A place in the Sun
A Place in the Sun (APITS Limited) is a UK-based online marketplace aggregating over 100,000 overseas property listings across 11+ countries for British and international buyers, monetising through agent/developer advertising, exhibitions, a Channel 4 TV show, and a currency exchange service.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersCroxley Green, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What A place in the Sun does
A Place in the Sun (legally APITS Limited) is a privately held UK-based overseas property portal headquartered in Croxley Green, Hertfordshire. It operates a consumer-facing property search marketplace aggregating listings from third-party estate agents and developers across 11 or more countries — led by Spain, France, and Cyprus — supplemented by ancillary resources including country and area buying guides, a relocation information hub, webinars, a professional services directory for lawyers and mortgage providers, annual live exhibitions held in London, Birmingham, Dublin, and Manchester, a branded television programme on Channel 4, and an in-house currency exchange sub-brand ("A Place in the Sun Currency"). The platform indexes more than 100,000 listings spanning price points from approximately £50,000 to over £10 million.
The underlying product is a self-serve marketplace website with keyword and faceted search (price, bedrooms, property type, location), agent enquiry routing, and a separately surfaced New Developments vertical targeting developer inventory. Underlying technology is a conventional property-listing platform; no AI/ML, API, SDK, or mobile app surface is identified in the source data.
The business model is a two-sided marketplace monetised primarily through paid listing and display advertising from overseas estate agents and developers, supplemented by exhibition stand rental revenue from agents/developers meeting buyers in-person, production and sponsorship economics tied to the Channel 4 TV show, and currency-exchange spread revenue on overseas property transactions. Specific advertiser pricing is not publicly disclosed. The customer base spans individual overseas property buyers (primary persona: British and international consumers seeking holiday homes, retirement relocations, or investment property) on the demand side, and a long tail of regional estate agents plus developer sales teams on the supply side. Founded in 2008, the company remains privately held with no institutional investors, subsidiaries, or M&A activity disclosed in the available data.
A place in the Sun firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- A place in the Sun
- Legal name
- APITS Limited
- Website
- https://aplaceinthesun.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- A Place in the Sun (APITS Limited) is a UK-based online marketplace aggregating over 100,000 overseas property listings across 11+ countries for British and international buyers, monetising through agent/developer advertising, exhibitions, a Channel 4 TV show, and a currency exchange service.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
A place in the Sun industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Overseas Property Marketplace
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online/Virtual Real Estate Auctions (Marketplace Platforms) (BPAJAEAJ)
Keywords
Where A place in the Sun is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Croxley Green
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
A place in the Sun business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
A place in the Sun product offering
Product offeringCore offering
A Place in the Sun operates an overseas property listing marketplace aggregating more than 100,000 properties from third-party estate agents and developers across 11+ countries (Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Florida, Malta, and others). It monetizes by selling advertising placements (listings, email campaigns, banners, premium slots) to estate agents and developers, and complements the core search portal with branded sub-services including a currency exchange offering (A Place in the Sun Currency), live exhibitions ("A Place in the Sun Live") and a long-running Channel 4 TV show that drives consumer awareness.
Product overview
A Place in the Sun is a property listing marketplace for overseas real estate, offering a core search and listings platform across 10+ countries (Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Florida, Malta, and others). The platform combines its core property search marketplace with complementary services including A Place in the Sun Currency (currency exchange), professional services directory (lawyers, estate agents), downloadable buying guides, live exhibition events, a television show, webinars, and relocation guides. Property listings span various types including villas, apartments, townhouses, and commercial properties, with features such as keyword search, price filters, and location-based browsing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- A Place in the Sun Currency: Currency exchange service offered by the company for overseas property transactions
- A Place in the Sun Live
- A Place in the Sun TV Show
Products and services
- Property Search & Listings Marketplace A property listing marketplace enabling users to search and browse overseas properties for sale across multiple countries including Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Florida, and Malta, with filtering by price, bedrooms, property type, and location. Sold to consumers as a free-to-browse search portal; monetised via agent advertising.
