There are few certainties in property company, however rising Rightmove charges – yr after yr – is about as near a assured final result because it will get. For a lot of corporations, the portal’s worth hikes have turn into a predictable fixture on the calendar, even when the dimensions of the rise is never disclosed upfront.
Whereas some brokers wait to find out how far more they are going to be anticipated to pay subsequent yr, questions proceed to mount over affordability, worth for cash, and the rising strain on already-tight margins. For some, the dearth of transparency round future charges is changing into as huge a difficulty because the rising prices themselves.
“We at the moment are seeing a transparent sample emerge,” mentioned Steve Foreman, founder and CEO of Property DriveBuy. “Even in years the place the housing market stabilises, the uplift in fee is minimal whereas portal charges proceed to climb at a far quicker tempo.”
The consequence, in response to analysis carried out by Property DriveBuy is shrinking margins for brokers throughout the UK.
Property DriveBuy seemed on the common enhance in home costs over the past two years, the ensuing progress within the common fee secured per property sale by the nation’s property brokers and the way this compares to the charge hikes carried out by Rightmove.
Earlier analysis from Property DriveBuy just lately revealed that Rightmove charges now account for as much as 13.5% of an agent’s fee revenue, and the most recent figures don’t make for a lot better studying.
The analysis reveals that in 2022, the typical agent earned simply £3,773 in fee per property sale, while paying out £1,314 per 30 days to Rightmove for promoting on the property portal.
In 2023, with the typical home worth falling by 1.7%, the typical agent additionally noticed their fee fall by some £63 per property offered. Regardless of this, the month-to-month price of promoting on Rightmove climbed by 8.9% or £117 per 30 days.
In 2024, home costs stabilised, growing by 1.3% versus 2023, boosting the typical fee earned per property by £49. Nevertheless, Rightmove’s month-to-month charge additionally elevated by £93 per 30 days, a rise of 6.5% that far outstripped the increase seen to earnings on account of constructive home worth progress.
To this point in 2025, the housing market has recorded a modest 2.6% rise within the common home worth to £271,531.
This has elevated the typical fee per sale to £3,856, simply £97 increased than final yr.
Foreman added: “Brokers are being requested to do extra, ship extra, and take up extra price whereas the worth they maintain from every sale barely strikes. It’s no shock so many brokers are questioning whether or not the present portal mannequin is match for objective.”
Rightmove’s charges account for as much as 13.5% of an property company’s gross sales fee – evaluation
