Shop Comparable Evidence Service – feedback 1
19/08/2025Aug 2025. According to LinkedIn, the analysis for response so far is 42% London area, and companies including CBRE, Savills, RICS. Interestingly, the RICS is taking an interest. Costar’s sub is at least £6000 (ex VAT) [subject to any discount for volume, I don’t know] per user, with each user monitored via log-in ID and verification code. For a large firm of surveyors, I would think each user almost if not all surveyors that would have use of the information, so the annual cost is massive. Given that each user is unlikely to want access to all listings, the wastage is disproportionate (arguably contrary to ESG principles!)
A friend has likened my idea to David and Goliath and admirable, but I’d liken it to Aldi and Lidl v the big 4 supermarkets. The big 4 didn’t taken any notice of Aldi and Lidl in the latter’s early years in Britain but, as soon as people began to want to save money, the no frills-approach sent shock-waves through the big 4’s market. I read that Lidl is about to topple Morrisons.
In 1975, when I launched my specialist service for rent reviews, that also sent shock-waves through the market, so much so that the RICS relaxed its rules prohibiting chartered surveyors from promoting themselves as specialists. [My booklet “How to do a Rent Review” had sold 2000 copies long before the RICS published its version and copied my title. In those days, 1500 sales was good for a text-book.]
Let’s do it again!
[2025-08-19 -13:47 – response; 1289 impressions, 6 comments including 2 offers to invest in it. ]
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