Can Your Home Be Coded To Perfection?

The search for a home in India has been a deeply personal, often emotional, and physically exhausting journey. The process involves countless site visits, negotiations, and a bit of intuition and word-of-mouth recommendation. But that tradition is changing as AI is sweeping through the real estate sector.

AI is ushering in transparency and efficiency, empowering buyers with more information than before.

However, as the algorithms get smarter, a fundamental question lingers: can technology built on logic and data truly capture the emotional essence that goes into homebuying. What about the privacy concerns, accuracy and regulation?

Design: Humans First

While AI promises speed and efficiency, many developers argue that the human element remains at the heart of good design.

For Ajitesh Korupolu, founder and CEO of ASBL, a real estate development company, the process starts with people, not technology. His team spends time with families, mapping their routines, frustrations, and aspirations before the first design sketch is made. For instance, some family may demand for two master bedrooms, the second for the parents, a configuration rarely offered by developers, but common in multi-generational households.

“That decision comes from empathy, not AI. Technology, whether it’s AI or other tools, comes in later to make execution faster and more precise. Tools can help us test and refine plans, but the insight into how a space should feel comes from human observation,” he says.

Design basically relies on human intervention first. While AI can produce countless layouts in a matter of minutes, good design is grounded in comfort, privacy, and connection, qualities that require local knowledge, says Korupolu.

Advanced tools like sun path analysis and wind flow studies are already well established, ensuring natural light and ventilation without the resident ever having to think about it. “That’s not a tech trick; that’s design rooted in intent,” he says.

Discovery: AI Making Inroads

AI is proving to be a powerful ally in the search process for homebuyers. Vivek Agarwal, co-founder and CTO of Square Yards, a real estate aggregator, says AI is making property valuation and discovery more transparent and immersive.

“AI-based reports offer clear, evidence-based valuations that form a strong foundation for decision-making. These insights are further supported by AI-enabled digitisation processes, making property information easy to access, verify, and share,” he says.

The real-world metaverses that AI can create also allow customers to explore real estate projects, view building data, and assess routes from key landmarks. This immersive experience, Agarwal says, is redefining property discovery by providing crucial spatial context and advanced visualisation.

For those buying into new projects, a few platforms use digital twins, live 3D models to show buyers the project’s real-time progress and keep them updated without needing to visit the site every other week.

Visualisation works for non-resident Indian (NRI) clients. Previously, they had to rely on grainy photos, friend’s opinion, or a broker’s word. But with advancement in technology, that geographical gap is closing, offering confidence and clarity to buyers based abroad.

“Buyers can now virtually walk through a property, gaining a true sense of scale and space from our 3D models. This builds confidence and greatly influences investment decisions from abroad,” says Agarwal.

But that AI capability needs to be backed by expert advisors who come with “in-depth market knowledge and negotiation expertise”, he adds.

Algorithms can misinterpret context, undervalue intangible factors such as neighbourhood, and often rely on incomplete datasets. Human expertise remains crucial to verify insights and negotiate terms.

Decision: AI Data Analysis

The biggest contribution of AI is data analysis, from recent sales data and neighbourhood trends to even a project’s construction quality to give you a more accurate price estimate.

Harinder Dhillon, national sales head, BPTP, a real estate developer, says, “AI valuations are useful as they give a sense of price trends and demand patterns. However, most buyers still cross-check with channels, friends, and their own market feel for larger investments.”

Screening: AI Does Legwork

For Owner Letting Out A House: One of the biggest challenges for homeowners is finding a reliable tenant. AI platforms can help with screening by analysing a prospective tenant’s background, verifying details, such as past payment history, job stability, rent credit score and so on. Platforms like Helloverify, RentenPe, Score10 (Beatroot Finserv) are one of the few mediums that are giving this facility to owners.

