Purplebricks Now Sell Houses For Free – What’s The Catch?

Table of contents

• Service overview
• Is Purplebricks house-selling service actually free?
• Is there a catch with Purplebricks free service or what?
• Why is Purplebricks Free / how does Purplebricks make money?
• Should you use Purplebricks to sell your home? Are they any good?
• How to sell your property with Purplebricks (how Purplebricks estate agency services works)
• Purplebricks Professional Photography Service (and cheaper alternatives!)
• Is there anything else to be wary of with Purplebricks service? Yes!
• Can I trust Purplebricks to provide accurate property valuations?
• Purplebricks vs Other Online Estate Agents
• Why are there so many negative reviews of Purplebricks?
• Your feedback: have you used Purplebricks free service?

Purplebricks estate agent service overview

Here’s a brief overview of Purplebricks and the head-turning house selling service they’re literally giving away for free…

• Purplebricks offers a free house-selling package, as well as two paid premium options: “Boost” (starting from £999) and “Full House” (starting from £1499).
• Purplebricks started trading in 2012, and up until December 2023 the base price for their house-selling services was £999.
• They are the most popular online agent by number of houses they have for sale (followed by Yopa)
• They have over 90,000 reviews on their TrustPilot profile

Purplebricks FREE Service

Estate Agent	Rating	Duration	Includes / Notes	Price from
PurpleBricks	Rating 3.9 TrustPilot Reviews	Duration 12 months	Includes / Notes Free package Key features Purplebricks listing For sale sign In-person valuation App - manage viewings, offers & communication with buyers	PriceFREE	Visit WebsiteBook Free In-Person Valuation

Is Purplebricks house-selling service actually free?

In short, yes! Their free package is totally free. No hidden fees. Go figure!

You get everything that is listed in the overview above… for free!

So yes, you can legitimately sign-up to Purplebricks service and sell your house without spending a dime.

However, I’d be remiss not to mention that the “free” package has undergone several facelifts over the years – gradually stripped down, piece by piece, until it’s become almost unrecognisable. For instance, it used to come with glorious Rightmove & Zoopla listings. Not anymore. Gone!

Sadly, it’s fair to say her best days are behind her – the free package of yesterday isn’t the same as today’s; it’s far less feature-rich. I won’t dwell on the past, but I will focus on the present.

By no means am I saying Purplebricks’ free package is a resounding hard pass, but it is a tough sell in its current form.

Is there a catch with Purplebricks free service or what?

Yes!

Well, at least, I think so.

But to clarify once again: for all intents and purposes, you can bag yourself a free house selling service, no strings attached. But be warned: the following caveats are worth your attention, because they bite.

The Freebie is questionable without upgrading to a package that includes a Rightmove & Zoopla listing

Purplebricks’ free package only includes a listing on their own website – no Rightmove, no Zoopla.

Let’s be honest, that’s woefully underwhelming. Suddenly, it makes sense why they’re giving this thing away.

The only way to get your property listed on the two biggest property portals (where virtually all homebuyers are looking) is by either opting for one of their premium packages, like the Boost package, starting at £999, or opting for the “Advert Listings” add-on for the free package, which has a starting price tag of £599. Ouch!

Either way, not cheap, and certainly not free.

The “Advert Listings” upgrade – from £599

Premium Packages

These both include Rightmove & Zoopla listings, so the “Advert Listings” add-on is not required.

Nope, they ain’t cheap, and they get more expensive depending on property location. For example, both packages are the most expensive in London: £1299 for Boost, and £1999 for Full house. Full breakdown incoming…

Personally, I’m in the camp that believes Rightmove and Zoopla listings are essential – they maximise exposure, get your property in front of more eyes, and ultimately increase your chances of a quicker sale. That’s not even debateable.

So here’s the kicker: there are other online estate agents available offering Zoopla & Rightmove listings for less. Way less. And with better reviews to boot.

How many buyers actually browse directly on Purplebricks? I’m sure there are plenty, but I’d wager it’s a small fraction by comparison to the leading portals. So, if a quick sale is your goal, relying solely on a Purplebricks listing isn’t an option I’d feel comfortable with.

A Rightmove & Zoopla listing is a must for me.

