Another Rightmove Boycott as Proptech Bemoans "Unjustified" Fee Hikes

A British startup has launched a petition against Rightmove for what it calls "unjustified" fee hikes amid allegations of "arrogant" and "dangerous" practices.

Wiggywam, claiming to be the UK's "first and only property platform", launched a blog last month arguing that Rightmove is actively blocking agents' material compliance efforts—a legal requirement for listing agents—while also increasing fees during slowing market conditions.

Silas J Lees, CEO at Wiggywam, wrote:

"Rightmove is leaving estate agents exposed—and it's completely unacceptable.

"Despite the legal requirement for estate agents to provide material information on their property listings, Rightmove is actively preventing this from happening. According to Land Registry, Rightmove has refused to display the necessary material information unless it is both 'free and complete'. This means that even if an estate agent wants to comply with trading standards, they're actively being blocked from doing so by the very platform they rely on to advertise their properties.

"Failure to provide material information can result in agents facing Trading Standards enforcement, including fines, legal action, and even losing access to redress schemes. Rightmove, however, continues to charge agents over £1,500+VAT per month, essentially taking their hard-won data for free from the agent's CRM system, before selling it back to them at a massive profit!"

Wiggywam has launched a petition against Rightmove barely a week after an agent, Shaun Adams, launched a similar petition calling on the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate Rightmove's price hikes, which Adams claimed are abusive of its market leadership position.

Rightmove CEO Johan Svanstrom appeared on BBC Radio Four last week and stumbled over questions about Rightmove's fee hikes on several occasions.