SEO vs Property Portals: How Estate Agents Can Compete Online

At Lillian Purge, we specialise in SEO for Estate Agents, sharing advice on how estate agents can compete online against property portals.

For years, major property portals like Rightmove, Zoopla, and OnTheMarket have dominated the online property search market. Many estate agents feel reliant on these platforms to generate leads, but this dependency comes at a cost—both financially and strategically. As digital marketing evolves, SEO has become a powerful tool that allows estate agents to compete directly with portals, drive traffic to their own websites, and build stronger relationships with buyers and sellers. This article explores how SEO compares to property portals and how estate agents can use it to gain independence and long-term success online.

The challenge with relying on property portals

Property portals attract millions of monthly visitors, offering vast exposure. However, for estate agents, the benefits often come with limitations. Listing fees can be high, competition for visibility is intense, and the leads generated are rarely exclusive. Multiple agents can appear beside the same listing, making it difficult to stand out.

Portals also control the customer relationship. Visitors interact primarily with the portal brand, not the estate agent’s. This means even when leads come through, the agency’s own website receives little traffic or brand recognition. Over time, this dependence weakens direct client connections and increases marketing costs.

How SEO gives estate agents control

SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, allows estate agents to take back control of their online visibility. Instead of paying recurring fees to property portals, SEO builds organic authority that attracts traffic directly to your website. By optimising for relevant local search terms such as “estate agents in Bedford” or “property valuations in Milton Keynes,” your agency can appear prominently in Google results and map listings.

Unlike portals, SEO focuses on long-term sustainability. Once your website ranks well, it continues generating enquiries without ongoing listing costs. It also drives higher-quality leads because visitors searching locally often have immediate intent to buy, sell, or value their property.

SEO vs property portals: key differences

1. Ownership and brand visibility
With property portals, your listings live on someone else’s platform, reinforcing their brand instead of yours. SEO builds your own online presence, ensuring that every visit strengthens your reputation and authority.

2. Cost efficiency
Portals require monthly or annual fees regardless of performance. SEO may require investment in strategy and content, but the benefits compound over time. Once rankings improve, you continue to receive free, organic traffic.

3. Lead quality
Portal leads are often shared among multiple agents, creating competition and lower conversion rates. SEO attracts leads directly to your business, improving engagement and exclusivity.

4. Data control
When users engage with your website through SEO, you own the data. This allows you to understand visitor behaviour, refine marketing campaigns, and nurture leads. Portals keep that data for themselves.

5. Long-term impact
Property portals offer short-term exposure that ends when your subscription does. SEO builds ongoing authority that grows stronger with time, supporting every aspect of your digital marketing.

How estate agents can use SEO to compete effectively

Optimise for local searches
Local SEO is essential for estate agents. Make sure your Google Business Profile is verified, updated, and active with recent photos, reviews, and posts. Create dedicated landing pages for each area you serve, targeting phrases like “estate agents in [town name]” or “property valuations [location].”

Build content that answers client questions
While property portals focus on listings, estate agents can use content marketing to educate and engage audiences. Blog posts on topics like “how to prepare your home for sale” or “current property trends in Bedfordshire” attract both buyers and sellers looking for trustworthy advice.

Optimise property listings on your own site
Ensure that property pages are fast-loading, mobile-friendly, and include optimised titles, descriptions, and internal links. Schema markup can help search engines display rich details such as price, location, and availability directly in search results.

Encourage and manage reviews
Positive reviews enhance credibility and help your agency appear higher in local rankings. Encourage satisfied clients to leave reviews on Google and respond promptly to all feedback.

Build backlinks from reputable sources
Links from local directories, news outlets, or partner businesses strengthen your website’s authority. This signals to Google that your agency is a trusted local brand.

The importance of content differentiation

Unlike property portals, which focus on volume, estate agents can win with quality and relevance. Content that provides genuine value—such as market reports, area guides, and moving tips—sets you apart as an expert rather than just a listing provider.

For example, a local property guide that highlights schools, amenities, and transport links can attract people researching an area before moving. These pages not only draw traffic but also build local authority that supports other SEO efforts.

Measuring SEO success compared to portal performance

One of the advantages of SEO is transparency. You can measure exactly how your website performs, track traffic sources, and calculate the number of enquiries generated. Key metrics include:

• Organic traffic growth

• Keyword rankings for local search terms

• Conversion rates from forms and calls

• Engagement with blog and property pages

• Review growth and visibility on Google Maps

In contrast, property portals provide limited insight into lead quality or long-term engagement. With SEO, you have full visibility and control over performance data.

How SEO complements, not replaces, property portals

While SEO can reduce dependence on portals, it doesn’t have to eliminate them completely. Many estate agents find that a balanced approach works best. Portals provide broad exposure, while SEO strengthens direct brand awareness and credibility. The key is to treat portals as supplementary channels rather than primary marketing tools.

By focusing on SEO, you can build a self-sustaining digital presence that continues to perform even if you scale back portal listings. Over time, this reduces costs and increases brand recognition, creating a more independent and profitable business model.

How Lillian Purge helps estate agents compete online

At Lillian Purge, we help estate agents compete successfully with property portals through advanced SEO, content marketing, and local optimisation. Our strategies focus on ranking your agency for high-value keywords, improving website performance, and increasing direct enquiries.

We combine data-driven insights with practical industry expertise to help estate agents generate leads that belong to them—not to third-party platforms. Whether you want to dominate local searches or improve your return on marketing investment, we build strategies that deliver long-term, measurable results.

Further reading includes The future of SEO in the property industry and How SEO helps estate agents attract more local buyers and sellers. Visit our Estate Agents Hub for more insights.