Rightmove has defended its latest subscription hikes.
One agent told Eye that he has been told to expect a 13.5% increase in April.
The portal told us: “Rightmove can confirm that it is communicating details of new advertising rates to some of its members. Where new membership rates apply, full details are being communicated to each advertiser on an individual basis.
“Members are able to choose from a range of membership options to suit their online advertising needs, and most of those who have chosen to upgrade their membership package since 1st July 2014 will continue on their existing membership rates.
“Many agents have chosen to upgrade their membership package and invest more with us, as they recognise the effectiveness of Rightmove as a tool for winning and selling new instructions, especially at a time when quality stock is in short supply in many areas.”
Alex Cubitt, head of estate agency at Rightmove, added: “Our recent investments in new technologies have resulted in a string of new tools and innovations, and we’ve just recorded our busiest ever month in January, up 12% on last year, which saw a record 4.3million enquiries sent to our members and over 100 million visits to the site.
“We’ve created the industry’s fastest data feed to enable customers to upload properties in real-time, upgraded Rightmoveplus by developing two new areas, Rightmove Admin and Rightmove Intel, and launched an email lead mapping analysis to help customers target potential sellers and win more instructions in their area.
“We’re proud that these developments are available to all Rightmove customers as part of a standard membership, providing cost-effective and unrivalled reach to their target audience and supported by ever more innovative technology.
“All of this has taken place alongside our biggest ever ‘find your happy’ marketing campaign which continues in 2015, and there are more exciting developments to come.”
* Rightmove recorded its busiest month ever in January, when visits across all platforms including desktops and apps hit 100m for the first time in a month – an uplift of 12% on January last year.
Page views, which Rightmove says are the best indicator of activity on the site, surpassed 1.5bn for the first time ever, meaning home hunters are getting through over 1,000 pages every two seconds.
Email and phone enquiries to agents hit 4.3 million for the first time, equating to around 100 enquiries every minute.
Activity increased as the month progressed with the busiest days across all platforms Sunday 25th and Monday 26th.
Commercial director Miles Shipside said: “To satisfy this high level of demand, it is vitally important that more of the type of property that potential buyers are searching for comes to market.
“The whole industry needs to try and entice more owners to discuss the options and costs of trading up and down with their local estate agents, so we can make more efficient use of the UK’s inadequate housing stock.”
Comments (64)
Rightmove have everyone over the barrel. They inform you, if you don’t wish for your subscription to go up. They can freeze it. If you buy more products. The have balanced it out in such a way. You will not win. Being with them for years does not counts for nothing. OTM has just started and really does not have that power to bring clients/ referrals as such. It will take them at least a year to show if they can compete with Zoppla. Never mind Rightmove.
Time will tell.
I see the roadshows are starting off again. Miles trying to sucker us into why we should pay more. I don’t need his extras, it doesn’t bring me in any new business. He’s in for a big shock as many agents in my area are waiting to lynch him over RM conduct. We have gathered a large list and I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes from what I see is going to be raised. As for price hike …. don’t make me laugh …. you are going to sign up to that? Fools, now is the time to ditch RM, you have seen OTM works, the public are very happy (only the web only portals don’t like it), vendors are more than happy, so all those that sat on the fence wondering if it would work … now you can see it does. We are already using it to very good effect with the public as to why agents have not signed up and using it, that works, give it a try. Ditch RM now and not next week and OTM will become the dominate web portal for estate agents over night, your destiny is now in your hands.
I wouldn’t hold your breath giving Shipside a hard time Woodentop. When we had a RM advert … sorry I meant “Roadshow” we weren’t even given a chance to ask questions, and I know some went there JUST to ask questions. I guess they had a word a private word with him after, but we certainly weren’t given a chance to discuss any concerns publicly. Typical of RM if you ask me – divide and conquer. If I were you I would clarify that there is a Q&A session before the Roadshow even starts.
We should have a break from listing property on Rightmove for periods of time…perhaps the odd week here and there, but properly co ordinated so everybody does it at the same time…oh and by the way with the leads from Rightmove its worth a polite e mail back letting them know of OTM
After you, RAL – you can let us all know what your paying clients thought about your cunning plan! ;o)
“Alex Cubitt, head of estate agency at Rightmove…”
Will someone please tell me how a person can possibly act as “head of estate agency” when according to his LinkedIn page he’s never worked in Estate Agency?
YET ANOTHER appointment where there seems to be no joined-up thought process…
When has being the “head of Estate agency” at Rightmove ever had anything to do with estate agency?! Rightmove are just a tech company that lists agents properties that they are instructed to market.
Unless they have walked in the moccasins, Paul H, then they will never understand how the buffalo want or need.
