AR-Powered Apartment Hunting Goes Live in Russia

A new feature from Russian real estate platform Cian lets users scan buildings with a smartphone camera to instantly find listings for sale or rent.

Russian property search platform Cian has rolled out a beta feature that uses augmented reality (AR) to streamline real estate discovery. As reported by Forbes, the new tool allows users to simply point their phone camera at a building to view listings for apartments available for sale or rent—a first for the Russian market.

The system leverages GPS and AR-based object recognition. Users activate the search by tracing a figure-eight motion in the air, which helps the system pinpoint their exact location. Once the camera is aimed at a property, a list of available units appears on-screen with direct links to more details.

Industry experts say AR integration is accelerating transactions and boosting consumer confidence. In the future, similar services could be built into smart glasses, laying the groundwork for more tech-savvy real estate solutions in Russia. Several major e-commerce platforms are already preparing to support property sales.