Rightmove is expanding its use of artificial intelligence with a new tool that allows buyers and renters to compare properties side by side and ask questions about homes and local areas.
The portal’s latest AI-powered Comparison Assistant, developed using Google Gemini, will sit directly within property search results.
It will allow users to compare multiple properties without switching between individual listings.
Buyers and renters can ask questions beyond traditional search filters, including which home is better suited to hybrid working, which offers more family-friendly features or how outdoor space compares.
Users can also create their own comparison criteria, covering factors such as nearby schools, transport links, supermarkets and home-working facilities.
The tool draws on information supplied by estate and letting agents, alongside Rightmove’s property data, Google Maps, Experian schools data and Land Registry records.
For agents, the development could make property descriptions and individual selling points more prominent during the search process.
AI users generate twice as many agent leads
Rightmove claims its existing AI search tools are already encouraging greater engagement from prospective buyers and tenants.
In the period to 30 June, users of its Ask Rightmove Search Assistant spent 40% longer on the portal than those who did not use the feature.
They also saved more than twice as many properties and generated around twice as many leads for agents.
However, the figures show an association between AI use and engagement rather than proving that the technology caused the increase.
The Comparison Assistant is the third feature in Rightmove’s Ask Rightmove programme.
The portal introduced its AI Search Assistant through the homepage search bar in February, followed by an Evaluation Assistant within individual property listings in July.
The latest tool will initially be available to a limited group of users before a wider rollout.
Tarah Lourens, chief technology and operations officer at Rightmove, said: “Our latest AI-powered development helps movers better understand the differences between properties and identify the homes that best fit their needs, making the search process more informed and efficient.
“At the same time, it helps our partners bring property listings to life by making key features more discoverable and meaningful to potential buyers and renters.”
Maureen Costello, vice president, UKI and SSA at Google Cloud, added: “By enabling movers to compare homes side by side and explore local communities conversationally, this feature strips friction out of the moving process.”
The launch marks another step in Rightmove’s efforts to integrate AI into property searches, potentially changing how buyers and renters discover listings and decide which agents to contact.
