How Real Estate Agents Can Get Found in AI Search

A buyer may learn about you from a referral, see your name on a sign, watch one of your videos, or hear about you from a friend.

Then they look you up.

That part is not new.

What is changing is where that research happens.

People can now ask ChatGPT questions and receive web-backed answers with sources. Google has built conversational AI directly into Search through AI Overviews and AI Mode. Zillow has even brought real-time home listings into ChatGPT.

That changes the first impression.

Your potential client may form an opinion about you before they ever get to your website, call you, or send you a message.

That is why I have been spending so much time working on AI search.

The question I keep coming back to is simple:

If somebody asks AI for the kind of professional you want to be known as, does your digital presence give it enough clear information to understand you?

That is the work.

AI Search Does Not Mean SEO Is Dead

There is a lot of noise around AEO, GEO, AI SEO, AI search and whatever acronym gets created next.

Do not make this harder than it needs to be.

Google's own guidance says the same SEO foundations still apply to its generative AI search features. There is no separate special markup required to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. Google still points website owners toward crawlable pages, useful original content, accurate Business Profile information, good internal linking and a strong user experience.

OpenAI gives similar practical guidance from its side. Public websites can appear in ChatGPT search, and website owners who want their content eligible for summaries and snippets should make sure they are not blocking OAI-SearchBot. Being accessible does not guarantee placement.

So I would not throw away everything you know about search.

I would change the way you think about the person searching.

They are no longer limited to typing:

“Realtor St. Petersburg FL”

They can ask:

“Who is a good real estate agent in St. Petersburg for a first-time buyer who needs somebody patient and good at explaining the process?”

That is a much more specific question.

Your online presence needs to give search systems enough information to understand that kind of question and whether you are a reasonable match.

I went deeper into this during my Get Found in AI Search webinar, including the four signals I use to evaluate an online presence and the 30-day plan I would give a real estate agent starting from scratch.

Full webinar:

Your Digital Footprint Has to Make Sense

One of the biggest things I found while working on my own online presence was how much old information was still hanging around.

Old company information.

Old phone numbers.

Old bios.

Old service areas.

Websites where somebody described me years ago.

Profiles I had forgotten existed.

I have been online for most of my career, so I had a lot to clean up. I even found a Realtor partner's website listing me in Tampa while I was trying to build a clearer connection to St. Petersburg.

None of those things seem huge by themselves.

Put enough conflicting information together and your identity gets muddy.

Google specifically tells business owners to keep their Business Profile information complete and accurate. Google says local results are mainly influenced by relevance, distance and prominence, and that complete business information helps it understand whether a business matches a search.

That gives us a practical starting point.

Before worrying about some advanced AI strategy, look at what the internet already says about you.

Search your name.

Search your business.

Look at your website.

Look at Google.

Look at Zillow.

Look at LinkedIn.

Look at your major social profiles.

Look at old directory listings.

Then ask:

Would a stranger think all of these profiles describe the same person and the same business?

If the answer is no, fix that first.

My Four Signals of AI Trust

In the webinar, I taught a framework built around four signals:

Clarity. Depth. Recency. Authority.

I use these as a practical way to think about the work. They are my framework, not a published ranking formula from Google, OpenAI or another AI company.

That distinction matters.

Nobody outside these companies can give you the exact formula that determines whether a specific AI response mentions you.

What we can do is build a digital presence that is easier to understand and better supported.

1. Clarity

Can someone quickly figure out:

• Who are you?

• What do you do?

• Who do you help?

• Where do you work?

• What topics do you know well?

This is where a lot of real estate marketing gets messy.

Agents want every possible piece of business, so their bios say they help first-time buyers, luxury buyers, investors, seniors, relocation clients, condo buyers, sellers, developers and everybody else within a two-hour drive.

You can still work with different kinds of clients.

Your marketing does not have to lead with every possible thing you are capable of doing.

Give people a clear way to understand you.

2. Depth

Saying you know something is easy.

Showing that you know it takes more work.

If you want to be associated with first-time home buyers in St. Petersburg, create useful information about questions those buyers actually ask.

What should a first-time buyer expect before making an offer?

What costs surprise buyers?

What should somebody know about buying a condo in St. Petersburg?

How does flood risk affect the home search in different parts of the area?

What should a buyer ask before choosing a neighborhood?

Depth comes from answering real questions well.

Google's 2026 guidance for generative AI search makes a similar point. It encourages site owners to create original, useful content based on real knowledge and first-hand experience instead of simply recycling information that already exists everywhere else.

That is good news for people who actually know their business.

You do not have to sound smarter.

