The boss of Zoopla pledged yesterday that the portal will “not bite the hand that feeds us”.

Managing director Charlie Bryant said: “We are not saying that we are never going to put our prices up, but we will only do so when a rise is aligned to agent value.

“If prices do go up, it will be because we have introduced new functionality.

“There will not be price momentum for the sake of price momentum.

“We absolutely recognise who our customers are – they are agents and consumers and we know that it is the agents who pay.

“We will never bite the hand that feeds us.”

Bryant also told EYE that in the same context, Zoopla will never consider going down the private sales route – a rumour that rears its head from time to time.

He said that the Tempt Me feature – by which householders can invite direct offers from buyers – is set to disappear.

“We are going through the site and clearing out a lot of heritage features. Tempt Me, along with the plaques, will be among those that go.”

The purple plaques were introduced by Zoopla in 2011 and were designed to go on properties where celebrities had lived.

Bryant said he had not even known this feature, which celebrates luminaries such as Amanda Holden, was on offer.

Bryant, still building up a new executive team at Zoopla’s property business after a number of departures last year, said that his focus over the coming months will be to improve Zoopla’s property valuation products.

These he said will deliver “really useful tools” to agents.

Delivering quality leads will be another area of focus, he said.