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EXp Realty intends to purchase the Canadian real estate search portal and brokerage Zoocasa, eXp announced Monday in a press release, with the purchase set to be finalized during July, pending approval.

The acquisition is intended to help boost eXp Realty’s online lead search generation, along with listing portal opportunities for its agents and brokers. Details of the pending deal have not yet been
disclosed.

“Online home search and lead generation portals are critical tools in residential real estate — both for customers looking to buy and sell homes, and our agents building their businesses,” Glenn Sanford chairman and CEO of eXp World Holdings said in a statement. “We’re excited about bringing Zoocasa into the eXp World Holdings family of companies. Their experienced leadership team, technology and well-known Canadian brand will position us to create a unique portal experience, with a goal of taking home search and lead generation to the next level across North America. This acquisition is a testament to our continued investment in growth to differentiate, be a destination brokerage, and give our agents a proprietary option for nurtured and inside sales qualified leads.”

Zoocasa is owned by CEO Lauren Haw and a group of investors, who purchased it in 2015 from Rogers Communications. It currently counts over 150 in-house agents and sees more than 12 million annual visits.

Lauren Haw | Zoocasa

“Joining eXp Realty and eXp World Holdings is an exciting next step for the expansion of Zoocasa’s impact as we continue to redefine our portal and lead generation technology to create excellent experiences for customers and agents,” Haw said in a statement. “EXp’s cloud-based model is a perfect fit for our team and we look forward to growing our business with eXp’s leadership team and network of agents.”

Zoocasa relaunched with a new website, business model and vision following its 2015 purchase, with a new iOs app following shortly after in 2017. It’s since won numerous awards including the Financial Times “Fastest Growing” award, the Deloitte “Tech Fast 50” and the Globe And Mail “Top Growing Company.”

EXp, among the fastest-growing international brokerages, has grown significantly during 2022, surpassing 80,000 agents, with company officials anticipating hitting 100,000 by the end of the year.

Email Ben Verde