In the real estate industry, search tools typically require buyers and agents to type filters into forms. But one new construction platform is testing a conversational approach: letting users speak their search criteria in English or Spanish.
Builders Update, a national database for new construction, has developed Home Scout, a tool that enables agents and buyers to describe their needs in plain language, bypassing traditional form fields. "It was created for people who don't like to type. They can just talk to it," says Bill Gaul, CEO of Builders Update and chair of the RESO Data Dictionary New Construction Subcommittee. A user might say they need a three-bedroom, two-bath home in a particular zip code, even while driving, and the tool responds conversationally.
What sets Home Scout apart, according to Gaul, is its bilingual capability. It automatically detects whether the user is speaking English or Spanish and responds in kind. "It doesn't even ask if you want Spanish. If you start speaking Spanish, it responds in Spanish," he says, emphasizing that the translation is designed to sound natural rather than mechanical. The bilingual feature has attracted the most interest in markets with large Spanish-speaking populations, including Miami, San Diego, and border regions.
The tool is accessible on the company's website. After a search, results, floor plans, property details, and photos are delivered to the user's inbox. "By the time that person parks the car, the floor plans and the pictures are in their inbox," Gaul says. Agents can forward these results to clients in two versions: a full agent view that includes the address and builder name, or a buyer-facing view that shows photos, floor plans, and pricing without the address or builder.
This dual-version design reflects the platform's agent-centric model. Detailed listing information is reserved for licensed agents, and buyers register through their agent rather than around them. The platform also offers electronic buyer registration: when an agent submits a buyer's name, the builder can confirm the buyer is not already in its system, protecting the agent's claim to the commission if that buyer later purchases. Gaul describes this registration process, which is part of the company's patent, as a way to keep the agent's role transparent and protected. "We're trying to inject the agent into the process," he says.
Adoption is still a work in progress. Gaul notes that even where the tool has been available for a while, some agents have not tried it, and part of the current effort is simply encouraging them to click. The platform currently serves more than 860,000 agents nationwide.
The introduction of Home Scout comes at a time when the real estate industry is increasingly embracing technology to streamline processes and enhance user experience. By offering a voice-activated, bilingual search tool, Builders Update aims to make new construction data more accessible and efficient for a diverse range of users. This development underscores the growing importance of natural language processing and AI in real estate platforms, potentially setting a precedent for other industry tools.
For more information about Builders Update and its services, visit www.buildersupdate.com.
