CoStar Group has introduced Apartments.com AI, a new conversational search tool designed to help renters find and compare homes by asking questions in everyday language. The product is now available on Apartments.com and is meant to make apartment hunting feel less like sorting through filters and more like speaking with a search assistant.
The company said users can describe what they want in their own words instead of selecting options from traditional search menus. The tool draws on Apartments.com data covering properties, pricing and neighborhoods, and it can respond to questions about listings, compare apartment communities and help guide users through Matterport 3D tours. It also connects renters with leasing teams when they are ready to reach out.
CoStar framed the launch as part of a broader push into AI-based search products. Apartments.com AI follows the release of Homes AI earlier this year, a conversational search experience for residential buyers. Together, the two products suggest CoStar is applying similar language-driven search features across different parts of the home-finding process.
CoStar founder and CEO Andy Florance said in the announcement that apartment searches have changed far less than many other consumer experiences, even though the decision itself is significant for renters. He described the new tool as a move away from static listings toward a more guided exchange that can act like a rental advisor.
Florance also said the company believes combining AI with its multifamily data can help it better understand renter preferences and surface options more quickly. According to CoStar, that should allow users to evaluate choices with more confidence and precision.
The launch comes as real estate companies increasingly promote AI tools that aim to simplify search, communication and transaction workflows. In the rental market, where consumers often face large inventories and limited time, companies are looking for ways to make listings easier to navigate and more personalized.
Apartments.com AI is one of several recent technology announcements in the real estate industry focused on automation and data-driven efficiency. While some tools are intended for agents, association staff or brokerages, CoStar’s product is aimed directly at consumers searching for a place to live.
For renters, the key change is the ability to ask questions in plain language. Instead of building a search from scratch through multiple filters, a user can describe a lifestyle preference, neighborhood need or budget constraint and receive a response based on the platform’s data. The company said the product can also help users compare communities side by side, which may reduce the time spent moving between listings.
CoStar did not announce pricing details or a separate subscription requirement for the new feature. The company said the tool is part of its investment in AI-powered search experiences across its residential platforms.
As apartment search becomes more conversational, Apartments.com is positioning itself as a consumer-facing test case for how AI might reshape rental discovery. The company is betting that renters will prefer a search experience that behaves less like a database and more like an assistant.