Another Rightmove fee rise, another open letter. The portal’s latest increase has drawn a furious response from an estate agent, reigniting long-running concerns over its pricing power and impact on the wider industry. The criticism has prompted a response from Rightmove, which has provided EYE with a statement, below.
Estate agents across the country are being held to ransom by Rightmove as the property portal raises its subscription fees again this year, according to the owner of a Brighton-based agency facing a 12% increase.
Cooper Adams, which operates in East Preston, has been told by Rightmove it will face substantial rises in its monthly fees when its contract comes up for renewal.
The agency’s owner, Shaun Adams, who has previously argued that Rightmove may be in breach of Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) rules, claims the portal is abusing its dominant market position and engaging in anti-competitive behaviour. He has now written an open letter calling on agents to revolt against the portal.
“It [the open letter] reflects genuine concern and frustration following confirmation today that my fees are increasing by over 12%, which is more than four times the rate of inflation, without any meaningful or worthwhile additional benefit,” he said. “I remain open to a sensible and constructive conversation, but I also believe these issues deserve public scrutiny, which is why I have chosen to address them openly.”
Adams last year launched a petition urging the CMA to investigate what he described as Rightmove’s “unfair pricing practices” affecting estate agents — another agent-led protest that ultimately failed to deliver any meaningful change.
Open letter:
February 2, 2026
An Open Letter to Rightmove
Today, I have been told that my fees are increasing by over 12%, more than four times the rate of inflation.
This follows a similar increase last year of around 20%, again without the delivery of any meaningful or worthwhile improvements to the product or service.
In my view, this cannot reasonably be described as cost pressure. It feels disconnected from value.
Rightmove operates as a virtual monopoly. You know it, agents know it, and crucially the public expects their home to be listed on Rightmove. That expectation gives you a level of market power that fundamentally changes the nature of the relationship.
When agents are told “if you don’t like it, leave”, that ignores commercial reality. Leaving Rightmove is not comparable to switching software providers or marketing tools. It carries real and immediate risk to instructions, client confidence, and business viability. For many, it is not a realistic option.
What is increasingly overlooked is the human cost. I am contacted regularly by independent agents who are struggling to absorb relentless above inflation fee increases. Some have been forced to cut staff hours, reduce investment in marketing, or scale back services. Others have told me that rising portal fees were the final factor in deciding to close their business altogether.
These are not inefficient or poorly run firms. They are long standing local businesses employing local people, training young staff, supporting communities, and providing genuine choice within their local markets. When they disappear, it is not just owners who suffer. Staff lose jobs, careers are disrupted, and local competition is weakened.
It is also increasingly difficult to justify claims of “good value” when comparable digital advertising platforms operating in genuinely competitive markets cost a fraction of the price. In many cases, equivalent services are available at around one tenth of the cost. That comparison matters.
There is also a wider industry context. Similar concerns are being raised in other sectors, most notably in the car sales industry, where Auto Trader occupies a comparable position as the dominant online portal. Dealers have publicly described the same pattern of sustained above inflation price increases, restrictive contracts, and limited practical alternatives, driven by the reality that consumers expect listings to appear on the leading platform. It highlights a broader issue in an internet driven economy, where digital gatekeepers can accumulate significant pricing power faster than regulation can respond.
Independent estate agents are already under sustained pressure. Rising wages, compliance costs, insurance, marketing, and technology all continue to increase. Agents are working harder to deliver better outcomes, while portal costs continue to rise at a pace many simply cannot sustain.
This does not feel like partnership. It does not feel like fair pricing. And it does not feel sustainable.
Independent agents deserve better than being treated as a guaranteed revenue stream.
Many thanks and warm regards,
Shaun Adams FNAEA
Rightmove’s response:
A Rightmove spokesperson told EYE:
“As part of our regular membership renewal cycle, we’re having conversations with those agents whose memberships are due for renewal.
“Our focus is on delivering strong value to all of our members, providing agents with the best exposure to our highly engaged home-moving audience, alongside a range of products, tools and insights that help them win more listings, attract buyer and renter interest and secure transactions.
