Google’s Real Estate Listings Could Reshape Lead Gen

Google is testing a new real estate advertising format that places for-sale home listings directly in sponsored Search results. The placement appears at or near the top of the results page, putting property cards in front of consumers as they search, without requiring an initial click to a portal or brokerage website.

In screenshots shared by real estate tech strategist Mike DelPrete, the unit displays a row of property cards with the price, address, number of beds, number of baths, and square footage. Tapping a card opens a property detail view with photos and additional listing information. 

The module can include a “top-rated agents” contact option, indicating that the placement is designed not just to surface listings but also to capture buyer inquiries in-line. 

Public reporting suggests the experiment is currently constrained by device and geography. Investopedia reported that the rollout has been limited to mobile browsers and select markets. Barron’s cited test activity in Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, and Houston, while HousingWire reported additional markets, including Chicago and Austin.

The listings are powered through a paid partnership with ComeHome, which is associated with the AI-enabled brokerage and data firm HouseCanary. 

DelPrete also called out disclosure language in the unit, stating the results were a curated selection provided through a paid partnership between Google and ComeHome, and not listings “supplied or sponsored” by individual agents or brokers. Online Marketplaces separately reported the same disclosure based on screenshots of the test, which may matter to agents trying to understand whether (and how) they can participate.

Why the industry is paying attention

Search is already a primary entry point for consumer home shopping, and this innovation keeps more of the journey on Google. DelPrete wrote that the feature set—property detail pages, tour requests, and agent-contact options—resembles “the core business model of real estate portals,” based on the screenshots he reviewed.

For brokers and teams focused on lead generation, the near-term issue is attribution. If buyers take an action from within Search, the lead may be tied to Google’s module and a partner’s routing logic rather than a portal profile or brokerage site. Over time, expanded placement could also influence how agents weigh portal advertising, paid search, and brokerage-owned consumer sites, especially in markets where the unit appears consistently.

What real estate professionals should watch

• Lead routing and attribution: Where “request a tour” and contact actions send consumers, and how those leads are labeled in your CRM.
• Eligibility and pricing: Whether participation remains limited to partner inventory or becomes available as a broader ad product.
• Ranking and agent display: How any “top-rated agent” options are determined, and whether criteria are controlled by Google, a partner, or third parties.
• Listing sources and compliance: What data feeds are used market by market, and how MLS/IDX requirements are handled as the format scales.

The test also moved public markets. On Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, Zillow shares fell 7.8% at Fun RE Classes, while CoStar Group (Homes.com) dropped 6.4% and Rocket Companies (which owns Redfin) declined 2.8%, according to Barron’s. 

Analysts quoted in coverage cautioned that the rollout appears limited and that major portals still benefit from strong direct traffic. Investopedia reported that Goldman Sachs analysts saw no immediate threat to Zillow’s position given the constrained test, while flagging Google’s move as a longer-term competitive risk if it becomes a scaled product.

What remains unclear is whether Google intends to broaden access beyond a single listing partner, how pricing would work for advertisers, and how listing inclusion and agent display would be governed across markets.

HousingWire’s coverage framed the current version as a paid partnership rather than a fully open marketplace. For now, brokerages and agents can monitor results in their markets, ask vendors how they will track and attribute any Search-originated leads, and be prepared to adjust marketing mix if the experiment becomes a standard placement.