Investment and Funding Roundup: EmlakJet, Listing Loop

This week, we have two interesting investment stories for you. We'll start with Europe and a rare breed—an iBuyer who wants to invest more in iBuying!

Europe: EmlakJet to develop its iBuying strategy with upcoming fundraise

Turkish real estate marketplace EmlakJet has launched its second real estate investment trust (REIT), two years after unveiling its first. This time, the company is targeting a higher raise and pivoting toward iBuying to help diversify its revenue model.

Emlakjet.com is Turkey's specialist real estate market leader and one of the few portals worldwide that is actively engaged in iBuying.

Unlike traditional REITs, which typically generate returns from rental income, EmlakJet’s latest vehicle will acquire and resell residential properties, with commissions paid out to affiliated real estate professionals.

Tolga Idikat, CEO at EmlakJet, said:

“We believe that NPJET [Neo Porftoy and EmlakJet] is the only data-driven, tailor-made solution REIT focusing on high-potential residential units in Turkey.

“Revenue generated through the REIT will be spent on EmlakJet’s innovations and brand. EmlakJet has vast experience of real estate pricing and online/offline, while big data and AI capabilities make it a unique player to make the best decision while buying the right property.”

The REIT is a joint initiative with asset manager Neo Portfoy, which also backed EmlakJet’s first REIT. With $2 billion under management and a strong presence in commercial real estate, Neo Portfoy brings institutional firepower to the partnership. According to Idikat, the goal is to raise TRY200 million (circa $5.5 million U.S.) in the first phase and scale to $500 million over the next five years. The company says it will reinvest proceeds into platform innovation.

Founded in 2006 and acquired by local marketplace group iLab in 2014, EmlakJet attracted 8.6 million unique visits in March, according to Similarweb. That puts it ahead of rival HepsiEmlak (7.6 million), even when adding the 330,000 visits from Zingat, which HepsiEmlak acquired last year.

iLab also owns several other marketplace and recruitment assets, including Arabam.com, Kariyer.net, Endeksa, and PeopleBox.biz.

Oceania: Listing Loop teams up with mortgage broker Aussie

Mortgage brand Aussie has launched a new listings platform called Aussie for Agents, offering real estate agents free access to millions of buyers and sellers without vendor-paid advertising (VPA) costs. The company says the move is designed to disrupt the current portal landscape and give agents a more cost-effective way to market properties.

A major part of the deal is Listing Loop, Australia's "off-market" specialist, which has joined forces with Aussie to create a fully integrated ecosystem of properties and mortgages, all in one platform.

Interestingly, the platform appears to be distancing itself from vendor-paid advertising, a norm in the Australian market whereby home sellers pay out of pocket to advertise their property.

Agents can list off-market, pre-market, and on-market properties on Aussie for Agents at no charge, with the platform expected to launch a revamped search experience in the coming quarter.

Sebastian Watkins, Co-Founder of Lendi Group, which operates Aussie, said:

“We built Aussie for Agents with a simple idea—better outcomes for customers and agents. Because Aussie is already helping so many Australians with their home buying journey every month, we don't need to make money from listings. Our model will be VPA free forever.”

The platform is open to all agents nationwide with no requirement to partner with Aussie on home loans. According to the company, agents will also have the option to unlock new revenue streams through white-label loan partnerships and referral models.

General Manager of Agent Services, Rhett Dallwitz, said Aussie’s scale as a mortgage originator gives it a unique edge in customer engagement:

“We’ve built Aussie for Agents from the ground up to help agents earn more and customers pay less. Our focus is on giving agents a competitive edge: quality vendor and buyer opportunities, powerful listing exposure, and a genuine alternative to traditional advertising without the hefty price tag.”

Over time, Aussie plans to convert its 220 retail locations into “property hubs” that blend mortgage broking with listing support and search functionality.