Rental portal Zumper launches ’Zoe’ AI assistant

With technology rapidly advancing, Zumper is the latest company in the real estate industry to dive into artificial intelligence (AI) assistants.

The rental portal this week launched an AI assistant named Zoe, which according to the company can answer “virtually any renter question about a property or its neighborhood.” Zoe can also help manage the process of renting an apartment by requesting tours and submitting leads. It is integrated with community listings.

“We want to harness AI to empower both property managers and renters in a whole new way,” Zumper co-founder and CEO Anthemos Georgiades said in a statement. “Zoe is a game-changer for the rental industry — she offers 24/7 support to educate renters, narrow down their search, and help set up their tours. Property managers should expect to receive far better informed and quality Zumper leads when Zoe passes them across.”

Zoe isn’t the first time that Zumper has used AI. Last year, the company announced a plug-in that gives ChatGPT users the ability to search listings within OpenAI’s tool. And in 2021, it launched PowerLeads AI, a tool for leasing teams to anticipate renter behaviors on Zumper’s platform and cultivate higher-quality leads.

Advancements in AI have led to a surge of real estate companies looking to capitalize on the new technology. While uses in the sector vary, AI assistants have become a common addition.

Over the past few years, Zillow has incorporated AI into a number of its products, including home searches, tours, fair housing goals and a “natural language search” assistant. The portal giant has also partnered with Howard Hanna on AI tools for agents.

Zumper is a multifamily rental portal launched in 2012. According to Crunchbase, it received its seventh round of funding at the beginning of 2022. Investors include Kleiner Perkins, Blackstone Group, Goodwater Capital and Dawn Capital, among others.