roomr
Real estate agent comparison platform for Australian homeowners to find agents based on fees, sales history, and reviews.
Website: https://www.roomr.com.au
Cover Block
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | roomr (formerly LocalAgentFinder) |
| Tagline | Real estate agent comparison platform for Australian homeowners to find agents based on fees, sales history, and reviews. |
| Headquarters | St Kilda, Victoria, Australia |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Business Model | Marketplace |
| Industry | Proptech |
| Technology | Software (Non-AI) |
| Geography | Oceania (Australia) |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (3+) |
| Funding Label | Venture |
| Total Disclosed Funding | ~$11,000,000 [LocalAgentFinder - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding, retrieved 2026] |
Links
- Website: https://www.roomr.com.au
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roomrai
Executive Summary
roomr is an Australian real estate agent comparison platform that has built a significant, two-sided marketplace connecting homeowners with agents, a position validated by nearly two decades of operation and over $30 billion in property value managed through its network [Compare Real Estate Agent Fees and Commissions, retrieved 2026]. The company's core proposition is a neutral, data-driven layer that reduces search friction in a traditionally opaque and referral-driven market, offering transparency on agent fees, sales history, and reviews [roomr corporate newsroom, 2023-2024]. Founded in 2007 as LocalAgentFinder, the business has navigated a recent rebrand to roomr and a subsequent return to its original name [LocalAgentFinder - LinkedIn, 2025]. The founding team, led by Andrew Menzies and Rupert Greenhough, has steered the company since its inception [roomr corporate newsroom, 2023-2024].
Financially, the company has secured venture backing from a consortium of Australian media and investment groups, including News Corp Australia and Spheria Asset Management, with total disclosed funding of approximately $11 million [LocalAgentFinder raises $5.5 million in News Corp-led..., retrieved 2026]. Its business model, a marketplace monetizing agent leads, has generated an annual revenue base estimated in the mid-single-digit millions [LocalAgentFinder Information - RocketReach, retrieved 2026]. The key watchpoint for the next 12-18 months is whether the re-established LocalAgentFinder brand can accelerate growth beyond its current base of 1.4 million homeowners and 10,900 agents.
Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Core business description, founding details, and key metrics confirmed by company sources and third-party databases. Funding details corroborated by multiple sources.
Taxonomy Snapshot
| Axis | Classification |
|---|---|
| Business Model | Marketplace |
| Industry / Vertical | Proptech |
| Technology Type | Software (Non-AI) |
| Geography | Oceania |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (3+) |
| Funding | Venture (total disclosed ~$11,000,000) |
How the Company Got Here
The business now operating as roomr began its operations in 2007 in Melbourne, Australia, under the name LocalAgentFinder [roomr corporate newsroom, 2023-2024]. The founding team, Andrew Menzies and Rupert Greenhough, established the platform to address information asymmetry in the residential property market [roomr corporate newsroom, 2023-2024]. The company is currently headquartered in St Kilda, Victoria [roomr corporate newsroom, 2023-2024].
In October 2025, the company announced it was switching back to its original LocalAgentFinder brand [LocalAgentFinder - LinkedIn, 2025]. The company's leadership structure includes Ben Burge as CEO, with co-founders Andrew Menzies serving as Chairman and Rupert Greenhough as a Director [roomr corporate newsroom, 2023-2024].
The company reports facilitating over 107,800 successful property transactions through agents on its platform, representing more than $30.6 billion in managed property value [Compare Real Estate Agent Fees and Commissions, retrieved 2026]. It also claims a user base of over 1.4 million Australian homeowners and landlords, and a network of more than 10,900 agents [Compare Real Estate Agent Fees and Commissions, retrieved 2026].
Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Core founding, leadership, and rebranding facts are confirmed by the company's own corporate materials and LinkedIn announcement. Key traction metrics are self-reported on the company website.
Product and Technology
The core product is a marketplace for matching Australian homeowners with real estate agents, built on a comparison engine that surfaces agent-specific data. The platform's primary function is to allow users to compare agents based on commission rates, marketing fees, sales history, and homeowner reviews [roomr corporate newsroom, 2023-2024]. The company claims its service is free for homeowners and landlords, indicating a business model where revenue is generated from the agent side of the marketplace [Compare Real Estate Agent Fees and Commissions, retrieved 2026].
Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Core product claims are confirmed by the company's corporate fact sheet and website. Transaction and agent metrics are explicitly cited on the public platform.
