REA Group


REA Group Ltd is a global digital advertising company specializing in property. Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, it is a majority-owned subsidiary of News Corp Australia.

History

Founding and Early Years (1995–2001)

REA Group was founded in 1995 in a garage in Doncaster, Victoria, by Karl Sabljak, Carmel Sabljak, Steve Sabljak, and Martin Howell. Originally intended as a dial-up internet service provider, the founders pivoted to digital real estate advertising after securing the domain realestate.com.au.
The company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 1999. Following the dot-com crash in 2000, which saw the company's valuation plummet by 90%. In February 2001, News Limited secured a 44% controlling stake for A$2 million in cash and A$8 million in advertising credits—a deal now regarded as one of the most successful in Rupert Murdoch's career.
During this era, the Ray White Group acted as a "white knight" and strategic partner. In 2002, the White family acquired a 15.8% stake, providing the digital startup with essential industry credibility. Ray White eventually sold its holding in 2009 for approximately A$77.6 million, a fraction of the stake's multi-billion dollar value a decade later. Under CEO Simon Baker, the company turned around from a market cap of $8 million to over $900 million.

Packer-Murdoch Rivalry

The early 2000s were marked by a proxy war between the Murdoch and Packer families. While News Corp backed REA, the Packer family and Fairfax backed rival Domain. REA's success is often attributed to News Corp's aggressive use of its local newspaper network to convert traditional agents to the digital platform, ultimately outmaneuvering the Packers' television-led strategy.
In 2025 CoStar took over the company from Nine Entertainment Co. and delisted it from the ASX.

Global Expansion and Diversification (2014–2026)

Under the leadership of former CEOs Tracey Fellows and Owen Wilson, the group transitioned from a listings portal to a property technology and financial services marketplace.
  • In 2021, REA acquired Mortgage Choice, marking a significant entry into the mortgage broking industry.
  • In September 2024, REA Group made a high-profile but ultimately unsuccessful £6.2 billion cash-and-share bid for the UK’s Rightmove.
  • In October 2025, the group acquired a 61.5% majority stake in Canadian tech firm Planitar Inc., the maker of iGUIDE, an AI-powered 3D spatial mapping platform.

    REA India

REA Group holds a controlling interest in REA India, which operates Housing.com, PropTiger, and Makaan.com. In 2024, the company opened REA Cyber City in Gurugram, a Global Capability Centre serving as a primary tech innovation hub for the group's international operations.

Leadership

Board of Directors

Executive Leadership Team

Leadership History

REA Group has been led by six chief executives since its founding, each marking a different phase of the company's evolution from a local startup to a global ASX 50 entity.

The Founding Era (1995–2001)

Co-founder Karl Sabljak served as the initial lead, steering the company through the transition from a dial-up service provider to a dedicated property portal. He led the company's initial public offering in 1999 before the dot-com crash necessitated a change in corporate structure and the entry of News Corp.

The Baker and Ellis Years (2001–2014)

Simon Baker is credited with saving the company from insolvency following the 2001 crash. He expanded REA into Italy, Luxembourg, and the UK. He was succeeded by Greg Ellis, who moved the company away from pure volume toward a value-based pricing model, significantly increasing profitability and establishing REA as the dominant force in Australian digital advertising.

Expansion and Diversification (2014–2025)

Tracey Fellows, a former Microsoft executive, led a period of rapid cultural and international growth, including the controlling investment in REA India. In 2018, CFO Owen Wilson was promoted to CEO. Wilson's tenure was defined by diversification into financial services through the acquisition of Mortgage Choice and navigating the COVID-19 property boom. Wilson retired in October 2025, taking a role as Chair of REA India.

Modern Era (2025–Present)

In November 2025, Cameron McIntyre was appointed CEO. Having previously led CAR Group for nine years, McIntyre's appointment was seen as a move to leverage his experience in global digital marketplaces to counter the entry of international competitors like CoStar Group into the Australian market.

Community Involvement

A Home For All Foundation

Established in 2025, the A Home For All Foundation is a cross-industry initiative led by REA Group to combat homelessness. In the 2026 financial year, the foundation's primary focus is providing support for individuals and families experiencing homelessness due to Domestic and Family Violence.

