Feb 5, 2023

Big four bank, ANZ, has invested $50 million into View Media Group (VMG) just six months after  the group was formally established. VMG was founded by Antony Catalano and Alex Waislit, of publishing business Australian Community Media (ACM), and was previously registered as IMP. In August 2022, Seven West Media took equity in the company via its Seven West Ventures subsidiary . VMG is jointly owned by 20 Cashews, an entity which is jointly owned 50 per cent by Antony Catalano and 50 per cent by Alex Waislitz’s private Thorney Investment Group and the publicly-listed Thorney Opportunities. Catalano and Waislitz have invested substantial capital into VMG and have committed significant media services through their ACM network of 140 mastheads across Australia. VMG is a real estate digital media and agent services business comprising a suite of property tech platforms offering consumer and business solutions in Australia’s $300 billion real estate transactional market. ADVERTISEMENT The latest investment will see the total cash and media spend available to VMG total well over $150 million. ANZ will take a board seat as part of the transaction, with the funds to be used for investment in scaling up the business, product development and future growth opportunities. Catalano In addition to the $50 million cash investment, ANZ and VMG will pursue the formation of a strategic alliance in financial services, including further investment from both parties to target the mortgage market and other consumer finance products. VMG and ACM executive chairman, Catalano, said: “This is a clear endorsement of the VMG business and the strategy we have set ourselves to disrupt the real estate transactional market. “ANZ has demonstrated that it is a forward-thinking bank and has a clear plan to invest in emerging and disruptive businesses: I’m personally very excited to have their backing and can’t wait to deliver on our plans, not only to generate shareholder value for them but operationally, a steady stream of financial services customers from across the VMG property ecosystem.” “With ANZ’s involvement adding to the already active participation of Seven West Media, we are now well on the way to creating Australia’s most exciting real estate prop-tech business,” ACM co-owner and executive chairman of the Thorney Investment Group, Waislitz, said. He added: “2022 was a big year for us as we established VMG and made a couple of exciting acquisitions, but 2023 is when we plan to make some serious moves.” VMG is set to “build the digital real estate superstore of the future” to carry out all property-related transactions seamlessly on one site. “Through realestateview.com.au we’ll guide consumers through the whole property life cycle journey and connect with them at every touchpoint,” Waislitz stated. “You’ll be able to buy, sell or rent, but in addition you will be able to get a mortgage, insure the home and contents, connect and disconnect utilities and book trade services.” AD Group was founded in 2014 by Jordy Catalano, son of Antony Catalano and Tom Hywood, son of former Fairfax/Rural Press executive Greg Hywood. Jordy Catalano and Tom Hywood AD Group launched Development ID, an inventory management platform for property developers and sales agents to manage and monitor sales from across the globe in real time. More than $8 billion worth of property sales has been transacted through the Development ID portal since launch, with the platform integrated into the workflow of national property sales businesses including Colliers Residential and CBRE Residential. This was soon followed by the launch of AD Group’s display suite technology, Showcase, which provides developers and project marketers with connected interactive sales presentation software.