An agent who a year ago accused Rightmove of “bullying” and “daylight robbery” is back on the warpath.

Shaun Adams – co-founder of the three-branch Cooper Adams agency in West Sussex – has long campaigned over Rightmove’s fees. 

He has in the past petitioned for an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into the portal’s charges.

Now he has written an open letter that he has sent to the industry media.

He says the letter “reflects genuine concern and frustration following confirmation today that my fees are increasing by over 12%, which is more than four times the rate of inflation, without any meaningful or worthwhile additional benefit.”

Here is his open letter in full:

Today, I have been told that my fees are increasing by over 12%, more than four times the rate of inflation.

This follows a similar increase last year of around 20%, again without the delivery of any meaningful or worthwhile improvements to the product or service.

In my view, this cannot reasonably be described as cost pressure. It feels disconnected from value.

Rightmove operates as a virtual monopoly. You know it, agents know it, and crucially the public expects their home to be listed on Rightmove. 

That expectation gives you a level of market power that fundamentally changes the nature of the relationship.

When agents are told “if you don’t like it, leave”, that ignores commercial reality. 

Leaving Rightmove is not comparable to switching software providers or marketing tools. 

It carries real and immediate risk to instructions, client confidence, and business viability. For many, it is not a realistic option.

What is increasingly overlooked is the human cost. I am contacted regularly by independent agents who are struggling to absorb relentless above inflation fee increases. 

Some have been forced to cut staff hours, reduce investment in marketing, or scale back services. Others have told me that rising portal fees were the final factor in deciding to close their business altogether.

These are not inefficient or poorly run firms. They are long standing local businesses employing local people, training young staff, supporting communities, and providing genuine choice within their local markets. 

When they disappear, it is not just owners who suffer. Staff lose jobs, careers are disrupted, and local competition is weakened.

It is also increasingly difficult to justify claims of “good value” when comparable digital advertising platforms operating in genuinely competitive markets cost a fraction of the price. 

In many cases, equivalent services are available at around one tenth of the cost. That comparison matters.

There is also a wider industry context. 

Similar concerns are being raised in other sectors, most notably in the car sales industry, where Auto Trader occupies a comparable position as the dominant online portal. 

Dealers have publicly described the same pattern of sustained above inflation price increases, restrictive contracts, and limited practical alternatives, driven by the reality that consumers expect listings to appear on the leading platform. 

It highlights a broader issue in an internet driven economy, where digital gatekeepers can accumulate significant pricing power faster than regulation can respond.

Independent estate agents are already under sustained pressure. Rising wages, compliance costs, insurance, marketing, and technology all continue to increase. 

Agents are working harder to deliver better outcomes, while portal costs continue to rise at a pace many simply cannot sustain.

This does not feel like partnership. It does not feel like fair pricing. And it does not feel sustainable.

Independent agents deserve better than being treated as a guaranteed revenue stream.

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In response a Rightmove spokesperson this morning sent a statement saying: “As part of our regular membership renewal cycle, we’re having conversations with those agents whose memberships are due for renewal.

“Our focus is on delivering strong value to all of our members, providing agents with the best exposure to our highly engaged home-moving audience, alongside a range of products, tools and insights that help them win more listings, attract buyer and renter interest and secure transactions.

“Agents can choose the package and suite of tools that best fits their business, and our account managers work closely with them to ensure t-hat it aligns with their visibility and growth objectives.”