‘Well that ain’t happening!’ must be highlighted within the first few pages of account manager training as the most likely to be used phrase. It is a default response if I ever ask to address their fee structure with a particular service provider.

Where is the line between acceptable and abusive in a B2B profit margin?

I’m interested in people’s thoughts because small businesses may not be having an easy time out there and it is no different in the world of Real Estate.

2025 may see more transactions take place than 2024 but the numbers I see suggested indicate yet another below average year for the volume of sales in England and Wales.

Here’s a quote from an article referenced below and the quote isn’t mine although these words have left my mouth on numerous occasions “They are the worst company I have ever had the misfortune of having to deal with.”

72% Profit margin.

Is that acceptable or abusive?

Everyone will have a view on that and some of you may be achieving it in your business. Some may say ‘take it while you can’ others will turn and say ‘fight it then’. Someone is trying to and I’m going to ask something of you in a moment.

‘Well that ain’t happening!’ The response when I mention that, of the last £100,000 I’ve paid to them, £28,000 was spent on running their business, in total. £72,000 of the money they’ve taken was clear profit, so can we discuss a reduction? There is no discussion on price increases, mentioned as 18% by some recently. There is no engagement and no customer service. ‘Well that ain’t happening’.

I have little love for ‘The Industry’ but there are lovely people working as Estate Agents, they are sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, grandparents and they are people’s friends. They are human and they aren’t perfect but they still deserve to be treated with respect and, particularly small business owners, when they work seven days a week, when they are communicating with another much maligned industry, conveyancers, at 10pm at night, they are going above and beyond to deliver what they promise, to keep their business profitable, to keep people in jobs. ‘Well that ain’t happening!’ is what they are treated to.

Estate Agent Shaun Adams has set up a petition calling for a CMA Probe into Rightmove’s Unfair Pricing Practices Affecting Estate Agents.

If you feel that a default response ‘Well that ain’t happening!’ and no engagement is acceptable and if you feel that a 72% profit margin is perfectly fair then don’t sign the petition.

If you know an estate agent, if you believe that businesses should work to help each other, that business relationships should be symbiotic and not parasitic then do please add your vote.

I want to see Rightmove continue, they are good for my business because my clients benefit from me making use of them (let me add that we do sell some homes without ever listing them on Rightmove). I want them to be strong and healthy to survive into the future.

I also want to feel that I matter to them, that they care whether my business thrives, that they understand I am a human being and deserve a modicum of respect.

I also want them to understand that of that last £72,000 of my money that was clear profit for them, some of that would have been invaluable to my business, to help me grow faster, to support others in doing so, to strengthen the wider economy because I would have spent it with other businesses, employed new people.

By the time this article is released the votes will have reached 1,000 which is wonderful coming from the industry. What is even more powerful is if those outside of the industry add their voice, that will carry more weight than ever, voices saying that businesses should work together, support each other, suppliers should make a profit but not cripple their customers, not disrespect them, not foster a culture of abusive behaviour, that they should take away the phrase ‘Well that ain’t happening!’ because, perhaps at long last, something is happening, an industry is waking up, coming together to fight for fairness and decency in how they are treated.

Marketers are keen to tell businesses that it isn’t necessarily how good you are, people remember ‘How you make them feel’. Rightmove will benefit from looking at, understanding and improving how they make people, their clients, feel.

Please take a moment to add your voice: Call for CMA Probe into Rightmove’s Unfair Pricing Practices Affecting Estate Agents

City analysts warn Rightmove fees investigation could hit share price

Thank you for taking the time to read this! A huge thank you for taking time to vote, to comment, to discuss and to share this discussion, this cry for help.

#Business #B2B #ProfitMargin #CustomerService

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