Event: How data and AI will shape new homes sales in 2026

We recently invited our housebuilder customers to a groundbreaking event at Zoopla HQ in London to talk about how data and artificial intelligence (AI) will shape new home sales in 2026.

By opening our doors and giving an inside look at our innovation roadmap, we aim to ensure our partners can fully leverage the AI, data and product improvements that are driving our record performance in new homes leads.

Big advances in our product performance

Alex Rose, Commercial Director at Zoopla, kicked things off: 

“We’re coming together at a really important time in Zoopla’s history and in this sector. 

“We were delighted to make big advances in 2025 in our own product performance, in terms of the lead volumes we delivered to housebuilders, but also the quality of leads and the conversions we saw come from that. This was really down to the big investments we made on the back of customer feedback.

“We’re keen to explore the outlook for the market as we move into the next year. But, more importantly, how we’re using and adopting data and AI, and how that’s going to change the marketplace that we work in over the coming years.”

Market outlook for homebuilders

No Zoopla event would be complete without a market insight presentation by Richard Donnell, Executive Director of Research. 

Richard predicted that changes in mortgages will boost first-time-buyer demand, as banks relax affordability criteria. He shared key insights, such as the distance homebuyers are prepared to travel for affordability, and how housebuilders can market to them.

“The appetite to move is there. The question is how do we get better at putting what we’ve got for sale under people’s noses?” he said.

“Only 10% of people will move in the next two years, but 20% say they want to move. We have another 20% who are watching the market, signed up to alerts, waiting to see. If something happens that might trigger them to move,” he added/

“This is a big audience to engage with, and it is a real opportunity in the market.”

How we’re driving greater value for housebuilders

Amy Buckley, Product Lead, spoke to the audience about how we’re making new homes more visible to consumers on our website via new carousels, new-build specific search filters and premium listing cards. 

Buyers can also use our new affordability tool to see what they can afford, and let housebuilders contact them directly when they sign up to look at brochures.

“While market conditions were difficult last year, we saw a 53% increase in leads [for our housebuilder customers],” she said.

The product team plans to work directly with Zoopla housebuilder customers this year to provide vital research into the next product innovations.

Building with data

Dickson Abegunde, Director of Strategic Partnerships, talked about how first-party data can reduce wasted advertising spend and extend reach.

“Can I have a show of hands: who here likes Lego?” he said. “Zoopla has a lot of first-party data and we think data has a lot of similarities to Lego – you can build with it. 

When combined in the right way, data can be “extremely powerful” in pinpointing opportunities for marketing, such as high-intent users, he explained.

“We don't just see a user [at Zoopla], we see their search area, their bedroom requirements, their affordability position. Connect these blocks and it can unlock real value,” he said.

AI and shifting search 

Stephen Geran, Director of Product, talked about the potential of AI to transform search.

He discussed the possibility of using conversational prompts rather than filters in property search, and how portals like Zoopla may operate in tandem with large language models and AI search results in future – and what that might mean for customers.

“Buying a home isn't about finding the right listing. It's about resolving tension. AI is really, really good at solving trade-offs.

“Imagine an estate agent you trust implicitly. What do you want from that person? You want them to understand your needs, what you're looking for, what's important to your stage in life, location, work/life balance and all of those elements. Filters can’t do that today, so that's where AI and conversational tooling is really compelling.”

Partner insights and networking

Alex Rose returned to conclude the event with a fireside chat with Michael Francis, Head of Digital at Keepmoat, and Tom Leslie, Digital Operations Manager at Peabody. 

It was a fascinating conversation, covering everything from overcoming challenges in new home affordability to approaches in marketing.

Michael highlighted the difficulty of having “an abundance of data” to make sense of; while Tom remarked on how AI has transformed the analysis of viewing feedback over the past year.

After a lively question and answer session, our experts and customers enjoyed a drink, tucked into some delicious food, and continued the conversation during networking.

Partnerships for the future

Events like this are a key part of our ongoing support for housebuilders. By bringing together industry leaders, sharing proprietary data insights, and roadmapping the future of AI, we ensure that our partners aren't just reacting to market changes - they’re capitalising on them. 

We aim to work hand-in-hand with you, turning market data into actionable strategies that drive real value, higher reservation rates, and sustained performance for your developments.