Rightmove is facing renewed scrutiny over its advertised property numbers after rival portal MyPorta claimed that figures disappeared from its website last year, only to reappear weeks later.
MyPorta says Rightmove removed references to more than 900,000 properties for sale and 200,000 to rent in April 2025. The figures allegedly returned in May.
Claims of Disappearing and Reappearing Figures
The findings follow Rightmove's response to the original allegations. A Rightmove spokesperson told EYE: "This related to a small number of historic meta descriptions embedded within our website, which have since been updated."
MyPorta has also identified a separate claim referring to more than 900,000 new-build properties. It says Rightmove's website still carried the wording on Monday (26 October).
The figures appeared in meta descriptions — text that search engines may display alongside links to webpages. According to archived records cited by MyPorta, Rightmove's main For Sale and To Rent pages carried the figures on 23 April 2025. By 30 April, the descriptions no longer included the numbers. However, archived versions dated 20 May reportedly show their return.
Further Listing Claim Identified
MyPorta founder Mal McCallion has questioned why the figures reappeared. The reasons for the changes remain unclear.
MyPorta also found a reference to more than 900,000 new-build properties in the description of Rightmove's new homes page. The rival portal said the wording remained visible on the morning of 26 October. It reportedly stated: "Search over 900,000 new build properties from the best property agents & developers in the UK."
Search engines may display meta descriptions alongside webpage links. However, the descriptions do not necessarily reflect the content of the webpages themselves. The findings raise questions about when Rightmove updated its descriptions and whether similar wording remains elsewhere on the website.
Questions Over Website Descriptions
McCallion said: "Rightmove's attempt to handwave the significance of its claims to 1.1m listed properties over 16 years doesn't survive contact with reality." He suggested the return of the figures in 2025 could have been linked to website traffic. However, MyPorta has provided no evidence to support that explanation.
McCallion also questioned whether advertised listing volumes could influence consumers' choice of portal and competition between property websites. MyPorta highlighted Rightmove's average revenue per advertiser. This increased from £379 per month in 2010 to £1,726 in the first half of 2026 — a rise of approximately 355%. However, there is no evidence linking that increase to the disputed website descriptions.
The archived records suggest Rightmove changed the wording over time. They do not establish that its advertised property figures were inaccurate. No regulator has found the descriptions to be misleading. EYE has asked Rightmove for further comment on the latest claims.
