Former Domain chief executive Jason Pellegrino is a leading contender to run the real estate listings platform once it is acquired by American property giant CoStar, returning him to a position he left seven months ago.

Domain is controlled by Nine Entertainment but has struggled for years against its larger rival, News Corp-backed REA Group. Pellegrino, a former Google executive, ran the business for many of those years and had a tense relationship with senior Nine figures including the then-chief executive, Mike Sneesby, and former chairman Peter Costello.