There are few certainties in estate agency, but rising Rightmove fees – year after year – is about as close to a guaranteed outcome as it gets. For many firms, the portal’s price hikes have become a predictable fixture on the calendar, even if the scale of the increase is rarely disclosed in advance.
While some agents wait to learn how much more they will be expected to pay next year, questions continue to mount over affordability, value for money, and the growing pressure on already-tight margins. For some, the lack of transparency around future fees is becoming as big an issue as the rising costs themselves.
“We are now seeing a clear pattern emerge,” said Steve Foreman, founder and CEO of Property DriveBuy. “Even in years where the housing market stabilises, the uplift in commission is minimal while portal fees continue to climb at a far faster pace.”
The result, according to research carried out by Property DriveBuy is shrinking margins for agents across the UK.
Property DriveBuy looked at the average increase in house prices over the last two years, the resulting growth in the average commission secured per property sale by the nation’s estate agents and how this compares to the fee hikes implemented by Rightmove.
Previous research from Property DriveBuy recently revealed that Rightmove fees now account for up to 13.5% of an agent’s commission income, and the latest figures don’t make for much better reading.
The research shows that in 2022, the average agent earned just £3,773 in commission per property sale, whilst paying out £1,314 per month to Rightmove for advertising on the property portal.
In 2023, with the average house price falling by 1.7%, the average agent also saw their commission fall by some £63 per property sold. Despite this, the monthly cost of advertising on Rightmove climbed by 8.9% or £117 per month.
In 2024, house prices stabilised, increasing by 1.3% versus 2023, boosting the average commission earned per property by £49. However, Rightmove’s monthly fee also increased by £93 per month, an increase of 6.5% that far outstripped the boost seen to earnings as a result of positive house price growth.
So far in 2025, the housing market has recorded a modest 2.6% rise in the average house price to £271,531.
This has increased the average commission per sale to £3,856, just £97 higher than last year.
Foreman added: “Agents are being asked to do more, deliver more, and absorb more cost while the value they retain from each sale barely moves. It is no surprise so many agents are questioning whether the current portal model is fit for purpose.”
Rightmove has been approached for comment.
Rightmove’s fees account for up to 13.5% of an estate agency’s sales commission – analysis
