Homes.com Introduces a Smarter Way to Find Homes With New Website

Search by Photo, Specify ‘Must Have’ versus ‘Nice to Have,’ Descriptive Headlines Created by AI and More on a Completely New Site

Earlier this month, Homes.com launched a completely new website with a series of industry-first features that make the online home search process smarter, faster, more personalized, more shareable, and easier to organize than any other national real estate search site. The new consumer-facing features as well as real estate pro-specific enhancements are expected to create more opportunities for real estate professionals to connect with in-market consumers. This commitment strengthens the company’s policy of always sending consumer inquiries to the listing agent whether or not they are preferred advertisers.

 

 

Reimagined from the ground up in partnership with digital agency Grow , the new Homes.com site delivers a truly differentiated and more engaging search experience through unique features that include:

●  The first national visual search tool for homebuyers – Homes.com Snap & Search B ETA enables shoppers to upload photos of homes whose looks they like, and utilizes artificial intelligence to return local listings with a similar architectural style or exterior finish. Using machine learning algorithms, the site will analyze hundreds of millions of property images to provide matches for the end user.

●  Personalized ‘Match’ scores for every search result – Homes.com Match uniquely asks users their “must have” and “nice to have” amenities along with their other preferences like desired schools, then prominently displays a “Match” score (e.g. 92%) for each home in their results based on those parameters. Best matches are listed first to help users narrow the search quickly.

●  Descriptive listing headlines that help sell – Instead of displaying search results by address-only headings, Homes.com automatically generates a programmatic headline highlighting the standout features of each listing. Titles like “Lovingly Maintained 3 Bedroom House in Red Mill” make it easy for consumers to zero in on homes of interest while also providing enhanced marketing for the listing agent.

●  Flexible price searches – The new site returns search results that include homes “around” the user’s specified price, broadening buyer options as well as assisting real estate pros by ensuring their listings priced slightly above or below the target price are not missed.

●  Fewer clicks to see house details – With just one click from the search results pages, users can see a complete image gallery for each listing, Google street and satellite views, as well as the “Match” score. They can also save favorite listings without leaving the search results. It’s a faster and simpler way to separate the “maybes” from the “nos.”

●  Better sharing and organization of the search journey – The site’s robust new HomeShare function lets users save favorite listings, create different share lists, and collaboratively discuss homes of interest with partners, parents, friends or agents – all with visual thumbnails instead of links that require extra steps to identify each property.

“We’ve spent many months reimagining home search from the ground up to make it smarter, faster and easier for home shoppers to find their dream home, while also making sure agents and brokers have the opportunity to connect with consumers more frequently,”

said David Mele, President of Homes.com. “The new site introduces many first-to-market features for the industry and is a game changer for consumers searching for their next home.”

The site also continues to incorporate features that benefit the industry, including clear identification of the listing agent and broker on the listing details page. A new advertising option called Homes.com City Sponsor will unobtrusively integrate prominently placed ads for pros and their listings on the search results page. These ads mirror the look of the non-sponsored listings and help combat banner blindness that prevents consumers from noticing banner ads because of their prevalence. Learn more about the new, Homes.com City Sponsor and other advertising opportunities on Homes.com.