Online agents have been around in the UK for a little while now - but with their still being fairly new, checking their credentials can involve a bit more digging. What many people don't first realise is that the service offered by online estate agents is very different to the service provided by high street agents, or local agents.

Purplebricks was once considered the largest online estate agent in England. Will you get the same service with Purplebricks as traditional estate agents?

Overview

Most online agents offer a pared back service, and Purplebricks is no different. They set you up with an online advert on two of the major property portals (Rightmove and Zoopla), and then leave much of the selling process up to you.

Some people think this is a good option - you pay a lower fee, and don't have to deal with any estate agents. However, if you’re expecting an estate agent level of support, or have no experience selling a property, the Purplebricks experience can be disappointing. You may even find that paying close to £2,000 to get such a reduced service, makes online estate agents poor value for money.

In this article, we outline how Purplebricks works, including how much they charge, and some of the research we've done into their homeselling performance. We also take a look at some of this online estate agent’s customer reviews.

Hopefully this information will give you a more complete view of the most reviewed estate agent, and help you decide whether they are the best agent for the job.

How does Purplebricks work?

Purplebricks is an online estate agency (sometimes referred to as a hybrid agent), which means that its service differs from those you might expect from your standard high street estate agent. Online agents take a more hands-off approach to selling, with viewing services often provided as a paywalled extra.

The way Purplebricks works when selling your house is usually the following process:

1. Purplebricks set you up with an advert on Rightmove, Zoopla, and their own website, and then let you take over the selling process.
2. They have an online platform, a UK call centre, and a network of 'Local Property Experts', that provide some support during the process.
3. However, it's important to remember that a local property expert is not the same as a local agent, nor are they an estate agent.
4. Generally these 'experts' cover large 'local' areas, and multiple sales at a time.
5. They'll be on hand for small queries, but won't not lead your sale in the way a high street agent would.

Purplebricks fees

There are two main fees and pricing options:

1. Pay now
2. Pay later

They also offer 'no sale no fee' with their money back guarantee. Purplebricks charge different fees depending on if you are inside or outside London. Both options are fixed-fee, meaning they don't charge as a percentage of what your house sells for.

On an average priced UK property this fee works out to be roughly 0.5% when compared to traditional agents fee structures. Again, this differs if you are inside or outside of London. Their fees work out as follows:

• Purplebricks fee (inside London) - £1,499 (0.43%)
• Purplebricks fee (outside London) - £999 (0.6%)

Purplebricks place a lot of emphasis in their advertising on being a cheap, and effective alternative to high street estate agents.

But, the most popular online agent has been in trouble on multiple occasions with the Advertising Standards Agency for being misleading about their fees package - even on their own website.

So, we've done the work for you, breaking down each of their packages for home sellers.

Pay Now pricing

Outside London

• Headline Price: £999 (inc. VAT)
• What’s Included: Photography and floor plan, UK-based support team, an advert on Rightmove, Zoopla, and Purplebricks, & a 'local property expert'.

London and surrounding areas

• Headline Price: £1,499 (inc. VAT)
• What's Included: Photography and floor plan, UK-based support team, an advert on Rightmove, Zoopla, and Purplebricks, & a 'local property expert'.

Pay Later pricing

The most recent ASA complaint about Purplebricks is about the following claim on their website: homesellers can 'pay when you instruct us or up to 10 months after the advert is published...(no extra cost).'

The ASA found this misleading because Purplebricks's deferred payment options come with conditions that mean the home seller does actually end up having to pay more.

Below we detail the fees charged by Purplebricks, and what you should expect to be included, if you pick their deferred payment option.

Price outside London

• Headline Price: £999 + cost of partner conveyancing company OR £360 administrative charges
• What's Included: Photography and floor plan, UK-based support team, an advert on Rightmove, Zoopla, and Purplebricks, a 'local property expert'.
• Additional conditions: You need to decide whether to work with Purplebricks' partner conveyancing service, or pay a £360 administrative fee and work with your own choice of legal representative.

Price in London and surrounding areas

• Headline Price: £1,499 + cost of partner conveyancing company OR £360 administrative charges
• What's Included: Photography and floor plan, UK-based support team, an advert on Rightmove, Zoopla, and Purplebricks, a 'local property expert'.
• Additional conditions: You need to decide whether to work with Purplebricks' partner conveyancing service, or pay a £360 administrative fee and work with your own choice of legal representative.

