Letter from the CMA to estate agents on choosing online property portals
Open letter to estate agents about their obligations under competition law when choosing online property portals to advertise their properties.
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Online property portals are an important way for estate agents to advertise their properties. Which portals estate agents choose to list or delist their properties on or from is an important aspect of competition between estate agents. This decision should be made by each agent independently. Agents that make this decision jointly with competing agents may break competition law.
This letter sets out the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) expectation of how estate agents should make decisions about their business, including their choice of property portal. It also explains the consequences if companies are found to have broken competition law, and what agents can do to make sure they comply with the law.