Housing.com is an Indian online real estate search portal that lists residential and commercial properties for sale and rent across major Indian cities. Headquartered in Gurugram, it is operated by Locon Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and is part of REA India, a subsidiary of the Australian-listed REA Group.
Key facts
| Type | Real estate technology platform |
|---|---|
| Industry | Online classifieds, PropTech |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founders | Rahul Yadav and twelve co-founders, alumni of IIT Bombay |
| Headquarters | Gurugram, Haryana, India |
| Parent | REA India (REA Group) |
| Area served | India |
| Website | housing.com |
Overview
Housing.com aggregates listings of apartments, independent houses, plots, and commercial spaces, providing search filters by locality, budget, configuration, and amenities. The platform is known for the use of map-based search, verified listings, and data-driven property discovery tools aimed at home buyers, tenants, owners, brokers, and developers.
History
Founding
Housing.com was founded in 2012 in Mumbai by a group of graduates from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, with Rahul Yadav emerging as the most prominent of its co-founders. The company sought to organise the fragmented Indian rental and resale market through technology-led search and verified inventory.
Early growth and funding
Between 2013 and 2015, Housing.com raised significant venture capital, including a high-profile investment round led by SoftBank. During this period the company expanded rapidly, building a large field operations team for property verification and launching a heavy brand campaign under the tagline "Look Up".
Leadership transition
In 2015, Rahul Yadav exited the company following well-publicised disputes with the board. Subsequent leadership focused on consolidation, cost reduction, and refining the product around core search and listings.
Acquisition by News Corp and merger with PropTiger
In 2017, Housing.com merged with PropTiger and Makaan, two real estate platforms backed by News Corp and SoftBank, forming an integrated property group covering primary sales, resale, and rentals. The combined entity operated under the umbrella of Elara Technologies (later REA India after REA Group acquired a controlling stake).
REA Group control
REA Group, the Australian digital real estate company majority-owned by News Corp, progressively increased its stake in the parent company. The group was rebranded as REA India, with Housing.com as its consumer-facing rentals and resale brand alongside PropTiger.com for new homes and Makaan.com.
Products and services
- Property listings for sale, rent, and new projects across Indian metros and tier-II cities.
- Map-based and locality-based search with neighbourhood insights.
- Home loans, legal assistance, and packers and movers services through partners.
- Tools for owners and brokers to post and manage listings.
- Data and analytics products covering price trends and locality reports.
Significance
Housing.com is among the most widely used online property portals in India, alongside competitors such as 99acres, MagicBricks, and NoBroker. Its early use of verified listings, satellite mapping, and consumer-focused design influenced standards in the Indian PropTech sector. The 2017 merger with PropTiger created one of the largest real estate digital ecosystems in the country.
Related topics
- PropTiger
- Makaan.com
- REA Group
- News Corp
- SoftBank Group
- Real estate in India
- 99acres
- MagicBricks
- NoBroker
- Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
References
- Wikidata entity Q18125739.
- Official website: housing.com.
- REA Group annual reports and investor disclosures relating to REA India.