In an industry where search tools often require typing filters into forms, Builders Update is testing a different approach: letting users simply talk. The national new construction database has introduced Home Scout, a tool that enables agents and buyers to describe their desired home in plain language, bypassing traditional form-based searches.
“It was created for people who don’t like to type. They can just talk to it,” says Bill Gaul, CEO of Builders Update and chair of the RESO Data Dictionary New Construction Subcommittee. For example, a user might say they need a three-bedroom, two-bath home in a particular zip code, even while driving, and the tool responds conversationally.
What distinguishes Home Scout is its bilingual capability, functioning in both English and Spanish and switching automatically 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 explains, noting the translation aims to sound natural rather than mechanical. This feature 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, 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 says. Agents can forward these results to clients in two versions: a full agent view with address and builder name, or a buyer-facing view that omits the address and builder but includes photos, floor plans, and pricing.
This dual-version design underscores the platform's agent-centric model. Detailed listing information is reserved for licensed agents, and buyers register through their agent rather than independently. 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 purchases. Gaul describes this registration process, part of the company's patent, as a means to keep the agent's role transparent and protected. “We’re trying to inject the agent into the process,” he says.
Adoption of Home Scout is still in its early stages. Gaul acknowledges that even where the tool has been available, some agents have not tried it, and part of the current effort is to encourage them to experiment with it. The platform currently serves more than 860,000 agents nationwide.
The introduction of voice search in multiple languages represents a step forward in making new construction data more accessible, potentially reducing friction for Spanish-speaking buyers and agents. By allowing hands-free, conversational search, Home Scout could change how real estate professionals interact with listing databases, making the search process more intuitive and efficient. As the tool gains traction, it may prompt other platforms to consider voice-activated, multilingual interfaces to meet the evolving needs of a diverse user base.
