Agent claims to have caught out portal by using a private email address to register for Property Alerts, an address which has now been used by Charcol to prospect for mortgage business.

The Negotiator put this, and many other key questions preying on agents minds at the moment to Zoopla’s commercial head Andy Marshall.

Free-to-list platform Residential People is 14 months old and has 1,800 listing agents but says it now wants to turn into a mutual-style property portal.

Dreamview Estates, Hausman and Holmes, and Alan Goldin Estates persuade Zoopla to give an improved offer on the portal's original 'free free' deal announced last month.

Member agents of either organisations get the free deal without having to leave Rightmove, as Zoopla's announced deal last week required.

Portal is offering three different deferred payment packages for qualifying agents all of which will start on May 1st.

Portal's reps tell agents to 'hold fire' with calls for help and promise that news of a financial package to ease the burden is in the pipeline.

Ian Springett, the CEO of the third major portal, OnTheMarket, has had his employment terminated with immediate effect.