Globrix

Globrix is a UK real estate search engine that was launched in January 2008. It was launched as a joint venture with News International, publishers of The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Times, The News of the World and Thelondonpaper.

Estate agents and letting agents can list their properties for free. This competes with traditional paid-listings sites such as Rightmove (originally a joint venture between four of the UK's largest property agents, now a public limited company), Propertyfinder (also partly backed by News International) and Primelocation (owned by Daily Mail and General Trust). Unlike most property websites, Globrix directs users to agent websites rather than hosting the property details and capturing the lead on Globrix itself. Globrix gathers its property listings in three different ways; crawling agent websites, taking datafeeds and by agents manually uploading via the Globrix extranet. Because Globrix is 'free to list', Globrix has been able to gain substantial market coverage and has claimed to list more properties than any other UK property website. Unlike websites like Gumtree and Oodle, private sellers and landlords are not allowed to list their properties on the site.

The website charges property professionals and property related services companies for geo-targeted banner ads. There are also premium services available to estate and letting agents (such as SEO consultancy, branded email alerts and increased traffic) and Google Ads are displayed in unsold advertising positions on the right hand side of search results.

Functionality

The basic property search functionality is kept simple with just one text box on the homepage. Users can search for property by location (e.g. city, town, full postcode, partial postcode or, unusually for property portals, street name), places of interest (e.g. schools, stations, landmarks) or by key features (e.g. swimming pool, garden, double glazing, helipad).

Search results can then be refined further by changing the price parameters, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, property type (e.g. detached, bungalow, flat), outside space, nearby stations and schools and property features (e.g. wooden floors, sea view). Registered users are able to search by additional parameters such as price change.

As an alternative to the regular 'list view' of property results, users can also opt to see the search results plotted on a Google map to allow users to look for property by location. Users are able to drag and zoom the map, with relevant properties automatically placed in view. It is also possible for users to draw a catchment area directly onto the map of where they would like to search.

Company Daily Mail & General Trust PLC TIDM DMGT Headline AND acquires 50% of Globrix Released 10:00 21-Jan-2010 Number xxxxxxxxxx

21 January 2010

                  Daily Mail and General Trust plc (`DMGT')                   
                                                                              
                         AND acquires 50% of Globrix                          

A&N Media, the consumer media division of DMGT announces that Associated Northcliffe Digital (AND), its digital division, has acquired 50% of Globrix (www.globrix.com). Globrix, the UK's largest free-to-list property search engine, has the largest stock of property for sale and rent on the market. As part of this transaction, AND will support the management of Globrix to extend its innovative technology platform into other classified vertical markets.

Globrix's UK property portal will join AND's Digital Property Group (TDPG) network, increasing its reach and value to estate agents and developers - for whom Globrix is an important part of their media mix. This move takes TDPG to a reach of 2.5 million monthly unique users (source Comscore November 2009), further underlining its position as the UK's second largest property network with the largest stock of property for sale or rent in the UK.

Globrix will remain free-to-list and TDPG will be investing in the growth of the brand. AND will also support the management of Globrix to expand its existing platform, to provide fully hosted portals to international media partners. The gross assets of the 50% stake in Globrix acquired are negligible.

Data

Globrix data is sometimes used by the national media to illustrate stories on house prices, the economy, area trends, consumer confidence and the property market.

Awards

In 2008, Globrix was awarded 'Best Property Portal UK' at The Daily Mail Property Awards. Globrix also won 'Estate Agency Service Firm of the Year' at The Negotiator Awards.

Founders

Globrix was founded by Dan Lee and Ian Parry, both ex employees of UK-based search company Autonomy and the Norwegian search company FAST.

External links

• Globrix homepage
• News International invests in search engine - Financial Times
• Home search sites have a new kid on the block - The Independent