Rightmove has responded after the Competition Appeal Tribunal confirmed the first court dates in a proposed £1.5bn legal action brought on behalf of thousands of estate agents and housebuilders across the UK.
The claim, led by former Competition and Markets Authority panel member Jeremy Newman, alleges that Rightmove abused its dominant position in the online property portal market by charging agents excessive and unfair subscription fees.
The tribunal has scheduled a key hearing for 2-3 November 2026, when judges will decide whether to grant a Collective Proceedings Order – a decision that would formally certify the case and allow it to move towards a full trial.
The tribunal also ordered Rightmove to submit its defence by 29 July, with Newman required to file his response by 25 September.
The legal action seeks an estimated £1.5bn in damages and covers estate agents and new home developers that paid subscription fees to Rightmove between April 2020 and April 2026.
The case is expected to become one of the most significant legal disputes the property industry has faced in recent years, placing renewed scrutiny on portal pricing, competition and the balance of power between agents and the major property platforms.
A Rightmove spokesperson said: “Rightmove is confident in the value we provide to our partners and consumers, who are at the core of our business solutions and digital platform.
“As one of the most efficient parts of the UK housing market, we help people across the UK to move home by bringing buyers, sellers, renters, landlords and agents together. Our platform continues to provide a growing range of constantly evolving products and features which facilitate market transparency, liquidity and confidence. This claim is without merit, and we will defend it vigorously.”
EYE NEWS UPDATE: Court date set in £1.5bn legal battle against Rightmove
NEWS FLASH: Rightmove responds to legal action by issuing what appears to be a corporate press release written entirely in fluent Blue Matter.
At this point, I’m convinced every Rightmove spokesperson undergoes a mandatory procedure where independent thought is removed and replaced with patriotic RM programming.
“Value to our partners”… translation: “Please continue paying eye-watering fees while we explain why you should be grateful for it.”
Apparently they’re “one of the most efficient parts of the UK housing market” — which is impressive considering agents provide the stock, do the viewings, handle the negotiations, chase the chains, deal with the fallout, and Rightmove uploads the photos and sends the invoice.
The best part is “this claim is without merit.”
Of course it is. Companies being accused of overcharging always say that right before spending millions defending themselves in court.
Still, it’ll be interesting to see what happens when thousands of agents collectively decide they’ve had enough of funding the portal empire.
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I’m sure most won’t agree but –
If you don’t appreciate RM, don’t pay for it. There are countless other options.
Stop telling RM how to run its business.
And I’m definitely not a fan of RM.
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