Not included in headline fee:

Hosted Viewings:

• £300 outside London
• £399 in London & surrounding areas)

Note: Purplebricks' Service Agreement states that they reserve the right to withdraw the supported viewings service at any point during your home sale. When making this decision they take the number of viewings they’ve already conducted, and the feedback received, into account.

According to this agreement, if Purplebricks decide to stop hosting your viewings, you won't get a refund.

EPC

Purplebricks charge £84 for an EPC, but you can get one for significantly cheaper here.

Advert upgrades

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

Or both for £249

The cost of a premium or featured listing varies depending on which package your estate agent has with Rightmove, however some sources suggest that the average fee is £10. This means Purplebricks is getting a significant mark up here.

The cost of the compulsory conveyancing service ('Pay Later' option only): The amount varies depending on the type and location of the property that you're selling.

For more information about Purplebricks' conveyancing partner, check out our investigation here.

Can you negotiate Purplebricks’s fees?

No, you can't negotiate with Purplebricks on their fees as they work within a fixed fee structure. They also don't offer coupons or discounts.

Do Purplebricks agents get commission?

No, Purplebricks don’t get commission as each customer pays a fixed fee rather than a percentage of the final sale price. Critics have argued that zero agent commission results in agents completing transactions as quickly as possible, as opposed to finding the best offer available.

Can I use two estate agents if I sell with Purplebricks?

Yes you can use Purplebricks and still use two or more estate agents if you want to. Selling with Purplebricks and another estate agent is fine as long as the additional estate agent doesn't have a sole agency agreement in their own contract and agency agreement. Purplebricks states that they allow you to use additional agents in their own terms and conditions.

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

If Purplebricks don't sell your property within 10 months - and a qualifying offer of 90% of the property valuation hasn’t been made - you don't have to pay them. In the Purplebricks Money Back Guarantee it states:

‘*Money back guarantee of fixed fee redeemable if no qualifying offer is made within 10 months. Qualifying offers are 90% of the property valuation provided.’

How do viewings work with Purplebricks?

Standard Purplebricks payment plans don’t include assisted viewings. That means, unless you pay an extra £300 (or £399 in London and surrounding areas) for an estate agent to conduct house viewings, you will have to organise viewings yourself.

This system has its advantages and disadvantages. If you have enough free time (you don’t work full time or you work from home), you could feasibly organise house viewings yourself. More often than not, you will have to put the house viewer’s needs above your own, with multiple viewings a day to organise. Assisted viewings on the other hand, take the stress of organising out of your hands.

Unfortunately, Purplebricks’ terms and conditions are at odds with this sentiment. As mentioned previously, their Service Agreement states that Purplebricks reserves the right to withdraw their assisted viewings service at any point during your property sale.

You won’t get a refund. Moreover, if you want to apply for their Money Back Guarantee, you can’t refuse any house viewings that the Purplebricks LPE organises.

In summary, if you’re selling with Purplebricks:

• You will need to arrange viewings yourself if you haven’t chosen the assisted viewings package.
• This is an additional £300-£399 cost depending on your location.
• Purplebricks can withdraw their viewings service at any time.
• You need to accept all viewings that Purplebricks send you or you won’t qualify for the money back guarantee.

Do Purplebricks take photos?

Yes, Purplebricks take photos of your property. This is factored into both their Pay Now and Pay Later payment options and included in the cost.

Do Purplebricks do valuations?

Yes, Purplebricks do house valuations for free. This, as with most online agents, is both included in their payment packages, and as a standalone service.

Do Purplebricks overvalue properties?

There has not been enough research into this to conclude whether Purplebricks overvalue properties or not. A study by Which.co.uk found that Purplebricks had made a heavy price reduction on only 11% of the properties they valued. On the other hand, there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence from reviews to suggest that Purplebricks have a history of making inaccurate valuations which may impact how you set your home's asking price.

As we advise all homesellers, the best way to guarantee a true valuation of your property is by comparing valuations from multiple estate agents. You can do this using our free Estate Agent Comparison Tool.

Do Purplebricks include conveyancing?

No, Purplebricks don’t include conveyancing in their standard ‘Pay Now’ payment plan, but you may choose to add their recommended conveyancers (Premier Property Lawyers) as an extra. However, if you choose the ‘Pay Later’ option, you have to sign on with their recommended conveyancers, or risk paying a £360 administrative fee to work with a legal representative of your own choice.

Do I need my own solicitor with Purplebricks?

While Purplebricks recommend their own conveyancing solicitors, you still have the option to choose your own. If you choose the ‘Pay Later’ plan, you will need to pay a £360 administrative fee to do this. Read our review of Purplebricks’ conveyancing service to find out if their solicitors are worthwhile.

