Zillow adds AI-powered Virtual Staging to Showcase 

Editor's note: Technology is a driving force in real estate. From startups to established players, tech companies are constantly innovating, growing and forging partnerships. Here we highlight some of the latest news about the companies that help power the industry. 

Zillow has rolled out Virtual Staging for its premium Showcase listings, giving buyers a new way to visualize how a home could be styled — and restyled — with the tap of a button.

The feature, powered by technology from Zillow's 2024 acquisition of Virtual Staging AI, lets shoppers select from styles like modern, Scandinavian or farmhouse, and instantly see rooms digitally reimagined with different furniture or cleared out to make way for imagination.

Josh Weisberg, senior vice president of AI at Zillow, called the new addition "the latest example of how we're bringing our AI strategy to life for consumers and agents." Virtual Staging builds on Zillow's SkyTour aerial view, which launched this summer and gives home shoppers the ability to shift their perspective above and around a home's exterior as if they are piloting a drone.

"Virtual Staging applies the AI field of computer vision to restyle listing photos in real time to help shoppers see a home's potential and give agents a time-saving way to stand out," Weisberg added. "It's the next chapter in Showcase's evolution and a step forward in making home shopping more immersive and personal."

For agents, these features have other benefits: Zillow says Showcase listings sell for $7,000 more on average than non-Showcase offerings and Showcase-focused agents win 30% more listings than non-Showcase agents.

Restb.ai adds buyer agent compliance tool for MLSs

Restb.ai has launched a new Document Compliance solution that scans uploaded PDFs for buyer agent compensation language — including both typed and handwritten notes — and flags potential issues.

The tool, built in response to industry changes mandated by the NAR commission settlement, categorizes flagged language as high, medium or low risk. Oregon's Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS) is the first to adopt the technology, rolling it out to about 14,000 subscribers.

RMLS VP of Subscriber Service Marissa Bigler said the new Document Compliance solution "integrates seamlessly and will reduce staff workflow, helping us streamline our internal document review process."

The new product expands on Restb.ai's existing Photo Compliance offering, which already serves more than 900,000 agents and brokers across North America. Restb.ai VP of Product Duncan Brownlee said the tool allows MLSs to meet their legal responsibilities "at a fraction of the cost" and hinted at additional compliance features in development.

ZestyAI rolls out storm risk scoring that adapts to property upgrades

ZestyAI has enhanced its Severe Convective Storm (SCS) risk models, allowing insurers to instantly update property-level risk scores based on verified improvements such as roof replacements or structural upgrades.

Carriers can use the feature to recognize completed mitigation, correct inaccurate property data and even simulate how planned changes could affect future risk — providing benefits to homeowners as well. "Models should be powerful, but also flexible and responsive to real-world improvements," said Kumar Dhuvur, co-founder and chief product officer of ZestyAI.

The functionality leverages tools already available in ZestyAI's wildfire risk suite and extends the approach to its hail and wind models, which are approved for use in more than 20 states across the Great Plains, Midwest and South, regions most affected by severe convective storms (tornadoes, hail, intense winds).

Windermere adopts Local Logic for neighborhood insights

Windermere Real Estate, the largest regional brokerage in the western U.S., is partnering with Local Logic to bring richer neighborhood and lifestyle data into its online home search.

The brokerage has rolled out Local Logic's full suite of tools: Local Content, which adds contextual insights about the area around each listing; Local Search, allowing buyers to filter homes based on lifestyle preferences like walkability or proximity to amenities; and NeighborhoodWrap, a solution that creates SEO-friendly community pages.

"At Windermere, we believe buying a home is more than a transaction, it's a life decision rooted in community," said Brooks Burton, COO of Windermere Real Estate. "Local Logic allows us to provide our clients with a more complete understanding of what it's like to live in a neighborhood, whether that means walkable streets, proximity to local services and amenities, or the kind of lifestyle they're seeking."

Maverick Systems forms advisory board, expands to 25 MLS markets

Real estate data analytics startup Maverick Systems has created a new advisory board featuring three industry veterans to guide its efforts in tackling brokerage agent retention challenges. The company, which launched in February 2024, now covers 25 MLS markets — representing about 25% of all U.S. agents — and serves clients with a combined annual sales volume of $3.5 billion, according to a press release.

The new board members include: Laura O'Connor, former president & COO at JPAR Real Estate; Ruel Macaraeg, senior manager of private equity AI and data at Ernst & Young; and Marci James, former marketing and industry outreach leader at Realtor.com and NAR.

"What sets Maverick Systems apart is its revolutionary recruitment dashboard that delivers unparalleled agent analytics and actionable intelligence — far exceeding the capabilities of any competing tool in the industry," James said.

More news

NORIS selects Flexmls as new platform: The Northwest Ohio Real Estate Information System (NORIS) is moving its 2,300-plus members to the Flexmls platform under a new partnership with FBS, citing its ease of use across devices and customization abilities. FBS serves 150 MLSs and 330,000 professionals nationwide and is employee-owned with a nearly 50-year track record in the industry, according to the company.

Rhode Island MLS to adopt RentSpree's RentEdge platform: State-Wide MLS will integrate RentEdge, the rental management suite from RentSpree, following a similar move by First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS) last month. The adoption gives members access to tenant screening, listing distribution, lead generation and rental workflow tools directly within the MLS system.