Looking for a four-bedroom home near a Red Line Metro stop under $1.2 million? There's a new AI real estate platform that can help Washingtonians with that.

Why it matters: Buyers already have the upper hand in much of the D.C. area's housing market — but new search tools don't hurt.

What they're saying: "The way we're researching for houses is so old," says Nurit Coombe, a Bethesda-based real estate agent with The Agency. "It's so not intuitive. It's so boring."

• Coombe wanted to create something that mirrors chatting with an agent about the kind of lifestyle you're looking for with a house purchase — so she co-founded HouseMe.AI. "We learn about you as a person."

State of play: HouseMe.AI wants to be an easier-to-use version of Zillow — no dropdown filters to navigate, no scrolling through listings to find just what you want.

• Instead, users type exactly what they're looking for into the chat — "a two-bedroom townhouse walkable to restaurants" — and the platform pulls up properties matching your search.

How it works: The free search engine uses data from the listing platform BrightMLS, and is currently available in the DMV, plus Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey and Toronto.

• It can also create market analyses for buyers and sellers, comparing a property's asking price to other nearby sales, giving buyers a suggested offer price and negotiation strategy, and estimating a final bill that includes closing costs.
• Plus: It lets users reimagine listing photos to see what a property would look like once renovated.

Yes, but: Coombe is adamant this isn't meant to replace human professionals.

• "It cannot open the door and show you the house," she says. "You need an agent for that."
• It also can only pull from information on the MLS — meaning it can't tell you about an off-market property.

Reality check: This isn't the only real estate platform using natural language search, says Bright MLS' chief AI officer Rajeev Sajja, who points to other groups with similar search engines like Homes.com.

• But he does see this type of search as the way of the future, and thinks it could eventually replace the dropdown filter-style search as the industry standard.

Mimi's thought bubble ...

Sweetgreen's next big bet: the 'burbs.

Why it matters: Sweetgreen built its D.C.-born brand around millennials and downtown professionals. Nearly 20 years later, the homegrown chain says its future looks more like McLean.

• Its newest concept — launching Aug. 20 — is the region's first "Sweetlane," a drive-thru pickup that reflects how people eat today: on the go and often outside the city.

What they're saying: "Most drive-thru restaurants are not the healthiest or cleanest," co-founder Nicolas Jammet tells Axios. "It's exciting to bring something that's delicious but also healthy and accessible."

The big picture: Sweetgreen has quietly crossed a milestone.

• More of its nearly 300 restaurants are now in the 'burbs versus city centers, Jammet says.
• McLean marks the company's fourth Sweetlane — and the first on the East Coast. The concept debuted outside Chicago in 2022.

How it works: Sweetlane isn't a traditional drive-thru.

• Customers order ahead in the Sweetgreen app, then pull through to pick up their food — an extension of a company where digital revenue accounts for over 65% of sales.

What's new: Sweetgreen is trying to give customers more reasons to visit beyond bowls.

• The chain is working to rebound from slowing same-store sales and thinner restaurant profits by rolling out new menu items — think steak, fries and wraps — chef collaborations and more wallet-friendly options.
• New this week: A trendy tinned seafood collab with Fishwife — a limited-run tuna niçoise.

What's next: Sweetgreen's founders, who met at Georgetown University, are preparing to celebrate the company's 20th anniversary next year while continuing what Jammet calls "disciplined" growth into markets such as Nashville, Arkansas and Salt Lake City.

• For the big 2-0, don't discount a return to their roots — or maybe a Sweetlife festival? "We're planning some fun stuff that might reference those things," says Jammet.

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✈️ IndyCar is bringing disruptions. Flights at DCA will be paused during the Grand Prix on Aug. 23 from 10:15am to 1:15pm, per the FAA. (WUSA9)

💰 Howard University is offering at least 600 employees voluntary retirement packages to plan for its "financial sustainability." This comes as the school recently unenrolled 500 students over unpaid tuition. (Fox 5)

🎓 The River School purchased a historic Tenleytown estate called Under Oak for $8.75 million, with plans to turn it into a new campus. (Washington Business Journal)

🚧 GW Parkway's northbound lanes will be closed between Spout Run Parkway and Chain Bridge Road through Sept. 1 for tree maintenance — but only Monday-Thursday, 9:30am to 2:30pm. (WTOP)

D.C. has the sixth most expensive driving commute among major U.S. cities, per a study by Vettory.

By the numbers: D.C.'s car commute is less than half of the costliest city ($3,870 vs. $9,590 in New York).

The fine print: The study factors in gas prices and parking expenses for a 13.4-mile drive over 250 commutes.

A cult favorite sock company is opening its first D.C. store this week.

Why it matters: Bombas — which also makes items like slippers, underwear, and T-shirts — began opening its first brick-and-mortar stores last year after a decade of direct-to-consumer business.

• The company started as a "Shark Tank" pitch and is now the show's most successful brand.
• And every Bombas sale contributes to the company's mission of donating clothes to people experiencing homelessness.

State of play: The brand's new store launches in Georgetown on Friday — and it will be the largest yet, with all the company's products for sale, per a spokesperson.

• Plus: The first 150 customers will get a free pair of crab socks.

If you go: 1400 Wisconsin Avenue, Northwest

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Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that the free crab socks are available to the first 150 customers.