Andy Florance is one step closer to making his vision for a filterless portal a reality, as Homes.com unveils its artificial intelligence search assistant, aptly named Homes AI.
Homes AI is powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI and draws on proprietary CoStar data, including Matterport 3D digital twin technology, images, school data, neighborhood insights and market intelligence, to help homebuyers pinpoint their dream home with greater ease and precision.
Andy Florance | Credit: CoStar Group
“This innovation signals a shift as significant as the emergence of online search itself. Home shopping is no longer constrained by rigid filters and disjointed online experiences,” CoStar founder and CEO Andy Florance said in a prepared statement. “Instead, it has become dynamic, consultative, and deeply personalized — mirroring the way people naturally research and evaluate a home.”
Although Homes AI is designed to mirror the expertise and guidance of an agent, Florance said the tool is not intended to replace agents. In fact, when a homebuyer or renter expresses interest in getting additional property information or scheduling a tour, etc., Homes AI will guide them to the listing agent.
“Just as important, Homes AI is designed to enhance — not replace — the essential role of real estate professionals,” he said. “Agents remain at the center of every transaction, and that will not change.”
Homebuyers can access Homes AI by clicking the assistant’s icon in the Homes.com search bar, which looks like a soundwave with a golden star.
After giving location and microphone access permission, homebuyers can start talking to Homes AI about their preferences, whether it’s finding a one-bedroom condo with floor-to-ceiling windows, a mid-century bungalow in their desired school district or a townhouse for $350,000 near the best entertainment, shopping and restaurants.
Homes AI can also provide market information, insights into specific districts and neighborhoods, and guide homebuyers through listing photos and 3D tours with simple commands such as “Show me the primary bedroom” or “Tell me the measurements of the walls and cabinets in the kitchen.”
The more homebuyers use the feature, the more Homes AI becomes refined, leveraging prior chats and search queries to provide more accurate suggestions.
“We’ve spent years building the industry’s richest property data, and Homes AI harnesses that foundation to transform the consumer experience in a way that feels intuitive, human, and incredibly powerful,” Florance said.
The CEO teased the creation of a tool like Homes AI at Inman Connect New York 2025, when he spoke with Inman founder Brad Inman about the future of residential portals.
Florance said filters and links would soon be “dead,” giving way to a more intuitive homebuyer experience. Zillow and Realtor.com have previously released their own filterless experiences.
“Filters are gone, and it will be completely as if you had this virtual all-knowing agent who remembers perfectly every transaction that’s ever happened,” he said. “We’ll know everything about every house. It’ll remember everything you said during the transaction, and we’ll be able to serve up the specific information and tour you through things. Buyers will be consuming a lot more information but very focused … It’ll take you right to where you want to go.”
CoStar said the data Homes AI gleans about homebuyers will remain within the company’s ecosystem and will never be used to “train or refine external AI models.”
There are plans to add Homes AI to Apartments.com, CoStar, LoopNet, Land.com, BizBuySell and other CoStar-owned sites.