I agree PeeBee but there a tech company, Is knowing the full details about agency really that important to Rightmove.
It should be, Paul H – shouldn’t it?
Im agreeing with you PeeBee !
CRIKEY… where’s me diary – that’s definitely worth an entry! ;o)
Pee Bee, Rightmove have always had the policy of not employing estate agents….I’ve never worked out why really.
Techies and Agents? Celtic and Rangers, City and United! that is all I need to say on that!
Do Tescos MD’s need to know how to work a till?
At the current rate of contraction they may well need to learn… ;o)
No they need to know how to direct those that work the tills. They don’t help customers to buy milk from a popup shop outside the store, topping up their own wages with a kickback and reduce staff wages to keep profits up.
I love it how some people think that by strpping your RM account of extras will control them…. Until you leave they have you. As an agent I’m fine with that in the same way that my clients won’t leave whilst I’m providing a good service and offering fair value for money. According to the Nationwide HPI the values in my area have gone up just over 10% in the last year which means my firms fee income is higher because of this. The true cost to my business year on year is acceptable. If you are feeling the pinch perhaps you should look to pin the blame elsewhere…
Slightly above inflation! – Still all your money will help pay dividends to all those hungry shareholders who need a profitable return. The only way to combat this is to dump Zoopla and embrace OTM. In time, OTM will strengthen and then put the power back in your hands. If you have not been brave enough to sign up to OTM at this point, hopefully this is the kick in the privates that will help your make the decision?
It is precisely this kind of moronic statement and viewpoint that will consign Agents Mutual to the trash heap of history.
There’s only one moron in this thread and you’ve just identified yourself.
OK so RM have increased their prices …..and why not (as most of the above article shows how many more people have been using it)….The problem with me is the TOTALLY INCONSISTANT way that they charge their clients. I understand that the increases applied are between 1% and 14% this year, but NO ONE can work out the charging scales. I think the eye should do a more detailed survey, this time on increases in % terms against size of company/number or properties to see the differences available. This failure to be transparent will be the un doing of RM as it is one thing to show an improvement in the visit figures but another to charge each individual customer whatever they can get away with. I think it is such a complex situation with regard to charges – and the increases, whatever they are, should be the same for each type of business, eg single branch, online, corporate etc WHY is it so difficult to have a tariff linked to size and type of company, with add-ons sold as extras??????
wilko, I agree. But … why is it so difficult for EA’s to disclose exactly what their sale fees are? In my area out of seven agents I rang recently only one – the cheapest – gave me their fee. The others came up with answers ranging from “it depends on the value of your house” “our valuer would need to look at it first” to “we’ll match any price”. How many agents display fees on their website? If agents want to make RM more transparent on fees many should put their own house in order first.
I agree with that too, but every property transaction is different. We often refuse instructions on the basis that the vendor/asset manager demands too much for the fee payable. Equally an agent may see a house in agood location that he/she knows they have a lot of applicants for and subsequently offer a deal. If it is a 1 bed flat in an awful location above a take away, and the owner wants too much then the agent may wish to charge more as the job is likely to be more difficult. Like builders who will quote for work in your home, each will have different motivations that lead to your “best deal” that will suit you…… Rightmove are offering 1 proposition……that being advertising on their site with or without add-ons. It is a very different thing.
wilko, I agree to a point, but most agents don’t want to disclose their fee to enhance the probability of getting a valuation.
I don’t really see anything wrong with that. I didn’t expect any of the companies that I recently called to arrange for quotations for plantation blinds on my house to give me a price before meeting me and seeing the job. Besides, I want to meet someone and hear their proposition before deciding.
With more and more tenants staying put, and the ever increaseing Rightmove bill, I actually think I would be better off paying someone like easyproperty to individually market my ‘to lets’.
We have also just dropped our Rightmove subs to the £500 basic package.
We are all being squeezed firmly by RM.
Only way to address them is to make a difference on their balance sheet.
Nothing else will effect change other than that.
Need to say that; I agree with the previous post, in that clients are not interested in paying extra for premium listings and all the other “so called” add on’s from RM. Most just expect a high level of service and presentation from “Professionals” such as us in the Estate Agency business.
Our Own business model works from private premises, we do not have high street presence.
Although – we do provide every other level of services and products that the high street shops do (excluding a window card). Our new website (coming in March 2015) is of the all singing and dancing variety and our levels of customer care and professionalism stand tall amongst our peers.
One point I will note, is that we are not allowed to join AM or OTM. I do understand that this was a move by the high street fraternity to protect the high street fraternity. But as an open and all embracing business model for “all” professional estate agents to get behind and support, then I’m afraid it is severely flawed before a ball is kicked.
