New York’s real estate industry is embracing a silent revolution — and it’s happening right under our noses.
Meet Emily, Brook and Maya, the AI assistants quietly changing the way New Yorkers find their dream homes.
Nilanka Sandanayake, a Las Vegas native looking to make the leap to the Big Apple, had a seemingly smooth transition in the works.
He was in touch with Emily, an in-house leasing agent at the Biltmore on West 47th Street, who was helping him set up tours and answering his every query.
Or so he thought.
It turns out that Emily was no human — but rather a cutting-edge AI assistant, he told Curbed.
Sandanayake’s experience is not unique; New Yorkers are unknowingly conversing with bots when seeking their next abode.
AI assistants are quietly changing the way New Yorkers find their dream homes.Tiagozr
Another apartment hunter, sharing their story on Reddit, discovered the same phenomenon.
They were set to meet an agent on the Upper East Side, only to be informed by the doorman that the agent was actually an AI assistant. This chatbot, with its human-like responsiveness, managed to convince them otherwise.
The rise of AI in real estate is proving highly lucrative. Elise AI, a New York startup offering an AI platform for tenant interactions, recently secured a whopping $35 million in Series C funding.
Their platform is used in approximately 30,000 units across 250 buildings in the city, with a new voice product that mimics human conversation.
Most users are blissfully unaware they’re talking to an AI device, often showering it with compliments, even asking it out on dates.
New York startups with a focus on Artificial Intelligence in real estate is raising funding at rapid pace. Getty Images
Francesca Loftus, Elise’s head of operations, notes that these interactions mostly happen after regular work hours, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., assisting the human agents who require rest to power their own systems.
But Elise AI isn’t alone in the race.
Douglas Elliman’s Eklund-Gomes team recently unveiled “Maya,” an AI assistant reminiscent of ChatGPT.
Maya, described as “captivating” by her creators, is the culmination of years of development and significant investment.
While her interactions may seem like standard customer service exchanges, her allure lies in her ability to always respond promptly.
Many New Yorkers are unaware that when shopping for a home, they are not actually speaking with a human — but a robot. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Some may find it unsettling that a non-existent woman is considered an ideal broker interface, but there’s an undeniable advantage — she actually responds.
Many New York City brokers have been notorious for their unresponsiveness. Sandanayake, who interacted with both AI and human agents, commented, “Sometimes I wouldn’t get a response at all.”
In a city where time is of the essence, these AI assistants are making their mark.
As the real estate industry in New York City quietly embraces the digital age, it seems that the robots have indeed arrived, and they’re here to help you find your perfect apartment, 24/7.
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