Strong market has helped OnTheMarket deliver improved financials but efforts to convert more agents to paying customers cut numbers by 5%.

Portal says it needs the cash to pay dividends during the 'foreseeable future' but also potentially buy back its own shares too.

Portal is to ask permission from shareholders for the approx £10m it holds as 'cash in hand' to be used to pay member agents their dividends, if deemed necessary.

Can one of the newcomer marketing platforms break through to become the Apple of the property portal business? Richard Reed asks the contenders why they think they can.

Rental estimator has been developed exclusively with Property Price Advice to generate enquiries to agents.

Announcement is part of its annual results which show a £7m rise in revenues to £30.4m and a small increase in profits.

OnTheMarket says the new free-to-members service will allow agents to optimise images themselves, rather than using a third party photo enhancing company.

SmartMail will remain paid-for but only available to the portal's listing agents following the partnership announcement.