Six years after opening an workplace in Austin, Realtor.com is making the area its new headquarters. The corporate mentioned it has greater than 400 staff in Texas and now plans so as to add “hundreds more.”
Flip up the quantity in your actual property success at Inman On Tour: Nashville! Join with trade trailblazers and top-tier audio system to realize highly effective insights, cutting-edge methods, and invaluable connections. Elevate your corporation and obtain your boldest objectives — all with Music Metropolis magic. Register now.
Almost six years after opening an workplace in Austin, Realtor.com is making the Lone Star State its primary operations hub.
“Austin and Texas offer a strong and growing talent pool, a powerhouse economy with unparalleled housing growth, affordability of living only matched by its aspirational lifestyle, expansive tech and academic communities, and a dynamic and vibrant city at the heart of the thriving state of Texas,” Realtor.com Chief Govt Officer Damian Eales mentioned in a press release. “There is no better place for us to call home.”
The corporate mentioned it has spent the previous few years growing a robust pool of skilled professionals and hungry up-and-comers by its internship program. Now they’re headquartered in Texas, Realtor.com mentioned it is going to be ready ramp up its recruiting efforts and entice a better variety of professionals who see Texas as the proper mixture of innovation, alternative and affordability.
A Realtor.com spokesperson instructed Inman the corporate’s Austin workplace at present has 400 staff and so they plan to rent “hundreds more” in engineering, know-how, advertising and marketing, and senior management roles. As for the staff who have been based mostly on the portal’s now-closed Santa Clara HQ, they’ve all been transitioned to distant roles.
Information Corp CEO Robert Thomson mentioned Realtor.com’s transfer to Texas is a “downpayment on The American Dream.” New Realtor.com information mentioned Texas builders filed the very best variety of new-home permits in 2024. The abundance of new-home stock has saved housing costs in Texas reasonably priced, with the median itemizing worth within the state clocking in at $360,000— $40,000 decrease than the nationwide median of $400,000.
“Basing Realtor.com in Texas puts our company at the heart of innovation and inspiration at a moment of national economic renaissance for America,” Thomson mentioned in his assertion. “We are proud to be housed in a state which understands the crucial role played by business in providing opportunities for personal growth, professional success and community achievement.”
Per week earlier than the announcement, Eales and Thomson met Texas Governor Greg Abbott to speak about Realtor.com’s dedication to Austin and its position because the strongest tech hub within the south.
“We are proud to welcome Realtor.com’s corporate headquarters to Austin as they expand their presence in Texas, along with our state’s growing housing market,” Abbott mentioned in a press release. “Thanks to our unmatched business environment, no corporate or personal income taxes, and our highly skilled, young, and diverse workforce, Texas is the right place for Realtor.com.”
“Companies like Realtor.com found a home where they have the freedom to grow their business and better serve their employees and customers,” he added. “Working together, we will provide Realtor.com and their employees the freedom to thrive in our great state.”
Information of the brand new HQ got here a day after Realtor.com mum or dad firm Transfer posted its first income bump in additional than two years. The corporate’s revenues elevated 2 % yr over yr to $130 million throughout the second quarter.
The remainder of the portal’s metrics have been flat or down on an annual foundation, as a result of continued market headwinds and affordability points. Nonetheless, Information Corp mentioned it was happy with Transfer’s efficiency, with the corporate sustaining “strong audience share despite much higher competitive marketing spend.”
Thomson batted away questions on promoting Transfer throughout the earnings name, noting Information Corp is devoted to Transfer and Realtor.com for the long-haul. “[We plan] to keep the cars in the garage,” he mentioned.