Estate agents frustrated by rising portal costs and the slow pace of legal action against Rightmove are being targeted by a new nationwide roadshow that aims to offer practical alternatives rather than courtroom solutions.
ModelProp has launched The Tipping Point, the latest instalment of its Rightmove Resistance Tour, a 40-stop programme of free workshops taking place across the UK between 1 June and 9 July.
The roadshow combines training on the use of artificial intelligence in agency businesses with demonstrations of MyPorta, ModelProp’s free-to-list property portal. Organisers say the sessions are designed to help agents reduce operating costs, improve productivity and explore alternative routes to generating instructions.
The launch comes as the £1.5bn collective action against Rightmove continues to progress through the courts. However, ModelProp argues that agents cannot afford to wait years for a legal outcome and should instead focus on changes they can implement immediately within their own businesses.
Each workshop will include practical guidance on using tools such as ChatGPT to support marketing, content creation and day-to-day agency operations, alongside a walkthrough of the MyPorta platform and its AI-driven features.
The tour will visit 40 towns in 40 days, with organisers positioning it as a hands-on programme aimed at helping agents adapt to a rapidly changing technology landscape while reducing their dependence on traditional property portals.
According to ModelProp, the emphasis of the workshops will be on practical implementation rather than theory.
Agents attending the sessions will be shown how AI tools including ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini can be integrated into everyday agency operations. The programme will explore how firms can use AI assistants to support decision-making across areas such as business management, finance, compliance, marketing and strategic planning.
The workshops will also demonstrate how AI can be used to create social media posts, email campaigns and other marketing content designed to raise the profile of both individual agents and their brands within local markets.
A further focus will be on reducing administrative workloads. Organisers claim many routine tasks that consume significant amounts of staff time can now be automated or streamlined through AI, allowing agents to spend more time on revenue-generating activities such as valuations, instructions and client relationships.
ModelProp argues that many agencies are still paying for software, services and processes that can now be replicated or enhanced using freely available AI tools, potentially reducing costs while improving productivity. The roadshow aims to provide agents with practical examples of how those efficiencies can be achieved within their own businesses.
A central theme of the roadshow is the argument that agents should not rely on the outcome of the ongoing £1.5bn collective action against Rightmove to address concerns over portal costs.
The claim, launched in late 2025, is due to face its first major procedural hearing in November 2026, when the court will decide whether it can proceed as a class action. Even if certification is granted, a full trial is not expected before late 2027, with any subsequent appeals likely to extend the process further.
McCallion said agents need practical solutions now rather than waiting years for a legal verdict.
“The court case is the right fight, but it’s a fight for 2028 at the earliest, if it succeeds at all,” said McCallion. “Many agents just can’t continue to have their prices increased by double-digits each year – and Rightmove has told its investors it’s going to keep doing just that, to try and steady its decimated share price. The Tipping Point is about giving agents the tools to save costs, win more instructions and quietly reduce their Rightmove dependence this summer – not in five years’ time.”
The roadshow will also showcase MyPorta, ModelProp’s AI-powered property portal, which launched in beta six weeks ago. The company claims more than one in five UK estate agency branches have already signed up to the platform, which allows agents to list properties without charge.
Organisers say the workshops will explain how agents can use alternative marketing channels and emerging technology to diversify lead generation and reduce their reliance on the dominant portal model.
The tour runs from 1 June to 9 July and will visit 40 locations across England, Scotland and Wales, including London, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Brighton. Attendance is free, with booking available through ModelProp’s website.
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