SMG Swiss Marketplace Group AG (SMG) is acquiring the majority interest in Flatfox AG. Flatfox will accordingly become part of the SMG real estate ecosystem and SMG will assume exclusive control of Flatfox.

Driving innovations forward on the Swiss real estate market

Flatfox, which has around 40 staff based in Zurich, Berne and Fribourg, has been committed to digitalising the rental process for over ten years. Flatfox comprises both a digital platform for corporate customers that aims to make the rental process more convenient and efficient for all parties involved – tenants and property managers alike – and a real estate marketplace. Flatfox has to date already attracted more than 600 corporate customers from all of Switzerland’s language regions. Flatfox was acquired in April 2021 by la Mobilière, which successfully supported the company in its further development. The sale of the majority interest in Flatfox to SMG will now provide a further innovative boost to the latter’s real estate marketplaces. These will benefit from Flatfox’s expertise and proven innovation capacity, particularly with regard to the end-to-end digitalisation of the rental process.

Renting and letting property to become even easier

With its two well-known online marketplaces ImmoScout24 and Homegate that are more than 20 years old, SMG Real Estate stands for customised solutions from Switzerland for Switzerland. Martin Waeber, Real Estate Managing Director at SMG, can see the immediate day-to-day benefits of the integration of Flatfox into SMG: “It will be even easier for tenants in future to find a new home – digitally and in the most direct way.” For, as Waeber continues, the integration of Flatfox’s digital solutions throughout the rental process on the real estate marketplaces of SMG will in future enable all users to benefit from the greatest possible efficiency and innovative products in the market for rental accommodation. Waeber also expects attractive benefits for property managers as corporate customers of Flatfox to result from the incorporation of Flatfox into SMG: “The merging of the services of Flatfox and SMG Real Estate will enable them in future to shape their business even more efficiently, visibly and therefore successfully.”

The acquisition of the majority interest and exclusive control by SMG will serve to integrate Flatfox into SMG Real Estate, thereby enabling it to develop further in an attractive environment. La Mobilière will continue to hold a participating interest in Flatfox and will be able to attract additional customers for its business with insurance and pensions.