London, February 15, 2026, 15:56 GMT — The market has closed.
Rightmove (RMV.L) ended Friday at 430.0 pence, down 1.2%, stuck close to its lowest mark of the year. Shares swung from 430.0 to 441.9 pence during the session, but the property portal remains far off its 52-week peak of 827.0 pence, Hargreaves Lansdown data show. 1
This has turned into more than just a single-day slide as Monday’s trading approaches—the selloff now looks like a broader confidence problem. Investors are questioning if Rightmove can continue raising fees for estate-agent clients, even as it ramps up spending on tech and product improvements.
Rates are back in play. Stocks tied to housing often react sharply to shifts in mortgage-cost expectations—one inflation report can flip the script almost instantly.
Shares of Rightmove have tumbled roughly 15% in the past month, sinking to levels not seen in five years, according to industry outlet The Negotiator. Estate agents are pushing back on fee increases that could reach 18%. “It’s no coincidence that Rightmove’s shares have been in steady decline since announcing last November it would make AI-related investments,” said Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell. 2
Rightmove flagged earlier that ramped-up investment would drag on profit growth. Back in November, the company put 2026 investment at roughly 18 million pounds and projected underlying operating profit would climb just 3% to 5%. That’s after one-offs are excluded. Revenue, on the other hand, is seen rising between 8% and 10%. 3
Another issue: agents and fees. Back in November, Reuters flagged a potential 1 billion pound lawsuit against Rightmove, fronted by Jeremy Newman, over what he calls “excessive and unfair fees.” The company, for its part, maintains it’s confident in the value it delivers to partners. 4
Bank of England chief economist Huw Pill sounded a cautious note on Friday, suggesting underlying inflation has landed near 2.5% and warning that interest rates remain “a little bit too low.” Further cuts, he argued, wouldn’t be the right move. The BoE had just voted 5-4 last week to hold rates steady at 3.75%, according to Reuters. 5
This week brings another key figure: The UK’s January consumer price inflation data lands on February 18, set for release by the Office for National Statistics at 0700 GMT. 6
Rightmove’s next key event is right around the corner, with full-year results due out February 27, according to its investor calendar. 7
But it’s not hard to see where things could go wrong: if agents start pushing back hard enough to cancel or drag their feet on renewals, that squeeze on pricing power bites fast. Subscription-heavy businesses feel it right away. A more stubborn rate environment wouldn’t offer much relief, especially if mortgage affordability keeps sliding and housing slows down.
