T
he Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched a preliminary investigation into REA Group, the operator of real estate platform realestate.com.au. The inquiry centers on allegations that the company is exploiting its dominant market position to charge excessive prices for its services.

    REA received a formal notice from the ACCC requesting information about its subscription services and is cooperating fully with the regulator. However, due to confidentiality reasons, the company cannot comment further. REA Group operates several prominent real estate platforms, including realestate.com.au and realcommercial.com.au, and is valued at approximately $34 billion on the ASX.

    Industry sources suggest that the ACCC's inquiry is focused on price gouging allegations, with some real estate professionals and industry groups set to meet with the regulator. The meeting aims to gather feedback from stakeholders to present to investigators. This is not REA Group's first encounter with the ACCC, as the regulator previously examined its acquisition of Dynamic Methods in early 2024.

    REA Group, majority-owned by News Corp, operates a range of real estate services, including property analytics firm PropTrack and lending platform Mortgage Choice. The company will continue to comply with its disclosure obligations and update the market on this matter as necessary.