Says Sarika Shetty, co-founder and CEO, RentenPe, a Rent Credit Score platform: “Using machine learning models trained on large datasets, AI assigns risk scores to tenants and flags early warning signs of potential default. These models use algorithms to detect anomalies like late payments and assign a risk score based on past tenant behaviour. The Rent Credit Score helps landlords identify high-risk tenants early.”

Once you have a tenant, AI can automate rent reminders and collection. Some advanced systems even help with predictive maintenance by analysing data from a property to flag major repairs.

For Tenants: Finding a house on rent often meant scrolling through endless listings and making dozens of phone calls. Now, tenants can type in something as specific as “Find me a pet-friendly 2BHK with a balcony near the metro station in Gurgaon” on an AI-powered platforms to get tailored results within seconds. Many of these apps also offer virtual tours.

But how well does this actually work? The effectiveness depends on the platform and the quality of the data it pulls from. Some apps report faster matches and lower drop-off rates, but the tools are still evolving.

There’s also a flip side: landlords can screen tenants, but it’s not always the other way round for tenants.

The Risks

AI tools are only as good as the market data they get; outdated or patchy inputs can throw off valuations and insights.

Two, they can miss the cultural context. Indian lifestyle needs like Vastu, joint-family layouts, or kitchen separation aren’t always captured accurately. Three, AI won’t always flag zoning disputes, builder liabilities, title deed or other legal issues the way a legal expert can.

Four, there are privacy concerns. Property platforms collect sensitive personal and financial data, and not all disclose how securely it’s stored. At present, there isn’t a single regulator watching AI use in real estate. The Real Estate Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA) covers project disclosures, and India’s IT Act and upcoming Digital Personal Data Protection Act lays out some rules on how companies handle user data, but enforcement is patchy. “We are in a grey zone. Platforms are collecting a huge amount of personal data, but there is no sector-specific watchdog ensuring how it’s stored or used,” says Delhi-based advocate Paras Joshi, managing partner, Verdienta Law

Five, AI cannot substitute human intuition. A tool can model sunlight and floor plans, but it cannot judge a neighbourhood’s liveability or a builder’s on-ground reputation.

Says Abhijith Ramapriyan, CEO, buildAhome, a construction company involved in-house services from design to completion: “While AI provides precision and speed, the heart of a home still emanates from human intuition; architects bring empathy, cultural sensitivity, and creativity to convert data-driven designs into spaces that feel personal and special.” Adds Korupolu: “Humans should design for humans, but technology can help us deliver that design on time.”

For all its precision, AI in real estate is still a tool, not a substitute for trust, cultural fit, or a buyer’s instincts. As developers test its limits and buyers learn to navigate its dashboards, the most successful outcomes from AI’s use in the real estate may come from a hybrid approach, where data handles the heavy lifting, and people make the final call.

Where AI Fits For Buyers

For homebuyers and investors, AI can assist at several points:

Property Search

Recommendation engines cut down time spent sorting through irrelevant listings.

Remote Viewing

AR/VR walkthroughs are especially valuable for NRIs or interstate buyers.

Valuation Checks

AI-generated reports provide an evidence base to compare with market quotes.

Design Planning

Tools that adapt layouts for cultural or functional needs can prevent costly redesigns later.

Project Monitoring

Digital twins and live updates allow buyers to track progress without multiple site visits.

Source: OLM Research

Real Estate AI Tools

HouseGPT

Understands natural language searches, delivers personalised matches, checks Vastu compliance, and shows live price trends, among others.

NoBroker’s Rent-o-Meter & Travel Time Search

Predicts fair rent prices and calculates commute times to workplaces, schools, or key landmarks.

RentenPe

Uses AI to flag potential rent payment risks before they happen, giving landlords time to act.

AiHouse India

Turns sketches or photos into photorealistic 3D interiors within minutes.

Planner 5D & Homestyler

Easy drag-and-drop platforms for creating floor plans and experimenting with furniture layouts.

Magicplan

Uses your phone’s camera and AR to scan rooms and generate accurate 2D/3D floor plans.

Source: OLM Research

shivangini@outlookindia.com