Zillow has now announced the release of a new plug-in for ChatGPT, a cooperation that I did not at all anticipate. It is known as the ChatGPT plug-in, as one might anticipate. And if you activate it, you will be able to do what you would anticipate being able to do with something named the Zillow ChatGPT plug-in: look for a home.
People who have ChatGPT’s plug-in enabled can share information about the kind of property they’re looking to buy or rent, including location, price, and number of bedrooms. Then ChatGPT will search Zillow’s database and present you with some options.
ChatGPT can now find you a house https://t.co/X9vuP7r48b pic.twitter.com/RNSvm2Vtsq
— The Verge (@verge) May 2, 2023
A limited number of ChatGPT users have access to the plug-in as of right now, with wider availability planned in the future. (How on earth they will choose these users intrigues me much. People who have ChatGPT Plus are very likely to be affected because they typically receive priority for plug-ins.
ChatGPT and Zillow: The perfect match for homebuyers
Part of a statement from Zillow CTO David Beitel states, “Generative AI is altering the way consumers search for information. We are aware of its enormous potential and are eager to create future technological advancements using OpenAI technology.”
Just a few months prior, Zillow introduced its own “natural-language search” function, allowing users to enter natural-sounding phrases into the website’s search bar and receive results. Zillow said that it was “the first major residential real estate marketplace” to introduce that kind of AI-powered search at the time. Following the end of its home-purchasing program at the end of 2021, Zillow has been concentrating on expanding its core business of home browsing and pricing estimates.
Some of you may be questioning why someone would enter the desired location, price, and a number of bedrooms into ChatGPT rather than, say, straight into Zillow. I tell them to keep quiet. The ChatGPT plug-in is now in the “alpha” testing stage (the stage before beta), therefore the version that some users are seeing now is considerably different from the final version.
We’ll likely receive a ton of input from testers about their requirements and use cases, and we’ll assess how helpful this is as we go.
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about the Zillow and ChatCPT partnership:
What is a ChatGPT plugin?
A platform can add a plugin to provide additional functionality or features. A plugin is a piece of software. Plugins interact easily with their target program and are intended for simple installation and configuration.
Plugins are used by ChatGPT to improve the user experience by providing insightful data or context inside the program. Depending on how they are made, these plugins can be used for various things. ChatGPT can access and show data from outside data sources that are otherwise unreachable thanks to certain plugins, while others provide new functionalities
Examples include data from weather predictions, sports results, and as of late, real estate information from Zillow.
Is a Zillow account required to utilize the plugin?
You just need a ChatGPT account with plugin functionality to utilize the plugin; you do not need a Zillow account. To use the full range of home-shopping options on our apps and websites, including the capability to shop with a partner or to save or hide properties, you might wish to create a Zillow account if you choose to go on to Zillow from there.
What functions will the Zillow ChatGPT plugin offer?
Users can use the plugin in one of two ways to find Zillow listings:
- Searching for real estate listings that are “for sale” or “for rent“—or even “recently sold” if users want to see similar listings—can be done. The plugin provides appropriate results based on the search terms entered by users.
- By obtaining information about each property’s properties. Users can request information on a specific property, and the plugin will deliver pertinent data from Zillow.
What is it not capable of?
It cannot represent the user’s interests (such as organizing an in-person tour or contacting a loan officer) and will not offer all the data or capabilities available on Zillow’s site (such as immersive floor plans and 3D Home tours).
What more do I need to know?
The plugin is presently in an early testing stage, giving the Zillow and OpenAI teams the chance to improve the user experience based on feedback from those who are qualified to use it.
Although OpenAI has put in place safeguards to reduce errors and stop inappropriate responses, users should be aware that occasionally the experience might not function exactly as expected. This is true for all ChatGPT plugins that are currently in testing.
The plugin displays search results via Zillow technology, according to the same restrictions and guidelines as Zillow’s website. By doing this, it is made sure that the replies are constrained and adhere to Zillow’s data regulations. The fair housing laws are complied with by Zillow data, and no infractions are present by nature.
Zillow places a high priority on fair housing, and we go to considerable efforts to make sure the data shown on our platform complies with those standards. Zillow has no control over how ChatGPT or others utilize the information, though. Users can ask ChatGPT for information that is not available on Zillow, but the search results won’t come from Zillow’s data.
If you’d like to check out more news about AI, make sure to take a look at the articles below to keep up with the rapidly growing industry.
