Why Your Next Real-Estate Deal Might Involve a Robot

"It was a little weird," said Ms. Franco, who signed a deal last week for a $3,925-a-month apartment she found through Zenplace. "It was like she was there but she wasn't there." A new crop of companies is introducing technology they say will reshape how property is rented and sold. By using robots to do some of the tasks that people normally handle--such as showing properties, creating floor plans and shooting video of homes--these firms hope to bring a leaner, more-efficient approach to the traditional real-estate business. REX, a brokerage based in Woodland Hills, Calif., places a robot in each seller's home that answers property questions and collects data from people touring the homes.