A world first conversational AI based Home Search Portal?

The USA has a lot of shoes, and I’ve spent a day looking at hundreds of them.

This is not unlike a home search for a buyer, although there may not be as many homes as there are shoes to look at.

I was looking for one particular pair of shoes - a dressy pair of flip-flops (note I did not say thong!), gold in colour, size 10, maybe a bit of sparkle, which is my favourite colour with a budget of $50 USD¹

They are just requirements, and if I could have stuck them into a large language model like ChatGPT to get a result like “go to Designer Shoe Warehouse on Post Oak Boulevarde, aisle 37,” you’ll find almost exactly what you’re looking for.

Why can’t I search for a home the same way?

I thought Jitty.ai in the UK (whom I have written about before) might have been heading this way. But when I checked back on them recently, they seemed to be operating business as usual for a portal.

But this newcomer, flyhomes.com, already seems different.

They describe themselves as the world’s first AI-powered home search portal, promising to transform how buyers search for homes; not that promises like this have been made before!

However, imagine chatting with an AI that understands your home search preferences and provides detailed, personalised responses.

Here’s what Flyhomes say sets their product apart:

1. Detailed, AI-Driven Responses: The AI behind Flyhomes’ new portal isn't just about searching for number of bedrooms and bathrooms. It analyses vast amounts of information to provide nuanced, detailed answers to user queries, allowing users to better understand the properties they are interested in. Think, “Is this home a good deal compared to others in the neighborhood,” or specific responses to pointed questions like, “How is the mobile coverage in this home?”

2. Comprehensive Data Integration: Flyhomes sources its data from various integrated platforms, encompassing over 950 points of comparison on each home, including unique data points like store delivery options, permit history, and cellular provider coverage. This extensive dataset helps create a more detailed and user-friendly conversational search experience for potential buyers.

3. Enhanced User Engagement: The conversational nature of the AI search portal makes the home search process feel more like a friendly chat than a tedious task. This user-friendly experience can keep potential buyers engaged for longer, increasing the chances of converting interest into sales.

In addition to the data points mentioned in the press release, Flyhomes has another interesting data source: the data and assets it recently acquired from ZeroDown.

Annnddd….Here’s where it gets really interesting: ZeroDown is an AI company that buys homes for customers, removing the need for a traditional down payment and mortgage - basically on a lease-to-own basis.

ZeroDown also raised $30 million in funding in 2019 from investors, which just happened to include Open AI’s Sam Altman.

The founders of ZeroDown, Laks Srini and Abhijeet Dwivedi, have joined Flyhomes as chief technology officer (CTO) and chief growth officer (CGO), respectively. They previously served as Co-founder/CTO and as COO at SaaS HR platform Zenefits, which Altman may also have an interest in.

Try out the conversational AI for yourself here.

Happy Hunting 🚀

^{1 I don’t think this scenario is far off, either!}