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Tag: Dhruv Agarwala

  • Dhruv Agarwala steps down as REA India CEO after 14-year realty ride

    Dhruv Agarwala steps down as REA India CEO after 14-year realty ride

    MUMBAI: Every real estate empire eventually needs a handover. After a 14-year rollercoaster ride that saw him go from startup founder to digital property mogul, Dhruv Agarwala is stepping down as CEO of REA India. But before you break out the farewell tissues, he isn’t ghosting the company just yet. Agarwala will stick around to smooth the leadership transition while REA Group hunts for a new captain.

    The announcement came on 3 April 2025, marking the end of an era for REA India—the umbrella behind digital platforms Housing.com and PropTiger.com. Agarwala, who co-founded PropTiger back in 2011, led it through its acquisition by REA Group in 2020 after their initial investment in 2017. And then, like any good business thriller, came the merger with Housing.com, which he integrated and scaled into India’s top real estate app.

    “It has been a privilege leading REA India and I’m incredibly proud of everything we have achieved together. From founding PropTiger in 2011 to growing Housing.com into India’s foremost digital real estate platform, it has been an amazing journey. Now feels like the right time for me to step away and create space for new leadership to take the company forward. REA India is in great shape – with a clear strategy, a strong team, and a powerful brand that’s changing the way people experience property in India. I look forward to watching the company continue to grow and thrive from the sidelines,” said Agarwala.

    REA Group CEO Owen Wilson had only praise for the outgoing chief. “Dhruv is an exceptional entrepreneur and has harnessed the rapid expansion of digital real estate in India to build a high growth business. He has created a culture of innovation and developed a talented team who have delivered a market-leading audience and significant revenue growth in a highly competitive market. He leaves behind a considerable legacy that will have a lasting impact.”

    Under Agarwala’s watch, Housing.com became the digital playground for millions of property seekers in India, with app-prime experiences that redefined how Indians click and pick their dream homes. His team pushed boundaries, attracted eyeballs, and racked up enviable growth metrics in a market cluttered with players and plagued by trust issues.

    The CEO exit might be bittersweet, but REA India isn’t homeless. The group says a strong management team is already in place, and the succession plan is underway.

    Agarwala, signing off with a nod to his team and mentors, added, “I want to thank the passionate and talented team at REA India for their passion and commitment and belief in the vision. We’ve accomplished great success together but there’s more to be done and I know they will continue to deliver on our exciting strategy. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to Owen Wilson, REA Group and News Corp for their support over the years and for sharing my vision and ambition for the real estate ecosystem in India.”

    With this farewell, the curtain falls on one of India’s most impactful digital real estate stints—a legacy built on clicks, code, and the chaos of Indian property dreams.

  • REA India brings Amit Chand on board as group CFO to keep the numbers dancing

    REA India brings Amit Chand on board as group CFO to keep the numbers dancing

    MUMBAI: There’s a new finance boss in town, and he’s not just balancing books—he’s scaling peaks. REA India, the muscle behind Housing.com and PropTiger.com, has brought in Amit Chand as its new chief financial officer, and by the looks of it, things are about to get interesting on the money front. The announcement came on 24 March 2025, with Chand set to steer not only finance but also legal, compliance, procurement, and risk assurance at the Gurgaon HQ. No pressure, right?

    Chand is no stranger to complex ledgers and high-stakes boardrooms. With over 20 years under his financial belt, he’s worn multiple hats—from fundraising wizard to M&A maestro. Most recently, he served as CFO at TCNS Clothing, where he didn’t just crunch numbers, he drove revenue growth, boosted EBITDA, and played a central role in the company’s blockbuster acquisition by Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Ltd. — one of the biggest deals in the fashion biz.

    “We are excited to welcome Amit to the REA India leadership team. His proven financial acumen and track record of scaling businesses will be valuable as we continue to build on our strong momentum and create greater value for customers and stakeholders alike,” said Housing.com & PropTiger.com group CEO Dhruv Agarwala.

    Chand, who now carries the group CFO title, returned the sentiment with gusto, “I’m thrilled to join REA India at such a dynamic time for the digital real estate sector. Housing.com and PropTiger.com are reshaping how Indians engage with property, and I look forward to driving financial excellence, scaling operations, and helping unlock the next wave of growth.”

