In an industry where search tools typically require typing filters into forms, Builders Update is testing a conversational alternative. The national new construction database has introduced Home Scout, a tool that allows agents and buyers to describe their desired home in plain language, either in English or Spanish, without the need to type.
Bill Gaul, CEO of Builders Update and chair of the RESO Data Dictionary New Construction Subcommittee, explained that the tool was designed for those who prefer speaking over typing. Users can simply say, for example, that they need a three-bedroom, two-bath home in a specific zip code, even while driving, and Home Scout responds conversationally.
One of the standout features is its bilingual capability, which automatically switches between English and Spanish based on the user's language. “It doesn’t even ask if you want Spanish. If you start speaking Spanish, it responds in Spanish,” Gaul said, emphasizing that the translation aims to sound natural rather than mechanical. This functionality has attracted significant interest in markets with large Spanish-speaking populations, including Miami, San Diego, and border regions.
The tool is accessible on the company’s website. After a search, results including floor plans, property details, and photos are delivered to the user's inbox. “By the time that person parks the car, the floor plans and the pictures are in their inbox,” Gaul noted. Agents can then forward these results to clients in two formats: a full agent view that includes the address and builder name, or a buyer-facing view that shows photos, floor plans, and pricing without the address or builder information.
This dual-version approach reflects the platform’s agent-centric model. Detailed listing information is reserved for licensed agents, and buyers are registered through their agents rather than bypassing them. The platform also offers electronic buyer registration, which allows builders to confirm that a buyer is not already in their system, thereby protecting the agent's commission claim if the buyer later makes a purchase. Gaul described this registration process, part of the company's patent, as a way to keep the agent's role transparent and protected. “We’re trying to inject the agent into the process,” he said.
Adoption of the tool is still in its early stages. Gaul acknowledged that even where it has been available for some time, some agents have yet to try it, and a current focus is encouraging them to engage with it. The platform currently serves more than 860,000 agents nationwide.
