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CoStar Group is facing pressure from activist hedge funds questioning its residential real estate expansion and Homes.com platform spending. The company has responded with insider share purchases, a $1.5 billion share repurchase programme, and a $300 million cut to Homes.com spending in 2026. The stock closed at $48.38, down 26.4% year to date and 39.1% over one year. Recent quarterly results showed net income of $47 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.11, below prior year figures. Management's moves signal a potential shift in capital allocation between core business operations and residential ventures. The company also faces uncertainty around AI risk to its data platform as it competes with Zillow, Redfin and RE/MAX in the real estate data and marketplace sector.

CoStar rolls out Homes AI; SkySlope launches agent coaching app. CoStar plans to add the search tool to its other platforms soon. Plus, SkySlope debuts Ayce; GPAR now offers Tether RE; Rayse nabs new partnerships; more. February 17, 2026 Editor's note: Technology is a driving force in real estate. From startups to established players, tech companies are constantly innovating, growing and forging partnerships. Here we highlight some of the latest news about the companies that help power the industry. Homes.com debuts AI search tool. CoStar Group has unveiled a new conversational search tool - Homes AI - that allows consumers to search for listings on Homes.com in real time by voice or text. The feature, which is powered by Microsoft Foundry and built on Microsoft Azure AI models, helps users refine searches, explore listings and access property details through a two-way dialogue rather than traditional keyword filters, the company said, describing it in a press release as the "most significant product advancement in Homes.com's history." The company previously launched Smart Search, a natural language home search tool, in October 2025. Homes AI draws on Homes.com's property database, Matterport 3D tech, school data, neighborhood insights and market information to create "an interactive experience that feels less like navigating a website and more like being guided by a deeply knowledgeable, trusted real estate advisor," according to CoStar. But Homes AI won't replace the guidance of real estate professionals, said CoStar Founder and CEO Andy Florance. "In keeping with our 'Your Listing, Your Lead' commitment, inquiries from buyers and renters will always go directly to the listing agent, ensuring stronger connections, more meaningful conversations and better outcomes for everyone involved," Florance explained. Homes AI is available now on Homes.com. CoStar said it plans to add the tool to its other platforms in the future. SkySlope launches AI agent coaching app. SkySlope has introduced Ayce, an iOS app that uses generative AI to provide goal-based coaching for agents. The app - which enables users to pick the tone of the coaching tips they will receive - works by prompting agents to enter their income or production goals. From there, it generates personalized daily and weekly tasks, along with scripts and templates to support execution. Ayce also includes a chat feature for real-time guidance on prospecting, deal strategies, market trends and more. "Many agents know what they want - more closings, higher GCI - but struggle with how to get there," SkySlope CEO Tyler Smith said in a news release. "Ayce breaks annual goals into daily and weekly actions, accelerating skill development and empowering agents to reach income goals faster, no matter where they're starting," Smith added. GPAR to offer new safety monitoring tool for agents. The Greater Philadelphia Association of Realtors (GPAR) has introduced Tether RE, a new safety and productivity member benefit that is slated to roll out next month. Designed for agents working in the field, the platform provides 24/7 live safety monitoring, SOS alerts, proximity-based safety timers, and impact and struggle detection, according to a news release. Tether RE also includes turn-by-turn navigation tools and can help members track their work-related mileage and expenses. "After careful research and evaluation, GPAR selected a safety solution that delivers meaningful value while reinforcing our commitment to member well-being and professionalism," the GPAR Horizon Committee said. "This benefit reflects our responsibility to support our members with tools that serve a clear purpose in today's real estate environment." Rayse partnerships aim to make agent value more 'visible' Rayse has announced new partnerships with OneKey Multiple Listing Service and Heartland Multiple Listing Service. The deals give the 43,000-plus OneKey MLS members and 11,600-plus Heartland MLS subscribers access to Rayse's agent transparency platform and related educational tools. Through these partnerships, OneKey MLS and Heartland MLS members can explore strategies to best articulate their value and set client expectations throughout each transaction. "Agents do essential work every day, and our goal is to make that value visible," Rayse CEO Christian Dwiggins said