“Agents can choose the package and suite of tools that best fits their business, and our account managers work closely with them to ensure that it aligns with their visibility and growth objectives.”
They have their client base by the proverbials and until they leave by more than the percentage increase then this will continue.
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That’s true to a point, but the problem is that “leaving” isn’t a simple or risk free lever. When clients expect Rightmove, agents can’t just walk away without risking instructions and trust. Until dependency is reduced and alternatives are genuinely viable, price rises will continue because the exit option isn’t realistic for most agents.
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Rightmove are following the industry training encouragement to “raise fees.” It seems perfectly acceptable for agents to raise their’s but not for a supplier.
When something becomes scarce, something that others are not providing, it usually increases in price.
I believe it’s arrogant to imagine that Rightmove prices could be dictated by outsiders. The customer has the ultimate lever – take it or leave it.
Agents are trapped in the portal cage but the door is always open.
If agents don’t own the media, they can’t expect to dictate to those who do.
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I don’t think that comparison really holds. Agents raising fees happens in a competitive market where clients can and do choose alternatives. Rightmove operates in a very different position. When a platform becomes effectively essential, with no realistic substitute, price signals stop working in the normal way.
The “take it or leave it” argument assumes a free choice. In reality, agents aren’t choosing between equal options, they’re weighing up whether to risk instructions and client trust because sellers expect the dominant portal. That’s not scarcity in the classic sense, it’s dependency.
Agents don’t expect to dictate prices, but it’s reasonable to challenge repeated above-inflation increases when the product hasn’t materially changed and the market lacks genuine competition. Owning the media doesn’t mean being immune from scrutiny, especially when the cage door may technically be open, but stepping through it carries real commercial harm.
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You have to make your mind up.
Is this a free market where you leave pricing of services like Rightmove to market forces?
Or do you believe in intervention where you put your trust in a higher power to keep things “reasonable”.
?
…
Be careful what you wish for.
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It isn’t an either or choice. Free markets only work when there is genuine competition and real choice. When one platform becomes effectively essential, market forces stop working properly and price discipline breaks down. Questioning that isn’t asking for heavy handed intervention, it’s recognising that a market with limited choice doesn’t behave like a free one.
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Is it illegal to get all agents in an area together to collectively decide to withdraw from Rightmove at the same time? Asking for a friend.
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Increased fees/charges/salaries are an issue in most sectors of business and retail – the biggest issue we have in our “profession” is that we have not increased our fees!! We all recognise that “year in, year out”, we are selling fewer properties and that our outgoings have significantly increased , and yet many agents continue to drive sales fees down. It seems that we have too many agents in the profession who have failed to look at the reality of the market, sales numbers and expenses! I would add that outside of these comments I like many others would like to see a more controlled and fair increase in fees based on inflation – that would feel more like a partner in business.
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I don’t disagree that agents need to charge properly and run sustainable businesses. But that doesn’t justify a dominant supplier pushing through repeated above-inflation increases regardless of whether agents’ income is rising. There’s a big difference between agents choosing to improve their pricing in a competitive market and a near-essential platform raising fees because it knows most customers can’t realistically walk away. A fair, inflation-linked approach would feel like partnership. What we’re seeing now doesn’t.
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The question agents should be asking of Rightmove is how much are eXp paying in my town / postcode? They have created a distorted landscape where one agent can access a market for £150 a month whilst another pays £1,000’s for the same access.
I’m a fan of the self employed model and introduced it into my team but Rightmove have aided the growth of eXp due to uncompetitive pricing practices and this needs to stop.
Agents should be questioning Rightmove on this and demanding parity…
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I agree with this.
But let’s also keep in mind that exp agents are encouraged to charge higher fees (and deliver a service to match). We should all be charging more (and delivering a high quality service).
Agents who operate on a low fee / high volume model need to sort it out.
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stop moaning, either pay and use RM, or don’t!
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This isn’t moaning. It’s a legitimate discussion about fairness in a market where one platform dominates and agents have limited real choice. Saying “pay or leave” ignores the commercial reality that clients expect Rightmove and that walking away carries genuine risk. Challenging unfair pricing isn’t whining, it’s basic business sense.
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