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Rightmove called on to ‘reveal its new deal’ before fees reduction ends

London agent who heads up one of the four 'say no to Rightmove' groups urges agents to email their reps this morning and demand to know the portal's plans.

Nigel Lewis

rightmove

A leading member of the ‘say not to Rightmove’ campaign has urged agents to write to the portal’s reps today to ask whether it plans to offer them a better deal before its Coronavirus 75% listing fee reduction period ends at the end of the month.

The portal has been tight-lipped since its March decision to offer the reduction deal, many believe as it waits to see how many agents have, or are threatening to, leave.

North London agent Murray Lee has sent an email to the campaigning group he heads up with fellow London agent Alan Goldin, publishing the text he plans to send his two reps this morning in a ‘final push’ before the deadline arrives.

Lee is keen for agents to pressurise Rightmove to come off the fence as soon as possible and let them know what its pricing plan is before the expected hike takes place when the portal returns to charging fees again.

Link to Coronavirus Crisis special reportHe says many agents have been told by reps that ‘maybe something is being prepared’ to appease the thousands of estate agents who support the four different campaigns that have come together to coordinate a unified response.

“From my, and many others point of view, we need to know where we stand now,” his rep letter says.

“Unless you can assure me/us that we will not be penalised by delaying, I and the same others, will be handing in our notice this week, in plenty time for the months’ notice required.

“We appreciate the feeds but just don’t appreciate the charges and the manner in which we are treated.

“Let’s stop dancing around the maypole and tell us what (if anything) is going to be offered in time before the discount is over.”

 

June 23, 2020

One comment

  1. Eight days and counting and the silence from Rightmove is deafening. Instead of listening to or even trying to communicate with thousands of disgruntled estate agents, this Behemoth has chosen like many who have gone before to believe it is mightier than those who pay its invoices.

    It is a questionable model, with the property market likely to take a bath at the end of quarter three, and costs being uppermost in the minds of those running agency businesses, to adopt a ‘silent approach’ may well cost this company dearly.

    Yes, Rightmove did discount fees, but given that not a lot of inventory was listed in the 13-week lockdown period, it was not really of great benefit, and the central problem that Rightmove has – charging far too much, has not gone away.

    Especially as now agents and the general public have a lot more choice on the horizon with fresher and far cheaper or zero cost portals entering the arena. Rightmove would do well to remember the customer is always king, and it is the agents who pay to keep those Rightmove doors open, failure to engage can seriously damage a company’s share price and it’s reputation moving forward.

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