A controversial challenger will attempt to shake up the dominance of property websites Rightmove and Zoopla, but will have to fend off claims that the new venture could restrict consumer choice.
Increasing frustration over the fees charged by the “big two” prompted agents, including Savills and Knight Frank, to set up a new, not-for-profit organisation, Agents’ Mutual, whose website, OnTheMarket, launched on Monday.
Rightmove and Zoopla have come to dominate the world of online estate agency over the past decade, with more than eight billion page impressions a year putting the former in the top 10 most-viewed UK websites.
Agents Mutual will have properties from more than 2000 agents and 4600 branches listed on its website.
It claims its monthly fees could be as low as £177 a month.
EasyProperty chief executive Rob Ellice hit out at the site’s demands for agents signing up to choose between also staying with Zoopla and Rightmove — but not both and excluding online-only agents.
