Zillow has launched AI Mode, a new search assistant that answers buyers and renters’ property information and market questions.
Portals are rapidly moving towards a filterless search experience, with Zillow becoming the latest candidate to launch an artificial intelligence-powered home shopping assistant.
Jeremy Waxman
“We are connecting the entire home journey with AI in ways that have never been possible before,” Zillow CEO Jeremy Waxman said in a prepared statement Wednesday.
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Known as Zillow AI Mode, this feature allows buyers and renters to compare properties, estimate renovation costs, analyze affordability trends, gain negotiation insights based on market competitiveness and price history, gain neighborhood and market insights, schedule tours, and connect with local experts. Users can access AI mode through the “Ask Zillow” chat box at the bottom of search results on desktop and mobile.
The portal said the AI mode is aimed at preparing buyers and borrowers for transactions and complementing rather than replacing agent expertise. Zillow’s Fair Housing Classifier is also integrated into the Assistant, providing “real-time guardrails” that prevent the tool from providing answers that violate federal, state, or local protections.
This feature is currently in beta mode and the portal will be rolled out in stages throughout 2026.
“Zillow operates across search, tours, financing, expert connections, deals and closings, so we can turn insights and data into real-world action, helping people move from discovery to keys in hand,” Waxman added.
Zillow’s AI mode is similar to Homes.com’s Homes AI, which CoStar debuted in February.
Competitor has partnered with Microsoft Azure OpenAI to power Homes AI, which provides homebuyers with property insights backed by proprietary CoStar data, including Matterport 3D digital twin technology, imagery, school data, neighborhood insights, market intelligence, and more. Homes AI is voice-activated, but the Zillow AI mode requires buyers and renters to enter questions.
Investment firm William Blair released a report on Zillow AI mode on Wednesday, saying that while it “doesn’t appear to be significantly differentiating” from Homes AI, “it should improve the overall user and search experience.”
The company’s analysts are also mulling incremental updates to Zillow Showcase, Zillow Instant Floor Plan, and FollowUp Boss, all of which were announced at an investor summit earlier this week. Analysts said the summit was “encouraging” and reflected Zillow’s dedication to diversifying its long-term strategy, which increasingly includes launching products for listing agents such as its new pre-marketing platform Zillow Preview.
“While Zillow has historically focused on solutions (and monetization) for buyer agents, it continues to make a gradual transition to build solutions for listing agents,” the report said. “The first big move was the rollout of Showcase in early 2025 (used in 3.7 percent of new listings in 2025, with an interim goal of 5-10 percent), followed by the announcement of the start of previews earlier this month.”
“…Zillow appears to be continuing to evolve, with a bit more emphasis on providing value to buyer agents. We believe the risk of long-term fee compression and value destruction will increase.”
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