- A Place in the Sun Currency A standalone currency exchange service offered to overseas property buyers to manage currency conversion when purchasing abroad, with claims of saving on exchange rate fees compared to typical bank rates.
- A Place in the Sun Live (Property Exhibitions) In-person property exhibition events held in major UK cities where prospective buyers can meet agents and view property developers; agents and developers rent stands to engage qualified buyer audiences.
- Advertising Services for Estate Agents and Developers Paid advertising offering enabling property agents and developers to list properties on the platform through various options including website listings, email campaigns, banner advertising, and enhanced premium placements. Sold B2B to estate agents and developers seeking to reach the platform's UK and international buyer audience.
Companies that use A place in the Sun
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
A place in the Sun technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
A place in the Sun partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
A place in the Sun competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kyero: Spanish property portal that targets English-speaking international buyers, directly competing with A Place in the Sun in the overseas Spanish property segment with comparable inventory aggregation and country guides.
- Spot Blue International Property: Overseas property specialist offering listings across multiple countries alongside buying advice and agent referrals, directly comparable to APITS' marketplace-plus-content model.
- Property Abroad: Long-running overseas property listings portal offering multi-country property search and agent connections, closely mirroring APITS' core marketplace offering.
- Juwai IQI: International property marketplace aggregating listings across multiple countries for cross-border buyers, competing with APITS for high-intent overseas property demand from a non-UK source market.
- JamesEdition: Global luxury property marketplace covering multiple countries including Spain, France, and Italy, directly overlapping with APITS' luxury overseas listings segment and affluent international buyer base.
Regional players
- Fotocasa: Major Spanish property portal with broad agent relationships and deep Spanish inventory, a key supply-side competitor to APITS for Spanish listings feeding the platform.
- Idealista: Leading property portal in Spain, Portugal, and Italy with the deepest local listings; competes with APITS by targeting international buyers directly from source markets rather than from the UK.
- ImmoScout24: Largest German-speaking property portal covering Germany, Austria, and parts of Southern Europe, representing the same category of country-anchored real estate marketplace as APITS in its core European geographies.
Broad incumbents
- Rightmove: UK's largest residential property portal, which operates an overseas property section that competes with APITS for UK buyer attention, though Rightmove's core business is UK domestic property.
- Zoopla: Major UK property portal with an overseas property vertical, comparable audience of UK buyers but as one feature among a much broader UK-domestic platform.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
A place in the Sun social profiles
Digital presenceA place in the Sun financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
A place in the Sun leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
A place in the Sun funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
A place in the Sun M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about A place in the Sun
What does A place in the Sun do?
A Place in the Sun operates an overseas property listing marketplace aggregating more than 100,000 properties from third-party estate agents and developers across 11+ countries (Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Florida, Malta, and others). It monetizes by selling advertising placements (listings, email campaigns, banners, premium slots) to estate agents and developers, and complements the core search portal with branded sub-services including a currency exchange offering (A Place in the Sun Currency), live exhibitions ("A Place in the Sun Live") and a long-running Channel 4 TV show that drives consumer awareness.
Is A place in the Sun a public or private company?
A place in the Sun is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was A place in the Sun founded?
A place in the Sun was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is A place in the Sun based?
A place in the Sun is headquartered in Croxley Green, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are A place in the Sun's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kyero, Spot Blue International Property, Property Abroad, Juwai IQI and JamesEdition. Regional players are Fotocasa, Idealista and ImmoScout24. Broad incumbents are Rightmove and Zoopla.
Does A place in the Sun have an API?
No public API is recorded for A place in the Sun.
What industry is A place in the Sun in?
A place in the Sun's product category is Overseas Property Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAEAJ, Online/Virtual Real Estate Auctions (Marketplace Platforms). Its SIC code is 6531.