Australia’s REA Group, owned by News Corp and a 20 percent stakeholder in Realtor.com, has acquired 3D tour technology company Planitar, echoing the 2024 sale of Matteport to Homes.com parent CoStar.
The operator of Australia’s largest real estate search portal and a significant shareholder in Realtor.com is acquiring Planitar, Inc., the parent company of digital twin creator iGuide.
The deal calls for REA Group to secure a 61.5 percent stake in the Waterloo, Ontario, Canada-based technology company, according to a press release. Terms were not disclosed.
REA Group is owned by News Corp., parent company of Move, Inc., parent company of Realtor.com.
In addition to 3D tours, interactive floor plans and other real estate marketing solutions, Planitar also manufactures its own capture hardware, a LIDAR-based camera system called Planix. Its most advanced and portable iteration, the Planix R1, was released a year ago.
Planitar states it was Canada’s leading digital tour software solution, contributing to the sale of 25 percent of all homes so far in 2025.
REA Group operates realestate.com.au, which attracts 12 million visitors every month, according to the release, and owns stakes in a wide array of real estate marketing, data, mortgage and category brands throughout Australia and Asia.
Owen Wilson, CEO of REA Group, said in the release that for now, the acquisition was about integrating advanced marketing tools into the agent workflow and consumer experience.
“I’m delighted to welcome the iGUIDE team into REA and look forward to introducing iGUIDE’s leading 3D tour and floor plan technology to the Australian market,” he said. “This type of spatial mapping technology instils confidence and helps property seekers make more informed decisions while also providing agents and vendors a way to differentiate their property to secure the best outcome.”
Wilson said that only five percent of online listings in Australia deploy a digital twin.
“Interactive content and video will become the standard for property marketing in the coming years, and already we’re seeing the positive impacts more immersive experiences are delivering for property seekers and real estate professionals,” he said.
For American real estate agents, the prominent takeaway from this deal is that the parent company of Realtor.com, one of the big three U.S. real estate portals, now owns a 3D tour company. If this sounds familiar, it’s because Homes.com parent, CoStar, bought Matterport last year for $1.8 billion.
“I look forward to welcoming Matterport to the CoStar Group family and believe that we will be stronger together, in pursuit of our common mission,” CoStar CEO Andy Florance said in a statement at the time. “The world has changed and today a Matterport is the new open house or property tour.”
The results of that deal resurfaced recently in a confusing dust-up with Zillow, marking yet another skirmish in what’s called “The Portal Wars.” The home search leader said CoStar didn’t renew an API agreement that had allowed Matterport content to be viewed on its listing pages. CoStar claimed the decision was Zillow’s.
IGuide will continue to operate throughout North America and establish physical operations Down Under, the company said.
Inman asked REA Group if there are plans to expand or in some way formalize the relationship between Realtor.com and iGuide and will update this article if a response is received.
“This is an exciting milestone for iGUIDE and an opportunity to expand our reach with the support of a global leader in digital property experiences,” said incoming iGuide CEO Jarrad Morden. “I’m looking forward to working with REA’s world-class team to unlock new capabilities and establish a strong presence in the Australian market.”
Email Craig Rowe