So that means Purplebricks’ free package is a non-starter. Great headline, though: “Sell for free — and we won’t charge you a penny.”

£80 anti-money laundering fee for upgrade packages

Purplebricks – like all estate agents – is legally required to carry out anti-money laundering (AML) checks on anyone selling a property.

Most agents bake the cost of these checks within their service fees. However, Purplebricks handles it differently: their free package doesn’t include an AML fee, but if you choose one of their paid packages, you’ll be charged an additional £80 to cover the cost.

Why is Purplebricks Free / how does Purplebricks make money?

I’ve already just touched on this, but in a nutshell…

Purplebricks’ free package offers the bare minimum, if that:

• A listing on their own website
• A “For Sale” sign (which, let’s be honest, isn’t going to do shit on its own).

Since most sellers want maximum exposure through Rightmove and Zoopla (ideally both), a large portion of customers will likely end up paying for premium features that include these listings, not to mention essential add-ons like professional photography and EPCs.

To be clear, there is NO obligation to buy any of their add-on services – that’s a common and understandable fear.

That said, it’s fair to assume they’re hoping you’ll buy into some extras, and there may be a bit of sales pressure along the way. Still, you’re under no legal obligation to pay for anything beyond the free package if you choose not to.

Cheaper alternative options

I’ve already pointed out that there are significantly cheaper alternatives to Purplebricks’ professional photography service, and that theme pretty much runs across all their extras. You’re unlikely to find any real bargains by adding these extras to your cart, but you might gain some convenience by ordering everything from one place.

So, once again, I’ll leave it to you to weigh up cost versus convenience. Meanwhile, here are my suggestions for more affordable alternatives, whether you choose to use Purplebricks or not:

• Energy Performance Certificates (EPC): EnergyPerformanceCertificates.co.uk sell EPC’s starting from £59 (Inc VAT).
• Mortgages Quotes: Habito is a free online mortgage brokerage, and they have been amassing a huge amount of positive feedback for providing extremely competitive mortgage deals. They have a 4.8 / 5 TrustPilot rating from over 2000+ customers (at the time of writing this blog post).
• Conveyancing Quotes: Get 4 instant quotes from expert SRA or CLC regulated conveyancing solicitors and Licensed Conveyancers by using this online tool by Reallymoving.com. Average saving is £490.
• Moving Quotes: Get 5 quotes from reallymoving.com, one of the most popular comparison websites for removal companies. Average saving is £291.

Yup, I’m sure Purplebricks will be thrilled with me encouraging you to grab their freebie and then bargain hunt elsewhere for all the extra bells and whistles.

Is there anything else to be wary of with Purplebricks service? Yes!

Abso-bloody-lootly.

• Purplebricks recommended Conveyancing service

  I’d be remiss if I didn’t give extra special attention to Purplebricks conveyancing service, which they absolutely adore to upsell/recommending, based on what I’ve heard.

  Arguably, getting a reputable and reliable conveyancing service is key to a smooth transaction, so this is an element of the selling (and buying) process that requires due diligence above all, in my opinion.

  I’ve heard horror stories of deals free-falling due to awful legal representation, and obviously that’s an outcome everyone should actively try to avoid.

  Why am I saying this? Online estate agents, not just Purplebricks, most of them, attempt to upsell conveyancing services because it’s a huge money-maker for them.

  However, unfortunately, I have heard too many gut-wrenching stories about the quality in service their “recommended” conveyancing service provides and I don’t think it’s a coincidence.

  From what I can tell, online agents outsource the conveyancing work to battery farm-like services, where everyone is scrambling around, trying to push as many deals over the line as possible, without much care for attention to detail or good ol’ customer service. This chaos ultimately results in sloppy mistakes, delays and terribly frustrating lack of communication.

  I personally would never use a conveyancing service recommended and upsold by any online agent, but rather, I would do my own due diligence and source a local reputable supplier, or get a recommendation from someone else. You definitely get what you pay for when it comes to legal services, so I’d also avoid going for the cheapest option available.

  As mentioned, you can also find a SRA or CLC regulated conveyancing solicitor from this online tool by Reallymoving.com.

Should you use Purplebricks to sell your home? Are they any good?

