CoStar Group Takes 30% Stake in Italian Portal Operator Wikicasa

CoStar Group has invested in Wikicasa, taking an approximately 30% stake in the Italian real estate marketplace for an undisclosed sum.

Wikicasa joins an increasingly international portfolio of companies under the CoStar umbrella, including Loopnet, OnTheMarket, and Domain.

A press release on CoStar's website said the transaction will result in CoStar Group acquiring an approximately 30% stake in Wikicasa. Wikicasa’s shareholder base includes Italy’s leading real estate agencies - including Tecnocasa Group, Gabetti Group, RE/MAX Italy, and Tempocasa.

The investment brings together Wikicasa’s strong local network and expertise with CoStar Group’s technology, scale and global marketplace reach. As an initial step, this will create opportunities to broaden the visibility of Wikicasa’s commercial listings through LoopNet, helping connect Italian properties with a wider global audience. Furthermore, while Matterport is already used by some of Italy’s real estate agencies, Wikicasa’s network will accelerate the adoption of Matterport's immersive 3D digital twins and artificial intelligence technologies across both the commercial and residential markets in Italy.

Andy Florance, CEO at CoStar Group, commented:

"We are delighted to have reached an agreement to invest alongside Italy’s leading agents in Wikicasa. We’ve been impressed with what the shareholders and management team have achieved to date and believe there is a significant opportunity to create value by bringing our technology, global scale, and continued focus on innovation to the Italian property market.

"LoopNet is the obvious place to start because we know that commercial real estate transactions cross borders, and LoopNet brings an engaged audience of over 13 million monthly unique visitors who are already searching for their next space across the world. Soon, they will be able to extend that search into Italy. LoopNet’s audience will also grow to include Italian companies searching in their markets or abroad.”

Wikicasa.it is an agent-backed platform that brings together leading real estate professionals across Italy to deliver a high-quality, data-rich marketplace of over 600,000 listings, more than 100,000 of which are commercial—well within CoStar's comfort zone.

Pietro Pellizzari, CEO of Wikicasa, added, "We are excited to combine our local expertise and agent network with CoStar Group’s technology, scale, and global reach, creating new opportunities for the Italian real estate market.”

Pellizzari told Online Marketplaces:

"[This] has been a long journey, and not always an easy one. Throughout the process, I had the opportunity to meet a strong, talented and highly professional CoStar team, and I am genuinely excited to work with them.

"Visiting the London office and meeting people from different parts of the group, from all over the world, confirmed one thing very clearly: CoStar invests in people, technology and long-term growth. I believe there is no better partner for Wikicasa to strengthen its position in Italy, combining our local expertise and industry relationships with CoStar’s products, technology and global experience."