(23 January 2006 7:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Rupert Murdoch's strategy to acquire niche websites to generate online revenue streams has started delivering results.

According to a market analysis, the newly acquired Newscorp subsidiary allrealestate.co.nz has bagged the top spot as a destination for New Zealand house hunting from offshore and climbed to the number five ranking for domestic netizens in the property hunt.

Launched in September 2005, allrealestate.co.nz has achieved an international visitor count of more than 52,000, well above the nearly 30,000 international visitors to its nearest competitor, realenz.co.nz, according to the Nielsen//Netratings data offered by allrealestate.

Realestate.com.au is operated by News Interactive, the online arm of News Limited, Australia's largest media company and a major asset in Murdoch's Newscorp empire.