There's plenty of competition: VirtualAPT, based in Brooklyn, has robots that glide through homes and provide immersive virtual reality tours; REX, a brokerage in Woodland Hills, Calif., has an AI-trained robot to answer potential buyers' questions at open houses; RealFriend and OjoLabs have AI-powered chatbots that mimic human conversation while providing deeply personalized home listings and buying advice. In Zenny's case, the robot is powered remotely by the real estate broker or property manager who is handling the showing from afar. It is also equipped with sensors to keep it from running into walls or people. In addition to Zenny, Zenplace's platform includes a full suite of rental management solutions, including tenant screening, electronic lockboxes for on-demand property viewings, and a secure online portal for rent payment. The company charges a $599 flat fee for some properties, and $99 a month for others. VirtualAPT's robots, which roll through homes capturing 360-degree videos in 4K resolution, provide ultra-crisp, high-quality images.

There's plenty of competition: VirtualAPT, based in Brooklyn, has robots that glide through homes and provide immersive virtual reality tours; REX, a brokerage in Woodland Hills, Calif., has an AI-trained robot to answer potential buyers' questions at open houses; RealFriend and OjoLabs have AI-powered chatbots that mimic human conversation while providing deeply personalized home listings and buying advice. In Zenny's case, the robot is powered remotely by the real estate broker or property manager who is handling the showing from afar. It is also equipped with sensors to keep it from running into walls or people. In addition to Zenny, Zenplace's platform includes a full suite of rental management solutions, including tenant screening, electronic lockboxes for on-demand property viewings, and a secure online portal for rent payment. The company charges a $599 flat fee for some properties, and $99 a month for others. VirtualAPT's robots, which roll through homes capturing 360-degree videos in 4K resolution, provide ultra-crisp, high-quality images.

Right before Laura Franco went to look at a three-bedroom apartment for rent in Santa Clara, Calif., in mid-January, she got a surprising text message from the property manager, Zenplace. "They said a robot would meet me at the property. I thought, 'a robot?' " said Ms. Franco, 31, an event planner and bartender. When she arrived at the listing, a text message provided her with a code she used to let herself in. Then a long-necked white robot on wheels, with a screen that looks like a small tablet, rolled up to her.

The next time you buy a house, it might not be from a real estate agent. Real estate agencies and some startups have started employing robots to do some of the perfunctory jobs that their realtors typically do, incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into their workplace. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) highlighted three of these companies: A brokerage firm in Woodland Hills, California named REX, another California property management company, Zenplace, and a Brooklyn-based startup called VirtualAPT. Both REX and Zenplace employ robots to interface with clients. The former places a robot named REX in seller's homes to answer questions and collect data, while Zenplace uses robots to help their human agents communicate remotely with clients.

"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.