Zillow CEO to WSJ: AI is reducing friction in real estate

Zillow® Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Wacksman recently appeared on The Wall Street Journal's "Bold Names" podcast to discuss how artificial intelligence is helping modernize the transaction of buying, selling or renting a home. While today's housing market continues to face pressure from high prices, elevated mortgage rates and limited supply, Wacksman said improving how transactions work presents a meaningful opportunity to make those processes easier.

Artificial intelligence, he said, is playing a central role in that effort.

Applying AI to the home transaction

Zillow has worked with artificial intelligence for nearly two decades, beginning with the launch of the Zestimate®. Today, generative AI tools are being applied throughout the transaction process to streamline communication and simplify complex workflows.

"Generative AI is going to rewire how we all do our jobs," Wacksman said during the interview. In real estate, he added, the technology has "tremendous promise" to remove back-office work and reduce the cognitive load on professionals, allowing them to focus on serving clients.

One example is smart messages, a Follow Up Boss feature that helps agents draft follow-up responses based on prior conversations. Agents have sent millions of messages with the help of AI, improving their response times and staying more organized in the process. The goal, Wacksman said, is to reduce administrative burden so that agents can spend more time advising buyers and sellers.

Real estate transactions involve many parties and require detailed coordination. By easing routine tasks and supporting faster communication, AI is helping professionals operate more efficiently while strengthening the human relationships at the center of every transaction.

Building a more seamless experience with Zillow's housing super app

Central to Zillow's strategy is what Wacksman calls a housing super app, a single digital experience that connects home search, agents, financing and transaction management.

"We have this expectation when we pick up our phone and open an app, you should be able to do everything in the app," he said. "Real estate doesn't work that way yet. That's what we're working on."

Buying or selling a home often involves multiple platforms and disconnected steps. Zillow's goal is to create a more unified experience by allowing a buyer to find a home, connect with an agent, secure financing and manage communication in one place. The company's mortgage business, Zillow Home Loans, supports that integration, giving customers the option to finance through the same platform where they begin their search, if they choose to do so.

Supporting agents with smarter tools

Zillow has also expanded the software it offers to real estate professionals. Many agents use the company's customer relationship management tools to track inquiries, manage follow-ups, oversee transaction management and organize what's in their pipeline. Additional enhancements under the Zillow Pro umbrella are designed to help agents run their businesses more efficiently while delivering a consistent experience to clients.

AI supports that broader vision by helping connect each stage of the process. As communication, documentation and coordination move into a more integrated system, the transaction becomes easier to navigate and more transparent for everyone involved.

Expanding opportunity across housing

Beyond for-sale homes, Zillow aims to build the most comprehensive rental marketplace in the country. Renters often face compressed timelines and major financial decisions, including whether to renew a lease or consider buying. Integrating rental search into the same ecosystem allows consumers to explore options in one place, supported by tools that help them understand affordability and their next steps.

Despite today's constraints, demand for homeownership remains strong across generations. The shortage of homes continues to weigh on affordability, but Wacksman said improving how transactions work can make a meaningful difference now.

"Our job at Zillow is to help those who can [move] and help make it so that more can," he said.

By reducing friction in communication, coordination and financing, AI is becoming foundational to that mission. Modernizing the transaction can make the path to renting, buying or selling more efficient, transparent and consumer friendly.