Obviously I can’t answer that for you. I’m just the messenger.

I haven’t personally used Purplebricks, so my goal here is simply to break down their current offerings and explain the reasoning behind the “free” service.

That said, here’s my take:

• I’d 100% use their free service to get listed on Purplebricks. There’s definitely some marketing value there (even if it’s hard to quantify), and since it’s free, why not?
• But I wouldn’t rely solely on a Purplebricks listing if time was of the essence (I imagine it is for most sellers). I’d either upgrade to a package that includes Rightmove and Zoopla, or pair Purplebricks free package with another online estate agent that offers those listings for significantly less (starting from £49). Here’s a list of online estate agents.
• If time is not an issue, then I’d be tempted to try Purplebricks free package (and without any other listings) for a couple of weeks to see if it generates any leads. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised. That would be awesome.

Make of that what you will.

At the very least, perhaps it’s worth stuffing the free in-person valuation in your pocket and going from there…

Book your Free Valuation from here

How to sell your property with Purplebricks (how Purplebricks estate agency services works)

Step 1: Get a valuation

Purplebricks offers a free valuation service to everyone (which, to be fair, is pretty neat):

• Local Agent Valuation – Purplebricks will assign a local expert to visit your home, provide a full and accurate valuation, and offer tailored advice to help you sell.
• Instant Online Valuation – If you’re just curious about your home’s value, you can request an online estimate in minutes.

To clarify, there is 100% no obligations to use their service after a valuation is conducted.

Book your Free Valuation

Step 2: Instruct Purplebricks to sell your home

If you are happy with the valuation, you can then choose to instruct Purplebricks to market your home for sale.

Step 3: Going live and managing your advert & enquiries

Once your advert is live you’ll be able to manage everything via Purplebricks online dashboard or via their free downloadable app, including your viewings, offers and communication with buyers.

Whenever you receive a message, offer or viewing request, you will be notified by app notifications and/or text message and email,

Step 4: Take viewings

Unless you’ve opted for Purplebricks’ £899 “hosted viewings” upgrade, you’ll need to handle viewings yourself – scheduling them around your availability and playing tour guide (don’t forget to spritz your best scent!).

Purplebricks Professional Photography Service (and cheaper alternatives!)

Get your wallet out if you want to benefit from Purplebricks professional photography service, ’cause this feature is not part of the glorious freebie package, and it ain’t cheap either.

I’m bringing this up because professional photos can make a huge difference, and it’s a feature most sellers seriously consider when putting their home on the market.

You can either upload your own photos at no added cost, or cough up:

1. £699 for Purplebricks “Digital Enhanced professional photos & 360 virtual tour and professional floorplan” add-on.
2. From £999 for Purplebricks “Boost” package, which includes everything from the Free package, plus the following:
   • Digitally enhanced professional photos
   • 360 virtual tour and a professional floorplan
   • Rightmove premium listing
   • Expert mortgage advice available from £149 (a saving of £150)

To give you an idea what you can expect, here are a few snaps I randomly grabbed from one of their Rightmove listings (at the time of writing this review):

Not too shabby, to be fair.

On a side note, before you quickly whip out your “state of the art” smart phone to take on the challenge, or get Dave down the road to assist (because he did a brilliant job fixing the leaky tap last week), in order to save a few nuggets, keep in mind that numerous statistics consistently demonstrate how the quality of photos can significantly affect the volume of generated leads! I’m sure I’m not the only one that’s been mortified by some of the janky “artwork” on Rightmove that resembles a toddler’s homework – best avoided.

Of course, if you have access to a high-end shooter and legitimate skills (which includes a keen eye), feel free to let rip and go trigger-happy.

Want a bargain hunter’s hack? If you want to benefit from a professional photography service but don’t want to indulge in Purplebricks £699 solution – I certainly wouldn’t blame you – you can always independently commission professional photographs from another supplier from £100. It’s a bit more of a faff, no doubt, but it results in a sweet saving so definitely worthwhile, in my opinion.

