Strike Vs Purplebricks Vs Yopa – Top 3 Showdown!

Brief Introduction to the Top 3 Online Agents

Purplebricks.co.uk: the current market leader by a country mile; their brand is so hefty that it’s synonymous with “online estate agent” And to be honest, if I were them, I’d be pissed if that wasn’t the case, because they’ve spent a small literal fortune on marketing over the years, making us believe that they’re one of a kind (which they’re not).

Yopa.co.uk: in a similar way to Puplebricks, Yopa have gone buck wild on marketing blitzes in recent years, which is why they’re also scolded into our memory banks. There was a time when it looked like they had vomited all over London- you couldn’t walk through a back alley without seeing a Black Cab wrapped in a Yopa advert.

Strike.co.uk, the up-and-comer that’s grabbing a lot of attention with their TV adverts, because they’re screaming about their “FREE” house-selling service. FREE? Yup, that’s right, 100% FREE – and believe you me, you’re not the only one confused by the freakish offer on the table.

In short, it’s not a gimmick or trapdoor to hell, Strike’s service is legitimately 100% free, no strings attached. If you’re still baffled and consequently need the long story to appease your bewilderment (no judgement, I completely understand), you can digest my Strike review, which explains why and how their service is free in detail.

Comparison: Strike vs. Purplebricks vs. Yopa

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Fixed Cost	FREE	£999	£999*
	Visit website	Visit website	Visit website
TrustPilot Rating	4.3TrustPilot Reviews	3.7TrustPilot Reviews	4.6TrustPilot Reviews
Core service
Service coverage	England only	UK	UK
In-person Valuation
Dedicated agent
Rightmove listing	£299
Zoopla listing
Photographs + Floorplan	£599£699 in London
For Sale board/sign
Negotiation & Sales progression
**Sole agency contract	13 weeks	12 weeks	16 weeks
Online dashboard
App
Extras
*London prices	FREE	£999(Total fixed cost)	£1499(Total fixed cost)
*No sale, no fee			Varies by location(Starting from £999)
EPC	£119	£95	£99
Hosted viewings	£699	£700(£50 per viewing)	£300(£399 in London)
	Visit website	Visit website	Visit website

Conclusion: it is what it is!

If you’re looking at the comparison table and expecting a twist, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. This is one of those cases where the situation is exactly what it looks like.

Here are my thoughts:

• Strike is a no brainer if you’re looking for cheap (and if you’re selling in England): I wouldn’t waste time debating it if you’re looking to sell a property in England for as cheap as possible via an online estate agent, so go ahead, a book a valuation (no obligations) to get the ball-rolling. Their service is entirely free (unless you opt in for any add-on services e.g. Energy Performance Certificate, Conveyancing services etc).

  I do, however, have reservations with Strike’s free service. They charge £299 for a Rightmove listing, which I believe is a desirable feature, and arguably critical (but still a buttload cheaper than the competition even if acquired).

  £599 for professional photography is a bigger concern, because that useful add-on really does ramp up the costs. However, there is a way to bring the price significantly down, which involves outsourcing the service, as I discuss in my in-depth overview of Strike’s service.

  Ultimately though, a wonderfully free house-selling solution.

• Purplebricks Vs Yopa (if you’re not in England): if you’re adamant on using one of the market leaders’, in most cases I don’t think there’s a clear winner out of the two.

  The only time there might be an objective reason to pick one over the other is if one ends up being more expensive after extra services have been added into the shopping basket. For example, Yopa charges £500 more to sell properties in London, in which case Purplebricks would be a significantly cheaper option for London homeowners. However, if you want to include a “Hosted viewings” service, you might better off with Yopa, as Purplebricks charge £1000 extra for hosted viewings in London.

  In short, do the maths, and one might be glaringly cheaper than the other, resulting in the best option for you.

• Other options: as mentioned, there are plenty of reputable and highly-rated online estate agents to choose from. Yes, Strike would always be my first choice (unless something drastically changes), but I really can’t say Purplebricks & Yopa would be my go-to second. Personally, I’d probably just look for a much cheaper alternative, which by and large provides the same level of service.

  For example, quicklister.co.uk is a fine choice, they have packages starting from £99.

Is there anything you need to be aware of when using Strike, Purplebricks or Yopa?

Nothing particularly toxic comes to mind, but I will say the following:

• Online agents are NOT like high-street agents: if you’re going into this expecting to receive the same experience as you’d expect from your local high-street agent, then you’re going to be sorely disappointed.

  Online agents are not the same as high-street agents, even though they share the same objective (i.e. to help you sell your house as quickly as possible), so it’s important to understand why online agents are significantly cheaper and the pros and cons of their service before using one, that way expectations are likely to be realistic. You can find out more in my complete guide to Online Estate Agents.

  In short, you’re not going to get a personal one-to-one service with an online agent, simply because you’re not paying for it.

  Don’t take that as a negative – I personally prefer online agents because I think you get better value – just know they’re different beasts.

• Be wary of add-on services: upselling services like conveyancing and mortgages is actually how these online agents make a chunk of their change. Actually, that’s how Strike in particular make any money, period.

  It’s big business to online agents, so don’t be surprised if they hard-sell these services once you’ve opted in for their core house-selling service. But you can’t blame them, really.

  While it can be convenient to get everything arranged from one place, you’re unlikely going to get great deals from them, so it’s worth shopping around before committing to any of their add-on services. If you’re open to recommendations, ‘ere you go:

  • Mortgage quotes: Habito is a free online specialist mortgage broker, who search the whole market to get the best mortgage deals. They’re fab, in my opinion.
  • Conveyancing quotes: Reallymoving.com provide free, no obligation quotes. Fill in this quick form and they’ll provide you with 4 instant quotes from expert SRA or CLC regulated conveyancing solicitors or Licensed Conveyancers.
• **Sole agency contract: note that once you instruct one of these agents, you’ll be be tied into a sole agency contract (duration of contract specified in the comparison table), which means you won’t be able to instruct another agent during that period without breaching the T&C’s of your contract.

  To be honest, sole agency contracts are pretty standard among traditional high-street agents. It’s nothing new.

Over to you, what do you think?