Ed, Simon and Harvey discuss everything that matters in the world of real estate marketplaces this week...

- CoStar's ongoing investor spat and what the outcome might be

- QuintoAndar's big push into Rio de Janeiro

- Leboncoin shutters A Vendre A Louer

- Rightmove's EBITDA problem

00:00 Introduction and Weather Check

01:48 CoStar's Board and Activist Investors

04:01 The Role of Activist Investors

09:44 CoStar's Strategic Options

12:55 Homes.com and Compass

14:28 Market Trends and AI Impact

21:05 Quinto Andar's Investment in Brazil

25:50 Le Bon Quant's Strategic Shift

28:53 The Evolution of Brand Management in Real Estate

32:46 Legal Challenges in the Real Estate Market

37:16 Innovations in Real Estate Technology

42:42 The Struggles of Real Estate Agents with Pricing Models

Ed and Simon are joined by Slava Rodriguez, Real Estate Vertical Director at Larixon Classifieds, a company that operates portals across five very diverse markets.They explore market entry strategies, growth metrics, competition, and the role of social media in real estate marketing. The conversation also delves into branding strategies, managing operations across multiple markets, and the potential impact of AI on the real estate landscape.00:00 Introduction to Larixon Classifieds02:56 Market Strategy and Growth07:20 Real Estate Vertical Insights11:17 Competition in Diverse Markets13:57 Market Dynamics and Parallels16:00 Leveraging Social Media Marketing19:54 Brand Building and Marketing Strategies23:52 Managing Multiple Markets27:13 Trends in Classifieds and Future Outlook32:41 Impact of AI on Real Estate40:55 Transitioning from Corporate to Local Markets

Ed and Simon discuss all the biggest stories from the world of real estate portals this week (30th of January 2026). Including...- CoStar's war of words with its investor, Third Point- Hemnet's Q4 results and the Swedish market situation- Property Finder's $170M raise and potential merger00:00 Introduction to the Real Estate Marketplace News03:19 CoStar's Controversial Investment Strategies13:41 The Impact of Third Point's Activism on CoStar19:34 Market Reactions and Future Predictions28:46 Hemnet's Q4 Performance and Strategic Changes39:08 Property Finder's New Investment and Speculations

Ed and Simon are joined by Giles Thorne (Head of European Internet Research at Jefferies) to discuss the threat posed to real estate portals by AI.

They explore investment strategies, the role of private equity, and the influence of major players like Google. The conversation emphasises the need for progressive management and the potential for M&A activity to reshape the industry. The episode concludes with a framework for evaluating real estate platforms and insights into the future of the market.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the PPW Pod and Guests

04:01 The Threat of AI to Real Estate Marketplaces

09:37 Data's Role in Real Estate Platforms

12:25 The Importance of Local Data and Insights

15:29 Personalization and User Experience in Real Estate

19:24 Investment Strategies and Market Dynamics

23:25 Class Action Lawsuit Against Rightmove

33:21 Framework for Assessing AI Threats to Portals

35:22 Understanding Market Dynamics in Real Estate Platforms

37:48 The Importance of Customer Relationships

39:41 Navigating Technological Expectations

42:18 Investment Opportunities in Real Estate Stocks

45:15 The Role of Private Equity in Market Recovery

48:03 The Influence of Analysts on Market Strategies

49:01 Google's Impact on Real Estate Portals

52:17 M&A Dynamics in Real Estate

55:49 The Future of Under-Invested Platforms

58:41 The Shift in Investment Strategies

01:00:50 Evaluating Market Leaders and Innovators

Ed, Simon and Harvey discuss...- The competitive landscape involving Zillow Homes.com and Realtor.com, and the impact of AI on the industry.-The shift of Casavo from iBuying to a brokerage model- The regulatory environment affecting real estate marketplaces in France, Hungary, Austria and SwitzerlandSign up the WhatsApp group for all our content as soon as it's published https://chat.whatsapp.com/JTw6WBPHggJAgqU5cySl0300:00 Introduction to the PPW Podcast01:19 US Market Developments and Realtor.com Plus08:48 Zillow's Legal Troubles and Market Positioning11:27 AI Innovations in Real Estate12:33 Casavo's Shift from iBuying to Brokerage21:09 Regulatory Landscape in European Marketplaces24:51 Competition Authority Insights and Scraping Laws32:55 The Future of Real Estate Portals and AI38:35 Upcoming Events and Conclusion

Ed and Simon are joined by former OLX Brasil CEO, Andries Oudshoorn, to talk about his new business, Propmind.Andries shares his journey from founding Bomnegocio, Brazil's first C2C marketplace, to leading OLX Brazil, and now launching Propmind, an AI-driven rental management platform designed to simplify the complexities of rental processes in Brazil. The discussion highlights the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in transforming traditional real estate practices, particularly in a market characterized by bureaucracy and a lack of trust.00:00 Introduction to the Guests and Their Backgrounds01:55 The Evolution of C2C Marketplaces in Brazil04:21 Challenges of Multi-Vertical Classifieds06:37 The Impact of AI on Real Estate12:14 Acquisitions and Market Strategy at OLX14:27 Current Trends in the Brazilian Real Estate Market16:39 Introducing PropMind: A New Approach to Rental Management22:52 The Role of AI in Rental Processes24:49 Go-to-Market Strategy for PropMind31:01 Targeting the Right Customers33:45 Competing with Kinto and R37:49 Building Trust in Brazilian Real Estate41:04 The Challenges of Property Management50:26 Leveraging AI for Better Solutions

Ed and Simon are joined by EIV Founder, Malcolm Myers to discuss the significant drops in share prices of real estate portals despite their reported revenue growth. They explore the impact of AI on the industry, investor sentiment, and the role of private equity in shaping the future of real estate portals. The conversation also delves into the challenges of cross-border M&A transactions and the evolving revenue models for portals.

Harvey, Simon and Mike DelPrete get together for an emergency broadcast after Google appeared to test showing full property listings at the top of its search results last weekend.

Expect AI, monetisation, what this means for market leaders and challengers, and more...

Chapters

00:00 Introductions

03:43 Google's Experimentation with Real Estate Listings

06:25 Understanding the MLS and Listings

09:42 Google and AI Integration

18:27 Navigating the Zero-Click Universe

25:30 Share prices drops all round

30:45 Closing thoughts and goodbyes