A large number of agents have signed up to the Say No To Rightmove site.
Last night, support stood at over 600 different businesses.
In addition, hundreds of individual franchisees and others who could not commit to showing their master company’s logo, were also demonstrating support. As of last night, some 200 logos were showing on the site with more expected today.
The platform was launched last week by Rob Sargent, CEO of The Acorn Group, to challenge Rightmove on its pricing.
Rightmove had initially offered agents deferred payment. After an outcry, Rightmove amended this to a four-month discount of 75%.
Sargent is now calling on Rightmove to offer agents a choice between this four-month discount and a tariff-free three month payment holiday.
He argues that this choice would actually be in both Rightmove’s and agents’ favours, by allowing agents with the severest cashflow problems to stay with the portal. Sargent believes that agents whose cashflow is most compromised may simply cancel their direct debits instead as they pare their costs to the bone.
Sargent is pushing Rightmove for an answer today.
Comments (34)
F#CK RIGHTMOVE!
Let ’em burn!
RIP Rightmove
RMEXIT
Dear all supporters of Say No To Rightmove
Please excuse my absence from the campaign today – I have been working on initiatives within my own business. Please maintain your support for this initiative, whilst I plan the next stage.
Many of you have already had the courage to serve your notice, and many of you are thinking or about to do the same. It was always my intention to negotiate a position of choice for all that would, at the very least, mean nobody would have to pay the ‘Rightmove Machine’ for the next three months.
I feel that Rightmove have now backed me, along with many of you, into a corner that leaves really no choice…watch this space – I will be in touch again tomorrow.
Rob Sargent
CEO – The Acorn Group
That can mean only one course of action – RM mInus another 30+ branches? Never in the business of estate agency has so much been by so few for so many!
Respect.
One thing rightmove have underestimated or undervalued is their association with our individual brands, and they’ve never, ever, experienced us as competitors.
Staggering amounts of money for a scroll and tap website, staggering incompetence in seeing the bigger picture, it might of been our competitiveness which allowed them to cuckold us as they helped themselves but they have no understanding of what happens when that is unleashed in a different direction.
Beautifully put!
Come on Rob…join us in the mass exodus! Thank you again for your efforts and for galvanising a proud but disillusioned industry!
My business logo is in that image and I have LEFT rightmove as have many others in the list. I’ve emailed Mr Sargent and told him that negotiating is useless and the No should just be NO
Our logo is there to…..and we have also left with absolutely no intention of returning regardless of any further negotiations!
This was my tuppence worth when sending our logo…..
Please find attached, thank you for your efforts on top of everything else you have on your plate at the moment.
In truth, like many other business owners I’m wondering whether now is the time to slay the beast and just come off and fight it out using OTM and to a lesser extent Zoopla, maybe give OTM the listing head start with Zoopla following up to be terminated at a later date. Accepting RM concessions however on the face of it generous merely gives them time to heal and plot, we are both ( sadly ) old enough to have done the job pre portal for many years and the teams that I was part of or headed in those days were far more focused and agile than this generation of post portal agents, and at the risk of a rear view mirror tinged in rose colours it all seemed like more fun.
Rightmove have the corporate approach of that kid who likes to pull wings off flies.
I haven’t joined this group, I’ve given notice instead, because I don’t want to negotiate to stay with Rightmove. If it was a group for leavers, I’d join so we can maintain buying power elsewhere or set up a free portal.
Good initiative though, but just leave. If 600 left and some of those brands influence many tens of offices, others will follow.
Leaving is the best option, in a way, this group just gives a sitting on the fence option, just do it.
Rightmove I do not believe RM understand independent estate agents. Even with the revised 75% discount, based on history, I believe RM will claw this back and screw estate agents for every penny at a later date. RM have lost all credibility as a ‘partner’ I feel the fees we are asked to pay are extortionate, coupled with non stop annual price increases massively in excess of inflation, are a rip off. The 08/09 credit crunch really displayed RM’s true colours. RM charging approx 4-5 times other portals fees are totally unjustified. I expressed my feelings to RM last year and was ignored as usual. I speak with many local estate agents and know many who are now quitting, we all feel the same. If RM were prepared to be reasonable with their fees and listen to it’s ‘Partners” it would not be losing them. Should RM not offer fair pricing I truly believe RM has had it’s day and I lay the blame purely at the door of the greedy directors/shareholders. I noticed Andrew Fisher, Chairman,( no doubt in the hope of making more money) purchased two tranches of 10,000 shares on 13/3 at £5.34 and another 10,000 on 16/3 at £4.84. (Presently £3.78) If still retained, he will be nursing losses of approximately £26,000 I wonder if he’s now enjoying his experience with RM? I think not. The directors and shareholders must wake up, the future of Rightmove is on a downward trajectory. Due to RM’s arrogance and lack of understanding I shall, with the savings made, more actively promote my own brand in conjunction with other portals, as many other independents should do. ( Been advertising since 2002)
STOP PRESS: Shares nosedive to 376.90. It appears RM are in serious trouble as an exodus takes place.