Are Purplebricks any good?

So are Purplebricks good? The answer depends on what you want from your property sale. Yes, they could help you save money if you manage to sell your house for the right asking price. However, they are lacking compared to traditional estate agents when it comes to service. In our research we found that Purplebricks had only sold about half of the properties they marketed.

Purplebricks are a good option if…

• You’re prepared to handle the bulk of the work (viewings, marketing).
• You’re unhappy with the service of your local high street agent
• You prefer a fixed-fee structure and are happy to pay extra for standard services

Purplebricks Reviews

Even from just a quick google, you can see that a lot of people have strong opinions about Purplebricks. In fact, they claim to be the most reviewed estate agent in the UK, with over 74,000 Trustpilot reviews. Taking a look at customer reviews for Purplebricks is essential to decide if they're right for your sale.

Many of those Purplebricks reviews on Trustpilot are glowing, though there are occasionally very negative comments too.

The positive reviews focus on the price, and efficiency of the online system. Many people are happy with the way their home was advertised, and the ability to manage their part in the sale online.

Where there are issues, they tend to revolve around severe communication problems. Complaints tend to revolve around difficulties with the online system, and lack of ability to actually get in touch with a real person. Many of these come from people trying to buy properties. Complaints about the company's legal partner are also a consistent feature.

See how long it should take to sell your house

The positive reviews of the online estate agent on Trustpilot are in stark contrast to reviews on allAgents, whose reviewers rate Purplebricks at just 1.2 stars out of 5. Many complain about the customer service offered by Purplebricks. Others are disappointed by the lack of support they received on their sale, and feel they were left abandoned once they had paid their fee.

Over the past year, Purplebricks has asked Trustpilot to remove just under 1,000 of the 8,500 reviews they have received for their estate agency services. It's unclear how much this has impacted their rating on the site.

• Trustpilot's Purplebricks Review: 4.5/5
• allAgents.co.uk's Purplebricks Review: 1.2/5
• Reviews.io Purplebricks Review Score: 1.37/5
• Feefo's Purplebricks Review Score: 4.6/5

We have given Purplebricks an Average Rating of 3/5 based on reviews across the web.

Purplebricks fake reviews and allAgents controversy

Back in 2017, Purplebricks was the centre of a controversy regarding ‘fake online reviews’. After a slew of poor reviews on Glasgow-based consumer review website, ‘allAgents.co.uk’, Purplebricks threatened legal action if the negative reviews weren’t removed from the site. In response, the UK’s largest online agency was accused of ‘corporate bullying’ by the owners of allAgents. Purplebricks were then suspended from the website in an attempt to prevent legal action.

Were the allAgents reviews fake?

It’s hard to know for sure. AllAgents had received negative press before the Purplebricks incident. Allegedly, they had provided estate agents with products that enabled them to manipulate reviews. However, the site had since taken precautions against this behaviour, stating:

“We have both automatic and manual checks in place for authenticity, each reviewer’s information is checked and then every review is moderated by a team of experienced industry moderators before it is published. On average, 1 in 5 reviews fails the moderation process and are not published on allAgents.”

Purplebricks later claimed they had audited the reviews on the allAgents site, and said that 29% were fake, and another 23% lacking enough detail to decide. However, allAgents stated that their request for the audit was refused.

Director Martin McKenzie responded, stating: “We hope the (legal) fund will never be required. However, until Purplebricks provides the results of their audit or accepts these reviews are genuine, by providing an undertaking to allow us to continue hosting their reviews free from the fear of litigation, then it will need to exist. This is about far more than just allAgents, this is about free speech.”

Purplebricks on BBC TV’s Watchdog

In 2017, Purplebricks appeared as a featured company on the BBC TV programme, Watchdog. The show allows viewers to air grievances with companies, and investigates complaints into said companies.

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

Anecdotal evidence from several disgruntled Purplebricks customers

One customer felt betrayed after receiving a loan from an unknown finance company (Close Brothers), when they’d believed the deal was with Purplebricks exclusively. Another customer claimed their assigned LPE had failed to inform her that the original buyer had been replaced by someone in a large property chain. This led to the sale falling through and the vendor taking their sale to a high street estate agent.

News that ASA (Advertising Standards Agency) had banned six claims Purplebricks had made

At the time of the programme’s airing (2017), the ASA had banned six claims Purplebricks had made in their advertising campaigns and website in the last 18 months. One inaccurate claim was that Purplebricks customers could save £4158 compared to traditional high street estate agents. The ASA said that these claims could not be backed up and were likely to mislead.

