HEREFORDSHIRE estate agents are set to follow a national trend and reject two popular property internet sites in favour of an agent-led one.

A meeting was held last week with the county's estate agents to discuss joining the new website, On The Market, which launches in January.

The agents want to use this in preference to Rightmove and Zoopla, which dominate the property market online.

Partner Gerard Flint at Flint and Cook, which has offices in Hereford, Bromyard, Ross and London, said major changes are afoot in the industry.

He said: "Two property portals have become giants.

"Agents feel they have lost control of their properties, to an extent.

"It is really Rightmove and Zoopla who are dictating the situation to us now, where it should be the other way around.

"Agents have been unhappy for a while.

"What has happened is a third portal to rival them has been created by estate agents themselves."

Mr Flint said it concerns estate agents across the country- many of whom have opted in to the new website.

He said the two major property websites, which list houses for sale and to rent, charge spiralling costs to the estate agents, which he said has got out of control.

Mr Flint said of the meeting last week: "Agents at the meeting were very positive to move in the direction we have just talked about.

"Certainly, the vast majority will take this route, without question.

"This is going to take off. People in our business are really pleased it is happening."

Lawrence Hall, spokesman for Zoopla, said: "The leading portals like Zoopla are an extremely cost efficient way for agents to advertise their clients' properties and get the maximum exposure needed to ensure that they achieve the best price for a property.

"The cost on average to an agent is around £10 a month, a fraction of the thousands of pounds charged in fees by agents."

He said Zoopla welcome competition, but said the new portal is "troubling" as it only requires those agents to advertise clients' properties on the new portal and one other, which he said is not in the consumer's interest.

Mr Hall added: " After all, 9 out of 10 property searches are now conducted online and not being in front of any major part of this audience is likely to result in the seller leaving money on the table.

"This new portal is a good example of where certain agents' interests can diverge with those of their clients."