews scattered around the Internet. Another popular review site, AllAgents, for example, has 94 user reviews with an average rating of less than 2 out of 5.
It’s hard to say what the truth is about Purplebricks as there are so many conflicting reviews. However, there is certainly enough negativity out there to raise some serious doubts about their service. For that reason, we cannot yet give them our full backing.
Do I Need A Solicitor With Purplebricks?
When buying or selling any property, you’ll need to hire a conveyancing solicitor to handle the legal side.
While you can technically do the legal work yourself, it is not recommended unless you have previous experience.
As with any estate agent, you can either choose to find your own solicitor or you can hire the ones recommended by the estate agent.
Just keep in mind that Purplebricks, like all estate agents, will receive commission if you choose the ones they recommend. This means you may not always get a personalised recommendation on what is best for you.
Purplebricks On Watchdog:
In August 2017, Purplebricks appeared on the BBC TV show Watchdog. The accusations revolved around several allegations of misleading advertising.
In fact, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) have already banned several of the claims that Purplebricks have made.
During the programme there is an interview with a very nervous-looking Michael Bruce, one of the founders of the Purplebricks online estate agency.
Whether those detectable nerves are because there are foundations to the complaints, or whether they were just down to a lack of experience of Mr Bruce, it’s hard to say.
We suggest you watch the video above of Purplebricks on Watchdog and make your own mind up.
A Short History Of Purplebricks:
Purplebricks was founded back in 2012 by brothers Michael and Kenny Bruce alongside David Shepherd. The brothers had sold their successful midlands estate agency Burchell Edwards the previous year and saw online as the future of estate agency.
Through an aggressive advertising campaign and the financial backing of several serial entrepreneurs such as Neil Woodford and Paul Pindar, Purplebricks have established themselves as the largest online estate agent in the UK. In fact, they are estimated to have a 60% share of the market.
More recently, Purplebricks ended a failed attempt to get into the US market and have been on the wrong end of several rumours about their profitability and the security of their future.
For all the advertising campaigns and the number of customers they’ve secured, they still appear to be a business fighting to survive.
Purplebricks Review – Summary:
Overall then, our Purplebricks review has found that while they may be the market leaders, there are plenty of questions about the kind of company they are.
There are wildly varying reviews from customers, and some debate as to whether Purplebricks are being unfairly targeted by fake negative reviews, or whether they are unfairly incentivising customers to leave positive reviews.
Whatever the truth is, any company that has featured on BBCs Watchdog programme should be treated with an element of suspicion until all guilt has been disproven.
There are also some worrying signs around the future security of the company as their share priced has drastically fallen in the past few years.
For that reason, we don’t think Purplebricks is probably as bad as some people make out, but there are still enough questions about them to make us hesitant to recommend them.
