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(Sharecast News) - Rightmove acknowledged notice of a potential legal claim on Thursday, amid mounting criticism over the cost of its listing fees for estate agents and new reports that thousands of firms could seek up to 1bn in damages.
The FTSE 100 property portal operator issued a brief statement in the late morning, saying only that it had noted recent press articles and had been notified of a possible claim, adding: "We're confident in the value we provide to our partners. Further updates will be provided as appropriate."
It came as pressure intensified over the fees charged by the UK's largest property portal, following new analysis from The Property DriveBuy showing that Rightmove's costs accounted for an average 7.2% of an estate agent's monthly sales commission, rising to as much as 13.5% in Glasgow and 12.4% in Newcastle.
Agents in Liverpool, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham were also paying close to or above 9%, while the figure dropped to just 2.9% in London, where higher property values boosted commissions.
According to the analysis, the average branch sells 5.4 properties a month, generating around 21,158 in sales commission based on average prices and fees.
Rightmove's average monthly revenue per advertiser is reportedly 1,524, equivalent to one of the largest single cost lines for many agencies.
Annual fees had also continued to rise, the analysis said, increasing from 15,768 in 2022 to 18,288 in 2024.
Estate Agent Today reported that former Competition and Markets Authority panel member Jeremy Newman was preparing collective legal action alleging that Rightmove had abused its dominant market position by charging "excessive and unfair" subscription fees.
Newman reportedly claimed the portal's profit margin of about 70% demonstrated its ability to impose steep annual increases, arguing that agents had to absorb "consistent, excessive price increases on a regular basis".
The proposed opt-out action, backed by litigation funder Innsworth Capital, was expected to seek around 1bn in damages, representing the alleged overpayment of fees by thousands of agencies nationwide.
Rightmove has not commented on the specifics of the allegations, but reiterated its confidence in the value of its service.
At 1145 GMT, shares in Rightmove were down 0.92% at 558.21p.
Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.