Navigating the housing market often means tackling a mountain of unfamiliar real estate terms, complex tax programs, and fluctuating mortgage rates. But today’s home shoppers on Realtor.com® have new tools to answer tough questions.
Launched this week, RealAssist AI is a homebuying assistant tool built in collaboration with Google’s Gemini and Google Cloud. It’s designed to turn answer complex real estate questions in effortless, natural conversations.
RealAssist guides consumers all the way through their questions, helps them explore properties, and connects them with local agents.
Here is a look at the some of the top questions users are asking RealAssist AI on Realtor.com—and the types of insights the tool can provide.
Questions about price and valuation
Many people have been asking RealAssist what the average price per square foot is likely to be for homes in their area. According to Realtor.com data, the median listing price per square foot in the United States is $228 as of June 2026.
However, price per square foot can vary dramatically in different parts of the country, and also varies based on factors such as lot size and condition of the home.
Still, knowing the cost per square foot on a typical home in your area can help you determine whether a listing is a bargain or potentially overpriced.
Other common questions related to price and valuation relate to whether a specific property was impacted by flooding and what repairs would be needed. While it can be difficult to tell if a home was impacted by flooding directly from a listing, Realtor.com listings do include an Environmental Risk section at the bottom of each listing page, which includes flood risk ratings.
These diagnostic tools help provide a picture of potential risks. However, to learn more about a property’s flood history, you often must contact the listed real estate agent or local floodplain official.
Users have also asked RealAssist if solar panels increase home value. The short answer is yes. Homes equipped with some sort of solar system typically sell for 4.1% more than homes without.
However, not all solar panels are created equal. Solar panels that are fully owned place sellers in the best position for maximum benefits, while leased solar panels can create a difficult transfer process when a home is sold.
Solar panels have become increasingly popular in the last decade, as installations have grown almost 30%, according to research from the Solar Energy Industries Association.
Another question RealAssist has received from users is why a home might be priced well below the estimated value.
The assistant tool is able to break down how a particular home compares to median home prices in a market area, as well as explain the range of estimates provided by the automated valuation models that show up on Realtor.com listing pages.
If a home is priced well outside the range provided by the automated models, it might bear further investigation.
Questions about rezoning restrictions
RealAssist also got questions relating to rezoning restrictions. A common question asked what exactly the rezoning process is for a particular property.
The rezoning process is a legal procedure that changes how a piece of land can be utilized. This process typically includes an application submission, review, and a public hearing. One common example of rezoning is changing a property from commercial use to residential use and vice versa.
People also asked if a lot can be subdivided or have an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) added to it. Subdividing a lot means splitting a piece of land into two or more separate parcels.
Homebuyers who are curious about this option can check out their local zoning rules or hire a surveyor before applying for municipal approval.
An ADU is a separate living space that is on the same property as the main residence. Oftentimes this looks like a smaller, unattached living space that can be rented out for an additional income, or for personal use.
Questions about taxes and mortgage programs
Other common questions related to taxes or federally backed mortgage programs.
Some home shoppers also asked for help finding properties to use in a 1031 exchange. A 1031 exchange is a common tax-saving strategy used by real estate investors to delay paying capital gains taxes on profits from the same of a property.
Section 1031 if the IRS code allows the seller of an investment property to postpone paying capital gains by instead using the proceeds from that property to purchase a “like-kind” replacement investment property.
It is unlikely that a homeowner’s primary residence could use a 1031 exchange.
RealAssist also received questions about VA loans. VA loans are zero-down-payment mortgage options for eligible veterans, military members, and their surviving spouses. These loans are backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and are issued by private lenders.
There are also VA assumable loans, which are already existing VA loans that a buyer can take over from a seller. While there is no official way to see all of the VA assumable loans in your neighborhood, homebuyers can ask RealAssist to search for any VA loan property details in the listing description description.
Eligible buyers will have to pay a one-time VA funding fee, typically between 0.5% and 3.3% of your total loan amount. The funding fee replaces monthly mortgage insurance and helps keep the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs up and running.
Finally, some home shoppers asked RealAssist is what the FHA 203(k) requirements are. An FHA 203(k) is a type of loan that is insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).
This loan allows homeowners to add any renovation costs a home might need into their mortgage, and the borrowed amount is determined by both the price of the home and the price of repairs.
To qualify, you’ll typically need a credit score of 580 or higher, with a maximum debt-to-income ratio of 43%, and be able to make a down payment of 3.5%. FHA loans do have a different cap amount that varies depending on location, which can be checked on the FHA Mortgage Limits website.
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