Fury over Rightmove’s post-lockdown advertising bon...

There’s been an explosion of anger about Rightmove’s pledge to undertake its biggest-ever marketing campaign - while at the same time saying nothing new about the portal’s long-term fee structure for agents.

As Estate Agent Today reported at the end of last week Rightmove pledged the biggest-ever campaign as one of 10 points it put forward in a plan emailed to its member agents on Thursday. These proposals were aimed at helping agents recover from the lockdown and the housing market being effectively frozen during the Coronavirus crisis.

However, the pledge unleashed a furious response from the Say No To Rightmove campaign, which is arguing for permanently lower fees from the portal.

It took to social media to say: “Rightmove finally has a response to our complaints … but it turns out that response is to spend, spend, spend on their biggest ever nationwide marketing campaign.”

On Twitter at least, there appeared widespread opposition to the Rightmove initiative.

Abbey Property of Luton tweeted: “What is Rightmove playing at with this marketing campaign? There is no winning back the agents it has lost. Without any stock on your portal, you have no customers visiting, even when they visit they will see no stock, so they won't return.”

And Fife Properties wrote on Twitter: “I don't want you to spend, spend, spend on advertising at my expense. I want you to address my concerns about excessive pricing and bring your prices down to a more realistic cost I can afford. Please listen & stop dictating.”

Agent Nick Harris wrote: “Is ‘spend, spend, spend’ the right approach given agents’ misgivings rather than finding a fair pricing strategy?”

“So Rightmove intend to splash the cash on advertising themselves rather than supporting agents with fairer pricing this is why more agents are #SayNoToRightmove

what does everyone else think they should do?” was the comment by Storehouse Homes.

Other comments included one from Oakwood Estate Agents: “So the Rightmove answer to the call from their clients for fairer pricing is to engage in a massive and expensive marketing campaign - no doubt to justify their crazy costs! Rightmove will you listen to agents? Please.”

Meanwhile Ashmore Lettings agent Salek Miah commented: “Your recent advertising campaign is indicative of your attitude towards your unhappy customers. You;’re not listening…save your advert spend and pass this onto your business life blood..customers!”

Sunderland’s Key 4 Lets Letting tweeted: “Rightmove you’re not listening - we want fairer prices not bigger advertising campaigns - save your money and give it back to your customers with better pricing.”

In its introduction to the 10 point plan, Rightmove commercial director Miles Shipside did make passing reference to the issue of fees, saying: "We recognise that agents will have a difficult period after existing pipelines complete. While we’re only five weeks into our four-month 75 per cent discount, we’re closely monitoring the situation as we're profoundly aware that our customers’ revenue growth is critical to the way we all move forward in these uncertain times.”

You can see its plan in full here.