A "Netflix" for Real Estate?

• August 15th 2018

by Nena Perry-Brown

Move over, Google Streetview. Real estate listings-and-industry-insights site Trulia is aiming to give users a more holistic experience of what it's like to live in a neighborhood.

Fast Company reports that the Zillow-owned company is rolling out Trulia Neighborhoods, a service which compiles photos and resident quotes, factoids and drone footage to provide people a window into various locales and give them a sense of what it's like to live there.

The feature is intended as a one-stop shop for prospective homebuyers who would typically have to toggle between different sites to find listings, transit info, crime reports, school statistics and a look at various blocks. Recent surveys Trulia conducted showed that 84 percent of people looking to move in the next 18 months cited neighborhoods as equally or more important than the home itself — and that 40 percent of people regretted moving to a neighborhood three years after buying.

Trulia is currently deploying photographers and videographers in cities throughout the country in order to amass images and infographics for users to swipe through like a slideshow. The images are also organized by various categories to let users view photos of and comments on neighborhood amenities, architectural styles, goods, services and experiences.

There is also a section dubbed “What Locals Say”, allowing Trulia to leverage the data and reviews its users already submit to the site. Human moderators screen the comments to ensure they follow community guidelines. Eventually, Trulia hopes to use artificial intelligence to learn users' preferences and make suggestions based on their preferences — hence the Netflix comparison.

Yesterday, the Neighborhoods feature launched in 300 neighborhoods throughout the cities of San Francisco, San Jose, Chicago, Oakland and Austin; other cities will follow on a rolling basis. 

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/a-netflix-for-real-estate/14318.