Last checked at 
* Seeking proceeds of at least 1.5 bln euros
* Unit valued at 14-15 times EBITDA
* Private equity investors among potential buyers
* Axel Springer and Bertelsmann seen as interested
FRANKFURT, March 18 (Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom is close to appointing Goldman Sachs to manage the saleof its online classified advertising unit Scout24, two sourcesclose to the deal said.
Europe's third-largest telecoms group behind Vodafone and Telefonica said late last year that itwould evaluate the options for Scout24 to free funds for moreinvestments.
The Bonn-based group hopes to fetch at least 1.5 billioneuros ($1.96 billion) for Scout24, another source familiar withthe sale said on Monday.
Scout24, a bundle of internet portals including European cartrading site AutoScout24, could become one of only a fewfinancially successful investments for Deutsche Telekom.
The group does not have a strong track record withacquisitions. Over the past decade it was forced to write offalmost two thirds of the value of VoiceStream, which it boughtfor $51 billion in 2000. It now operates under the name T-MobileUSA and is in the process of being merged with MetroPCS.
Deutsche Telekom's T-online unit bought the Scout group for180 million euros in 2004 from Swiss private equity firmBeisheim.
Publisher Axel Springer, owner of Germany'stop-selling daily newspaper Bild, has said in the past that itwill look at Scout24. Sources familiar with the company havesaid that Springer tried to buy the portal in 2004 but wasoutbid by Deutsche Telekom.
Media conglomerate Bertelsmann is also set tothrow its hat into the ring, as is private equity investor Apax, which owns the UK's Auto Trader portal, the sourcessaid.
Further potential bidders include private equity firmsWarburg Pincus, Providence, Charterhouse, BCPartners, KKR, Hellman & Friedman and EQT,sources familiar with the investors said.
Providence and Hellman & Friedman were not immediatelyavailable for comment, while Deutsche Telekom, Goldman Sachs andthe other prospective buyers declined to comment.
A 1.5 billion euro price tag would valuate Scout24 at 14 to15 times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation andamortisation (EBITDA), a source familiar with the company said.
That is slightly below a ratio of almost 18 for peerRightmove, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine data.
Deutsche Telekom is also looking at options for its Britishmobile telephony operator EE, a joint venture with FranceTelecom. Both partners have said that an initial publicoffering of part of the shares by the end of this year was thepreferred option.
