EANS-News: Q1-Q3 report 2009: Hypoport notches up strategic successes

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Annual Reports/Financial Figures/Balance Sheet/quarterly
report/9-month report

Berlin, (euro adhoc) - 6 November 2009: One year after the financial
crisis broke, Hypoport AG is firmly on course for long-term success,
posting revenue growth and an EBITDA figure that is still well in
positive territory. Two of its four business units delivered an
outstanding performance despite adverse market conditions in the
first three quarters of 2009. Although the other two units
temporarily incurred financial losses in order to win new markets,
products and partners, these gains will make a valuable contribution
to the future strength of the Company.

The Hypoport Group managed to achieve stable revenue and
strategically notable successes in what was generally a tough
operating environment in the first nine months of this year. Revenue
for the first three quarters of 2009 rose by 2 per cent compared with
the corresponding period of last year to EUR37.5 million (Q1-Q3 2008:
EUR36.8 million). Gross profit for the reporting period fell by 2 per
cent year on year owing to higher selling expenses. The Company's
financial performance was impaired by persistently challenging market
conditions and by costs incurred in the quest to achieve key
strategic targets and objectives. Although the figure for earnings
before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of
EUR4.1 million that it reported for the first three quarters of 2009
was still in positive territory, it was 32 per cent down on the
EUR6.1 million posted in the first nine months of 2008. Two of the
Hypoport Group's four business units immediately managed to translate
the opportunities presented by the new market conditions into revenue
and earnings growth. At the same time, the two business units that
have significant exposure to the mortgage finance market managed to
put themselves firmly on track for future growth. "Although the net
profit we have generated for the reporting period is lower year on
year in absolute terms, our results should be seen as a notable
success when compared with those of our competitors and in view of
the transformation that the mortgage finance market has undergone.
The market share we have gained and the new partnerships we have
forged will have a positive impact on our figures over the medium
term", stressed Ronald Slabke, Co-CEO of Hypoport AG, assessing the
performance of the Company's business.

The Corporate Real Estate Clients business unit achieved a new annual
record in its revenue and earnings in just the first nine months of
2009. Revenue, which was dominated by the huge increase in the volume
of long-term new business brokered, jumped by 16 per cent to EUR4.7
million. EBITDA surged by an even more impressive 77 per cent to
EUR2.2 million. This excellent result was attributable to the robust
performance of existing business and the development of new market
segments - such as insurance and local authorities - and the use of
new business models in areas such as bearer bonds and the formation
of syndicates.

The Institutional Clients business unit, which is based in the
Netherlands, also delivered an impressive performance. The more
stringent disclosure requirements faced by the capital markets
created new opportunities in this business line. Strong demand for
advice and process automation around portfolio transactions generated
revenue growth of 41 per cent. EBITDA rose by 24 per cent to EUR797
thousand.

In recent months the housing market has been characterised by three
phenomena that have presented the other two business units with
considerable challenges in the short term. First, bank lending has
been more restrictive in the wake of the financial crisis. In
addition, the terms and conditions available in the market have
shifted in favour of small, regional providers that are not yet
connected to the EUROPACE platform. "This has had a directly adverse
impact on our revenue and, consequently, has depressed our earnings",
was how Thomas Kretschmar, Co-CEO of Hypoport AG, explained the
effect on the Company. Furthermore, the significant difference
between the interest rates on long and short maturities resulted in
much shorter fixed-interest periods. "Because fixed interest rates
are one of the factors determining our commissions, this phenomenon
also had an adverse impact for a while", added Kretschmar, stressing
the temporary nature of these phenomena.

Nonetheless, the Private Clients business unit managed to exploit
this transformation in market conditions to its own advantage, edging
out rivals in its sector and winning further market segments. It
raised its revenue slightly in the stagnant market for other
financial products. However, the shorter average fixed-interest
periods meant that revenue from mortgage finance was lower.
Consequently, the revenue generated by this business unit fell by 6
per cent to EUR22.6 million. EBITDA declined by 13 per cent year on
year to EUR2.1 million (Q1-Q3 2008: EUR2.4 million). However, a
considerable amount of this decrease was attributable to the
successful expansion of the Company's distribution network. The
number of branches rose by 49 per cent to 173, while the number of
advisers soared by 64 per cent to almost 400. The number of
independent brokers working with Hypoport grew by 30 per cent to
2,178.

The revenue earned by the Financial Service Providers business unit
in the first three quarters of 2009 advanced by 14 per cent year on
year. Nonetheless, this business line was hit hardest by the market
developments of the past nine months. EBITDA fell to EUR166 thousand
owing to increasingly restrictive bank lending, shorter
fixed-interest periods and, in parallel with these trends, capital
spending on the new EUROPACE platform. In addition to Hypoport's
alliance with the PSD group of cooperative online banks, another
strategically important partnership will consolidate the growth
generated by this business unit in future: the FINMAS financial
marketplace for German savings banks set up jointly by Hypoport and
Ostdeutscher Sparkassenverband (the association of eastern German
savings banks) will further extend the product range available and
broaden the EUROPACE platform.

end of announcement euro adhoc
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ots Originaltext: Hypoport AG
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Further inquiry note:

Michaela Reimann

Group Communications Manager

Telefon: +49 (0) 30 42086 1936

E-Mail: michaela.reimann@hypoport.de

Branche: Financial & Business Services
ISIN: DE0005493365
WKN: 549336
Börsen: Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard