Rightmove has confirmed that two long-standing, and key, people have left the business.
It said yesterday evening that both left last year at different times, but has declined to comment further. It made no announcement at the time.
Jason Bushby, head of agency sales, is one of the departures confirmed by Rightmove.
The other confirmed departure is that of Stewart Mussett, the northern director for estate agency.
According to Bushby’s LinkedIn profile, he is still with Rightmove.
According to Mussett’s profile, he left at the end of December after 13 years and is looking for a new challenge.
It is understood that both men have left Rightmove on good terms. Both are believed to have been replaced by internal appointments.
Their departures come as Rightmove has been communicating price rises to agents, with speculation relayed to EYE that some of the portal’s account handlers and their seniors have felt uncomfortable about doing this.
We did put this speculation to Rightmove but, as we have said, it has not commented.
This is not unusual: Rightmove does not normally comment on leavers and joiners, other than board members.
Comments (40)
People come and go at every business, I don’t see why a couple of leavers is such a talking point.
Yet… you’re here… talking about it.
Kinda addictive, innit?
KByfield04’s comment will resonate with so many of us. So what shall we do ? Postpone such a decision until next year in the hope that portal competition is better ? That’s the mind-set of many of my own staff, undoubtedly driven by fear, no matter what I say about the sunny uplands of an RM-free world.
I would rather suggest sticking with my present costs, cancel my DD and offer payment for the 1st month of the new charging year at the same level as the previous month. If RM chooses to reject it, so be it. They will have jumped off the ledge in my book.
You will wait a long time for a portal to be better than Rightmove simply because aggregating a lot but not all all agents data into one “Windows 98y” list isn’t really the go any more. Rightmove is fast becoming a legacy system but to catch up with what is going on means changes that will decimate their charging structure. Big data systems will rapidly be replaced by small data systems where agents and their affiliations reap the benefit of the data they win.
Rightmove have some real challenges ahead. In the last 5 years their revenue & profits have both doubled- from an already strong position. Generally agents wont like this but, in a strong/upwards market this is less of a consideration with agents core focus being on making money. However, as the market turns, costs and other implications are heaped on us and yet Rightmove’s position is to plough on with astronomical increases (we are facing a near 21% increase this year after an 18% increase last year) how long do they think we will take this? In the past I have often defended the likes of Rightmove as I still felt they offered real value- but that position can’t last indefinitely. The duplicity of offering free online seminars about ‘how to beat the tenant ban’ whilst increasing charges massively is not lost on many of us. It has been quite staggering to see the amount of agent that have contacted me on twitter either equally fed up or recanting tales of success since they left. RM is our 3rd biggest single cost after wages and rent but I seriously question the value the portal delivers any more- our new fee will be £1400ish per month despite averaging around 10 lettings listings and 2-3 sales at any one time- that’s is expensive any way you look at it. We can achieve a lot with £1400 invested elsewhere on SEO, canvassing, social media etc not to mention ensuring our website achieves maximum benefit from the listings.
Rightmove are seriously shooting themselves in the foot- the market (in terms of branches) is shrinking with corporates closing offices as well as acquiring and absorbing independent operations. This not only means less offices paying them fees but a growing % getting the special corporate rates we are all so aware of. Surely it makes business sense to retain higher fee paying independent branches- or am I missing something? When you talk to reputable sources who tell you first hand that large operations are not only getting vast discounts but are being actively told not to waste money on bolt-on products like the RM microsites which are being presented to us independents as essential, big results products you realise just how much Rightmove disrespect all of us who own and run small operations. We are nothing more than a meal ticket and if they help crush several of us along the way to maximising the revenue they can extract from us- then so be it.
Despite umpteen emails with our AM, RM have not budged on the price proposals one single penny and,whilst dressed up with flowery nonsense, the real message is ‘pay up or **** off- we really don’t care either way’. If that’s not concerning to the exec board at RM then, again, that tells all of us everything we need to know.
THIS MIGHT BE AN INDICATOR AS TO WHAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING/DOING ABOUT RIGHTMOVE AND OTHER PORTALS. VERY VERY INTERESTING RESULTS!!!
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SQT9YJP
apples… you are driving me bananas!
Apples, perhaps if you explain who you are first, people may be more willing to take the survey that you are so desperate to spam everyone with?
+1 Ric
Apples, do you just hit copy & paste every so often on forum pages?
Rightmove’s motivation is clear – Shareholders/Share Price/Company Value etc. Agents best interests are not their priority.
The Annual Statement could almost be a template and just change the date. Whatever happens it must deliver some level of increased financial success, and if the property market is challenging, if agents are leaving, if the property pie is smaller…. it makes little difference.
As has been highlighted already with firms going bust, branch closures etc, Rightmove’s income is less, so keep papering over the cracks by increasing the monthly cost and hope they can keep agents on-board with the perception that life without Rightmove is unsustainable?
The secret deals for certain agents to try and create an artificial market for “additional products” is loathsome, especially when one thinks that agent is effectively helping Rightmove.
In reality one could view that Rightmove are trying to back the agents that they think will remain, however those agents must know that their costs will rise, albeit, more profit – pays for more Rightmove?
As an alternative to the NAEA (remind me what they contribute?) we should have the INAEA where we can ascertain the true number of Independent Estate & Letting Agents and look at ways of delivering added value/benefit for those members.
Rightmove’s motto could be summed up as “Divide & Conquer”.
Perhaps INAEA is a way to channel efforts to redress the balance which is clearly missing from Our Industry?
“Renewal fees shrinking, agents leaving? Must be the Reps. Fire them and try someone new. The Shareholders must be fed!”
Is this even a story?
We had someone leave our business last month but I don’t want to comment on it (he wanted to do something else)
Perhaps the likes of Reapit and Jupix etc. could check feed statistics and post how many agents who are currently trading were uploading to Rightmove 6 months ago and how many are now.
THIS MIGHT BE AN INDICATOR AS TO WHAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING/DOING ABOUT RIGHTMOVE AND OTHER PORTALS. VERY VERY INTERESTING RESULTS!!!
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SQT9YJP
Where are the “very very interesting results”??
Rightmove is also staying silent when asked to justify its suicidal price hikes.
I’ve tried talking them down from the ledge but they seem hell bent on losing their previously loyal client base.
Should we be worried? Nah ! Blatant agent exploitation over many years carries the corresponding risk of mass abandonment they deserve to experience.
It’s simple maths for them raising agents subscription rates circa one third they will need to lose 1 in 3 agents to stay where they are.
The stat is probably in reality 1 in 500 agents walk away which means they are quids in. Expect another bumper year for RM.
The only way this will ever change is if local associations get together and decide to walk away from RM and back another existing or new portal. The fight needs to be taken local not national to stand a chance of winning.
Some people left my company in the last six months as well.
Why do I find this unsurprising?
Because attrition is perfectly normal and some people need to move on in order to give them the breadth they may be looking for, that you cannot offer?
Correct.
Erm…
Yeah.
That as well.
I suppose.
Haha.
You know nothing about what I do!
I don’t have to!
PeeBee you are pathetic. I would say stick to you day job but from all reports you are bad at that as well!
Do I know someone who stole the toys from your pram or something?
Certainly seems so.
This PIE open forum has helped agents come together in order to take on the likes of RM.
The RM divide and rule of agents is slowly coming to an end. Just a matter of time.
I see alot of talk but no action personally.
This forum has helped make Rightmove stronger, not weaker.
I met with Jason on a couple of occasions over the years to discuss PortalJuggling and how RM appeared to be at best, turning a blind eye to it. Jason struck me as a genuine and honest man who listened.
I haven’t spoken to him recently and have no idea why he has left but I wish him all the very best of luck. I’m guessing, but I believe people of Jason’s carachter are not going to be missed by the board; Rightmove does not give the impression of being a firm to work for if you care for your customers.
We are all honest in general. It’s the machines that are bigger then the people that are the problem.
This is why I don’t agree with publicly owned companies full stop.
Kill jobs and industries for the sake of a CEO bonus every time.
next headline…
Rightmove confirms departure of key agents, but stays silent on the reasons.
followed by…
Other agents follow key agents…
Followed by…
Rightmove announce price fix…
Followed by
Too little far too late as Rightmove shares plummet
Finally…
Remember Rightmove?
It was probably becoming to difficult for them to keep a straight face with customers when the big wigs at Rightmove continued to execute a client cash grab.
I personally don’t beleive (sorry) anyone has left RM because they feel bad for the agents. This is not a new thing RM spanking us… it is simply a new thing agents having an alternative AND many thinking, if I am going to “go under” I will take my last go at it, without RM to see if I can cope.
I do suspect reporting back to the big wigs was getting harder for the Reps and therefore head of reps…
More decent agents not spending on products (SHAME ON YOU, one of my local decent agents however for buying the Optimser package! signs of an ultra weak estate agent, oh and if you got it cheap or for free… you are just as daft, as taking it, puts pressure on you keeping it or makes another equally daft agent take it aswell trying to keep up with you. DOH.) and agents giving back more attitude than ever before.
RM may well be sensing with good reason a definite potential change in the air… never have I felt so close to saying lets leave.
I was told recently, even if I opened a “Ric” branded office 100 miles from my nearest office now and never displayed ANY of the property from that branch on RM they would still charge me for that office. I questioned, but 100 miles away…. no properties in this post code shown anywhere on RM, so no messing from me, I would be out there saying WE DO NOT GO ON RIGHTMOVE AT THIS OFFICE and they said, so what… you would pay for opening the office. Now that for me is anti competitive. Stifling my ability to expand… I see no reason why RM can or should charge me for a venture where I do not promote RM. I understand neighbouring villages, but 100 miles away WHY? It is now like something from the Sopranos.
Could you not just trade under a different legal entity?
You could, but my point is “Why should I?”
If I am not showcasing property in the post code I am opening in, and RM are in theory not helping that branch in ANYWAY i.e. punters searching for property in this area will NOT see Rics properties, then why charge me?
It can only be considered as a tax?
Buyers visit RM to: Look for property in an area or search for Agents in an area… IF I have no presence on RM in that area I should not be charged! regardless of my having an office surely?
because we do and can – is the RM response… wow! ******* ballsy to say **** you to expanding without RM, we are so big you will do nothing without paying us a tax!
Yet, ironically RM are allowing exactly that to happen with one firm I’m aware of on my patch. Listing through an office 100 miles away!
Fortunately with RM you simply keep the proof the rule breaking from the agents whom are still allowed to advertise on their site [RM] and you have enough to ensure if they ever treat you differently you have a good case in court to claim discrimination.
I am only doing what someone else is doing, who have been allowed to do it… why are you treating me differently please? I assume your T&C’s are the same for all?
And I know you would all crowdfund my court case against them 😉
Key agents like connells who went to court with on the market over something they now realise wasn’t viable? Talk about a Badmove .
Papering over the cracks.