Rumours are that UK supermarket giant Tesco is about to list homes on its website through a deal with real estate agency chain Spicerhaart, which purchased Tesco’s Property Market last year.

Tesco is not the only UK supermarket to want a piece of the real estate market. In January this year we reported on an initiative by UK supermarket chain ASDA to bring real estate in store and online through Homes in Asda, known online as homesinstore.co.uk. However, by June this plan had been abandoned.

Estate Agent Today reports that the launch of the Tesco website could be as early as the New Year and that the operation is being launched under the banner of “Indigo”.

Estate Agent Today quote a spokeswoman from Spicerhaart, who revealed:

“Spicerhaart is moving ahead with its new online estate agency business which will launch in the first half of 2010, subject to market conditions. The branding of the project, which is codenamed Indigo, has yet to be finalised and work on the software solution is continuing, with recruitment of web designers taking place. The business will start with a soft launch in a small number of locations which have yet to be finalised, although areas under consideration include Milton Keynes, Reading and Brighton. The agency is owned and controlled entirely by Spicerhaart and the management team, and will have a variety of business partners, including Tesco.”

It is believed the new business is unlikely to copy the much maligned original Tesco Property Market model.