Rightmove launches major updates to its agent qualification CELA

• Rightmove’s Level 3 Certificate for Estate and Letting Agents (CELA) will include a new module on Renters’ Rights from April, helping agents to get Renters’ Rights ready before May
• The Level 3 Certificate for Estate and Letting Agents is included as standard within all Rightmove memberships, with only a fee to the exam board to pay when agents are ready to take their exam
• Rightmove is also launching new routes to qualification later this year to support more agents in getting qualified. New sales and lettings only options will launch for agents in the Rightmove Hub
• The government recently closed a consultation into proposed home-moving reforms, including mandatory agent qualifications. CELA was created in response to agents asking to get ahead of any potential changes
• In 2025, almost 10,000 agents enrolled to get their Level 3 Certificate for Estate and Letting Agents and there were approximately 60,000 registered users of the Rightmove Hub

Rightmove is launching major updates to its agent qualification, the Level 3 Certificate for Estate and Letting Agents (CELA).

CELA is included as standard within all Rightmove memberships. The only fee is paid to ABBE, the independent exam board, when agents are ready to take their exam.

From March, a new module on the Renters’ Rights Act will be included within the CELA qualification, helping agents to get Renters’ Rights ready before the act comes into effect from the 1^st May 2026.

The new module includes a comprehensive overview of the Renters’ Rights Act for agents including:

• Understanding periodic tenancies
• Rental bidding and rent in advance
• Section 13 and rent increases
• Section 8 and grounds for possession

While the new module will go live within CELA from March, it is available now as a standalone training course to agents. Agents can check out the contents and get a head start here: https://hub.rightmove.co.uk/course/renters-rights-ready/

By including the Renters’ Rights Act as a module within the official CELA qualification, agents will be able to demonstrate to landlords that they have comprehensive expertise of the overall lettings industry and are up to date and ready to advise on the latest Renters’ Rights legislation.

In another major update, new routes to qualification with Rightmove are coming later this year to support more agents in getting qualified.

CELA is designed to cover both sales and lettings for agents, but new individual sales and lettings qualification routes are being developed alongside Propertymark. Further news will be shared later this year.

The government recently closed a consultation into proposed home-moving reforms, including the suggestion of mandatory agent qualifications.

With qualification high up on the government’s agenda and potential changes around the corner, CELA helps agents to get ahead with a recognised and comprehensive industry qualification. It also helps agents’ perception with home-movers. Rightmove research showed that:

• 65% of renters and 72% of homeowners say they would trust a qualified agent more
• 58% of renters and 41% of homeowners assume agents are already licensed

Rightmove has been supporting agents to get qualified within their membership since 2022. Last year, just under 10,000 agents enrolled to get their Level 3 Certificate for Estate and Letting Agents.

There were approximately 60,000 registered users of the Rightmove Hub, which contains other training modules, webinars and data insights for agents – all included within their Rightmove membership.

Jason Charles, Rightmove’s Head of Education says: “Qualifications ensure strong standards within the property industry, and better-qualified agents mean better information, stronger consumer confidence, and a more resilient UK property market. Becoming Rightmove Qualified is a way agents can highlight their expertise to potential home-movers, and gives agency owners the assurance that their staff are up to date on the latest legislation. The government’s home-moving reform agenda suggests mandatory qualifications may be round the corner. Our qualifications support the proactive agents who want to get qualified now, ahead of potential changes.”

Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark comments: “As the housing sector evolves with ever growing legislative demand, it is important the industry continues to embrace the true value in fully professionalising all services offered.

“Qualifications and continued professional development are key factors to uplifting industry perception and hold the potential for delivering enhanced levels of consumer trust and satisfaction.

“We are excited to work with Rightmove with the common ambition to raise standards and promote new levels of industry excellence.”

About Rightmove

• Rightmove has the UK’s largest selection of properties for sale and to rent, adds more listings than anyone else, and over 80% of all time spent on property portals is on Rightmove
• Rightmove’s vision is to give everyone the belief that they can make their move by giving people the best place to turn and return to for access to tools and expertise to make it happen
• Users can search Rightmove for residential resale, new homes, rentals, built for rent, commercial property and overseas properties. Rightmove also provide an extensive range of tools and information assisting their home moving journey, including but not limited to: local sold prices, online property valuation, agent visit requests, moving guides, mortgage in principle certification, renovation calculator, extension explorer, home services for renters like utilities, media and insurance, school information, moving guides and sustainability information
• Partners (Rightmove’s customers) include the following key groups: estate agents, letting agents, new homes developers, rental operators, commercial property operators, overseas property agents, financial services operators and home services providers for insurance, utilities and media
• Using the UK’s largest housing datasets, we issue a number of regular reports to track housing market indicators: our monthly House Price Index (established 2002), quarterly Rental Trends Tracker (established 2015), weekly Mortgage Rates Tracker (established 2023) and quarterly Commercial Insights Tracker (established 2024). Historical data is available on request
• Founded in 2000, Rightmove listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2006 and is a member of the FTSE 100 index