Interview with Trulia co-founder Sami Inkinen

After raising $15m two years ago, the real estate startup is nearing profitability

I recently caught up with Sami Inkinen, co-founder of Trulia, a real estate site that provides tools and information for homebuyers.

Trulia launched in 2005 and has raised some $30 million in venture funding from leading venture capitalists, Sequoia and Accel Partners.

In this interview, Sami talks about whether Trulia is profitable yet, after having raised $15 million in its last round back in 2008. According to Sami, Trulia is "close to profitability," but still investing in growth. The company has 140 employees. Sami also talks about Trulia's competitive advantage over similar sites, such as Realtor.com and Zillow. Trulia focuses on "serious buyers" vs voyeurs, said Sami.

While Sami wouldn't disclose any financials, he said Trulia does make revenue through two sources 1) Subscription fee from brokers and realtors 2) Advertising.

Trulia is also now pursuing media partnerships similar to one just launched with CNN, whereby Trulia powers CNN's real estate section.