“We all protest individually for months, but it is useless. Since the last monetary devaluation in December, the values of the ads on the ZonaProp portal have gone through the roof and if you are not there you do not exist to operate. So what we What remains to confront this gigantic monopoly is to protest together, a bit like what happened between prepaid users and private medicine firms that agreed to increase similar sky-high percentages,” one of those affected by the huge bills he must pay for his ads on the search portal explained to iProfesional. of properties that belongs to the Brazilian firm QuintoAndar.
“The idea is to unsubscribe all together, but despite having gathered representatives of 240 real estate agencies in the northern area of the province of Buenos Aires, and more than 200 public auctioneers who represent them, we still think that we are few, so We plan and call to spread this rebellion, to real estate agencies in the City of Buenos Aires and other parts of the province,” explained one of the promoters of the idea.
240 real estate agencies, on alert due to the requirements demanded by ZonaProp
That they do not offer their names and speak discreetly with the press is due to the fear confessed by themselves, for which those who complain with first and last names usually receive more onerous rates than the rest.
However, as has happened on other occasions, they show the incredible invoices they receive from the management of ZonaProp for the publication of their advertisements and it is difficult to understand how many real estate agencies continue to operate in the midst of a recessive context of the national economy.”
For Marta Liotto, head of the Real Estate Professional Association (CPI), this is nothing new because she had already warned of the actions of the owners of the portal in Brazil. “There they ended up completely controlling the rental market and of course imposing tariffs.”
One of the invoices shown by an auctioneer from an exclusive country in the northern part of Buenos Aires illustrates what many leaders in the sector are experiencing.
Through ZonaProp, real estate agencies can spread their offers for the sale and rental of properties in exchange for a monthly subscription.
“In July 2023, I paid close to 280,000 pesos for one of the most expensive subscriptions. In March 2024, I paid close to 1,500,000 pesos for the same service.”
Real estate companies denounce abusive increases
When complaints to ZonaProp occur individually, the response is usually intemperate, cold and without the possibility of renegotiation for plan payments of any kind.
“Sir, if you don’t like what we charge, you can always cancel your plan,” an operator answered.explained the owner of a real estate company in the western area of CABA with 40 years of experience in the area.
These warnings were heard by almost everyone who picked up a phone to complain. The trajectory, the area, or any type of prior agreement does not matter. Belonging has its cost, but it is a very high one that puts into serious doubt the continuity of the operations of many real estate companies because, In the digital age, no other applications have emerged that users have been encouraged to trust.
The truth is that the opinion that predominates in the Argentine real estate sector is that ZonaProp is the dominant company in terms of consultation volumes and operations that are closed, but that success carries the shadow of doubt, about the true intentions of the proptech management, which is denounced for trying to eradicate the marketers in the absence of official controls on their actions.
“In this fight we will need the clients and users of real estate companies because they will also be harmed in the future if the Brazilians’ plans advance,” said an auctioneer who juggles paying her office bills.
Sector leaders denounce that there is a monopoly, which allows ZonaProp to apply excessive increases
Liotto maintained that, in the case of rentals, the absence of real estate companies significantly reduces the possibilities of tenant claims in situations of non-compliance by the owners or in instances of deficiencies in the apartments.
“We are the actor to ensure compliance between both parties. The model proposed by the platform eliminates, precisely, that instance of control,” he explained.
ZonaProp does not abandon its expansion plans
However, from Brazil, the CEO of ZonaProp, Gabriel Braga, put in black and white his interest in leading all possible aspects of the real estate market by making two large acquisitions, the emerging real estate credit company Atta and the technology company Velo, which It is dedicated to providing guarantees to tenants.
Pilar’s proclamation was made on Monday, May 6, and the idea is to go to negotiate en bloc with ZonaProp and if her reasons are not attended to, get off the publication as a group. They hope that more real estate companies will take the same measure while they wait for a call from the national commerce secretariat which, based on what happened with prepaid payments, seems to have woken up.
