Honest comparison

ValuQ vs Rightmove.
Real valuations, not instant guesses.

Rightmove gives you a number in seconds. ValuQ gives you 3–5 real estate agent valuations in 48 hours — anonymously, with no cold calls. Here is what each one is actually for, and why you probably need both.

Last reviewed April 2026. We update this page when either product changes meaningfully.

At a glance

The one-minute summary.

Rightmove

The UK’s biggest property portal. Brilliant for browsing listings and looking up sold prices. Their “instant valuation” gives you an automated estimate based on comparable sales — useful as a starting point, but capped by what an algorithm can know about your specific property. Submitting your details typically passes you to a partner estate agent.

Best for: research, browsing listings, checking neighbouring sold prices, and getting a rough number fast.

ValuQ

A free marketplace where 3–5 local estate agents see your property brief — photos, condition, EPC, area context — and compete to give you a real, written valuation. You stay anonymous until you decide to connect with one. No phone number leaves your dashboard until you choose.

Best for: actually deciding what your home is worth before listing it, without inviting a wave of cold calls.

Feature-by-feature

Side by side.

No marketing copy. Just the differences that matter when you are trying to find out what your home is actually worth.

Feature	Rightmove	ValuQ
What it gives you	An automated estimate based on a national algorithm and recent comparable sales.	3–5 written valuations from real local estate agents who have looked at your photos, EPC and condition.
Speed	Instant — usually under a minute.	Within 48 hours, most under 24.
Typical accuracy	Algorithms struggle with condition, layout, recent works, and local micro-trends. Real-world variance is commonly 10–20% off the right number.	Real agents using your specific photos, condition notes, EPC, and current local supply. Side-by-side responses make outliers obvious.
Anonymity	Asks for name, email, phone and address. Your details are typically passed to a partner agent.	Agents only see anonymised property details until you choose to connect. Name, phone and full address are never visible to agents you have not chosen.
Cold-call risk	High. Submitting an instant valuation usually triggers a follow-up call from a partner agent within hours.	None unless you opt in. You pick a call time slot for the agent you want to speak to — they call only then.
Local market context	National algorithm with regional smoothing.	Local agents who know the street, the schools, the commute, and what is selling this week.
Cost	Free. Funded by agent advertising and lead referrals.	Free for sellers and buyers. Agents pay only when a ValuQ-introduced lead becomes a listing with them.
Best research tool	Outstanding for browsing listings and checking sold prices in your postcode.	Strong on agent comparison, fees, and proposed strategy — not a listings portal.
Use them together?	Rightmove for research and listing exposure. ValuQ for an actual valuation that decides what to ask for.	Rightmove for research and listing exposure. ValuQ for an actual valuation that decides what to ask for.

Information accurate as of April 2026. Rightmove’s public tools and partner-agent referral flow are independently verifiable on rightmove.co.uk.

When each one wins

They are not the same thing.

Rightmove and ValuQ solve different problems. Most homeowners should use both — at different points in the process.

Use Rightmove when…

→You want to browse what is on the market in your area right now.
→You want to look up sold prices on neighbouring streets.
→You only need a rough ballpark number for early-stage thinking, and you do not mind a cold call.
→You are eventually going to list — Rightmove is the listing portal almost every UK agent advertises on.

Use ValuQ when…

→You actually want to know what your home is worth before listing — not just a postcode-level estimate.
→You want to compare local agents on valuation, fees and strategy — without picking up the phone.
→You do not want your phone number circulating between agencies. ValuQ keeps you anonymous until you choose.
→You suspect agents over-quote to win listings. ValuQ shows you all valuations side by side so outliers stand out.

The honest bit

Rightmove is not the enemy. We are not pretending otherwise.

Rightmove is the largest property portal in the UK and almost every estate agent advertises on it. If you are eventually going to list, your agent will put your home on Rightmove and Zoopla. Their sold-price lookup and listing browser are excellent tools for early-stage research.

Where it falls short is the moment you actually need to know what your home is worth. Algorithms are blind to a renovated kitchen, a recently fixed roof, or a south-facing extension. ValuQ exists for that step — getting real local agents to give you a written valuation, anonymously, so you can decide which one to instruct with full information.

Common questions about Rightmove vs ValuQ

The honest answers to what homeowners ask before deciding which tool to trust.

Is Rightmove’s instant valuation accurate?

It is a useful starting point but it is an algorithmic estimate. It does not see your kitchen, your condition, your extension, or how the local market has shifted in the last six weeks. Real-world variance versus actual sale price is commonly 10–20%. For a research baseline it is fine — for a decision about asking price, get real agent valuations.

Does Rightmove pass my details to estate agents?

Yes. When you submit a valuation request on Rightmove, your name, phone and address are typically passed to a partner agent who calls you back. ValuQ does the opposite: agents see an anonymised property brief and compete on the valuation itself. You only share contact details with the agent you choose.

Why do agents over-value to win the listing?

Some do, because in many lead-gen models the agent who quotes highest is the one the seller picks first. ValuQ surfaces all valuations side by side, so a wildly higher number stands out next to its peers. It also tracks each agent’s history on the platform, so deliberately over-quoting is a losing strategy.

Can I use Rightmove and ValuQ together?

That is exactly what we recommend. Use Rightmove to browse what is on the market in your area and look up sold prices. Use ValuQ to get 3–5 real local agent valuations anonymously, then pick the agent you want to instruct. When you list, your agent will advertise on Rightmove regardless.

Is ValuQ really free for sellers?

Yes. Sellers and buyers never pay. Agents only pay ValuQ when a ValuQ-introduced lead becomes a listing with them. There are no upgrades or paywalls for homeowners.

How quickly will I get my valuations on ValuQ?

Local agents have 48 hours to submit. Most respond within 24. You see all valuations side by side in your dashboard with the agent’s name, valuation, suggested fee and proposed strategy.