Zonda, a provider of data intelligence, lead generation and engagement tools to the homebuilding industry, is rapidly scaling up its capabilities through a string of acquisitions, with BuzzBuzzHome, a listing portal and marketplace for newly built homes, the latest target.
Formed in late 2018 through the merger of Hanley Wood and Meyers Research, Zonda has been on a buying spree. Just three weeks ago, Zonda announced it was entering the Canadian market by acquiring Urban Analytics, a Vancouver-based provider of multifamily and urban data and analytics. Last year, Zonda snapped up Bird.i, a satellite imagery and artificial intelligence technology company, and Belfiore Real Estate Consulting, a residential market research firm.
Jeff Meyers
Acquiring Toronto-based BuzzBuzzHome not only expands Zonda’s presence in the Canadian market, but will help the company “continue to grow our offerings for our customers and the entire homebuilding industry,” Zonda CEO Jeff Meyers said in a statement.
In addition to offering what it claims is the “largest and most accurate” database of newly built homes and condos in the U.S. and Canada, BuzzBuzzHome aims to be North America’s first online marketplace for new construction homes, allowing buyers to select add-ons to units, upload their financial information, sign a sale agreement and put down a deposit on a credit card.
BuzzBuzzHome co-founder Matthew Slutsky said that thanks to Zonda’s and Urban Analytics’ technology platforms and client bases, the deal “will give our existing customers access to resources and a comprehensive solution that they wouldn’t have previously had.”
In a series of tweets, Slutsky said that, “Deciding to sell your company is one of the hardest decisions I [and BuzzBuzzHome co-founder Cliff Peskin] have ever had to make.” With Zonda owning 100 percent of the company, “We will still be running BuzzBuzzHome, and growing it, and innovating. But, we wont own it. Thats okay.”
Zonda, Slutsky said, “was the perfect fit. Huge new home data provider, with deep roots in the industry, thorough understanding of the market, very strong leaderships, and a shared vision of where BuzzBuzzHome could go.”
Zonda said it’s already attracting 2 million new home shoppers a month through HomePlans.com, which offers customizable architectural house plan designs and home floor plans.
By streamlining access to housing data, Zonda says it can help clients including builders, building product manufacturers and mortgage lenders, make smarter decisions. Zonda offers a national housing data platform that provides access to more than 500 housing metrics; audience targetting through events, webinars, and lead generation; and media platforms to provide business intelligence.