In July 2015, the national average home price increased by 9%, Toronto set a record for home sales, and Zoocasa became a licensed brokerage. It was a year of milestones, and now, a decade later, Zoocasa is celebrating 10 years as a full-service real estate brokerage and listings portal. To mark this anniversary, we’re reflecting on the pivotal moments, achievements, and growth that have shaped our journey, and the journey of real estate, over the past ten years.
Lauren Haw acquired Zoocasa with a mission: to leverage data and technology to deliver an intelligent, end-to-end real estate experience for homebuyers and sellers from first click to moving day.
“Ten years ago, I took a leap on a failing company and a bold vision — to build a real estate brokerage powered by data, where great agents could focus on their clients, not on marketing themselves,” shares Haw. “Over seven years, we rebuilt Zoocasa from the ground up with an incredible team of doers, dreamers, and leaders. We grew nearly 50% year over year, and when we passed the torch to eXp, our Toronto-based team became the heartbeat of their global consumer tech and inside sales operation. I’m proud that what started as a turnaround is now a cornerstone of one of the largest real estate companies in the world — still led by the same people who believed in the vision from day one.”
Through our innovative platform, Zoocasa has helped thousands of buyers find their homes and supported countless sellers in completing successful transactions. Millions have read our market insights, and our data reports have been featured in hundreds of leading publications.
In 2022, Zoocasa was acquired by eXp World Holdings, further enhancing our capabilities and reach. This enabled Zoocasa to expand services into the U.S. market, where we now offer access to over 200 MLS feeds, featuring listings from coast to coast in Canada and all 50 States..
In 2023, Carrie Lysenko, our former COO, was named CEO. Under Lysenko’s continued leadership, Zoocasa has grown in both overall sales volume and client impact and remains focused on empowering buyers and sellers in an increasingly complex real estate landscape.
“The average home price in Canada has increased from $450,886 to $691,299 between 2015 and 2025, representing a 53% jump. In the US, the national median has gone from $229,400 to $402,300, another 75% increase. For many, this has pushed the timeline and dream of home ownership in both countries out even further,” says Lysenko. “At Zoocasa, it has, and continues to be, our mission to provide the most relevant listings, data, service and market insights for buyers and sellers to reach this milestone To be able to make the most informed financial and home ownership decisions for them and their families.”
Despite these growing challenges in the housing market, Zoocasa has continued to be recognized for our expertise and impact. Zoocasa was named to the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 in 2019, featured on The Globe and Mail’s Top Growing Companies list for four straight years, and recognized by the Financial Times as one of the Americas’ Fastest-Growing Companies each year from 2020 through 2023..
“Looking back, Zoocasa has hit some incredible milestones. From expanding our reach across North America to launching tools that help agents and clients move with more confidence. Every step has been about creating more value and better experiences,” adds Lysenko. “But we’re not done yet. Our focus now is scaling impact, staying agile, and continuing to raise the bar, all while maintaining the trust that homeowners, buyers, and agents have placed with us.”
