2 more portals embrace AI-powered home search tools 

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. 

Top portals launch AI-driven search experiences

Zillow is no longer the only major portal to integrate with AI for conversational home search on its site. Top competitors Realtor.com and Homes.com have also recently announced new AI-powered integrations into their search experience.

This week, Homes.com launched its AI-driven Smart Search, a new feature that enables users to search for homes using natural language instead of specific filters. Built with advanced natural language processing, Smart Search understands conversational queries — such as "ranch-style house with a pool in Austin" — and instantly delivers tailored results, CoStar Group CEO Andy Florance explained in a news release. 

"Smart Search is designed to save people time, reduce frustration, and make home discovery intuitive and even fun," Florance said. "Whether you're a first-time buyer, a renter looking for your next neighborhood, or just exploring what's out there, Smart Search delivers clarity where there used to be confusion. It's the easiest way to find your home — and we're just getting started."

The tool supports complex, multi-city searches, points-of-interest queries and voice commands via speech-to-text. These features can help buyers and renters find homes that match their lifestyle, price points and other traditional search parameters, according to the release.

Realtor.com has also introduced a natural speech home search function. Similar to the functionality offered by competitors, the Realtor.com AI-driven search feature understands everyday language and can interpret complex queries, such as "3-bedroom ranch with a pool in Austin under five years old," and can analyze listing photos to surface matching properties.

The tool recognizes over 300 terms and learns from user behavior to deliver increasingly personalized results, according to a news release. It can identify details — like "vaulted ceilings" and "modern kitchen" — and match them to listing descriptions and images.

Beyond consumers, companies are pitching AI-driven home search tools to agents as a way to help them quickly pinpoint homes that align with clients' specific preferences, speeding up the search process and improving client trust. 

Real launches lending feature for agents within Real Wallet

The Real Brokerage has announced the expansion of its financial services platform with the rollout of Real Wallet Capital, a new embedded lending product that gives agents quick access to working capital directly through the company's Real Wallet tool.

The service, now available in 28 states and in Washington, D.C., is designed to address the common agent challenge of uneven cash flow caused by unpredictable transaction timelines, Real said. By using data such as past earnings, pending deals and projected income, Real Wallet Capital automatically underwrites and updates each agent's credit line, allowing eligible users to access funds the same day they're requested.

Agents can sign loan agreements and draw on available credit without leaving the Real Wallet interface within the brokerage's reZEN agent dashboard. Repayment is handled automatically, with a portion of commissions and revenue share directed toward paying down the balance.

The feature builds on Real Wallet, introduced last year as a business banking platform for agents, and reflects Real's broader push to integrate fintech tools into its brokerage model. For agents — 4,000 of whom now use the Wallet product, according to Real — the addition of on-demand financing could make it easier to invest in marketing, bridge delays between closings or scale their businesses without relying on traditional bank loans.

eXp automates real estate payments through new partnership

eXp Realty has announced a new collaboration with fintech company Payload to overhaul how real estate transaction payments are handled by introducing a fully automated system that replaces the industry's patchwork of manual processes and paper checks.

The integration connects Payload directly with eXp's core platforms — including its agent portal and financial systems — to allow agents, clients and partners to send, receive and manage payments more efficiently across the U.S. and Canada. The system is already nearing 100,000 payments per month, according to a news release.

"This partnership is about more than just efficiency, it's about elevating the entire transaction experience," eXp Realty CFO Jesse Hill said. "Payload gives our agents and partners the modern tools they need to close deals faster and with less friction."

Key workflows that are now automated include agent billing, earnest money deposits, buyer retainers, title disbursements and lease commission payments. Agents can request deposits digitally, buyers can pay via QR codes and renters can make payments by card or ACH at lease signing — all without manual intervention or wire transfer risks, the release said.

The new system supports same-day ACH, credit cards, mobile wallets and instant payment networks such as RTP and FedNow, streamlining the flow of funds across transactions.