• UAE-based real estate classifieds platform Property Finder has raised $525 million via a minority stake sale to Permira and Blackstone.
• General Atlantic partially exited but remains a significant minority shareholder.
• The transaction marks Permira’s first investment in the Middle East.
• Property Finder will gain access to the global expertise of three leading private equity firms: Permira, Blackstone, and General Atlantic.
• The company is targeting growth in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, building on its regional expansion.
• The deal follows a $90 million debt financing from Francisco Partners in 2024.
• Founded in 2007 by Michael Lahyani and Renan Bourdeau, Property Finder’s marketplace allows filtered searching of available options for properties to buy and rent.

Press release:

Property Finder, the leading real estate classifieds platform in the Middle East, announced that Permira and Blackstone Inc. are acquiring a $525 million minority stake in the company. The deal, subject to regulatory approvals, marks Permira’s first investment in the Middle East and underscores continued global investor appetite for Dubai’s real estate sector.

As part of the transaction, General Atlantic, an early investor since 2018, has partially exited but will remain a significant minority shareholder. The addition of Permira and Blackstone alongside General Atlantic provides Property Finder with access to the global expertise and resources of three of the world’s most influential private equity firms.

Founded nearly two decades ago, Property Finder is one of the region’s largest real estate classifieds platforms, competing with rivals such as Dubizzle and Bayut. The platform has grown its footprint across MENA and is targeting expansion in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

This transaction follows Property Finder’s recent $90 million debt financing from Francisco Partners in 2024, which supported the company’s buyout of its first institutional investor. With the backing of Permira, Blackstone, and General Atlantic, the company is poised to accelerate its growth trajectory.

Dubai has experienced a strong property market boom in recent years, fuelled by foreign investment and government-led reforms. Despite recent forecasts suggesting potential price corrections, the deal highlights long-term investor confidence in the region’s real estate technology sector.