Under this design, the only thing AM and OTM have done is to create “another” divide within the ranks of those that “sell or let” houses for a living.
Creating your own playpark is not the way to embrace all players.
I do find it ironic, that although we are not allowed to join AM/OTM. That we can register on here and make comment.
Maybe, this might possibly be the last post you ever see from me (Just remember – that won’t be of my choice!).
My Final comment on the portal matter would be to ask this one question:
Would any, or all of you, ever be interested in being an equal share (and equal vote) member in a portal that embraces ALL businesses and outlets working within the Estate Agency realm for the princely sum of £299.00 per outlet/pcm?
(Fee would be contractually linked only to inflation costs – NOT shareholders demands and greed.)
Because until that day comes, then our customers will NEVER have a one stop shop when buying, selling or letting a property springs to their mind.
PS
Sorry for the Eureka moment, but the technology is easily available for us all to create such a thing as a One Stop, One Thought portal.
Now how good would that be?
Please feel free to contact me if you would like to explore this common sense business model that is fair and equal to all.
PPS
Have a great year and a great life. It’s what it’s all about after all!
Why would it need to be so expensive Steve? Radar Homes was ( still is) doing all of what you described for £49/ month
Robert, would Radar Homes count as a competing portal for OTM (one other portal rule) as i see a number of agents marketing on there are on OTM and RM!
One of the leading AM Agents, Webbers, still has an active link to Radar from its own website. Radar seems to fill the allowable exceptions category, it is Agent owned, so one would presume it is allowable. However Radar has had its listings dramatically reduced by AM agents so the honest answer is- check with Ian Springett.
Sorry Nick, did it again!
Hi, what is the basic package and how many offices have you got, if you don’t mind me asking.
Sorry last comment meant for steve baillie
I’m not saying I agree with price hikes but at least RM can point to increased visitors as a way of justifying this. I am surprised that AM have not released any figures (that I know of) as to whether the recent advertising has met or exceeded targeted visitors albeit that it is early days. I am also baffled (but not surprised) that AM agents are saying that OTM lead quality is better than Z. I’s like to hear in what way and why that should be.
“I’m not saying I agree with price hikes but at least RM can point to increased visitors as a way of justifying this…”
And in further justification you can no doubt point to increased sales as a direct result of these “increased visitors”, Harree?
At lease I hope you can – ‘cos I bl!ddy well can’t and I’d hate to think that it was ******** we’re getting fed..!
I can’t believe that I did a spelling boo-boo and no-one has hung, drawn and quartered me for it!
But I did get a dislike – maybe it’s from a passive grammar policebody! ;o)
How very kindly of you Harree. Quite a trollish comment. What about those that see these wonderful stats but see their individual stats going down on each property and number of calls. This under your understanding should mean I pay less. Oh wait, your on their side….
STOP PRESS! Rightmove apparently discussing re-branding to Hikemove as it more accurately reflects their business! Vote Now!
Hands up who loves Wrongmove? I can’t wait to drop them but unfortunately we all probably have two years of pain to endure before then. Z first them RM.
Please could I ask what contractual notice period you have to Rightmove? Are you on a rolling month contract or are you obligated till next January?
Going back to Quickbrits first comment, yes we could have all dumped Rightmove and gone to Zoopla…What an earth do you think Zoopla would have done….they would also whack up the fees…And just like Yorkshire agent, I am reducing my rightmove membership to basic and doing my best to help OTM succeed
Firstly, the public are viewing the agents property stock advertised on Rightmove, record visits not to a product that RM manufactured or produced, simply the stock that agents have placed there. As I have repeatedly said… every single UK estate agent should drop Rightmove’s Extra Features and run with the Standard Membership…. Rightmove are demonstrating that they are pushing to force agents from Standard Membership to their Upgraded Membership! This is a clear sign of their disregard for their members and the fact that they will continue to derive any falling income from the easiest source imaginable…. keep sucking estate agents. Their changed Admin Hub is a mess, clunky, visually poor to navigate and demonstrates a lack of understanding of our business. Estate Agents are financially funding Rightmove’s development of more of their own products which are used against estate agents by their direct marketing of competing products direct to our clients…. do yourself a favour and register as a buyer on RM and sit back and watch how they direct market you, check your property listings…. each and every single one of them… and note the products/services which they market on your property pages and how you are providing funds to them in order that they can continue to try and protect their position. It truly is this simple, RM are using much of their income to try and build a core of estate agency members to protect their position…. NOT your position, THEIR position! Our industry is being devoured by a company which is entirely self-interested…. and yet many of us continue to feed RM! OnTheMarket arrived just in time!….. so, as the previous poster has said here!…. either prepare to get squeezed… and controlled further or…. use your estate agency intelligence and help build OnTheMarket to overtake RM…. otherwise we are acknowledging that we effectively pay Rightmove to work for them and long term are killing our own industry! We have created the Monster that is Rightmove and it is mercilessly grinding members into the High Streets of the UK. I already see the positive impact of OnTheMarket…. I’m watching Zoopla squealing and their underhand efforts to recover/protect their business whilst Rightmove sits quietly in the room enjoying the demise of Zoopla and trying to diminish the growth of OnTheMarket… wakey, wakey UK Estate Agents… are we really so easily led by the silent Dictator that is dressed as Great Auntie Rightmove!
