Real Estate Technology M&A Update – September 2023

Sector M&A Activity Remains Quiet Amid An Uncertain Real Estate Market

Capstone Partners released its September 2023 Real Estate Technology M&A Update, reporting that the Federal Reserve’s higher-for-longer stance on interest rates has brought the Real Estate sector into the spotlight during the past year. The swift rise in interest rates that began in March 2022 has put real estate owners, property managers, mortgage lenders, and service providers on their heels as they grappled with market headwinds. Despite headwinds, the Real Estate Technology sector has witnessed strong demand as services providers have increasingly relied on sector participants’ technology offerings to drive new revenue opportunities, make data-driven decisions, bolster operational efficiency, and enhance customer experience. While a slight uptick in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and fundraising activity has occurred in year-to-date (YTD) 2023, dealmaking remains quiet and will likely remain so until 2024. Management teams and company shareholders have largely remained patient and cautious regarding deal participation, as they continue to refine business models and go-to-market strategies, recalibrate to a new valuation and financing environment, and reset M&A priorities. To-date, deal activity has been spurred more by companies facing urgent capital demands or exploring distressed exits than by sellers viewing market conditions as favorable.

Driven by the need to optimize operational efficiency, real estate firms have increasingly demanded interoperable software tools, digital marketplaces, and technology-enabled support services, providing Real Estate Technology sector participants with ample revenue and M&A opportunities. Notably, only 35% of real estate agents surveyed in National Association of Realtors’ 2022 Technology study indicated that their brokerage firm provides them with sufficient technology tools. Real estate agent demand, coupled with accelerated digital transformation tailwinds in the space, is anticipated to support sector growth through year end and into 2024. In addition, robust U.S. construction spending will likely spur an increase in home sales, providing a favorable long-term growth outlook for sector participants in the Residential end market.

Also included in this report:

• Why average M&A multiples in the sector have continued to outpace the broader Financial Technology industry average through YTD.
• A breakdown of sector M&A activity by buyer type, target segment, and deal size through YTD.
• An analysis of public company performance in the space, broken out by segment and subsegment.