REA Group Agrees to Take 35% Stake in Ireland's Distilled

REA Group has agreed to acquire a 35% interest in Distilled, the owner of Ireland’s and Northern Ireland's number-one property portals Daft.ie and PropertyPal. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2026.

According to REA's ASX announcement, the share consideration is approximately €248m (A$409m) and will be funded by debt and existing cash reserves. Distilled Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Eamonn Fallon, will continue to lead the business.

The Group says it is well positioned to lead Daft in "an attractive, high-growth market". REA's strategic rationale includes Distilled's track record for running a number one portal and profitable growth. Distilled generated revenue of €72.4m as of June 2026, with consistent double-digit revenue growth in the past five years.

Cameron McIntyre, CEO at REA Group, said:

“This is an exciting opportunity to extend our core property strategy into an attractive, profitable, high growth market, with increasing adoption of vendor paid advertising and where our intellectual property and technology is directly relevant. The investment provides immediate exposure to an exceptional business with a strong growth trajectory and a portfolio of high-growth assets."

Distilled Chief Executive Officer, Eamonn Fallon, said:

"REA is a natural partner for Distilled, combining leadership in digital marketplaces with capabilities that can support our growth. There are clear opportunities for collaboration and we look forward to tapping into REA’s experience to create new value for customers, consumers and partners. Our shared values and strong cultural alignment provide a solid foundation for the partnership.”

REA re-enters the British market two years after a failed buyout bid for Rightmove. Still, synergies with Distilled may make for a more logical investment, not least because Daft.ie is one of the few real estate marketplaces worldwide to successfully launch a vendor-paid-advertising model—a play taken straight from REA's Australia. Watch Online Marketplaces' interview with Daft's Adam Ferguson here.

Distilled operates a portfolio of market-leading businesses across real estate, automotive and general classifieds across Ireland and Northern Ireland: Daft.ie (Ireland residential real estate market leader), PropertyPal (N. Ireland residential real estate market leader), DoneDeal.ie (Ireland automotive market leader), Used Cars NI (N. Ireland automotive market leader), and Adverts.ie, (Ireland general classifieds market leader).

A 35% stake indicates a seriousness by REA Group to hold a significant interest in Distilled without taking outright control of the company, while also leaving the door open to a full acquisition further down the line—and even a stepping stone back into mainland Britain, where Rightmove continues to hold a dominant leadership position.