Are online-only agents just FSBO in disguise?

The Real Estate Pundit writes primarily about Property Technology: https://twitter.com/realpundit

And there it is: the deafening chorus of traditional estate agents screaming “Yes!”.

For years high street agents have been crying foul that Rightmove allows For-Sale-By-Owner sites to sneak listings next to theirs.

But with the barrier to entry for a new estate agent so low, alongside relatively low commissions in the UK (1-1.5% vs 5-6% in the rest of the world), is there no small amount of hypocrisy in the claim online-agents are undermining the industry?

It seems that only Foxtons doesn’t negotiate their fee, while most other agents will happily come down to 1% in the current race to the bottom on agency fees.

And this decreased income has brought about its own evil: double charging.

But first, we have to understand the term ‘agent’. An agent is proxy for the owner (or buyer, if the agent represents the other side). They are giving expertise and time to do some work on behalf of the owner. Naturally agents charge a fee for their proxy representation. That fee includes marketing costs, vetting of buyers (or tenants) and generally chasing loose ends.

The core premise of an online agent is that Rightmove exists and does the vast majority of the hard work. Traditional agents argue that Rightmove wouldn’t exist without all their collective listings data, but that point is now moot (even in light of the rise of Agents’ Mutual).

So, if an online-only agent charges for access to Rightmove, and has a menu of items you can pay for, like ‘For Sale’ boards and conducting viewings, are they really an agent?

Rightmove judge an agent to be a company that abides by regulatory standards (which are a bit of a joke) and that all communication should not go directly to the owner.

And there you have it: answer the call before transferring buyer/tenant leads to the owner, and pay a small fee to The Property Ombudsman.

So you can see the point made by High Street Agents: online agents aren’t agents at all.

However, do traditional agents see their own hypocrisy when they charge both landlord and tenant for referencing? Or worse, add an uplift fee on maintenance works to landlords who pay a monthly management agency fee.

It is these practices that continue to tarnish the industry. And it is that tarnish that leads to ‘disruptors’ coming in to try and steal customers and market share.

Agents’ Mutual has gained so much support as a counter-measure; we’ll be hearing that 4,000 branches have signed up to OnTheMarket.com any day now, as a battle cry.

There has been a recent surge of new online-only agencies to join the stalwarts of eMoov, Hatched and HouseSimple. Known brands like EasyGroup and Sarah Beeny have been getting in on the act with the predictable and oddly named EasyProperty and Tepilo.

Will any online-only agent convert property owners to their new low-cost religion? In a nation famous for an aversion to bartering, it is highly unlikely.

Alex Evans

You May Also Enjoy

Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove asks government to carefully consider property tax changes

The UK’s largest property platform Rightmove is asking the government to carefully consider the impact of any changes to property taxation to avoid unintended consequences which would risk stalling parts of the market. Key data National property tax Just under a third (30%) of homes for sale in England are priced at over £500,000, and…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Get Fast and Reliable Basement Flood Cleaning Services

Having water in your basement is awful. It could be because of a storm, busted pipe, or bad sump pump. Whatever the reason, water damage in your basement has disastrous effects if not dealt with. Basement Flood Cleaning Services are what you need. They will dry it out, disinfect the floor, and have your basement…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 21/08/25

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Providing comprehensive, predictive operational intelligence across all aspects of building operations  JLL (NYSE: JLL) this week introduced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities that are now available as an add-on to Prism, its award-winning building operations platform. As part of JLL’s property management technology ecosystem powered by…
Read More
Breaking News

UK House Price Index summary: June 2025

The average monthly rate of house price growth in June was 1.4%. The average annual rate of house price growth in June was 3.7%, up from 2.7% in May. As a result, the average UK house price remains at £269,000.   CEO of Yopa, Verona Frankish, commented: “June’s figures reflect a market that is steadily…
Read More
Breaking News

Private rent and house prices, UK: August 2025

Average UK monthly private rents increased by 5.9%, to £1,343, in the 12 months to July 2025 (provisional estimate); this annual growth rate is down from 6.7% in the 12 months to June 2025. Average rents increased to £1,398 (6.0%) in England, £807 (7.9%) in Wales, and £999 (3.6%) in Scotland, in the 12 months…
Read More
Breaking News

Industry response to latest inflation figures

Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark, comments: “Unfortunately, any increase seen within the rate of inflation does brings very justified concerns to consumers, many of whom are still struggling with the cost of living, which has been steadily rising over the past few years. “Although there is more work to be done to help ensure inflation…
Read More