ChatGPT now helps people search for houses to rent or buy

AI chatbot searches Zillow’s database and provides users with options

Real estate company Zillow has announced the launch of a ChatGPT plugin to help users search for a house to buy or rent.

The plugin will reportedly help users interact with the artificial intelligence chatbot about the kind of property they’re planning to purchase or rent as well as share with it their selection criteria such as location and price.

With these inputs, the chatbot will then look into Zillow’s database and provide users with options.

Citing an example, Zillow said if a user searches for “townhouses with two bedrooms and two bathrooms under $800,000 in Seattle”, the AI chatbot will return relevant information from Zillow’s database.

However, the company said the application cannot be used to act on the user’s behalf, such as scheduling an in-person tour or connecting with an agent.

“Whether you’re looking to buy, rent, or just browse, you can ask about specific property listings or share the types of homes you’re interested in,” the company noted in a statement.

The plugin is expected to be available initially to select ChatGPT users from 2 May, according to the company, “with broader access anticipated in the future”.

Zillow said the plugin is currently in an early testing phase that would help its team work with OpenAI to “refine and enhance the experience”.

“Generative AI is changing the way people search for information. We understand its immense potential, and we look forward to developing more tech innovations with OpenAI technology in the future,” Zillow CTO David Beitel said in a statement.

“The new Zillow ChatGPT plugin is the latest example of how we’re using technology to help to unlock information and empower our customers – whether they are buying, renting or selling their home,” the real estate firm said.

It said the chatbot’s responses are limited and aligned with Zillow’s data policies.

The real estate firm said, however, that it cannot control “how others, including ChatGPT, use the data”.