Trade Me Property has launched an AI-powered conversational search tool that allows house hunters to chat their way to a new home.
The new feature means traditional filters can be ditched. Instead, users can describe exactly what they want in their own words – whether that’s a house on a sunny section on Auckland’s North Shore close to a main bus route, or a character cottage in Oamaru.
Instead of simply generating a static list of results, the technology facilitates a live, two-way conversation. This means users can dynamically refine, alter, and narrow search parameters as they go. Alan Clark, Head of Property at Trade Me mentions the conversational search tool is the next step in Trade Me Property’s AI journey.
“When Trade Me Property launched, house hunting revolved around basic features. Today, we know that finding a home is about so much more than just ticking boxes for bedrooms and bathrooms.
“Real life is full of nuance. People want to know if a home is in their target school zone, what the morning commute looks like, and if it’s close to their favourite café or gym.
“We’re proud to bring this conversational search technology to New Zealand real estate. We’ve spent a lot of time testing it with users to make sure it works the way we naturally speak.”
Alan Clark, Head of Property, Trade Me
Alan adds that the feature opens highly specific searches that were previously impossible on traditional platforms.
“At the end of the day, we want to help Kiwi find their dream home. And if that dream home includes being within walking distance of a fried chicken joint, this tech enables those real-world searches.” Alan Clark, Head of Property, Trade Me
Alan Clark, Head of Property, Trade Me
The new conversational search tool is now available to all Trade Me Property users and operates in a chat window on the platform in addition to Trade Me’s core search experience.
Earlier this year, it became the first New Zealand company to launch a custom ChatGPT app, bringing its market leading inventory directly into conversational AI.
