Realtor.com Relocates Headquarters to Austin, Signaling Texas Boom

Austin, Texas – In a bold embrace of Texas’s thriving tech ecosystem, Realtor.com, the popular online real estate platform and a subsidiary of News Corp, has officially shifted its corporate headquarters from Santa Clara, California, to the heart of Austin’s vibrant East Sixth Street district. The move, announced in February, underscores the relentless migration of major companies to the Lone Star State amid its explosive population growth and business-friendly policies.

The relocation to 901 East Sixth Street builds on Realtor.com’s existing Austin footprint, established in 2018 through the $210 million acquisition of local tech firm Opcity. What began as a tech hub has now blossomed into the company’s nerve center, with over 400 employees already on the ground and plans to hire “hundreds more” in engineering, technology, marketing, and senior leadership roles. Former Santa Clara staff have transitioned to remote positions, minimizing disruptions while amplifying Austin’s appeal as the top recruitment hub.

News Corp CEO Robert Thomson hailed the decision as a “downpayment on The American Dream,” citing Texas’s no-income-tax environment, affordable housing, and deep talent pool as key draws. “Basing Realtor.com in Texas puts our company at the heart of innovation and inspiration at a moment of national economic renaissance for America,” Thomson said in a statement. Realtor.com CEO Damian Eales echoed the sentiment, noting Austin’s “incredible vibrancy of a startup tech hub” offers a competitive edge over Silicon Valley’s saturated market.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who hosted a celebratory dinner at the Governor’s Mansion in late January with Thomson and Eales, praised the influx. “Thanks to our unmatched business environment… Texas is the right place for Realtor.com,” Abbott remarked. The timing couldn’t be more fitting: New data from Realtor.com reveals Texas led the nation in new-home permits in 2024, fueling a housing market projected to propel the state past California as America’s most populous by 2045.

This shift arrives on the heels of Realtor.com’s parent company, Move Inc., reporting its first revenue uptick in over two years— a modest 2% climb to $130 million in Q2—despite broader industry headwinds like affordability woes. News Corp has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to the platform, batting down speculation of a sale.

As Austin cements its status as a magnet for relocations—trailing only behind Tesla and X in recent high-profile moves—Realtor.com’s bet on the city positions it squarely in one of the hottest real estate markets in the U.S. For homebuyers and sellers nationwide, the portal’s Texas roots may soon translate to even sharper insights into the American Dream’s next chapter.