Rightmove’s listing fees can account for as much as 13.5% of an estate agency’s average sales commission, according to new analysis – highlighting the growing cost pressures facing agents as they balance marketing spend with tighter profit margins in a slowing housing market.
The analysis found that while the proportion varies depending on branch size, location, and sales volume, Rightmove remains one of the largest fixed costs for many estate agencies, second only to staffing and premises expenses.
On average estate agents across Britain are paying 7.2% of their sales commission to Rightmove, with agents in Glasgow and Newcastle taking the biggest hit from the property portal market leader.
The Property DriveBuy, which carried out the research, compared the estimated average sales commission of an estate agent in Great Britain with the average monthly fee paid to advertise with Rightmove to see what proportion of their income agents are having to give to the portal giant.
With an average property price of £275,923, and an average agency fee of 1.4%, the average British agent is earning a commission of £3,918 per property sold. With the average branch selling 5.4 properties per month, this equates to a total monthly commission income of £21,158.
Meanwhile, the average revenue received by Rightmove for each advertiser, or agent, stands at £1,524. As such, agents in Britain are giving Rightmove 7.2% of their commission, with agents in some parts of the nation paying a significantly larger chunk of their income to the portal.
Agents in Glasgow are being hit the hardest. A low average house price of £190,165, and a low average fee of just 1.1% means the average monthly commission stands at £11,296. Rightmove’s fees, therefore, account for 13.5% of earnings.
It’s a similar story in Newcastle where agents are giving Rightmove 12.4% of monthly commission, followed by Liverpool (10.8%), Edinburgh (9.5%), Cardiff (8.7%), Manchester (8.7%), and Birmingham (8.7%).
London, however, is an outlier. An average property price of £565,567 creates an median monthly commission income of £51,919 for agents in the capital. As such, Rightmove’s fees account for just 2.9% of earnings, says The Property DriveBuy
Rightmove’s fees have long been a point of contention and frustration for Britain’s agents, and this is only exacerbated by the fact that the portal keeps increasing its demands. In 2022, the average annual Rightmove fee stood at £15,768 before rising to £17,172 in 2023. Then, 2024 saw a further increase of 6.5% to bring the average annual cost to £18,288.
Steve Foreman, founder and CEO of The Property DriveBuy, commented: “It’s clear from our research that many agents are paying a disproportionate share of their hard-earned commission to Rightmove, particularly in regions where property values and fees are lower. At a time when operating costs are already under pressure, this model feels increasingly unsustainable for independent agents.”
