Online auction site TradeMe will tomorrow begin a determined assault on the real estate market with a new property website.
Monday, June 20th 2005, 7:11AM
by The Landlord
But its plans have provoked a hostile response from real estate agents, who are closing ranks against the competitor.
TradeMe, which gets nearly half a billion hits a month, is aiming to have 8000 properties listed within six months.
That, said 29-year-old founder Sam Morgan, would give sellers an audience of more than one million TradeMe members.
Listings will cost $50, and home sellers will be able to display 20 high-resolution pictures on the fully searchable site, accessible from all over the world.
But though the site will help DIY home sellers market their homes, Morgan said the real shift in power would be for people who want to use estate agents, but don't want to pay through the nose for marketing.
