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Lundy, which launched into voice-based home search to assist visually impaired homebuyers, has signed an agreement to work with Barcelona, Spain’s Restb.ai, an industry leader in computer vision-based artificial intelligence, Inman learned in an exclusive press release.
Lundy’s application, Finding Homes Pro, works in close concert with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant to deliver listing information in response to detailed, natural-language-based search. By integrating with Restb.ai’s proven AI, Lundy’s application should quickly enhance its overall accuracy in search returns, including being more specific about home characteristics specific to the needs of visually impaired homebuyers.
Restb..ai won the Inman Innovator Award for “Top Technology” in 2023.
Multiple Listing Services already deploying Restb.ai’s image data tools will be able to provide a Lundy account to members, according to the release. Restb.ai has been making inroads with MLS providers in recent years, which rely on its property photo software to quickly populate listing sheets, identify non-compliant photos and more accurately create listing descriptions, among other long-range benefits, such as identifying marketing trends.
Lundy users’ verbal searches will return data from Restb.ai’s more than 700 search insights, which will make property discussions more informed, faster and in tune with buyers’ needs. The more often a search is engaged, the more intelligent the return.
Inman reported in September that the computer vision software firm Restb.ai expanded its reach to 17 new multiple listing services in New York, Rhode Island, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Minnesota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, California and British Columbia during the first half of 2024, growing its reach to more than 720,000 MLS members across the U.S. and Canada.
Inman reviewed Lundy initially in 2023 and again in spring 2024.
“Upon its initial launch last year, Finding Homes was limited by the search fields of its partner MLSs, a verbal version of what most do today to narrow down options. Finding Homes provides a respite from dependence for those unable to scroll, type, click or view online tours like the majority of us do, simple mundane chores we don’t think twice about performing. No person wants to rely on another to do that for them; it’s constricting,” the review said.
With the direct connection to Restb.ai’s AI, Lundy’s reach into its market should scale rapidly.
“Our mission is to provide the most comprehensive search engine available by voice to ensure the homebuying journey is accessible to everyone,” said Justin Lundy, CEO of Lundy, Inc., in the release. “By joining forces with Restb.ai to leverage their market-leading computer vision technology, we’re dramatically advancing our efforts at Lundy to make voice search a staple feature for every MLS. Together, we’re setting a new standard for accessibility and user-friendly technology.”
Lundy’s value proposition is rooted in its founder’s personal experience with the challenges it aims to solve, and the Centers for Disease Control backs him.
The organization’s 2022 National Health Interview Survey found that more than 50 million American adults experience some degree of vision loss, including nearly four million individuals who struggle to see even with corrective lenses and 340,000 who are blind. The report also stated that just under 46 million adults have trouble with their vision, even with glasses.
About its latest collaboration, Restb.ai’s General Manager of MLS, said it marks a “significant step forward” for the industry.
“It helps MLSs unlock the full power of our computer vision and paves the way for AI-powered search tools to become an integral part of the home buying experience,” he said. “This is a great example of two complementary technologies coming together to better serve the customer; the whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts.”
