Buyers now compare homes with AI. How do I get my listing ready?

What has changed in how buyers search?

Buyers can now ask a computer to compare homes for them. On 13 October 2026, Rightmove announced a Comparison Assistant, built with Google Gemini, that sits in its search results. It will reach a limited group of users first before a wider roll-out.

An AI comparison tool is software that reads the details of several listings and answers questions about them in plain language. A buyer can ask which home suits hybrid working, which is more family-friendly, or which is closer to schools, transport and supermarkets.

It is the third tool in Rightmove's Ask Rightmove programme, after a Search Assistant in February 2026 and an Evaluation Assistant in July 2026. In the period to 30 June, users of the Search Assistant spent 40% longer on the portal, saved more than twice as many homes and sent around twice as many enquiries to agents. Rightmove's figures show an association with using the tool, not proof that the tool caused it.

Where does an AI comparison get its information?

From two places. According to the announcement, the tool draws on information supplied by estate and letting agents, plus Rightmove's own property data, Google Maps, Experian schools data and HM Land Registry records.

The map and schools data describe where your home is. Only the listing describes the home itself. If the listing does not mention the garden office, the new boiler or the full-fibre connection, a buyer's comparison cannot count them.

What information does my listing have to include anyway?

Material information is the information an average buyer needs to make an informed decision about a property. National Trading Standards guidance asks agents to show it on listings in three parts.

• Part A, expected from 31 May 2022: council tax band, price and tenure.
• Parts B and C, expected from 30 November 2023: details such as broadband and mobile coverage, parking, utilities, rights of way, restrictions and flood risk.
• An Energy Performance Certificate, which you need before your home is marketed for sale in England and Wales.

Gathering these facts before the valuations does two jobs at once. It keeps your listing complete for the rules, and it gives any comparison tool the facts it needs to put your home forward.

A comparison can only count what the listing tells it. Write the good things down.

How do I get my listing ready before I go on the market?

1. 1. Collect the paperwork facts

   Write down your council tax band, tenure, lease length and charges if leasehold, and the date and rating of your EPC.

2. 2. Test your broadband and mobile signal

   Note your broadband type and the speed you actually get, and which mobile networks work well indoors, because working-from-home buyers ask first.

3. 3. List what has been improved and when

   Note the age of the boiler, roof, windows, kitchen and bathroom, with any certificates or guarantees, so the listing can state them plainly.

4. 4. Describe how each room can be used

   Say which room works as an office, a nursery or a guest room, and which way the garden faces, in words a buyer would search for.

5. 5. Ask every valuing agent how they would present the home

   Ask what they would put in the description, which features they would lead with, and whether they include a floorplan and the full material information.

6. 6. Check the draft listing before it goes live

   Read every line against your notes, correct anything missing or overstated, and ask for it to be fixed before the first buyer sees it.

Should I exaggerate to stand out?

No. Overstating a feature misleads buyers, puts your agent at risk under consumer protection rules, and tends to surface at the viewing or the survey, where it costs you trust and often money. Accurate and complete beats impressive and vague.

How do I choose the agent who will present it best?

Compare their plans, not only their prices. The best agent should win your instruction on the quality of the valuation, the fee and the strategy for presenting your home.

ValuQ gives UK homeowners free, side-by-side property valuations from competing local estate agents. You see each agent's figure, fee and approach on one screen, and they never get your details until you choose to connect.