You have to share more of what you already know.

3. Recency

Your online presence cannot look abandoned.

That does not mean you need to post twenty times a day.

It means your information should still represent the business you run today.

Is your bio current?

Is your brokerage correct?

Is your phone number right?

Does your website show the markets you actually serve?

Have you published anything useful recently?

Are people still leaving reviews?

Google specifically recommends keeping Business Profile information updated, and Google says its AI search features rely on current information retrieved through its Search systems.

Freshness is not an excuse to make more junk.

I would rather publish one useful piece that actually answers a question than mass-produce a pile of content nobody needed.

4. Authority

Authority is the proof around what you say.

Reviews.

Sales experience.

Helpful content.

Media mentions.

Community involvement.

A consistent website.

Profiles that support the same identity.

You do not build that with one trick.

It builds over time when different parts of your online presence support the same story.

Google says local prominence can be influenced by information such as links and reviews. More reviews and positive ratings can help local ranking.

The important part is that your proof should make sense next to your positioning.

If you say communication is a big part of your service and your reviews repeatedly talk about how well you communicate, those ideas support each other.

That is much stronger than writing “great communicator” in your bio and hoping people believe you.

Stop Trying to Cover an Entire State

This is one of the places I think real estate agents make their marketing harder than it has to be.

Someone lives in St. Petersburg and says:

“I serve Tampa Bay.”

Then the website says:

“Serving all of Florida.”

Technically, that may be true.

It does not make the message clearer.

If St. Petersburg is where you live, work, know the neighborhoods, know the businesses and spend your time, there is a lot you can talk about.

Talk about St. Petersburg.

Answer questions about St. Petersburg.

Create neighborhood content.

Talk about the problems buyers and sellers run into there.

You can still take a client in a neighboring city.

Being specific does not mean refusing business.

It means giving people and search systems a clearer understanding of where your real experience is strongest. That was the point I made in the webinar when I told agents to get more granular with their local content instead of trying to claim the entire state.

What Should Real Estate Agents Publish for AI Search?

Start with questions.

Not keywords for the sake of keywords.

Real questions.

If a buyer asks you the same question five times in a month, that is probably content.

If a seller keeps misunderstanding something, explain it.

If there is something about your local market that people from outside the area do not understand, write about it.

Good content areas include:

• Buyer frequently asked questions

• Seller frequently asked questions

• Neighborhood guides

• City guides

• Local market explanations

• Condo-specific questions

• Relocation questions

• Local homeowner issues

• Process explanations

• Videos answering one specific question

• Articles built around your first-hand experience

Google's current guidance is very clear that unique, useful, people-first content still matters in generative AI search. It also recommends useful images and video when they support the page.

That fits the way I already like creating content.

I would rather start with one useful idea and build around it than sit down every morning trying to invent another random post.

One Good Idea Can Become an Entire Content System

This webinar is a good example.

The webinar becomes a long-form YouTube video.

The ideas can become an article.

Strong sections can become short videos.

Individual questions can become Google Business Profile posts.

A strong answer can become a LinkedIn post.

A local section can become its own article later.

One idea turns into several pieces of useful content without changing what I actually think.

That is not about copying and pasting the same paragraph everywhere.

Each piece should fit the place it is being published.

The point is to stop treating content like a daily creativity contest.

Start with something worth saying.

Then get more mileage out of it.

That is the content flywheel I talked about in the webinar.

Can People Really Search for Homes Inside AI Tools Now?

Yes, in some experiences.

This was one of the claims from the webinar that needed to be updated and clarified.

Zillow launched its app in ChatGPT in October 2025. According to Zillow, logged-in U.S. ChatGPT users can use the Zillow experience to explore real-time for-sale and rental listings with photos, maps, property details and pricing. Zillow says actions such as scheduling a tour or connecting with an agent continue through Zillow.

In July 2026, Zillow also announced a connected rental experience in Google Gemini that can surface rental options and available tour times.

That does not mean every housing decision suddenly happens inside AI.

It does mean conversational interfaces are becoming another doorway into real estate research.

Agents should pay attention to that.

Do You Need a Special GEO Trick?

No.

At least not based on what the platforms themselves are telling us.

Google says there are no extra technical requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode beyond being eligible for Google Search. Its newer 2026 guidance specifically warns site owners not to chase weak AEO or GEO hacks such as unnecessary AI text files or fake mentions.

OpenAI says public websites can appear in ChatGPT search and gives publishers crawler guidance so their content can be discovered. It also makes clear that placement is not guaranteed.

So I would focus less on finding a loophole.

Make the business clear.

Keep the information accurate.

