Finnish MTV Oy joins real estate brokers to found Jokakoti Oy

MTV Oy (MTV Ltd), the largest commercial broadcasting company in Finland, is combining forces with leading real estate players in the country to establish a new company specializing in online housing services. Jokakoti Oy will begin operations on 1 April 2011 and will function as the new home of the real estate portal Jokakoti.fi, currently owned by MTV Oy. A preliminary business transfer agreement for sale of the portal operations has been signed, pending approval from the decision-making bodies of the new company’s owners - Aktia Bank plc, Kiinteistömaailma Oy, OP-Pohjola Group Central Cooperative, Realia Group Oy, and Suomen Kiinteistönvälittäjäliitto (SKVL), as well as MTV Oy.

The transfer of the real estate portal business will include the brand Jokakoti and the technology required for portal operations. Existing customer contracts will also be transferred as such to the new company, along with four employees from MTV Oy.

“In the spring of 2010, Finnish brokers expressed their willingness to found a common online marketplace. The cooperation proposal of MTV Oy and the Jokakoti.fi portal were deemed the most suitable to fulfil this need. There are many international examples of this type of project, with well-functioning applications,” says Jukka Malila, CEO of The Central Federation of Finnish Real Estate Agencies KVKL.

Heikki Rotko, the Executive Vice President of MTV Oy, explains, “The Jokakoti.fi portal is embarking on a new phase. People at MTV Oy are excited about the cooperation possibilities that will go on to benefit both the consumers who are buying or selling houses and the advertisers. The sales organization of MTV Oy will continue our sale of media advertising to the Jokakoti.fi -portal.”

There will be no break in the operations of Jokakoti.fi during the transition and no changes affecting advertisers or the private sellers and buyers of housing are expected. The portal is projected to host approximately 39,000 active real estate listings at the time of transfer. 

For more information, please contact:

The Central Federation of Finnish Real Estate Agencies (KVKL), Jukka Malila, CEO, +358-50 5112100

MTV Oy, Heikki Rotko, Executive Vice President, +358-10 3005292

Aktia Kiinteistönvälitys Oy, Katriina Remahl, CEO, +358-40 3002311

Kiinteistömaailma Oy, Tommi Rytkönen, CEO, +358-400 849819

OP-Pohjola Group Central Cooperative, Kenneth Sandberg, Director/Real Estate Brokerage, +358-400 473678

Realia Group Oy, Risto Kyhälä, CEO, +358-400 998800

Suomen Kiinteistönvälittäjäliitto ry, Jaana Anttila-Kangas, CEO, +358-50 4653773