As the rental market softens, prospective renters are ramping up their expectations. Today’s renters are both tech-savvy and highly selective about the property they choose, and they expect that their search process will mirror the ease of navigating today’s digitized and personalized e-commerce world.
By the time a prospect has arrived to view a property in person, it’s likely that they have:
- Taken a virtual tour or viewed extensive photos
- Mapped the distance to important locations like work, schools, and grocery stores
- Compared the property to others on rental search websites
While these on-site tours have long been considered an important touchpoint in the lead-to-lease process, they take up valuable resources.
The arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) in rental search is poised to balance this dynamic.
At Zillow, the most visited rental network[1], we’re now embedding AI into our platform to help prospects ask better questions sooner to guide their search — like whether they can qualify for a place based on their savings and hourly income, how difficult the commute to work would be, or the ways in which multiple properties compare.
“For operators, the goal of Zillow’s new AI mode is to give them visibility into how renters are thinking earlier in the funnel — the questions they're asking, the tradeoffs they're weighing — before a lead is ever generated,” says Jon Lim, Senior Vice President of Product, Zillow Rentals. “That type of signal has never existed in traditional search.”
This article outlines how Zillow AI mode’s guided intelligence turns prospects’ pre-visit research into a dynamic conversation that connects them with properties that truly meet their needs while also allowing property managers to optimize their listings and prospect engagement for this new, AI-powered era of search.
AI enters the rental search process
When implemented thoughtfully and carefully, AI can help property managers dial back the complexity and stress prospects experience when searching for a rental property.
By exploring listings conversationally rather than through a mess of filters, toggles, and tabs, prospective renters can start their searches with the questions that matter most to them, like:
“I’m moving to [City] in August. I need to rent a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment within a 10-minute drive to [Workplace Address]. I also want to be within walking distance of a grocery store. Share the top three neighborhoods I should consider and average prices for each.”
Or
“I’m looking for a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment for 2 kids, 1 grandparent, and 1 adult. Monthly rent needs to be [Cost] or less. It must be in [School District] and close to a park. Must also be pet-friendly.”
Zillow AI mode draws on a wide range of information from across the web to answer broad questions such as neighborhood context, commute times, and affordability. For property-specific questions, such as unit details, pet policies, and availability, it uses data the property provided in the listing.
“The more complete and accurate that information is, the better equipped the AI is to answer those questions convincingly and get a renter to the point where they're ready to move forward,” Lim says. “Managers don't have to actively do anything new, but the quality of their listing data directly affects how well the experience works for their properties.”
How to prepare rental listings for AI search
The introduction of AI to help prospects self-qualify raises the stakes for property managers to ensure their listing data is comprehensive. Lim recommends property managers:
- Audit their listing data. Make sure it's complete and accurate so the AI can alert prospects who are a good fit. That includes detailed information on amenities, policies, and pricing, along with photos.
- Watch how AI is evolving search. Managers who understand how renter behavior is shifting will be better positioned to adjust their prospect outreach and tenant engagement strategies.
- Be ready for better prospects. The AI-powered evolution of search is increasing the odds that prospects who reach out to properties today are higher-intent leads than they were previously.
In addition to helping prospects focus their search, AI mode also guides them to the next steps, such as scheduling a tour or contacting the property. The tool also evaluates queries and responses in real time, redirecting or flagging for human intervention any interactions that could be discriminatory. From there, the leasing team takes over the conversation, and the prospect flows through the existing lead process.
“Think of it less as a new handoff and more as a better-prepared renter arriving at the same door,” Lim said.
The future of rental search is here
Lim and his team at Zillow are still in the early stages of rolling out AI mode, but the behavioral patterns they’ve observed so far are promising:
“Renters are asking questions we've never had visibility into before,” Lim says. “That's a different kind of search behavior than toggling filters. And it's happening earlier in the process, which means by the time they reach out, they're already very close to making a decision,” he says. “That's better for everyone.”
To learn more about how Zillow’s AI mode is personalizing the rental search process and what it is revealing about the factors that matter most to prospects when searching for a property, visit Zillow.com.
[1] Visits measured through Comscore Media Metrix® Multi-Platform: Custom-defined list: Zillow Rentals Expanded Network, Apartments.com Network, Apartment List Sites, and Zumper Inc, Total Visits, Jan 2025-Dec 2025, U.S.
