Former Domain Boss Catalano's View Media Group Acquires Marketing Firm The Today Business

View Media Group (VMG), the Australian media company co-founded by former Domain CEO Antony Catalano, has announced the acquisition of the property marketing and technology company The Today Business (TTB).

The acquisition builds on VMG's assets in and around the Australian real estate industry and sees TTB's founders and former Domain employees Simon Kent and Trent Casson link up with their former boss Catalano, who said of the deal:

“The transaction brings not only Australia’s best lead-generation platform into the group but a team of people that are the best in the business, led by experienced real estate tech executives Simon Kent and Trent Casson."

"The tech within TTB has proven itself by delivering high volumes of quality leads for residential agents and developers with minimal wastage. They’ve succeeded in creating a low friction solution for agents and vendors to efficiently connect to buyers wherever and whenever they are.”

“This is a critical part of the property ecosystem we are building at VMG as it establishes relationships at both ends of the property sales transaction.”

The Today Business was founded in 2018 by Trent, Casson and Travis Day shortly after their former employer, the Australian #2 portal Domain, floated on the ASX. The company provides digital marketing and tech products for clients mainly in the real estate sector.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the deal is worth around A$35 and will be paid in cash and scrip. Kent and Casson will continue to work under Catalano with Day running his own consultancy business.

VMG Building up to challenge in Australia

View Media Group is the company started by Antony Catalano and billionaire Alex Waislitz that is building assets to take on Domain and REA Group. It holds 72% of the portal site Realestateview.com.au and shares in the utility management company Beevo and PropTech AI firm Propic.

The company is backed financially by both Catalano and Waislitz and recently announced an investment from Seven West Media Group. VMG is thought to have around A$100 million in cash and media commitments to spend with Catalano indicating that there will be more announcements to come from the company.

"This is the first of many announcements VMG expects to make as we continue to build out our property ecosystem that will push hard into the $300 billion real estate transactional market."