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Zillow Rentals is making an upgrade to its platform with EliseAI, an artificial-intelligence-powered chatbot that will answer renters’ questions and schedule tours. Conversations with EliseAI will be saved to the Zillow Renter Hub so users can review previous conversations with Elise throughout their rental search.
EliseAI, which is a third-party platform that provides artificial intelligence solutions for housing and healthcare companies, will be integrated into Zillow Rentals by the end of the third quarter, according to an announcement Tuesday.
Michael Sherman
“We want to make it even easier for renters on Zillow to get the information they need right when they need it, something no other rental marketplace is doing today,” Zillow Rentals SVP Michael Sherman said. “It’ll be a smarter, faster experience for renters and a more efficient way for property marketers to connect with serious leads.”
For renters, Zillow Rentals said EliseAI will be able to answer key questions about a rental property, including pricing, unit availability, amenities, the application process, and fees, etc. The bot can also schedule tours and send real-time details and reminders to renters.
On the property manager side, EliseAI will answer prospective renters’ questions around the clock and send automatic follow-ups once a renter asks a question or schedules a tour, all of which are managed through the EliseAI portal.
“We’re excited to be working toward a partnership with Zillow that would bring EliseAI’s industry-leading conversational AI to the very place where today’s renters begin their search: the listing itself,” EliseAI Co-Founder and CEO Minna Song said in a prepared statement. “Together we will empower property owners and operators to work more efficiently while giving renters the seamless, on-demand experience they expect.”
Zillow remains bullish on multifamily, with the company saying Zillow Rentals is outpacing its competitors in traffic and listing growth.
During Q1, Zillow’s rentals revenue grew 33 percent year over year to $129 million — an all-time high for that segment.
“We now have the most listings, 2 million active rental listings on Zillow’s rental network,” Zillow CEO Jeremy Wacksman told Inman in May. “And that’s what drives the audience. We actually have the largest rental audience in the country, 37 million unique visitors come to Zillow Rentals. It’s the number one brand preference because it has the most inventory. No one has them all, but we’re trying to get to as many as possible.”