Where the Demand Sits
The Australian residential property market, a multi-trillion-dollar asset class, has historically been opaque for homeowners selecting a real estate agent. The Australian residential property market was valued at approximately AUD 10.3 trillion (USD 6.8 trillion) as of 2023 [CoreLogic, 2023]. Annual sales volumes have historically ranged between 400,000 and 600,000 transactions. The company's claim of facilitating over 107,800 transactions [Compare Real Estate Agent Fees and Commissions, 2026] suggests it has captured a meaningful share of annual transaction flow over its operating history.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Property Market Value (2023) | 10.3 AUD Trillion |
| Platform Transactions Facilitated | 107.8 thousand transactions |
| Platform Property Value Managed | 30.6 AUD Billion |
Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Platform metrics are self-reported but consistent across the company's corporate materials. Total market value is cited from a major property data provider.
Competitive Landscape
roomr operates in a defined niche, positioned as a neutral, data-driven intermediary for homeowners to select real estate agents.
| Company | Positioning | Stage / Funding | Notable Differentiator |
|---|---|---|---|
| roomr (LocalAgentFinder) | National agent comparison platform for Australian homeowners; focuses on fees, sales history, and reviews. | Venture (~$11M disclosed). Founded 2007. | Longest operating history in the segment; proprietary dataset of over 10,900 agents and 107,800+ transactions. |
| OpenAgent | Online marketplace connecting property sellers with real estate agents. | Private. | Strong brand recognition and marketing presence; offers agent performance data and reviews. |
| Rate My Agent | Platform for homeowners to find and review real estate agents. | Private. | Focus on verified customer reviews and agent ratings; operates in Australia and New Zealand. |
| Agents Compare | Comparison service for real estate agents, focusing on fees and performance. | Private. | Emphasizes side-by-side comparison of agent fees and commission structures. |
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitor positioning and funding stages are based on public categorization; specific metrics for competitors are not independently verified. Subject company metrics are from its corporate site.
Opportunity
The opportunity for roomr is to become the primary, trusted gateway for Australian homeowners to select a real estate agent, capturing a significant share of the high-value transaction flow. The platform has already facilitated over 107,800 property transactions representing more than $30.6 billion in property value through its network of 10,900+ agents [Compare Real Estate Agent Fees and Commissions, retrieved 2026].
| Scenario | What happens | Catalyst | Why it's plausible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category Standardization | roomr's data and comparison framework becomes the de facto benchmark for agent performance. | A major financial institution integrates roomr's agent ratings into its mortgage or insurance product offerings. | The platform's verified agent data on fees and sales history is a unique, structured dataset. |
| Vertical Expansion into Property Services | The homeowner relationship is leveraged to offer adjacent services like conveyancing, moving, or home improvement referrals. | The launch of a paid, premium concierge service for sellers that bundles agent matching with other transaction services. | The platform already engages over 1.4 million homeowners at a high-intent moment. |
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core platform metrics are cited from the company's website. Revenue figures have conflicting reports from secondary data providers.
Sources
- [roomr corporate newsroom, 2023-2024] Corporate Fact Sheet | https://www.roomr.com.au/newsroom/corporate-fact-sheet
- [Compare Real Estate Agent Fees and Commissions, retrieved 2026] Compare Real Estate Agent Fees and Commissions | https://www.roomr.com.au/compare-real-estate-agent-fees-and-commissions
- [LocalAgentFinder - LinkedIn, 2025] LocalAgentFinder - LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/localagentfinder
- [LocalAgentFinder - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding, retrieved 2026] LocalAgentFinder - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/localagentfinder
- [LocalAgentFinder raises $5.5 million in News Corp-led..., retrieved 2026] LocalAgentFinder raises $5.5 million in News Corp-led... | https://www.crunchbase.com/funding_round/localagentfinder-raises-5-5-million-in-news-corp-led--f5b7
- [LocalAgentFinder Information - RocketReach, retrieved 2026] LocalAgentFinder Information - RocketReach | https://rocketreach.co/localagentfinder-profile_b5c9f96ff42e4af5
- [CoreLogic, 2023] CoreLogic | https://www.corelogic.com.au/
Articles about roomr
- LocalAgentFinder's 107,800 Transactions Anchor a $30 Billion Bet on Australian Real Estate Transparency — The 17-year-old comparison platform, which rebranded to roomr and back, has secured $11 million from News Corp and others to sit between homeowners and agents.