    Before playing fashion finance fixer at TCNS, Chand was the CFO of a tech-savvy startup backed by Elevation Capital. There, he manned the money ship, leading fundraising, investor relations, M&A action, and monetisation strategy. With toes dipped in both consumer and tech pools, he seems tailor-made to help REA India blaze ahead in the digital real estate domain.

    From bricks and clicks to margins and missions, Chand is now the man keeping REA India’s financial engine purring. 

  • Housing.com announces new ad campaign ‘ Parr…se Perfect’

    Housing.com announces new ad campaign ‘ Parr…se Perfect’

    Mumbai: Housing.com announced the launch of its latest TV and digital advertising campaign, “Parr…se Perfect.”

    With this new campaign, the company acknowledges that home buyers/renters or homeowners may end up not making a final decision to rent, buy, or sell for a variety of unique and personal reasons.

    The series of four ads was created by advertising firm McCann Erickson and is aimed at reaching over 100 million impressions, according to a statement from Housing.com.

    Housing.com, PropTiger.com, and Makaan.com Group CEO Dhruv Agarwala said, “We are really excited about our new ad campaign that captures the ethos on which Housing.com has been built—to facilitate the search and discovery for everyone till they find their perfect home. Our brand aspires to be a part of the consumer’s journey and provides them with maximum options so that they don’t have to settle for anything less than perfect.”

    With a clever word-play on the Hindi word Parr (which means “but,” referring to the many doubts that arise in the minds of anyone dealing with the question of property sale and purchase) in its slogan “Parr… se Perfect,” the Housing.com ad campaign showcases the real estate company’s basic principle of providing the maximum choices for homebuyers, owners, and tenants.

    Housing.com, PropTiger.com, and Makaan.com chief growth and marketing officer Snehil Gautam said,  “Through our brand-new ad campaign, we plan to send across a message to our audience that it is okay to have doubts when it comes to buying, selling, or renting a home. We all have doubts, and we shouldn’t bury them. At Housing.com, we are celebrating even the smallest of doubts as we are committed to providing maximum property options to home seekers and maximum customers to sellers and landlords.”

    Housing.com’s 360-degree campaign will help the company leverage high-impact TV, digital, and OTT platforms to capture more eyeballs with a blended media strategy.

    The campaign will be featured on live cricket and prime-time TV shows such as the T20 World Cup, Asia Cup, India vs Australia series, The Kapil Sharma Show, Kaun Banega Crorepati, Khatron Ke Khiladi, Indian Idol, Superstar Singer, and Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, as well as social media for a multiplier effect.

  • News Corp backed PropTiger acquires Makaan.com

    News Corp backed PropTiger acquires Makaan.com

    MUMBAI: With an aim to ramp up its presence in India’s secondary property market, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp-backed real estate portal PropTiger has acquired rival Makaan.com for an undisclosed amount.

     

    PropTiger’s parent firm Elara Technologies has entered into a transaction with Makaan.com. Both portals will run separately.

     

    “Our parent firm Elara has acquired Makaan.com, which will keep operating as a separate portal. No fresh funds were raised for this acquisition,” PropTiger.com co-founder Dhruv Agarwala told PTI.

     

    The acquisition creates a comprehensive online real-estate platform, which will offer end-to-end services to home buyers, real estate developers, property brokers, banks and private equity investors. Since 2011, around 12,000 homes worth $1.2 billion have been purchased through PropTiger’s platform.

     

    The Noida-based firm, which was founded in February 2011, has eight offices in the country with employee strength of around 500. In November last year, News Corp had acquired 25 per cent stake in PropTiger for $30 million as part of its strategy to expand presence in digital media.

     

    Earlier this month, PropTiger also acquired the Bangalore-based digital interaction design company Out of Box Interaction (OoBI), which specialises in displaying real estate projects in an immersive way.

     

    Entrepreneur and investor Anupam Mittal, whose other digital ventures include Shaadi.com and Mauj Mobile, founded Makaan.com within People Group.