Basically, sign up for Purplebricks free house selling service, and order photos from elsewhere…

Professional Property Photography & Floor Plans

Supplier	Notes / Includes	Price
Supplier	Notes / Includes Property Photography 10 high-quality photos Helps grab online attention You own the photographs Floor Plans Professional 2D marketing floor plans Expertly trained Photoplanners and Floor Plan Technicians Includes room measurements Helps tenants visualise Recommended for larger homes Rapid 24-hour turnaround	Price £149Inc VAT	More Info
Supplier	Notes / Includes Property Photography Up to 10 high-quality photos Helps grab online attention You own the photographs 48 hour delivery turnaround	Price £89Inc VAT (Normal price: £99)	More Info £10 Discount Code: PIP10
Supplier	Notes / Includes Professional Floor Plans Includes room measurements Helps tenants visualise Recommended for larger homes Free amendments	Price £89Inc VAT (Normal price: £99)	More Info £10 Discount Code: PIP10

Please note, I try my best to keep the information of each service up-to-date, but you should read the T&C's from their website for the most up-to-date and accurate information.

Can I trust Purplebricks to provide accurate property valuations?

I’m going to be very annoying by answering your question with a question.

Can you trust any agents property valuation?

One of the standout features of Purplebricks free service is that it includes an in-person valuation (i.e. a local agent will visit your property). Pretty incredible since most other online agents only include that feature for packages demanding £500+. In regards to the accuracy, it’s probably going to be as accurate as any other agent, I ‘spose. The reality is, we can ask 10 agents to value a house and we’ll likely get varying results.

I don’t think it matters if you use Purplebricks, any other online agent, or even a high street agent, you’re always going to question the accuracy of the valuation. Naturally, sellers will always want the highest price possible, while agents might not be as inclined, especially if they’re not earning a percentage based commission from the sale (which is the case with all fixed-price online agents, which is something to be wary of).

So, regardless of which agent you use, it’s always wise to do your own research by analysing your local market (e.g. look on Rightmove and Zoopla to see what similar properties to yours have recently sold for and are currently demanding), then you can verify the accuracy of the valuation you have been given and decide whether you want to revise it.

Purplebricks vs Other Online Estate Agents

Purplebricks’ brand is so strong that many people still believe they’re “one of a kind“, as in, the only cost-effective digital estate agent out there.

They’re not.

There are a butt-load of different online/hybrid agents to choose from, all fighting for a slice of the pie. I won’t bore you (or myself) by comparing Purplebricks to every other agent out there, but it’s definitely worth taking a quick look at how they stack up against their closest rival, Yopa.

• 
• 

Fixed Cost	FREE	£999*
	Visit website	Visit website
TrustPilot Rating	3.9TrustPilot Reviews	4.3TrustPilot Reviews
Core service
Service coverage	UK	UK
In-person Valuation
Dedicated agent
Rightmove & Zoopla listing	£599
Photographs + Floorplan	£699
For Sale board/sign
Negotiation & Sales progression
Sole agency contract		16 weeks
Online dashboard
App
Extras
*London prices	FREE	£1499(Total fixed cost)
Hosted viewings	£899	£300
	Visit website	Visit website

Conclusion

When you compare the packages more or less feature for feature, Yopa actually comes out noticeably cheaper: £1,298 with Purplebricks (that’s the free package plus paid add-ons for photography and portal listings) versus £999 for Yopa’s “Core” package, which already includes those features.

That said, the reality is both Yopa and Purplebricks are among the most expensive online estate agents on the market – and there are plenty of low-cost alternatives to Purplebricks (and Yopa).

Exhibit A:

(note, both include Rightmove & Zoopla listings!)

Low-cost Alternatives to Purplebricks (and Yopa)

Estate Agent	Rating	Duration	Includes / Notes	Price from
Quicklister	Rating 4.6 Google Reviews	Duration 3 months	Includes / Notes Exposure package Key features Zoopla listing OnTheMarket listing PrimeLocation listing Pay on listing (not sign up) Optional add-on products (added onto total price with discount(s) applied) £139 Rightmove listing	Price Discount available £258.2 Inc VAT (Normal price: £288)	Visit Website20% Discount Code: x74tbhrV
Emoov	Rating 4.7 TrustPilot Reviews	Duration 12 months*	Includes / Notes Essential package Key features Rightmove listing Zoopla listing OnTheMarket listing PrimeLocation listing *Rightmove listing is included for the first month. After that, you have the option to renew the listing for £25 per month. If you continue advertising on Rightmove for a full 12 months, this would amount to an additional £275.	Price£295 Inc VAT	Visit Website

Compare All Online Estate Agents

Why are there so many negative reviews of Purplebricks?

