Estate agents slam Rightmove campaign as ‘slap in the face’
Shaun Adams, who started a petition against Rightmove's fee increases, says the portal's 'game changers' initiative ignores the plight of independent agents who pay 'full whack'.
The independent agent behind a petition against recent fee hikes by Rightmove has been joined by others within the industry to label Rigthmove’s new ‘game changers’ campaign as “a slap in the face”.
Rightmove last week said it wants to “put the game-changing work of agents in the spotlight”, but not all agents support the sentiment.
It all comes just a couple of months after a petition was launched by independent estate agent Shaun Adams (main image) calling for an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into the portal’s charging policies.
Daylight robbery
He accused Rightmove of “bullying” and “daylight robbery” over its fee increases of 18%.
Christian Balshen, Rightmove’s Director of Agency Partnerships, said: “We want to champion the estate and letting agency profession, and this campaign aims to remind people of the great work done day-in day-out by the property professionals of the UK.”
But Adams tells The Neg: “Rightmove’s new ‘Game Changers’ campaign is a slap in the face to the very agents it continues to exploit.
“While they invite the public to praise agents, independents like us are being financially drained to fund a system that rewards big corporates and punishes the rest.”
Formal complaint
He says a formal complaint has already been submitted to the CMA, and legal action was being considered.
Adams is encouraging agents to write to the CMA, and has set up a website portalfeesscandal.co.uk which features a letter template.
“Some corporates enjoy up to 90% off while independents pay full whack,” Adams says.
Coerced
He says agents are “coerced” into agreeing Rightmove’s terms and conditions even though they are one-sided.
“I’m proud to be a whistleblower on Rightmove and part of a growing campaign that’s challenging their conduct on both legal and regulatory grounds.”
“The real ‘game changers’ are the independent agents standing up for what’s right.”
Too little too late
Tracy Churchwood, MD at Churchwood Stanley in Essex, describes Rightmove’s ‘game changers’ campaign as “too little too late”.
“They will continue to overcharge their clients which has been going on for at least 15 years+ not only overcharge but provide zero customer service.
Trevor Abrahmsohn, chief executive of Glentree Estates, says: “As Rightmove, very predictably, ‘squeezes the nuts of the agents’, I have a wry smile at the news that they wish to ‘highlight the ‘game-changing role’ of agents”.
More agents are leaving the portal due to Rightmove’s excessive fees, especially in this tough market. This new campaign feels less about support and more about keeping agents around to fund those fees.
Couldn’t agree more! I’ve said to everyone I’ve spoken to at Rightmove that the portal obviously delivers the most value, but their fees are totally disproportionate.
As a new agency from a cold start all I could dofor the first two years is focus on finding my Rightmove Fees. In the second year our subscription acoounted for 51% of every £ we spent. Singlehanded more expensive than all the other costs combined! (which includes subscriptions to over 5 other software companies).
The 18% increase is “designed” to stop agents from being able to invest in any other form of marketing which is working.
Thank you Shaun for the work you are doing.
Rightmove’s fees forced us out of agency work. Constant price rises made it no longer viable to continue. It became more cost-effective to use other agents to handle the lettings work.