Tuesday 25 September 2007 12.13pm
Quote:No agents please.
I struggle to see why there should be any difference between:
Here is my flat to let, please contact me so I can avoid paying agent's fees; and
This is the sort of flat I want to rent, please contact me so that you can avoid paying agent's fees so I will get a better deal.
In both cases this site is acting as agent, but for free. Economic benefit is being provided to both parties, but it is very unclear to me that this site benefits in exchange. It is quite different to 'please can you recommend me a plumber'-type posts.
Personally I am becoming rather bored with the number of very similar threads. Now, if the editorial decision is to encourage advertising within the forums as a way of driving traffic to this site, well as a non-paying punter who am I to complain.
On the other hand, perhaps it is time for a separate 'trading' forum - maybe a property-specific one. Or else a suggestion that people should try Gumtree.