Couldn’t agree more!
Problem is agents may give notice but there is circa 6 weeks left they can regret it and say with RM.
I doubt 100 offices will go through with it sadly. When they have something like 18000 offices its a small amount. All they will do is hike our rates end of the year to cover the shortfall (or the following year).
We need leaders locally they heard agents to leaving on mas, its a job not for the faint of hearted which is why nobody will grasp it.
Think there will be more than that, but still not enough to cause a wobble, let alone giving them what they so desperately deserve after those comments last week.
Whatever you choose to do best wishes, but most certainly the market will be a very different place when this crisis is all over, on so many levels. RM will revert to their predatory ways.
This is the opportunity to escape the handcuffs and agents should now be holding hands against such a tyrant of an organisation.
After giving Rightmove my notice I received a phone call on Friday seeing if there was anything they can do for me keep me as a customer. I told them NO and they do not deserve my money. Let them know how it feels to be burnt like they have done to us for so long.
We’re out.
Why would any firm want to be associated with RM after that crass announcement last week?
i don’t get the purpose of a boycott
I served my notice the day before the improved offer. I am awaiting the confirmation email from them. I will be leaving and then consider whether I go back i the future. Times are going to be tough for a while and I want to keep my staff financially ok, not RM.
Last week in my resignation letter to Rightmove I suggested whoever devised the original absurd ‘concession’ should resign and the whole future of Rightmove would now be in jeopardy. The latter looks very likely. Forget campaigning for agreements for 3 months, after this time most agents funds will be so depleted there will be no budget to pay RM fees, which are sure to be hiked soon after. The whole face and future of the business is going to be entirely different. Resign today and, if it can be arranged carefully and thoughtfully over the next few weeks, return to the original concept and ideals of Agents Mutual. A lot of untying of existing agreements will be necessary but it appears to be the only way ahead. Two clear messages go out today – Stay at home and Resign from Rightmove.
The CEO who called the death of thousands a “blip” in a conversation with Rob Seargant should resign or be fired……………..
That’s surely on the cards? Surprised it hasn’t happened yet though.
LEAVE RIGHTMOVE.
Come on Industry. Repay RM with what they deserve. LEAVE. They have robbed us for years and if they survive they will do it again. Zoopla has stepped up to the plate. We will not be able to afford to pay anyone anything soon anyway and Zoopla have responded with their offer Yes with a commercial bent but in the future they (Zoopla) will remember what happened to RM this time, and so will be measured going forward about price increases.
As someone commented last week, we’ve got these portals/parasites on the run. Time to repay them, and in particular RM for the beating they’ve been giving our industry over the last 5 years.
We have a directors meeting in an hours time and then staff meeting at half nine, all a couple of meters apart of course, these are our most important assets and our friends as well as colleagues, first on the agenda will be identifying the parasites attached to our business account and putting them in the deep freeze, the obvious one with the body of a centipede and the head of a snarling baby will be RM, welcome to the new normal.
Not sure the tumbs down was warranted – clearly a RM rep is on site today
Portals reps very active on here, wouldn’t you be? Glad to see people being honest about the leeches.
I can’t see any reason anyone would ptu a thumbs down to his message unless a mistake. Bit odd that.
I’m coming off Rightmove for good, the market is going to change and take a long time to recover, after this. And I’ve decided to stick with OnTheMarket, before all this coronavirus, we were getting more leads through on the OnTheMarket than Rightmove. I have not spoken to a rep in years from Rightmove before this crisis happened. Yes I’ve paid top whack monthly subscription. For a company I personally couldn’t stand. It’s going against my human nature to pay for something I don’t like. So now is my opportunity to finish with them for good which I will do. And I hope you all do as well. Good luck to all of you Business wise, lets hope we make it through.
Pussyfooting .Don’t understand why you all don’t leave
They will soon rip up the script
They have no intention of leaving – just sitting on the fence and hoping the soulless CEO of Rightmove buckles…..
Rightmove and Zoopla will not save you and I for the life in me can not understand why you want to save them…..you owe them nothing.
well done estate agents
Rightmove…..
Do they care about YOU?
Do they care about your business?
Do they act as a monopoly?
Are their charges proportionate with their service?
Do they put your charges up annually?
Did they take Covid-19 seriously?
Who will make up the losses they are currently making?
Are there alternative portals available?
Staff or Rightmove?
Do they operate divide & conquer policy?
Is it morally right to stay with Rightmove after their initial offer?
Is this the only chance our industry gets to BREAK the monopoly?
Should we take back the industry Rightmove stole?
……..we are leaving….NEVER to return