Are Estate Agents Worth it in the Rightmove Era?

Estate Agents

Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest financial decisions most of us will ever make. It’s emotional, stressful, and usually involves handing over a chunky fee to an estate agent. However, in a world where property portals like Rightmove and Zoopla dominate the market, it’s fair to ask: are estate agents really earning their money anymore?

The Old Role of Estate Agents

Not too long ago, estate agents were gatekeepers. If you wanted to buy or sell a property, you had to go through them. They had the contacts, the local knowledge, and most importantly access to the listings.

• Buyers would register their details with local branches.

• Agents would ring up when a suitable property came onto the books.

• They’d host viewings, negotiate offers, and (in theory) help push the sale through.

In that era, estate agents genuinely sold properties. They matched people with homes, worked their networks, picked up the phone and did the legwork.

But then came Rightmove, and everything changed.

Rightmove: The Game-Changer

Launched in 2000, Rightmove didn’t just disrupt the property market it rewired it. Suddenly, buyers didn’t need to wander high streets or sign up with every local agency. They could just log in, set filters, and browse thousands of homes from their sofa.

For sellers, this meant one thing: if your property wasn’t on Rightmove, you were invisible.

Here’s the kicker:

• Today, almost every buyer starts their search online.

• Estate agents know this.

• Which means, for many, the job has shifted from “actively selling” to uploading your property to Rightmove, adding a few photos, writing a description (probably now using AI) and waiting for the phone to ring.

So the big question is: if Rightmove does the heavy lifting, what exactly are we paying estate agents for?

The “Lazy Job” Critique

This is where a lot of homeowners start to feel a sting. Because when you strip it back, what does the average estate agent’s process look like today?

1. Take photos of your home (sometimes badly).

2. Write a short description (often copy-pasted clichés: “stunning,” “spacious,” “must-see”).

3. Upload to Rightmove.

4. Wait.

5. Turn up for viewings, unlock the door, and stand around while buyers look around.

That doesn’t sound like selling. That sounds like administration and even then, they don’t always provide accurate material information.

In fact, some critics argue that without Rightmove, a lot of agents would struggle to survive. How many of them are actually out there pounding the pavement, finding buyers, and negotiating deals like old-school salespeople?

Before we completely write estate agents off, it’s worth acknowledging what they do bring to the table.

• Local market knowledge – A good agent knows what homes really sell for in your area, not just the asking prices.

• Pricing strategy – Overprice, and your home sits. Under-price, and you lose money. Agents can help you find the sweet spot.

• Filtering buyers – They’re the ones who chase up enquiries, weed out time-wasters, and (in theory) bring serious buyers through your door.

• Negotiation – When offers start flying in, agents can act as a buffer and push for a better price.

• Progressing the sale – Once an offer is accepted, agents are meant to keep solicitors, buyers, sellers, and mortgage brokers moving in the same direction.

The problem? Not every agent does these things well. Some go above and beyond. Others… barely pick up the phone.

U.K Estate Agent

Would Estate Agents Survive Without Rightmove?

This is the million-pound question. Strip away the portals and what’s left?

• Without Rightmove, agents would need to go back to actively finding buyers.

• They would need strong community connections, local mailing lists, and real hustle.

• The best agents are the ones who network, chase leads, and really sell, these people would thrive.

• But the rest? They’d likely vanish.

In a way, Rightmove has created a safety net. It guarantees visibility. Which is great for sellers, but it also means agents don’t have to work as hard to deliver results.

The Fees Debate

This brings us to money. Estate agents typically charge 1% of the sale price, plus VAT. On a £400,000 home, that could be over £4,000.

For many sellers, the natural question is: what am I actually getting for that money?

• If it’s just an upload to Rightmove and a few viewings, it feels like daylight robbery.

• If it’s expert pricing, skilled negotiation, and smooth sale management, then maybe it’s worth it.

The frustration comes when sellers get the first scenario but are billed like it’s the second.

Online Agents: A Middle Ground?

In response to the “lazy agent” stereotype, online and hybrid agencies (like Purplebricks, Yopa, or Strike) came onto the scene.

Their pitch?

• Pay a flat fee instead of commission.

• Get your home on Rightmove and Zoopla.

• Save thousands.

Sounds great… until you realise most of the service is stripped back. No real hand-holding, often no negotiation expertise, and if your house doesn’t sell, you’re still out of pocket.

For some sellers, this works. For others, it’s a false economy.

The Human Factor

One thing an algorithm can’t replace is human connection. A brilliant estate agent can:

• Build trust with buyers.

• Highlight features of your home that don’t come across in photos.

• Sense when someone’s hesitating and know how to close a deal.

That’s salesmanship and when you find it, it’s worth paying for. The tragedy is that too many agents don’t bring this to the table anymore.

So… Are Estate Agents Worth It?

Here’s the honest answer: it depends.

• If you get a proactive, knowledgeable agent who really works for their fee then yes, they can add value, secure a higher sale price, and keep the process moving.

• If you end up with someone who just leans on Rightmove and phones it in then no, they’re not worth the thousands you’ll pay.

Rightmove has made property searches easier than ever, but it’s also exposed the agents who coast. The industry is at a crossroads: those who rely solely on portals risk being replaced by cheaper online models, while those who still sell (in the old-fashioned sense) will always have a place.

At the end of the day, selling your home is too important to gamble on the wrong partner. If you’re considering an estate agent, grill them:

• How will you find buyers beyond Rightmove?

• What’s your negotiation strategy?

• How many sales have you personally closed in the past year?

• Can you give examples where you achieved above asking price?

If they can’t answer confidently, maybe it’s time to ask: do I really need you at all?