Product Roundup: Zillow, Realtor.com, Avito, Domclick, GoFlint, CoCampo, Wikicasa

This week's product roundup includes two of the three "Portal Wars" factions updating their offerings, a duet of updates from Russia, and painted floorplans in Italy.

We'll start with Zillow and Realtor.com in the United States...

Zillow partners with Moody's to boost its rentals' data and analytics

Zillow has partnered with financial services company and credit rating agency Moody's to boost the strength of its rentals and multifamily offerings.

Operators managing 25+ rental units will be able to access what Zillow has described as "enhanced reports and analytics powered by Moody's comprehensive data and CRE solutions", with the partnership set to go live in July.

The reports will include Moody's data on rental prices, vacancies and inventory, while Moody's will benefit from Zillow's own multifamily rental property database to strengthen its database.

Michael Sherman, vice president at Zillow Rentals, commented:

"Data is key for our multifamily rental partners in managing their properties.

"Moody’s robust multifamily database and expertise in data analysis make them an ideal partner to help us give multifamily buildings a clearer view of the rental marketplace.

"We’re excited to offer this initial report and for more valuable insights we’ll be sharing later this year."

Realtor.com launches industry-first "Homes with Similar Rooms" tool

Realtor.com, one of the largest real estate portals in the United States, has launched an AI-powered "homes with similar rooms" tool that allows people searching for homes to find properties with similar aesthetics.

According to a blog published on Realtor.com's website:

This feature categorizes images based on room or image type, so users who see a look and feel they like can find more properties nearby with a similar look and feel, whether they’re focused on the exterior, living room, kitchen, or other property features.

As users discovered the feature, we saw we generated more page views as they leveraged it to continue their home search.

Agents signing up to Avito's seller-lead product

According to a blog post, 133 Russian real estate agents have so far signed up for Avito's seller-led product.

Dubbed "convenient transaction", the feature is essentially a seller lead generation service connecting homeowners with real estate agents who assist in selling any type of residential property.

This service also comes with extra visibility on the real estate section of Avito's website and app. The Russian horizontal claims that ads with promotional features—such as additional or enlarged photos and a highlighted price—receive two to three times more views and up to 50% more responses from potential buyers.

After closing a transaction, the agent earns a commission, the specifics of which are directly negotiated with the seller, typically ranging from 2-3%. It's unclear whether Avito receives a percentage of that commission from customers using the "convenient transaction" product or not.

Where the service differs from many similar services from other portals around the world is that Avito assigns its own customer service staff to help with the listing and sales process.

Avito also announced this week via its Telegram channel that it would introduce a video demo functionality for sellers in its real estate and other selected categories. Commenting on the update, the Avito Product Department's Evgeniy Troitsky said:

“We have integrated online video presentations into the application to create comfortable conditions for fast and secure transactions. Now users can discuss details with sellers without leaving the app and without having to meet beforehand. An online demo replaces the initial inspection and allows the buyer to discuss and view the product in more detail than via the photos."

Domclick to use Sber's proprietary AI to write listings

Domclick, the Russian portal owned by the country's largest bank, Sber, has announced that it will leverage Sber's internally developed alternative to ChatGPT, GigaChat, to write listings.

Home sellers can create listings and property descriptions in seconds, upload details of the property including the asking price and photos, and then prompt GigaChat to fill in the rest.

GoFlint launches OpenAI-powered search

GoFlint, a French challenger portal committed to eco-friendly practices in real estate, has launched Flint.E—a tool it claims is the first property search engine using OpenAI's advanced AI. This search function aims to reduce French home hunters' time looking for properties by 30%.

Flint.E, leveraging Chat GPT technology, enhances user interaction with property search platforms. After a year of research and successful regional trials, Flint.E is now available nationwide. It allows users to make queries in natural language, simplifying the search process. Features include a voice command option, an intuitive interface, fast responses, and strict data protection.

"We are thrilled to launch Flint.E, a game-changing technology for anyone looking for a new home or real estate investment," said Mihai Gavriloiu, cofounder and co-CEO of GoFlint.

"Flint.E is the first milestone towards a personalised real estate search and information experience for everyone. Continuous user feedback will further refine the tool to meet diverse property search needs."

GoFlint recently secured €2.8 million in investment to take on incumbents AVIV Group-owned SeLoger and Adevinta-owned Leboncoin.

Cocampo Expands Rural Property Listings to Over 12,000 in Spain

Cocampo, a specialist rural property marketplace, has significantly expanded its offerings, now boasting over 12,000 listings across Spain. In just the past month, the company added nearly 10,000 new listings, a milestone achieved through a strategic partnership with real estate agencies.

"The historical record of inheritances and the fact that rural property owners now live in cities is driving the growth of sales mandates managed by urban real estate agencies," explains Regino Coca, founder and CEO of Cocampo.

Currently, Cocampo offers more than 590,000 hectares for sale, valued at 7.1 billion euros. Cocampo aims to become Spain’s leading portal for rural property listings, focusing on properties over 50 hectares.

"The need to feed a growing population, consumer interest in healthy eating, and increased awareness of sustainability highlight rural areas. However, 41% of rural property owners in Spain are over 65 years old, and it is estimated that more than 50% of rural land will change owners this decade," says Coca.

Wikicasa announces partnership with digital floorplans specialist Planimetrie

The agent-backed Italian challenger portal Wikicasa has announced the expansion of its strategic partnership with "painted floorplans" specialist Planimetrie.

According to the terms of the new partnership, Wikicasa customers can request a customized floor plan for their listing at an ad hoc price.

Planimetrie is an interior planning and design marketing firm offering digitally enhanced floorplans that resemble watercolour paintings, photographic renders, virtual home staging, and drone and aerial shots.

Commenting, Wikicasa CEO Pietro Pellizzari said:

"With this commercial partnership, agents can get a professional floor plan from Planimetrie directly from our platform.

"Usually floor plans comes from Catasto, the official public registry, and they are typically very hard to understand for the user. This is a good way to increase the appeal of listings and enrich the portal with quality content."