Grafton Capital is proud to announce that HomeViews, a leading residential property review platform founded by Ed Barroll Brown, Managing Partner at Grafton Capital, has been successfully acquired by Rightmove in February 2024.
HomeViews, established by Ed in 2016, quickly became the go-to platform for verified reviews of residential developments in the UK, pioneering a new way for residents and buyers to evaluate properties. As the Chairman and largest shareholder, Ed played a pivotal role in nurturing HomeViews from the concept he conceived through to its successful sale. Under his leadership, HomeViews attracted key co-founders and built a strong team, including CEO Rory Cramer, ensuring its growth trajectory and eventual exit.
Ed Barroll Brown commented, “HomeViews was a passion project I started with a vision to change the way people engage with property developments. Building a stellar team and seeing the business attract loyal customers, investors, and industry partners has been one of my proudest achievements. The acquisition by Rightmove represents a fantastic outcome, and I’m excited to see how HomeViews continues to grow under its ownership.”
Grafton Capital supported the business with two rounds of investment from its own balance sheet, using convertible loan notes, helping HomeViews expand its offering and scale before the acquisition. While Grafton’s investment played a significant role as the business prepared for sale, Ed’s seed investment delivered an impressive return of over 20x, evidencing his ability to identify and develop high-growth opportunities from the earliest stages.
The sale to Rightmove marks a successful exit for HomeViews and demonstrates Grafton Capital’s ability to support unique, founder-led ventures, especially as they prepare for sale. Grafton remains committed to partnering with and investing in visionary entrepreneurs. Read our case study here.