Product and Services Roundup: Scout24, SMG, Zillow, Immobiliare.it

We found some big names for this week's Roundup. We'll start with IKEA...

Europe: ImmoScout24 enters AI-powered partnership with IKEA

ImmoScout24 has entered a commercial partnership with IKEA. Prospective buyers can now see how rooms could look furnished with real IKEA products.

Selected listings will allow would-be buyers to virtually stage properties with products. Users can then click through and view the same products on IKEA's website. The company says the partnership overcomes the hurdle of trying to visualise spaces that are not optimised to the wants, needs, and preferred style of prospective buyers using the property.

Nicolas Cheron, CEO of ImmoScout24, said:

"When searching for a property, many people aren’t just looking for location, size, and price. It’s about finding a place where their life can unfold, and they want to be able to envision that. Together with IKEA, we’re making this aspect even more tangible. This pilot project is the first step in a trusting, long-term partnership that we intend to develop further together."

Jeremy Drury, Country Digital & Business Development Manager, IKEA Germany, added:

"We want to help people turn rooms into homes—and that often starts with the apartment search. With concrete furnishing ideas in the property listing, IKEA can provide early inspiration and show the potential of a room. We are continuously developing this pilot project together with ImmoScout24 and using the experience gained to make the solution even more helpful for our customers."

SMG launches AI Replies for Property Managers

Swiss Marketplaces Group (SMG) has introduced a new AI-powered feature that generates suggested replies directly within the “powered by Flatfox” messenger.

In Flatfox messenger alone, an average of around 265,000 manual messages were sent per month between January and July 2026. The messenger “powered by Flatfox” brings together all communication between prospective tenants and property managers across ImmoScout24, Homegate and Flatfox in one place. The AI will draft replies which property professionals can review and then send.

AI Replies help property managers save significant time when handling and responding to messages from interested parties. They save at least two minutes per message, which can quickly add up to many hours given the high volume of messages.

Martin Waeber, Managing Director for Real Estate at SMG, said:

"In the rental process, a large number of enquiries must be addressed for every property. AI-powered responses help property managers handle recurring questions more efficiently. Crucially, the AI does not send messages on its own; property managers always retain full control over every response, allowing them to dedicate more time to enquiries that require further, more detailed clarification."

Immobiliare.it Teams Up With Apefacile on Energy Certificates

Immobiliare.it has partnered with Apefacile, an Italian online platform for the Attestato di Prestazione Energetica (APE), the energy performance certificate required to sell or rent a property.

Users of the portal will get a direct channel to order an APE for their home. Apefacile, founded in 2018, says it has served more than 100,000 clients through a network of over 1,300 certified technicians.

Around one million APEs are issued in Italy each year, according to SIAPE and ENEA, and Apefacile wants to handle at least 10% of them by 2030.

Silvio Pagliani, co-founder and CEO of Immobiliare.it, said: "The APE is no longer just a formality tied to a sale or a rental, but the starting point for understanding the value of a property and its potential for improvement."

It follows April's listings distribution deal with Adevinta-owned Subito.

North America: Zillow launches financing help for FHA loans

Zillow will now grant financing help for home buyers who are eligible for a mortgage loan backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

Zillow Home Loans launched down payment assistance for eligible buyers who finance their home purchase with an FHA loan.

Buyers in 43 states and Washington, D.C., can receive up to an additional loan of 3.5% of the purchase price to cover their down payment, interest-free and with no monthly payment.

Buyers will also have the option to add up to 6.5% of their own funds for a down payment of 10%, while the down payment loan will be forgiven after five years of on-time mortgage payments and owner occupancy.

Eric Wilson, Zillow's senior vice president and general manager of mortgages, said:

"Buyers tell us the down payment is what's holding them back, and we hear the same thing from agents about their clients. This program helps us serve more qualified buyers by giving them a simple way to clear that hurdle, with their mortgage and down payment assistance handled in one place. For buyers who can afford the monthly payment, we can now cover the full minimum down payment."

Zillow's press release includes findings from a study of over 57,000 buyers, which found that most homebuyers struggle to collect the cash needed to put down a deposit for a house.

Zillow found that buyers use several methods to collate a deposit. Circa 70% of buyers use savings, 30% rely on a gift or loan from family or friends. 25% will sell stocks, shares and other investments, and 20% will withdraw from their retirement accounts.