Harvey and Simon are joined by Darius Cheung, co-founder of 99.co. Darius shares his journey from a mobile security entrepreneur to a leader in the prop tech industry. He discusses the challenges and opportunities in the real estate market, particularly in Singapore and Indonesia. He emphasizes the importance of understanding market dynamics, the role of technology in enhancing user experience, and the impact of government policies on housing. He also highlights the significance of the rental market and the need for real estate platforms to embrace AI to stay competitive.

Ed and Simon discuss the latest trends and challenges in the real estate marketplace, focusing on the REA Group's pricing power, the role of real estate agents in Australia, and the success of Square Yards in India. They also explore the implications of IPOs for real estate companies, the need for consolidation in the Indian market, and emerging trends in Egypt. The conversation touches on Zillow's new offer strategies and the future of buyer agents, as well as the complexities of duplicate listings in real estate portals.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Real Estate Market Dynamics

02:55 Understanding REA Group's Pricing Controversy

10:42 The Impact of Competition Authorities on Real Estate

14:52 Square Yards: A Success Story in India

18:53 Navigating the IPO Landscape

19:55 Consolidation in India's Real Estate Market

20:54 Emerging Trends in Egypt's Real Estate Market

24:50 Zillow's New Offer Strategies

30:58 Zillow's Legal Challenges and Duplicate Listings

Ed is joined by Bryan Wester (MD of PropertyCloud.mu) who shares his extensive experience in the African real estate market, particularly focusing on the dynamics of property portals across various countries. He discusses the unique characteristics of the Mauritius market, the challenges faced in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the misconceptions surrounding demographic tailwinds.Bryan emphasizes the importance of understanding local market conditions, the need for sustainable business models, and the potential for success among smaller, locally operated portals. He also contrasts the South African market with other Sub-Saharan countries, highlighting the differences in professionalism and profitability. The conversation concludes with insights on the future of real estate portals in Africa and the lessons learned from years of operation in the region.

In this episode, Simon Baker shares his extensive journey with the REA Group, detailing its founding, early challenges, and the evolution of its business model. He discusses the competitive landscape of real estate portals, the importance of vendor paid advertising, and the strategies employed to build relationships with real estate agents. Simon reflects on the lessons learned from international expansion, the challenges faced during his tenure, and the circumstances surrounding his departure from the company. He concludes with insights on the future of real estate portals and the importance of understanding market dynamics.

In this episode, Ed, Harvey and Simon discuss significant developments in the real estate marketplace, including CoStar's acquisition of Domain, the competitive landscape with REA Group and Zillow, and the implications of recent controversies in the UK and India. They explore the evolving trends in mergers and acquisitions within the industry and the importance of innovation in maintaining market relevance.

Edmund, Harvey and Simon get together for a quickfire rundown of the biggest news from the world of real estate portals and proptech in the last couple of weeks.

0:00 intros (and powercuts!)

2:20 CoStar Q1 results and VPA trial

10:50 Zoopla for sale?

17:30 Zillow CCP updates and two-tab search experience rollback

24:30 Public iBuyers in choppy waters

Margaux Scalisi joins the podcast to talk about her niche portal, Vefaonline, the difficulties in building and scaling her business from brokering deals to getting paid, and the problems that keep her up at night.

Ed, Harvey and Simon discuss significant developments in the real estate and prop tech industries, including the ongoing Clear Cooperation Policy battle in the U.S., Zillow's market power and ethical considerations, CoStar's strategy with Homes.com, Immobiliare's expansion in Croatia, and DomClick's controversial data-sharing practices in Russia.