London agents launch their own portal today

News Category: Industry News

A consortium of agents in London is behind a new lifestyle and property portal, Fabricproperty.com,  specialising in luxury homes in North and West London which launches to the trade today.

The site will have a ‘Hello!’ element to it, with celebrity interviews and a number of the properties featured being bought or sold by famous faces.

The consumer launch is next week, on September 9, when the site will go properly live.

The consortium consists of Anscombe & Ringland, Arlington Residential, Aston Chase, Bargets, Beauchamp Estates, Behr & Butchoff, Benham & Reeves Lettings, Benham & Reeves, Brian Lack & Co, Chesterton, Day Morris, Glentree Estates, Godfrey & Barr, Goldschmidt & Howland, Hamptons International, Harris Latner, Heathgate, Litchfields, Parkheath,  Plaza Estates, Savills,  Sandfords, TK International, Vickers,  Winkworth and Wigmore Estates.

The portal, which will promote NW London as the place to live, has evolved from Fabric magazine, which was launched by the same consortium nine years ago.

Unlike the mainstream property portals, Fabricproperty.com will give control back to estate agents.

“Many property portals have been ramping up their charges recently, but Fabricproperty.com is not operated by media owners – the agents themselves run it and they are the shareholders,” said Simon Hobbs, managing director of Forward, the company behind Fabricproperty.
 
Specialising in luxury properties, the site will showcase high quality video walk-throughs.

“This is much more than the average property video. These are TV-quality, and capture the true size and beauty of the property, as though users are seeing the home for the first time with the agent,” said Hobbs. “With this tool, we are able to replace the first viewing, ensuring that the agents are receiving only quality leads.”

There will also be an extensive property search engine on the site, alongside detailed area guides. “We can tell viewers about the latest local cultural events, the best bars, restaurants and boutiques, or even where to go to get the very best beauty treatments,” added Hobbs.


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