Alex Chesterman, the entrepreneur who founded Zoopla, is to be chief executive of the newly merged business with the Daily Mail’s Digital Property Group.
The merger between Zoopla and Digital – designed to mount a head-on challenge to Rightmove – has been completed, with the Daily Mail having the major stake.
But the Mail has apparently chosen outsider Chesterman over its own man to lead the new business.
Mark Milner, however, has hardly been sidelined. A Zoopla spokesman told EAT: “Mark Milner has done a terrific job in building DPG over the past few years and will now be pursuing other opportunities within the Daily Mail Group.”
David Dutton, former chairman of Digital Property Group, will become the new company’s chairman.
The business will be headquartered in Zoopla’s existing offices in Southwark, London. Jobs will be lost as a result of the merger, and a consultation with staff has started.
However, while all the signs point to Zoopla itself becoming the main brand, with FindaProperty disappearing, the two-horse race promised by the merger still has a way to go before it reaches the starting blocks. All the main three brands – Zoopla, FindaProperty and Primelocation – will continue to operate ‘for the foreseeable future’.
Integration of the businesses is expected to take some months, said a spokesman. “In the meantime, it will be business as usual for both companies, which will be operated separately until the integration has been completed.
“Once fully integrated, the enlarged business will have an unrivalled position in the UK online property market in terms of audience, brands, partnerships, products and proposition.
“The employees from both businesses will be combined to form a single world-class team and, as a result of the merger and the duplication of certain roles, a formal consultation process is now underway with the staff of both businesses.”
Alex Chesterman, founder and CEO of Zoopla, said: “This merger is a huge step towards our goal of becoming the UK’s most useful online resource for property consumers and most effective online marketing partner for property advertisers.
“We still have much work to do over the coming months, but the result of integrating these businesses will be a significantly enhanced experience for our users and significantly enhanced value for our advertisers.”
David Dutton, chairman of Digital Property Group, said: “Our combined businesses have the scale and the resources to transform the online property sector for the benefit of consumers and advertisers alike.
“We are committed to providing the most innovative products and the most cost-effective advertising propositions, which will give our users and members a genuine powerful alternative in our marketplace.”
Comments
Yes, I contacted DPG too about uploading with the FAP Editor to both portals & will fees double. This is the reply, very non commital!
Good Afternoon,
Many Thanks for your email
In the short term there will be no changes until the businesses and platforms are integrated. It is business as usual. Following integration we expect that all of our advertisers will enjoy an enhanced service and better value proposition.
We will keep you fully informed of any changes
Please let us know if you require any further assistance
Kind Regards
Customer Support
Shame the post was removed, more interested in that than whats left!
@exDPGLawyer - it is clear that you are also @intheknow and work for Rightmove since your previous posts have claimed the same 'facts' and that that you work for each of Countrywide, Daily Mail and now ex DPG.
Time will tell if you are correct. For now, I am happy to wait and see and hope these guys give you real employer (Rightmove) a good kicking.
QUESTION, We are with Zoopla and DPG do we cancel one of the memberships? I have called both portals but staff are unable or will not give an answer?