The landscape of buying a home in the UK is undergoing a quiet revolution, driven not by estate agents but by algorithms. While Rightmove and Zoopla have long dominated the online property portal market, a new wave of AI-powered smartphone applications is emerging, promising a more intuitive and detailed search for your next property.
Beyond Keywords: The New AI Property Hunters
Traditional portals often rely on rigid filters like location, price, and bedroom count. Critics argue this can be limiting, failing to capture the nuanced lifestyle needs of modern buyers. In response, several innovative apps have launched in recent months, leveraging artificial intelligence to interpret natural language and complex preferences.
One standout is Jitty, backed by Google's AI fund, Gradient Ventures. It uses large-language model (LLM) technology, allowing users to search with detailed criteria such as desired distance from a train station or top-rated schools. The app intelligently analyses floor plans, photos, and descriptions from across the web to compile relevant listings.
Another novel approach comes from The Property DriveBuy app. It utilises geo-technology, enabling users to discover homes for sale in real-time as they drive or walk through neighbourhoods they like. Currently focused on London and the Home Counties, the app plans a nationwide rollout.
Voice Search and Personal Assistants
The integration of AI is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Mappa, currently in testing around London, features an AI assistant named 'Hunter'. Users can state their preferences for property type, size, and maximum commute time. Hunter then generates a map of suitable homes, ranked by proximity to amenities like shops and schools.
Meanwhile, MyPorta, founded by ex-Zoopla director Mal McCallion and set for an early 2026 launch, will incorporate AI voice search. Prospective buyers and renters can query the app about property features, broadband speeds, and even pricing before booking a viewing through an integrated chatbot.
For the prime London market, HomeHapp AI offers multi-language support, allowing international buyers to make specific requests by area and budget to receive a tailored shortlist.
The Human Element: Why Algorithms Aren't Everything
Despite these technological advances, industry experts caution against relying solely on apps. Paula Higgins, chief executive of the HomeOwners Alliance, acknowledges the benefits of these "buyer-led" platforms with smarter, lifestyle-based filters. "Used well, they can help buyers better understand local markets and uncover opportunities they might otherwise miss," she notes.
However, she emphasises a crucial reality: "Agents still control access to most properties." The most desirable homes are frequently offered to serious, prepared buyers before ever appearing online. Higgins advises that in a competitive market, building relationships with local agents and demonstrating you are a credible, proceedable buyer remains paramount. "Apps can support your search, but relationships still matter more than algorithms," she concludes.
The established giants are not standing still either. Both Rightmove and Zoopla have introduced their own AI tools recently, including enhanced visual filters that let buyers virtually stage properties with their own furniture.
For now, while these new AI property search apps offer powerful tools to refine the hunt, the defining moment in a property purchase—securing the viewing and making the offer—still often hinges on that irreplaceable human connection.