Undercover investigation into standards of Purplebricks’s Local Property Experts

Watchdog prepared an undercover investigation into the work of Purplebricks’s LPCs, whereby six properties were used for fake property valuations. Some experts made exaggerated claims about their resumes.

One expert said they’d previously sold a very high number of properties in the months preceding. On further investigation, Watchdog found that the expert in question had sold less than half the properties they claimed to have sold.

Please note: While the Watchdog episode was certainly illuminating, the episode aired several years ago, and Purplebricks have since made changes to address the concerns explored in the programme.

Is it worth using Purplebricks?

It's clear that opinion about customer service is divided about this online estate agent. But what about the hard facts about their performance? Do they get the job done?

It's quite hard getting information on how many properties Purplebricks actually sells. Unlike other estate agents, they get paid upfront, which means they don't tend to keep a public record of their completions - they get paid regardless.

However, we were able to use our data analysis tools, and our access to a range of data sources - across property platforms, and the UK Land Registry, to find out how many of the properties they put on the market actually made it to completion within 12 months (which is much longer than the average time it takes to sell a house). We found that Purplebricks had only sold about half of the properties they'd been marketing.

Just 50%.

But, home sellers who used Purplebricks had to pay the full fee upfront. This means if they changed to a different, more effective estate agent, they would have to pay both the new agent that sold their home, and Purplebricks who didn't.

Research in Estate Agent Today got similar results. They found that Purplebricks had made over £18 million in 2019 from home seller fees for properties that they did not end up selling.

Performance-wise, it doesn't look good for Purplebricks.

For more on our research into online estate agents check out our guide 'High street agents vs online agents'.

Advantages of using Purplebricks

• Low fixed fees: On the surface, Purplebricks's fees are cheaper than a high street agent’s commission. You know exactly what you’re paying for in this tiered system.
• Clear payment plans: Their website makes it clear what you get in each payment package.
• Assisted viewings: Unlike a contract with a high street agent, it’s your choice whether to pay an extra fee for assisted viewings.
• More independence: Purplebricks’s hands-off approach might appeal to vendors who like more control over their house sale.

Disadvantages of using Purplebricks

• Independence comes at a cost: Ultimately, you probably don’t have the same sales expertise as a salesperson or agent. Managing the homeselling process yourself and conducting viewings might put you at a disadvantage. You may get more money by using someone who has the right experience.
• Money back guarantee has its flaws: In our review of Purplebricks’s Money Back Guarantee, we concluded that the ‘no sale no fee’ system had some issues. For example, you can’t refuse any house viewings for the guarantee to be valid, and you must allow Purplebricks at least 10 months to market your property.
• Local property experts: Purplebricks’s LPEs might not be as experienced as your local high street agent as they cover larger areas. The local knowledge you get with a high street agent is, for the most part, unparalleled. Local expertise is really important.
• Pay extra for standard services: You must pay for services that are usually included in high street agent’s contracts (assisted viewings, enhanced marketing).

Are Purplebricks cheaper than estate agents?

Yes, Purplebricks can appear to be cheaper than a traditional estate agent on the surface. Purplebricks is cheaper than most estate agents when looking at just their fixed fee, but there are also many additional extras on top of this.

Research in Estate Agent Today also found that Purplebricks failed to sell around 50% of their properties in 2019. While they do offer a Money Back Guarantee if they don't sell your property within 10 months, you're likely to have more success and sell your property for more by using a high street estate agent.

Alternatives to Purplebricks

Purplebricks vs other online estate agents

Purplebricks vs high street agents

Summary: Ideal for some, but you can find better

Given the difference in the amount they charge, we can't expect Purplebricks to provide the same level of service as proper estate agents. And, if you're happy to take on more of the work of the sale, and aren't in a rush to move, then using Purplebricks could be a useful option to consider.

However, if you've never sold a property before, and are looking for a bit more support, local agents are likely to give you the very best service. This tends to be true of other online estate agents and hybrid estate agents too.

Either way, our main piece of advice is to avoid the 'Pay Later' option. Picking to pay in 10 months time simply ties you into a variety of extra conditions that can make it difficult to have flexibility with your sale. It can also make it even more expensive to get out of your contract with Purplebricks, if you are one of the 50% of homes that doesn't sell using their services.

Purplebricks contact details

Here are the two easiest ways to get in contact with Purplebricks:

Address: Purplebricks, Suite 7 First Floor, Cranmore Place, Cranmore Drive, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands, B90 4RZ

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

We review other online agents here.