Answer useful questions.

Create original content from your experience.

Build proof.

Make sure search systems can access the content.

Then keep doing it.

A Practical 30-Day AI Search Plan for Real Estate Agents

This was the framework I closed the webinar with.

The exact timing can move depending on how messy your current digital footprint is. My own cleanup took much longer than one week.

The order is what matters.

Week 1: Fix Your Digital Footprint

Start with identity.

Check:

• Name

• Company

• Phone

• Website

• Location

• Service areas

• Bio

• Profile photos

• Major business directories

• Google Business Profile

• Zillow profile

• LinkedIn

• Social accounts

Fix conflicting information.

Do not create more content on top of a foundation that is already confusing.

Week 2: Publish One Strong Long-Form Answer

Pick one question your ideal client actually asks.

Create a video around it.

It does not need to be a 45-minute webinar.

Ten or fifteen useful minutes on one focused subject can give you plenty to work with.

Then turn that video into a useful written article.

Week 3: Strengthen Your Local Profiles

Go back through your Google Business Profile and other major profiles.

Make sure the information is accurate.

Add useful photos.

Review your categories and service information.

Keep collecting honest reviews through your normal client process.

The goal is a profile that accurately represents the business someone would experience if they called you today.

Week 4: Build the Flywheel

Take the long-form idea and distribute the useful pieces.

Turn one answer into several formats.

Then choose the next question.

Do it again.

That is how you start building a body of work instead of another pile of random social posts.

The original webinar lays out the same sequence: clean up the digital footprint, publish useful long-form content, strengthen Google Business Profile and other portals, then build the ongoing content system.

How Do You Know Whether This Is Working?

Do not expect a magic dashboard that tells you everything AI thinks about you.

Start with what you can measure.

Search for yourself periodically using the kinds of questions a real client might ask.

Watch referral traffic to your website.

Watch leads and ask people how they found you.

Track your Google Business Profile.

Use Google Search Console.

As of June 2026, Google has begun rolling out dedicated Generative AI performance reporting in Search Console to a subset of websites, giving some site owners more visibility into impressions from AI Overviews and AI Mode.

OpenAI also says publishers that allow OAI-SearchBot can track referral traffic from ChatGPT through analytics platforms such as Google Analytics.

You still may not know exactly why one business was surfaced and another one was not.

That is okay.

You do not control the algorithm.

You control the quality and clarity of what you put online.

The Real Opportunity With AI Search

I do not think the opportunity is finding a trick before everybody else.

I think the opportunity is that most businesses still have a messy online identity.

They have old bios.

Thin websites.

Generic content.

Profiles that do not match.

Five different versions of what they do.

AI search gives us another reason to fix that.

If your business is clear, your information is accurate, your expertise is visible and you keep answering the questions your clients actually have, you are building something useful whether the consumer finds you through Google, ChatGPT, YouTube, a referral, or whatever comes next.

That is the work I would focus on.

Get clear first.

Then give the internet enough good information to understand you.

FAQ

Can real estate agents show up in ChatGPT search?

Yes. OpenAI says public websites can appear in ChatGPT search. Website owners who want their pages eligible for summaries and snippets should make sure OAI-SearchBot is not blocked. Inclusion or placement is not guaranteed.

Does GEO replace SEO for real estate agents?

No. Google's current guidance says traditional SEO foundations still apply to AI Overviews and AI Mode. There are no separate technical requirements for appearing in Google's generative AI Search features.

Does Google Business Profile help real estate agents get found?

Google says complete and accurate Business Profile information can help a business appear in relevant local searches. Local ranking is mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence.

What kind of content should a Realtor create for AI search?

Start with specific questions buyers and sellers actually ask. Local guides, buyer questions, seller questions, neighborhood information, market explanations and first-hand experience give you more useful material than generic posts.

Should real estate agents create AI-generated articles every day?

No. Google's guidance warns against mass-producing AI-generated pages that add little value. Using AI to help research or structure original content is different from flooding a website with low-value pages.

How quickly can a real estate agent start appearing in AI search?

There is no reliable universal timetable. Search systems change, crawling takes time, and the platforms do not publish a formula guaranteeing when a person or business will appear for a specific AI query.

Ryan Speltz | NMLS# 1277170 | Creative 1st Mortgage | NMLS# 2614631 | Licensed in FL, MN, TX, AL, KY & TN. This is not a commitment to lend. All loans subject to credit approval, income verification, and property eligibility. Program terms and availability subject to change without notice. FHA loans require mortgage insurance. Down payment assistance is provided as a second mortgage lien. Restrictions may apply.