Remember though you get stitched up because if you drop back to standard then your membership goes to the latest price, you will never beat it, but you may as well drop the upgrades as they are rubbish, when I had over 900 properties listed I had to give premiums away for free as no seller was bothered.
I for one do not see this as good value and last week gave RM instructions to reduce us to the basic listing. I expect many other agents will be doing the same. Also very encouraged by the quality of presentation provided by on OTM and customer feedback. Perhaps the start of the second phase of the soaring bird wings being clipped.
I think more and more agents will be doing this to save themselves £1000.00s each year. After all, it is a good market so property only needs a basic listing to be noticed.
Why pay for and try to sell ‘featured/enhanced listings to potential clients when instead you can explain to them the benefits of a ‘new and exclusive’ listing and the frenzy it’s caused when sending it out to to all your awaiting buyers and tenants on your database.
We launched a new development on OTM exclusively(with the developers agreement). Got a really good response. Have to say I was a bit surprised as I didn’t think enough traction would have been reached yet on OTM as it is very early days.
Very early days but people are buying into the site I think Wilko and as you know all the buyers are on your system already or if not there contacting you about similar properties through rightmove.
“…when instead you can explain to them the benefits of a ‘new and exclusive’ listing…”
Oh great – please explain those ‘benefits’ to me while you’re on, Paul H…
“…Please explain the benefits to me whilst your on”…..Now who would have guessed that you’d be the person asking me that question PeeBee !! Quite simply a featured listing (in my view) is like a property that’s multi listed, the first thing a buyer or tenant will ask is “what’s wrong with it” & “why are they needing a featured ad to shift it” & “how many other people have seen it and said no”… Buyers and tenants look for exclusivity, they want to see something before someone else does, that’s why many properties now are bought off market (I appreciate that may not be the case in sunny Durham). If a buyer or tenant thinks they are seeing something exclusively then it will effectively make the property feel more exclusive as opposed to being shown to all and sundry….”but Mr/Mrs buyer you will need to move quick and the seller is looking for no less than the asking”. How’s that?
Okay, Paul H – maybe in your neck of the woods you can claim it’s a USP – but here in the frozen North (two whole counties up from Durham, matey…) the last thing sellers want you to do is delay putting their home on Rightmove. OTM may well one day cut the mustard with sellers and buyers – but at the minute it’s hard slog to get it noticed.
Totally agree. The whole point of OTM from what I was led to believe was to stop the high increases and charges that RM imposes ?? All thats happened and most agents on here, have slated Z and dropped them, thus strengthening RM and they know that !! The one other portal ruling has probably worked more in favour to RM than it has to OTM. Its interesting to hear all this wonderful great feedback about OTM, around this area(Derbyshire) there is only 1 agent thats gone on to them in circa a 15-20 radius, and they were not even on Z. Also I see my old Berkshire hometown is the same with just 1 agent on OTM. I still cannot believe what has happened just to save a few quid. Jumping sites from Z to OTM has done nothing for your vendors from what I can see. Its just made you a few quid in savings as an agent, but I’m sure this won’t be passed on to your new vendors ??? Then again with RM increases it will probably just level out so what was the whole point of it ????
I agree the portals charge far too much, but the opportunity was there to drop RM and go ZPG which was recognised by the public. Plenty of other sites too.
Heres a thought!! Why didn’t the NAEA promote and back all the smaller sites and make the public aware of them ? Surely free listings would have been better?
The powers that be, had the opportunity to help agents, but clearly haven’t. They are helping and endorsing OTM, whats in it for them ? Yes they had their own portal which wasn’t great but a lot more could have been done. I really worry about whats just happened, and I see the day coming very soon where the portals will allow vendors to go direct to them and then what will happen to agents ?????
Its been stated on here and elsewhere before OTM went live .. “be careful what you wish for” …
Anyhow, on a positive monday note, its sunny and I’ve just agreed another sale 🙂
Was that tongue in cheek or do you really not know about Propertylive V1 and V2 which was free to member agents but wasn’t supported by Agents other than those in Surrey?
