We'll start this week's roundup in Asia, where REA India is investing heavily in AI and virtual staging...
Housing.com, the dominant portal of REA India, has launched a suite of real estate visualization tools powered by generative AI, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
DigiAR enables buyers to view full 3D prototypes of property designs as envisioned by developers and visualise digital property replicas over real land plots.
VR solution Digitour provides a fully immersive virtual “walk-through” of properties using pose tracking and near-eye 3D displays, allowing buyers to evaluate properties in detail without needing to be physically present.
Digiport and Droneview take visualisation to the next level with interactive masterplan tours and aerial perspectives, providing a complete sense of layout and connectivity. Rounding out the suite, Floorplan 3D, powered by AI and ChatGPT, transforms 2D blueprints into detailed, interactive 3D models, letting buyers experience their future homes in detail.
Sangeet Aggarwal, Head of Product at housing.com, said:
"These visualization initiatives are about creating meaningful experiences and adding value for our users. By providing immersive, interactive tools, we’re allowing consumers to experience properties in a way that feels almost tangible, bridging the gap between virtual exploration and real-life decision-making.
"At Housing.com, we are committed to harnessing machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance both our operations and the user experience. By constantly exploring innovative implementations of these technologies, we are not only improving efficiency but also gaining a competitive advantage in the market."
Dubai-based horizontal marketplace Dubizzle has added agency profiles and agent search tools to its real estate marketplace. The database contains information about over 1,000 agencies in the territory.
The new search tool lets users learn more about agents and agencies and find a property professional who matches their language preferences and preferred locations. The search results show users how many properties an agency offers, how many agents it has working for it, and how many properties are verified by Dubizzle.
Portfolio, Bayut’s digital property management software, is now powered by AI, according to the company.
Portfolio manages and organizes listings and views, and sorts and manages leads for users. It also manages agent profiles and quotas and facilitates payments, providing insight on metrics such as traffic levels, return on investment, property demand and performance by area.
Italian real estate portal Immobiliare is set to launch a renovations tool on its platform shortly.
The new tool will allow users to obtain quotes for redevelopment projects for their properties, thanks to a partnership powered by the Harley Dikkinson-powered portal AgoraHD, a leader in urban regeneration.
The goal of the new tool is to allow users to access valuable information before making a purchase decision, giving users knowledge of the real value of a home and the costs they would incur to maximize and maintain it over time.
Nearly 70% of residential buildings in Italy are classified in the three lowest EPC classes (with the highest energy consumption). The new service aims to increase awareness of the costs and opportunities related to renovating buildings to make them more sustainable and cost-effective.
Luke Brucato, Chief Strategy Officer of Immobiliare.it Insights, said:
"We strongly believe that technological integration can play a central role in the redevelopment of the Italian real estate stock. The goal is to help those who are looking for a home to concretely evaluate the impact of energy renovation interventions, improving their decision-making experience and promoting more informed and efficient choices; an important step towards the sustainable transformation of the real estate market."
Immobiliare.it is in a neck-and-neck race for market leadership in Italy with Spain-based portal operator Idealista.
Jitty has announced the beta launch of 'Inspiration', a feature the British challenger portal says is the world's first AI-powered visual property search tool.
Users can search for homes using descriptive language, bridging imagination and reality in property search.
Graham Paterson, CEO at Jitty, said:
"Inspiration AI isn’t just another feature—it’s a completely new way to search for homes online. It’s like having a personal property finder who listens to exactly what you want to see, and finds you homes with those features. Whether that’s sea views, church conversions, or bathroom inspiration, Inspiration AI will find those homes for you. It really is a magical experience, and we’re proud to be the first property website in the world to offer it. The future of home buying is here, and we’re just getting started."
Meanwhile, Jitty has also agreed on a deal with the newly launched portal Hiizzy, a digital marketplace that offers an "estate agent-free" experience to connect buyers and sellers. Jitty’s AI-powered property search feature will now be integrated into Hiizzy’s portal.
Jitty launched in August 2023. Hiizzy officially launched in October 2024, but has blog content dating back to March 2024.
UK "all-in-one" challenger portal OneDome has gone viral with its not-so-new advertisement.
The advertisement, published on YouTube in March 2024, has now racked up 3.1 million views thanks to its tongue-in-cheek take on moving home in the UK—breathing into a paper bag and hoping for the best.
"Stress, anxiety, delays, disappointment"...or OneDome!
Babek Ismayil, CEO and founder of OneDome said:
"Our goal was to create an ad that not only entertained but also resonated with anyone familiar with the challenges of homebuying. At OneDome, we believe the process should be straightforward, transparent, and stress-free. The overwhelming response to this campaign reinforces the value of our HomeBuyer Service in transforming the experience for homebuyers."
Rocket Companies, historically an online mortgage, real estate, personal loan, and financial services provider, has launched rocket.com, a home search portal.
Rocket's new domain targets high-intent homebuyers by utilizing AI to provide around-the-clock support, answer questions, and inform clients and agents. The AI Agent streamlines tasks such as filling out applications, connecting users with Rocket Mortgage bankers and offering guidance throughout the process.
According to the new website, Rocket Homes lets users "get a real estate agent handpicked for [them] and search the latest home listings."
Jamie Belsky, Chief Product and Design Officer at Rocket, said:
"Rocket.com is designed for serious buyers and sellers, offering a streamlined path to homeownership. The platform combines Rocket Mortgage’s award-winning service with Rocket Homes’ search and deep property insights. By leveraging AI technology, we are making buying a home more accessible and achievable for everyone."
Founded in 1985, Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT) is a Detroit-based fintech platform including mortgage, real estate and personal finance businesses including Rocket Money, Rocket Loans and Rocket Card.
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