The Competition Authority (AdC) is investigating an alleged abuse of a dominant position in the national market of online real estate advertising portals, “involving the main business group operating in this segment in Portugal”, it said this Tuesday, 23, in a statement.
The regulatory entity has already sent a note of illegality (accusation) to the company that owns the dominant portal, the parent company and three people responsible for administration or management, “as it considers that there is a reasonable possibility of a condemnatory decision being adopted”.
The practices under investigation, which date back to the period between 2022 and 2024, will have restricted “access to the dominant online real estate advertising portal to some real estate agencies that used a competitor’s management software (CRM), reveals the AdC, although without identifying the entities in question.
Contacted by Lusa, Competition explained that “unfortunately, the AdC cannot reveal the identities of those involved in processes”.
At issue is the suspicion that such restrictions existed to “exclude this competitor from the market”, since, according to the AdC, real estate CRM software is used by agencies to export advertisements to online portals and to manage the portfolio of properties and clients.
The investigation, which resulted from a complaint, began on December 20, 2023 and has now entered the investigation phase, during which the companies and people involved can exercise their rights to be heard and defended. After completion of this process, the AdC will adopt a final decision.
According to the AdC, abuse of a dominant position occurs when “a company illicitly uses the significant economic power it holds in a market, with a negative impact on competitors or consumers”, thereby achieving “impose unfair conditions, crush margins, practice predatory prices, refuse to supply goods or services, discriminate against other companies”, explains the statement.