In the race for consumer attention and clicks, home search sites offer a wealth of data – from snippets about pedestrian friendliness to information about local schools and parks, in addition to original content — but one newcomer thinks homebuyers will be interested in political trends. neighborhoods in which they shop.

Flyhomes’ recently launched AI-powered home search incorporates what the company calls NeighborVote – a section on single-family home listings that shows the partisan breakdown of votes cast in recent presidential and congressional elections. By clicking on a random house ad in “blue” Seattle, for example, a home buyer will see that nearly 90% of neighbors in that particular neighborhood voted for President Joe Biden in 2020 and that 85% of residents in that congressional district voted for the U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal in 2022.

Surface more neighborhood, owner details

The new integration of voter data into Flyhomes is another example of how portals, often with the help of AI, seek to unveil more detailed information – not only about properties, but also about surrounding communities and the individuals who live there.

In February, mortgage originator Tomo launched its own home search offering, which featured “negotiating information” for buyers – essentially details about the outstanding loan balance and interest rate. ‘a home, as well as the home equity the owner has, which Tomo CEO Greg Schwartz said Real Estate News would provide the average buyer with the same data that investors see when they make offers on a property.

When asked if there were any privacy concerns with putting this data online, he noted that it was public data and owners could ask to opt out.

The policy is ‘definitely relevant’ to home buyers

While neighborhood voting patterns may not be a major consideration for potential buyers, politics can influence where people choose to live. Adam Hopson, chief strategy officer of Flyhomes, told Real Estate News that providing this information can help buyers make the right decision about purchasing their home.

“The political leanings of a specific region are certainly relevant to people looking for housing,” he said, adding that Flyhomes is currently active in 38 states plus Washington, DC. “We think it’s also interesting for people who are not looking for homes to have the data. We think our job is to present all the data that helps people make the right decision for themselves.

The data is taken from the MIT Election Data & Science Lab, the company said. While it’s publicly available, it’s not information that’s necessarily been easy to navigate, Hopson said. So instead of opening multiple tabs on your browser and searching for information about local schools in one and election records in another, all of these settings – and much more – are integrated into a unified home page.

More data – or more polarization?

In providing consumers with information that was largely intended for research and academic purposes, Hopson said Flyhomes was aware that some users might “use it differently” than intended, and that there was the risk that this can “allow people to do their own political sorting” – but he thinks some researchers might be “surprised” to find that communities can be more politically balanced than they expected. The company said it also ensures the tool complies with fair housing laws.

After all, as Americans find themselves in an increasingly politically charged culture, home buyers may want to know if they will feel a sense of belonging in their new community.

“My hypothesis is that if you are a minority – even a slight political minority – you may not be as comfortable putting up a sign in your yard and you may not be as comfortable talking openly about political things as those who are in the majority,” Hopson explained. “But the actual data may tell a different story.”