Yes I was aware of Property Live , hence the comment about its own portal. Thats part of my point, why should the NAEA support and promote OTM when they didn’t do a great deal about getting support for Property Live. I used it and also Think Property at the same time. as did most in the local Derbyshire area. We all have different takes on it, but I just don’t get it!!! Perhaps I’m a cynic but runs by agents for agents !!! LOL why on earth would those founding agents want to help out the smaller independants who seem to be the ones that adore OTM?? Many will disagree with me I’m sure but for me it just doesn’t stack up.. Plenty more comments about Z first and then RM.. Well Z first means a stronger RM, so at what point does OTM take over the world ?? ….. I just smell a rat somewhere and can’t put my finger on it ..
I hope to be wrong, and hope that it works out and we all can use one portal at £300 pcm, but how soon before its deja vu ?
Ultimately the public will decide on what they like and prefer.
When someone decided to switch off Propertylive it was natural that strong NAEA support from the Surrey crew would influence NAEA support of OTM. There is no saying what NAEA would do if an alternative to OTM was created and supported by the remaining 75% of Estate Agents (I left out 2%, the passive intermediaries)
For what it is worth I believe Portals have had their day and there is clear evidence(certainly here in North Devon) to indicate the evolution of internet property advertising. With a moniker such as yours, do I guess that that is tongue in cheek too? you’re not Dodgy but are an agent without ITZA (not on the high street covering an area, doing it well and not a PI)
Think property was good but needed a tweak or two (I spent time evaluating it in 2008 when CFP was added to the Guardian portfolio) GMGPS should never have given it away and if I were sensible probably shouldn’t have said so. It was obvious what its assets were, about 12,000 Agency branches, who respected and were loyal to Vebra, Core and CFP.
Pride comes before a fall! This is possibly the daftest, smuggest thing Rightmove could have done; it is fine to gloat privately and to be fair to Rightmove they have kept their own counsel for fairly much the whole duration of AM and OTM leaving Zoopla to shoot themselves in the foot and blow what was a clear advantage they had over Rightmove, goodwill.
I don’t think Messrs Cubitt and Shipside realise what they have just done, I had already identified cracks in the portal ice which were creating an opportunity for someone, it genuinely ought to be AM but there is almost certainly an unspoken agenda or mis-comprehension that says it won’t be. (Please don’t ask Paul I won’t be explaining that on here) If it is not AM next in line comes Zoopla but I doubt anyone there could stomach facing up to the massive missed opportunity they have passed up in the past 3 years, that leaves an opportunity for someone. An interesting Spring for sure!
Or some agents understand the rate increases relative to value generated still equate to good business and therefore will continue to use RM (or indeed Zoopla or both).
So what exactly IS your rate increase……..1%, 9%,14%…….you see YOU may be paying a lot more than other agents of the same type in your area….and you have no issue with that?
That is so true! RM will just keep increasing until you all have to work from home.
OTM gave you all the opportunity to escape RM and opt for the more reasonable option (Zoopla).
EA is a weak industry, and you opted to hand RM the competitive advantage – sit back, relax and prepare to be squeezed.
You had your chance and you blew it.
Blimey I expected a few more comments before someone blamed OTM for these price rises. Utter nonsense, they were always in the business plan. EA is not a weak industry, it is just populated by some very weak individuals – the ones that can’t see the benefits of controlling their own industry.
I agree completely with this. I’ve watch this forum since it’s launch and the one thing that has baffled me with the launch of OTM is why everyone signing up didn’t drop both RM and Z.
All you have achieved is to place RM on a higher pedestal rather than knocking them off the already very high pedestal they are on.
Opportunity well and truly missed I believe.
If you look back over the last 30 years it becomes obvious how resilient and strong independent Estate Agency is. It is far from weak, will not be squeezed and nothing has been blown. Once again I would ask Peebee to debunk my claim but going back 18 months on EAT this exact scenario was predicted. ‘Agents will leave the wrong portal and Rightmove will capitalise on the opportunity’ ( not an exact quote, a précis of a repeated subject post) that is why they have kept quiet for the past months, they are competitively smarter than Zoopla.
Independent Agents have survived 30 years of competition from corporates (the Corporate agencies have only got any meaningful traction where they emulate or mimic Independent Agency having bought and retained respected local brands) and 16 years of emerging online revolution. AM /OTM hasn’t failed it is just getting going and its success will be determined by putting it faith in Portal domain Knowledge or the Estate Agency domain knowledge that has made the Independent agency so robust.