City AM reports that Zoopla, the UK's second-largest property portal, is reportedly up for sale by its American owners, Silver Lake Partners. The private equity firm values Zoopla at £500 million, significantly lower than the £1.6 billion it paid in a 2018 acquisition.

The newspaper's claims stem from an upcoming episode of the Home Front podcast, hosted by Russell Quirk, which City AM has independently verified. However, the report lacks specific sources, leaving the situation somewhat speculative.

It remains unclear which segments of Zoopla's business might be for sale. After acquiring Zoopla for $3 billion, Silver Lake divested comparison sites Uswitch and Confused.com from the property division, which was rebranded as Houseful in 2023. Earlier this year, the Alto CRM business was also spun off.

Zoopla has not commented on the sale rumors, and without named sources, the claims are largely unconfirmed. In a March 2024 episode of the PPW Podcast, Simon Baker, Chairman of Online Marketplaces, suggested that CoStar Group could be a potential buyer for Zoopla. He speculated that CoStar, through its investment in OnTheMarket, might eventually make an offer to acquire Zoopla.

However, Zoopla's COO, Rich Hayes, dismissed these speculations during a March interview, emphasizing the company's commitment to growth. He pointed out that the board's decision to invest £4 million in branding contradicts the idea of a pending sale. Hayes stated, "If we were literally in negotiations to sell this business right now, the last thing we'd be doing is investing in our team to grow our proposition."

The competitive landscape for Zoopla has intensified since CoStar acquired OnTheMarket for £100 million in October 2023. CoStar's Q1 report indicated that OnTheMarket's annualized revenue reached $7.2 million, with lead volumes increasing by 17% and listings by 23% year-on-year, putting additional pressure on Zoopla.