Zillow has built a ChatGPT plugin that lets users discover real estate listings by having a simple conversation. Whether you’re looking to buy, rent or just browse, you can ask about specific property listings or share the types of homes you’re interested in — for example, “Show me townhouses with two bedrooms and two bathrooms under $800,000 in Seattle” — and ChatGPT will return relevant information from Zillow’s vast database.
Select ChatGPT users can enable and use the plugin, with broader access anticipated in the future.
Zillow has always been a leader in using artificial intelligence and machine learning to empower people with real estate information, ever since we invented the Zestimate® tool. Before then, home shoppers learned what was for sale by visiting a brokerage in person, combing through a book of listings, or driving around town in search of for-sale signs. Zillow search suddenly gave people the ability to easily browse homes across the country from the comfort of their couch.
These days, we’re making the process even easier. Features like our 3D Home tours and immersive floor plans, advancements in our neural Zestimate, and the ability to search on Zillow using natural language are all powered by AI.
The new Zillow ChatGPT plugin is the latest example of how we’re using technology to help to unlock information and empower our customers – whether they are buying, renting or selling their home. We’re eager to explore possibilities of pairing our extensive real estate database with the powerful tools being developed by OpenAI.
Our vision is to build a housing super app that offers consumers an integrated end-to-end experience across all their real estate needs: buying, selling, financing and renting.
What is a ChatGPT plugin?
A plugin is a software extension that can be added to a platform and introduce new functionalities or features. Designed for effortless installation and configuration, plugins integrate seamlessly with their target software.
ChatGPT uses plugins to enrich the user experience by offering valuable information or context within the application. These plugins serve a variety of purposes based on their design. Some plugins introduce new features to ChatGPT, while others enable it to access and present information from external data sources that would otherwise be inaccessible. Examples include information from weather forecasts, sports scores, and now, real estate data from Zillow.
When can I use the plugin?
The plugin will be accessible to a select number of ChatGPT users today, with broader access anticipated in the future.
Do I need to have a Zillow account to use the plugin?
You do not need a Zillow account to access the plugin — just a ChatGPT account with plugin capability. However, if you continue on to Zillow from there, you might want to create a Zillow account to access the full suite of home-shopping features on our apps and sites, including the ability to shop with a partner or to save or hide homes.
What will the Zillow ChatGPT plugin be able to do?
The plugin will help users discover Zillow listings in two ways:
- By executing searches for property listings that are “for sale” or “for rent” — or even “recently sold” if users are looking for comparable listings. Users specify their search criteria, and the plugin returns relevant results.
- By retrieving property data for individual properties. Users can inquire about a particular property, and the plugin will provide relevant information from Zillow.
What can’t it do?
It won’t provide the full extent of information or tools that are offered on Zillow’s own platform (e.g., 3D Home tours and immersive floor plans), and it cannot act on the user’s behalf (e.g., scheduling an in-person tour and connecting with an agent or loan officer).
What else should I know?
The plugin is currently in an early testing phase, providing an opportunity for Zillow and OpenAI teams to refine and enhance the experience based on interactions from the users who are eligible to access it. As with all ChatGPT plugins in testing, OpenAI has implemented safeguards to minimize inaccuracies and prevent inappropriate responses, but users should keep in mind that at times the experience might not work exactly as expected.
The plugin uses Zillow systems to show search results, following the same rules and limits as Zillow’s website. This ensures that the responses are limited and aligned with Zillow’s data policies. Zillow data is compliant with fair housing regulations and does not inherently contain any violations. Fair housing is extremely important to Zillow, and we go to great lengths to ensure the information provided by our platform meets those standards. However, Zillow can’t control how others, including ChatGPT, use the data. Users can ask ChatGPT for information beyond what’s on Zillow, but those search results won’t be sourced from data provided by Zillow.
No back-end data is shared with external sites; the plugin’s focus is solely on providing information based on Zillow’s data set.
Visit Zillow’s Tech Hub to read more about Zillow’s technology innovations.