First and foremost, remember, Purplebricks have changed ownership, so the reviews prior 2024 (which is 99% of them) were under old management. Make of that what you will.

But besides from that, I do want to touch on why I believe online estate agents, as a whole, tend to receive negative reviews. While Purplebricks holds the top spot in popularity and consequently catch the brunt of the bullets, I believe there’s a pervasive misunderstanding surrounding all online agents that contributes to, perhaps, unjust negativity. Of course, some are legit warranted, I’m not excusing those.

There is an abundance of positive reviews left by satisfied customers that have used an online estate agent, but there’s obviously also no shortage of the scathing ones. But I have a theory, which is based on thousands of reviews I’ve been sad enough to trawl though.

I firmly believe that the majority of them [the negative reviews from sellers] stem from mismanaged expectations. In other words, customers strolled into their local McDonalds and came out lack lustred because they weren’t served at the table.

No one should expect to receive a high-street agent service when paying a fraction of the cost for an online service. That would be bonkers. It’s not possible. But that’s where I believe a large potion of the disappointment comes from.

So my advice is, before using an online agent, whether it’s Purplebricks or one of their many online competitors, ensure it’s fully understood how online agents operate, and in turn why they’re significantly cheaper than high-street agents. That way expectations are likely to be realistic and hissy-fits averted. My complete guide on Online Estate Agents can help you will in the gaps.

Purplebricks is an online agent, nothing more!

I recently recommended Purplebricks free service to a friend, and he quickly coiled his neck back, presented me with his best screwed-up lemon-sucking face, and decisively told me he wouldn’t touch them with my 10ft barge pole, because there’s a house on his road that has been up for sale for over a year with Purplebricks.

“How do you know that’s the agent’s fault?”, I responded.

I was unsurprised to learn that he didn’t know, but that was his assumption.

It was clear to me that he either didn’t realise that Purplebricks is an ONLINE estate agent or he did, but didn’t have a clue how they work.

In his defence, I’m sure he’s not the only one, so I think it’s useful to briefly remind ourselves of how an online agent’s business model differs from traditional high street agents.

Online estate agents do NOT operate like high street agents. Sure, they have the same goal (to help facilitate their customers in selling their home), but they use different approaches, ultimately underpinned by their pricing model (i.e. how they get paid).

High street agents only get paid on sale, which means, in theory, they will be inherently more motivated to sell (e.g. follow up leads, schedule viewings, return calls/emails, encourage second viewings, hype up the property etc). Otherwise they won’t get paid.

An online agent gets paid up front with or without a sale, so they have less reasons to be motivated to push a sale over the line. they’re already paid.

I would think of it like this (because this is exactly how it is):

• The job of an online estate agent is to facilitate homeowners in marketing their properties across a network of the largest property portals (e.g. Rightmove, Zoopla etc.) to generate leads. It is then up to the homeowner to push the sale over the line, not the online agents.
• A high street agent’s job is to facilitate the entire sales process, from start to finish. If they haven’t sold a house after a year, then that could very possibly be their fault.

The very reason online estate agents are significantly cheaper is because a lot of the control is retained by the seller (and not handed over to the agent), so there’s less work involved for the agent.

If you’re anything like me, then you’ll be willing to manage the viewings and negotiations, in which case an online estate agent like Purplebricks is a great money-saving solution to selling a house.

If you don’t feel the same, and you’d rather outsource the entire process and pay the crippling premium, then a high street agent might be better suited for you.

There’s no right or wrong here, it’s just about your preference (and ultimately how much money you want to save). The problem is, many people don’t really understand how online estate agents work so they burden themselves with a misconstrued perception.

Oh, and BTW, my friend decided to use Purplebricks (they were Strike at the time) service after I explained the process.

Your feedback: have you used Purplebricks’s free service?

If so, I’d love to hear your experience.

Were they.. errr… worth the money? Drop a comment below…