Rocket Cos. agrees to buy Redfin for $1.75B

Data: Financial Modeling Prep; Chart: Axios Visuals

Rocket Cos. agreed Monday to take real estate marketplace Redfin private for $1.75 billion.

Why it matters: Redfin has been hurt by the stagnant housing market, with existing home sales at their lowest level since 1995.

By the numbers: Redfin shares stand nearly 91% below their 2021 peak. Its revenue grew 6.7% (to about $1 billion) in 2024 compared with the year prior, while net losses grew 30%, to $164.8 million.

The big picture: Rising home prices and relatively high interest rates have kept buyers from the market.

  • Zillow has been the rare player to sidestep some of the impact, building on success in the rental market and growth in its mortgage product.
  • Zillow’s overall revenue grew 15% last year (to $2.2 billion), driven by 27% growth in rentals revenue (to $453 million) and 51% growth in mortgages revenue (to $145 million). It was also able to narrow losses by 29% (to $112 million) last year.
  • Earlier this year, Redfin announced plans to lay off 450 employees in its rentals division after inking a partnership for Zillow to provide multifamily rental listings on its sites.

Shares of Redfin shot up this morning by 76% on news of the deal.

The bottom line: Redfin and Rocket Cos. are betting they can win more market share by combining mortgages and brokerage services into one platform.

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