29 December 2025, 05:23 PM
For a long time, real estate platforms in India followed a very simple model. A property listing, a few photos, and a phone number of an agent were considered enough. Most of the real decision-making happened offline—site visits, local references, and agent discussions. That approach still exists today, but it feels like it’s slowly losing relevance, especially in urban markets.
Over the last couple of years, user behavior has changed noticeably. Buyers and renters now spend more time researching online before making the first call. They compare multiple properties, check pricing across localities, and try to narrow down options on their own. Because of this shift, features like AI-based recommendations, smart filters, price insights, and even virtual property tours are becoming more common across many platforms.
What’s interesting is that these features aren’t always seen as “advanced technology” by users. In many cases, they’re just tools that reduce effort. Instead of visiting ten properties, users try to shortlist three. Instead of calling multiple agents, they want clearer information upfront. In that sense, PropTech is solving a practical problem, not just adding innovation for the sake of it.
That said, I’m still unsure whether this expectation will become universal across India by 2026. Metro cities and fast-growing Tier-2 cities are clearly moving towards this model. Users there are comfortable with digital tools and expect platforms to save them time. But in smaller towns and semi-urban areas, real estate is still very relationship-driven. Local agents, word-of-mouth, and physical visits play a big role. Even so, better photos, videos, WhatsApp sharing, and cleaner interfaces already seem to influence trust.
From a product or founder perspective, this creates an interesting challenge. Not every platform can—or should—build everything. Some may focus on AI-driven discovery, while others may prioritize verified listings, transparency, or regional language support. The question becomes: which features actually improve user engagement and which simply look good on paper?
So I wanted to hear from people here who are building, using, or closely following real estate platforms:
Over the last couple of years, user behavior has changed noticeably. Buyers and renters now spend more time researching online before making the first call. They compare multiple properties, check pricing across localities, and try to narrow down options on their own. Because of this shift, features like AI-based recommendations, smart filters, price insights, and even virtual property tours are becoming more common across many platforms.
What’s interesting is that these features aren’t always seen as “advanced technology” by users. In many cases, they’re just tools that reduce effort. Instead of visiting ten properties, users try to shortlist three. Instead of calling multiple agents, they want clearer information upfront. In that sense, PropTech is solving a practical problem, not just adding innovation for the sake of it.
That said, I’m still unsure whether this expectation will become universal across India by 2026. Metro cities and fast-growing Tier-2 cities are clearly moving towards this model. Users there are comfortable with digital tools and expect platforms to save them time. But in smaller towns and semi-urban areas, real estate is still very relationship-driven. Local agents, word-of-mouth, and physical visits play a big role. Even so, better photos, videos, WhatsApp sharing, and cleaner interfaces already seem to influence trust.
From a product or founder perspective, this creates an interesting challenge. Not every platform can—or should—build everything. Some may focus on AI-driven discovery, while others may prioritize verified listings, transparency, or regional language support. The question becomes: which features actually improve user engagement and which simply look good on paper?
So I wanted to hear from people here who are building, using, or closely following real estate platforms:
- Do you think AI-based recommendations and virtual tours will become basic expectations for Indian users by 2026?
- Will traditional listing-only platforms survive alongside PropTech-heavy ones?
- And from real experience, which feature has made the biggest difference in user trust or conversion?