Honest comparison

ValuQ vs portal leads.
A cost-per-lead reality check.

Rightmove, Zoopla, and OnTheMarket sell valuation and vendor leads alongside their listings subscriptions. 65% of UK agents say portal fees are expensive. Is there a better way? Here’s the honest comparison. And when portals are still worth it.

Last reviewed April 2026. Updated when portals change their packaging or pricing.

The portal problem

The numbers most agents don’t say out loud.

£30–36k

Typical annual Rightmove cost per branch, per industry reporting.

£112

Rightmove cost-per-converted-lead in one published industry analysis. Before you factor in internal follow-up time.

13.5%

The share of monthly sales commission that portal fees can consume, by some estimates.

To be fair to portals: Rightmove is still the single most effective marketplace for sales leads in the UK. Nobody’s seriously saying don’t list on Rightmove. The question is whether the bolt-on lead packages are worth what you’re paying for them. And whether there’s a complementary channel that gives you better per-pound economics.

Feature-by-feature

Side by side.

Portal leads vs ValuQ leads. No spin. The differences that actually change your unit economics.

Feature	Portal leads	ValuQ
What you get	Typically: vendor/valuation leads packaged with your listing subscription. Lead content varies. Often a name, address, and rough intent.	Full brief: photos, specs, EPC, chain position, conveyancing intel, seller motivation. All pre-qualified.
Commercial model	Bundled with listing subscription. Costs can scale with branch count and package level.	Standalone flat subscription (£99–£299/mo). Free until your first instruction.
Typical all-in spend	£30,000–£36,000+ per branch per year in reported figures, driven largely by the core listing subscription.	£1,188–£3,588 per year. No branch multiplier.
Cost per converted lead	Estimated at £112+ per converted lead in industry analysis (before internal follow-up cost).	Falls with every instruction you win. Same monthly fee whether you win 2 or 12.
Why portals exist for the seller	Sellers use portals primarily to browse listings, not to find an agent. Valuation leads are a side-product.	Sellers arrive at ValuQ specifically to find the right agent. That’s the whole product.
Lead intent	Variable. Some sellers are seriously shopping, many are browsing or curious.	High. Sellers only reach ValuQ when they’ve decided to instruct and want to choose well.
Listings benefit	Critical. Portals are still the primary listing distribution channel in the UK.	None. ValuQ doesn’t replace portal listings; it sits upstream of them.
Brand visibility	High. Your agency name sits next to every one of your listings.	None until a seller picks you. Sellers see your work (the valuation), not your brand.
Control over lead flow	Tied to your listing volume and portal package tier.	You set coverage sectors. Monthly brief cap (10–50) defined by plan. Nothing comes through that you haven’t opted in for.

Portal figures sourced from public industry reporting (The Negotiator, Estate Agent Today, AIM Group, Property Industry Eye) as of 2025–2026. Your actual costs vary by package and coverage.

When each one wins

Portals aren’t going anywhere.

For listings, portals are non-negotiable. For leads, it’s a different question. Here’s where each one earns its place.

Keep paying for portal leads if…

→Your primary objective is listing visibility and lead flow is a secondary bonus.
→You convert portal leads well enough that the unit economics work in your market.
→Your patch has strong portal browse traffic and you benefit from being seen next to the listings.

Add ValuQ if…

→You want a second lead channel with more predictable per-month spend than pay-per-lead or portal bolt-ons.
→Your cost-per-converted-lead on portal packages is creeping up and you want a benchmark.
→You’re a 2–3 branch independent and portal spend is eating too much of your commission.
→You want leads that come with actual context. Photos, motivation, chain. Not just a name and address.

Honest framing

ValuQ isn’t a replacement for your Rightmove listing. It sits upstream. The seller picks you first, you then list on Rightmove / Zoopla / OnTheMarket as normal. The decision isn’t “portals vs ValuQ” for listings, only for where your incremental lead spend goes.

The honest bit

Portals are essential. Portal leads are a choice.

Rightmove, Zoopla, and OnTheMarket are still the primary way UK buyers find properties. If you’re an agent, you list there. That isn’t changing. We’re not suggesting otherwise.

But the bolt-on lead packages they sell. Valuation leads, vendor leads, enhanced listings. Deserve a harder look. Agents we talk to know their cost-per-converted-lead on portals is rising. Many would like a second lead channel with more predictable economics. That’s where ValuQ fits. Not replacing your listing strategy. Sitting upstream of it.

Questions from agents thinking about portal spend

Honest answers to what agents ask before they rebalance their lead-gen budget.

Does ValuQ replace Rightmove, Zoopla, or OnTheMarket?

No. ValuQ sits upstream of the portals. Sellers use ValuQ to pick their agent, then you list the property on the portals as normal. ValuQ replaces (or supplements) the portal’s lead-package bolt-ons, not the core listing subscription.

How does ValuQ’s cost compare to portal lead packages?

ValuQ is £99–£299/mo flat. Portal lead bolt-ons and overall portal spend vary widely. Industry reporting puts total Rightmove cost per branch at £30,000–£36,000 per year, though most of that is the listing subscription, not the lead package specifically. The honest comparison is cost-per-converted-instruction. On ValuQ that number falls as your win rate improves; on pay-per-lead channels it scales with volume.

Is ValuQ’s lead quality actually better?

Different, and arguably better for considered-decision sellers. ValuQ briefs include photos, specs, EPC, chain position, conveyancing intel, and seller motivation. The seller is on the platform specifically to choose an agent. That’s a different intent level to a buyer clicking “request a valuation” on a portal while browsing listings.

Should I drop my portal leads package to free up budget for ValuQ?

Probably not immediately. If your portal leads convert, don’t turn them off. Try ValuQ alongside for 2–3 months, measure the conversion and cost-per-instruction, then rebalance your spend based on what the numbers actually show. ValuQ is free until your first instruction, so the trial is essentially risk-free.

What about OnTheMarket leads specifically?

Same principle. OnTheMarket’s lead products are structured differently from Rightmove’s but the economics question is the same: cost-per-converted-instruction, and whether the lead comes with enough context to prioritise it. ValuQ’s structured brief format puts it in a different category. Not better or worse across the board, but better for agents whose edge is written valuation quality.

Benchmark ValuQ against your portal spend.

Free until your first instruction. No card required. Run it for 2–3 months alongside your portal leads and see which channel gives you the better cost-per-instruction.

Apply for early access See how ValuQ works