AI is changing house hunting, but it is not replacing agents or portals

In short: AI tools are making it easier to search for homes and preview them online, but there is no evidence they are replacing listing websites or estate agents.

What's going on

Some recent discussion has asked whether new AI, including machine vision and “Gaussian splats,” could replace property portals (real estate listing websites) and estate agents. Based on current reporting, there is no evidence that either technology is taking over those roles.

Instead, AI is mostly improving the early steps of house hunting. One example is conversational search, where you can type what you want in plain language, like “a fenced yard and a short walk to the train under $950,000,” and the system returns matching listings. Homes.com has described this approach with its Homes AI, built using Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI tools.

AI is also being used for more personalized recommendations. These systems look at what you click on and search for, then suggest other homes you might miss, similar to how streaming apps recommend shows. Virtual tours are also getting better, using 3D walkthroughs, drone video, and tools that can show possible renovations (like a quick digital mock-up of a new kitchen).

On “machine vision,” the coverage points more to smaller uses like spotting suspicious listing photos or helping with design previews. “Gaussian splats,” a method for rendering 3D scenes, is not mentioned in the real estate examples covered here.

What to watch

Portals are likely to add more AI features, and agents may use AI to find leads and prepare pricing advice. But buying a home still involves negotiation, local knowledge, and personal judgment, which keeps humans important in the process.

Source: Financial Times