It is no longer a question of whether buyers and sellers are using AI to search for real estate agents. They are. The more relevant question now is whether your name is coming up when they do.
According to Steve Marcinuk, co-founder of KeyCrew Media, a real estate intelligence and media company that works with agents and brokers across the country, specific clients are now reporting inbound leads that came directly from ChatGPT. Not from Zillow. Not from a referral. From a buyer who opened ChatGPT, typed a question, and got pointed to a specific agent.
Marcinuk notes that buyers and sellers are increasingly turning to AI to research homes and gather information before they ever start looking for an agent. “The bar is being raised for real estate agents to demonstrate not just good branding, but real market authority,” he said.
What the Agents Who Are Showing Up Have in Common
The agents getting cited in AI search did not crack a secret algorithm. They built real credibility over time, and that credibility translated into AI visibility.
Most of them had been consistently creating content that answered specific, practical questions their clients were actually asking. Not lifestyle posts. Not market cheerleading. Specific, useful information about what is happening in their markets, what buyers need to know, and what sellers should watch out for.
They also had their names and expertise mentioned in publications outside their own website. That external validation is one of the strongest signals AI platforms use to determine who qualifies as a trustworthy expert.
The Shift Happening Right Now
Marcinuk points to a dynamic that is creating a real window of opportunity, especially in smaller and mid-sized markets.
Agents who invested heavily in search engine optimization over the years are the ones most likely to appear in ChatGPT results today. But that early advantage is narrowing. “Companies and real estate professionals who are specifically making efforts to optimize for AI visibility are able to get the edge,” Marcinuk said.
In secondary and tertiary markets in particular, many top agents have not yet made a focused effort to build an AI search presence. That gap is an opening for anyone willing to act now rather than waiting until it becomes obvious.
Why Most Agents Are Still Invisible to AI
The agents who are not showing up are not necessarily bad at their jobs. Many of them are simply investing their energy in channels that do not translate well into AI authority.
Posting frequently on social media, running ads, and maintaining an updated website are all worthwhile activities. But they are not what AI platforms weigh most heavily when deciding who to recommend.
What matters is whether other credible sources are talking about you. A mention in a respected industry publication carries far more weight than a hundred posts on your own channels. That is how traditional search has always worked, and it is how AI search is working too.
What to Do About It
Getting cited in AI search is not a one-time project. It requires consistent effort over time, building a trail of credible mentions across multiple platforms and publications.
The agents who are winning right now focus on three things: cleaning up their existing online presence so the basics are accurate and complete, creating content that answers real questions their clients are asking, and getting their expertise featured in publications beyond their own blog.
KeyCrew Media works with real estate professionals to do exactly that, amplifying expert voices across a growing portfolio of publications and syndication partners that AI platforms already index and trust.
The agents showing up in ChatGPT today started building that foundation months ago. The ones who start now will be the ones showing up six months from now.
Steve Marcinuk is co-founder of KeyCrew Media, a real estate intelligence and media company that publishes expert-sourced market insights across a portfolio of industry publications and syndicates content to hundreds of platforms, including direct licensing arrangements with leading AI search platforms. Learn more at keycrew.co.
This article is based on information provided by the expert source cited above. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or real estate advice. Readers should conduct their own research and consult qualified professionals before making any real estate or financial decisions.
Disclosure: Individuals or companies mentioned may have a commercial relationship with KeyCrew.