Social Impact Programs

The group maintains long-standing partnerships with Launch Housing and Ask Izzy. Through its "Because We Care" program, REA Group provides community grants of up to $1,500 to local organizations nominated by its customers and employees.

Workplace Culture

REA Group is frequently cited as a leader in Australian corporate culture. In 2025, the company was ranked #3 in the "Best Places to Work" by Great Place to Work® Australia, making it the highest-ranked ASX-listed company on the list for the fourth consecutive year.

Diversity and Inclusion

The company has received specific recognition for its gender equity initiatives:
  • Women in Tech: REA operates a "Springboard to Tech" program designed to assist women transitioning from other careers into software engineering. As of 2025, women make up approximately 33% of its technology workforce, well above the Australian industry average.
  • Parental Leave: In FY25, the group updated its parental leave policy to offer 24 weeks of paid leave for primary carers, regardless of gender, and 12 months of superannuation contributions while on leave.

    Graduate and Entry-Level Programs

Established in 2014, the REA Graduate Program has seen over 100 participants. In 2025, it was ranked #6 on the Australian Association of Graduate Employers Top 75 list. The program is known for its "Hackdays" initiative, where employees spend two days every quarter working on self-directed innovation projects.

Controversies and Regulatory Scrutiny

ACCC Pricing Investigation (2025)

In May 2025, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission confirmed it was investigating REA Group over allegations of price gouging and market power abuse. The investigation followed a decade-long period where real estate agents reported fee increases significantly above the Consumer Price Index, with some premium listings in Sydney and Melbourne reportedly exceeding A$5,000. Critics, including the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales, alleged that REA Group's market dominance forced vendors into unsustainable advertising costs due to a lack of viable alternatives. REA Group received a Section 155 notice from the regulator and stated it was "cooperating fully" with the probe.

Failed Rightmove Takeover (2024)

In late 2024, REA Group attempted a £6.2 billion acquisition of the UK's leading property portal, Rightmove. The bid was the largest international play in the company's history. After four non-binding proposals were rejected by the Rightmove board for "fundamentally undervaluing" the business, REA Group withdrew the offer in September 2024. CEO Owen Wilson expressed disappointment at the lack of engagement from the UK firm, while market analysts noted that the pursuit had caused significant volatility in REA's share price due to concerns over acquisition debt.

Dynamic Methods Acquisition Block

In 2024, the ACCC raised preliminary competition concerns regarding REA Group’s acquisition of Dynamic Methods, the largest supplier of digital real estate forms in Australia. The regulator argued that the acquisition could allow REA Group to control access to critical data and digital workflows used by real estate agents, potentially harming competition from other PropTech service providers.

Data Scraping and Copyright Litigation (2024)

In December 2024, REA Group filed a federal lawsuit against its primary competitor, Domain, alleging copyright infringement. REA claimed that Domain had "systematically sourced" content from 181 exclusive realestate.com.au listings. The case sparked significant industry controversy, with real estate agents and vendors arguing that REA was attempting to "monopolize" photography and data that was originally paid for by the property sellers, rather than the platform itself. Domain eventually removed the offending listings but maintained that REA's actions were "anti-competitive."

Misleading Advertising Litigation (2017)

In the landmark case REA Group Limited v Fairfax Media Limited FCA 91, the Federal Court of Australia found that Fairfax had engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct. Domain had claimed it had the "most property listings in Sydney," which REA successfully proved was false. The case is frequently cited in Australian law regarding the limits of "puffery" in corporate advertising.

Leadership and Internal Transitions (2025)

Following the announcement of Owen Wilson's departure as CEO in February 2025, REA Group experienced a period of executive turnover. In September 2025, Melina Cruickshank, the Chief Product and Audience Officer, resigned after being passed over for the CEO position in favor of external hire Cameron McIntyre. Cruickshank's departure was described by industry analysts as a "significant loss" due to her role in scaling the company’s data and consumer divisions.