In a move that it says will offer its advertisers more options and greater visibility, rental search company Primedia Inc. has announced it will acquire eBay subsidiary Rent.com for an undisclosed amount.

Primedia, based in the Atlanta area, said it had entered into an agreement to buy Rent.com in a transaction expected to close in second-quarter 2012. Online auction and shopping company eBay acquired Rent.com in February 2005 in a deal valued at about $415 million.

In a move that it says will offer its advertisers more options and greater visibility, rental search company Primedia Inc. has announced it will acquire eBay subsidiary Rent.com for an undisclosed amount.

Primedia, based in the Atlanta area, said it had entered into an agreement to buy Rent.com in a transaction expected to close in second-quarter 2012. Online auction and shopping company eBay acquired Rent.com in February 2005 in a deal valued at about $415 million.

Primedia owns several property search sites, including ApartmentGuide.com, Rentals.com and RentalHouses.com.

While Primedia’s websites are based on a traditional subscription model, Rent.com has a pay-per-lease model in which the site charges a "success fee" when a renter who finds the property on Rent.com signs a lease, Primedia told Inman News. Rent.com also gives tenants a reward card when they sign a lease on a property found through the site.

"The acquisition will give clients of each of (Primedia’s websites) and Rent.com more options on how they choose to list their properties. Primedia’s subscription model and Rent.com’s pay-for-performance model are attractive to different types of clients," the company said.

Primedia’s clients include property management companies, landlords, new-home builders and real estate professionals.

Charles Stubbs, Primedia’s president and CEO, will lead the combined company, according to the announcement.

"Rent.com has a strong reputation, brand awareness, history and URL," Stubbs said in a statement. "Both Rent.com and Primedia have long track records of delivering a high-quality consumer and client experience in the marketplace."

Citing figures from comScore, Primedia said its network of rental sites averages more than 5 million unique visitors per month, while Rent.com attracts an average of 3 million and 4 million unique visitors per month. As of March 24, Rent.com was the seventh most popular real estate-related site on the Web, according to rankings from Experian Hitwise. Primedia’s Apartment Guide ranked ninth.

There are no plans to combine any of Primedia’s websites with Rent.com, the company said.

Global private investment firm TPG Capital acquired Primedia in July 2011. The firm also acquired San Diego, Calif.-based real estate information service DataQuick and other subsidiaries of British Columbia-based MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates Ltd. in Jan 2011.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×