in a news release. "Rayse is about helping agents show their impact and communicate it in ways that clients actually understand and appreciate." MLS partnerships are most successful when the member benefits those organizations provide align with agents' actual needs, Dwiggins noted. Rayse's approach "is designed to support day-to-day workflows and reinforce transparency and trust - the bedrock of lasting client relationships," he added. Digital platform launch to give Florida agents 'a more seamless experience' The Keyes Company and Illustrated Properties are launching new digital platforms that aim to streamline the homebuying experience for consumers and agents alike. The South Florida brokerage brands, which operate under The Keyes Family of Companies umbrella and boast a network of over 4,000 agents, said the platforms weave together consumer websites, agent marketing and training, and backend operations. The new platforms were created in partnership with Delta Media Group - using the software company's DeltaNET 7 tech - and web design company Tiny Wins. The aim is to deliver "a more seamless experience" and reduce "tool sprawl" throughout the transaction, according to a news release. "This initiative was about building platforms that truly support how our agents, offices, and leadership teams work every day - so they can deliver a more seamless, responsive experience for buyers and sellers from first search to closing," said Christina Pappas, president of The Keyes Company and Illustrated Properties. As a result of the collaboration with Delta Media Group and Tiny Wins, "we were able to create dynamic digital platforms that reflect who we are as an organization while giving us the scale, flexibility, and AI-enabled foundation we need to grow across our organizations," Pappas added. Editor's note: AI was used in the initial drafting of this content, which was then thoroughly reviewed, fact-checked and revised by a Real Estate News editor.

CoStar launches Homes AI, refining the future of home shopping. Homes.com's real-time, voice-enabled AI guidance marks a generational shift in how consumers discover, evaluate and experience homes. Reading Time: 2 mins read CoStar Group on Feb. 17 announced the launch of Homes AI, which the portal calls a transformative experience powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI, fully integrated into Homes.com, and accessible to all consumers. For the first time on a major real estate portal, according to the company, consumers can engage in natural, real-time, two-way conversations, by voice or text, to search, refine and explore homes in an interactive experience meant to feel less like navigating a website and more like being guided by a deeply knowledgeable, trusted real estate advisor. Homes AI draws from Homes.com's depth of property data, Matterport 3D digital twin technology, images, proprietary school data, neighborhood insights and market intelligence to deliver bespoke guidance that empowers shoppers with the resources and confidence they need to find the perfect home. Offered exclusively on Homes.com, this technology is supposed to mark "a generational leap forward" according to the company, in how people navigate the home search and home-buying process. "This innovation signals a shift as significant as the emergence of online search itself," said Andy Florance, founder and CEO of CoStar Group. "Home shopping is no longer constrained by rigid filters and disjointed online experiences. Instead, it has become dynamic, consultative and deeply personalized, mirroring the way people naturally research and evaluate a home. "We've spent years building the industry's richest property data, and Homes AI harnesses that foundation to transform the consumer experience in a way that feels intuitive, human and incredibly powerful. Just as important, Homes AI is designed to enhance, not replace, the essential role of real estate professionals. Agents remain at the center of every transaction and that will not change. In keeping with our 'Your Listing, Your Lead' commitment, inquiries from buyers and renters will always go directly to the listing agent, ensuring stronger connections, more meaningful conversations and better outcomes for everyone involved." CoStar combines Microsoft Azure's advanced AI models with Homes.com's deeply integrated marketplace infrastructure to deliver a fully embedded conversational experience. Unlike other AI implementations, Homes AI data remains entirely within the Homes.com proprietary ecosystem, the company promises, and is never used to train or refine external AI models. Unlike chatbot-style implementations seen elsewhere, Homes AI is purpose-built for real estate. As users engage, it continuously learns their preferences, remembers what matters most, and surfaces increasingly relevant insights - handling the details so consumers can focus on the big decisions. CoStar said it plans to extend this revolutionary capability across the company's portfolio of leading platforms, including Apartments.com, CoStar, LoopNet, Land.com, BizBuySell and others - ushering in a new era of intelligent, conversational real estate discovery.