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Right now, while you're watching this, someone in your market is asking ChatGPT who's the best real estate agent near me? And if your name doesn't come up, you don't exist to that person. And now, with ChatGPT being the fifth most visited website in the world, and other AI companies now coming in and rounding up the top 20, it's not a future problem, it's a now problem, because it's happening as we speak. I'm Tristan, 22 years in real estate. I run Lab coat agents, over 500,000 agents in our communities. I built a brilliant tribe just about seven years ago as a coaching arm. And now, why Realty, a national brokerage? So when I tell you the way people find agents is changing fast, I'm watching it happen in real time while we're actually working here, here's what's going on. ChatGPT now has over 800 million people using it every every week. And about 60% of Google searches end without anyone clicking a link. That's nuts to me. People are getting their answers from AI. They're asking things like, what should I know about selling a luxury home in Malibu? Or who are the top agents in the zip code 91362? And if AI doesn't know who you are and how you're showing up and where to pull from so that they can get your information, well, you're invisible. And this is why you're hearing two terms everywhere. Well, I hope you're hearing them. It's AEO and geo. AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimization. It's how you get your content to show up when Google's AI gives someone a direct answer instead of a list of links, which they're still good, but, you know, we want to be where people are now. And GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization. That's how you get ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude to actually cite you and recommend you. The terms are different, but the goal is the same. Get AI to know who you are, trust what you say, and bring up your name when someone asks. Now, here's the good news. AI pulls from your website. Yay. Your Google business profile as well. Which is why I've been telling you, grow that post to it. Show up right your reviews and what others say about you online. I think that's the key one, right? This is why I love doing podcasts and other places or people writing up blogs about me or showing up to events and all that good stuff, because they're writing about me now. The Stuff you already control is what AI is looking at. And brands that show up consistently over multiple trusted sources. That's the key. Get cited the most. And visitors from AI convert at rates four times higher than traditional search. I don't know that you knew that. And that's based on research. Obviously the highest converting traffic out there. This is it. At least when it comes to online. They show up trusting you, informed and ready to talk. Think of when we were talking just a couple of days ago on YouTube. When people keep seeing you a certain way on YouTube, they reach out to you. That's a whole different caliber of connection. And it's the same thing here. So what do you actually need to do? And let me break it down, because that's what we want to talk about. First, be the local expert and put it in writing. AI is looking for specific trustworthy content. So write neighborhood guides. And who better to do it than you, since you live in your neighborhood? Post monthly market updates with real numbers. Share your actual take on listing prices and inventory. Like, hey, here's an update on this area. Here are how many listings, here's how many sold. And now this is where I think it's going, right? Very different because it's very personalized. You're showing up. The more specific you are, the more AI trusts you. Hmm. Kind of interesting, right? Second, answer questions the way real people ask them. I can't emphasize this one enough because most agents or people in general I talk to try to make up these weird questions that no human would ask in that way. And think about this. They ask full questions like, is now a good time to sell my house in Santa Monica? That's how real the question is, and that's how simple it is. Your content should answer those questions, and it should answer them directly in one or two of the first sentences, and then go deeper, because that's how AI is pulling information. It's like, wait a second, let me. Let me get the headline, let me get the first sentences of these paragraphs. Let me pull from there. And then if you've got the rest, like I'm going to outline, it makes better sense. Now, don't forget, AI pulls from video transcripts to your YouTube video. I mean, the YouTube video you're watching, if you're watching it right now on YouTube instead of listening it to in a podcast, this is why we have the transcript. Whether it's our shows or the daily content that we put out there, it's the same thing. All of that feeds AI. If it's set up, Right. Third, get your digital foundation tight. What I mean by tight is think of Google business profile, Zillow, realtor.com, yelp, Redfin, all of it needs to match up. Same name, no errors, please. Same brokerage. If you've recently switched, make sure it's all across the same. Same phone number. This is the big one. I see different phone numbers in different locations for agents, same service areas. If your info is different across all platforms, AI gets confused and skips you. That's a big one. Fourth, make your website readable by AI and you're going to be like Tristan. What do you mean, readable? Well, ask your web person and ask them this question. Are AI bots allowed to crawl my site? And do I have schema markup on my agent profile? Remember that word, schema markup? If you don't have a web person, just reach out to me. I've got a couple of different ones I could send your way, but a lot of platforms block AI crawlers by default and you don't even know it. And it's happening more because they don't want AI to pull information out of it. Hmm, right, interesting. Fifth, build credibility outside your own website. Get on top agent lists, get press mentions. Ask clients for Google reviews. A big one. When multiple sources mention your name in connection with your market, AI pays attention. Of course it would. And sixth, use your social media with intention. Even posts should tie back to your name, your market and really helpful information, not just motivational stuff. Specific, useful content with real data and just. You know what, go to my Instagram or TikTok and you'll see the shorts in the description that we have it talks about. For me, it's national news, but news that matters to my audience. I think of the same way for you. Studies show content with real data and statistics is up to 40% more likely to get cited by AI, and that's a massive number. Look, Gardner predicted traditional search would drop 25% by 2026. And we're in 2026 right now, that shift is happening. The agents who build their presence now are going to own their markets. It's starting to happen now, and this is why we're talking about it. The ones who wait are going to wonder why the phone stop ringing. Now, I'm not saying relationships are dead. You shouldn't do events in person. You shouldn't do all that. That's important when we're talking about online. That world's changing. I need you to get on top of it. And if it's not you. I need you to hire someone to help you. Here's what I love about this. It rewards exactly the kind of agent I've been coaching you to become. We talk about this many times in a month, and I'm showing you how to do this. The ones who show up create real content. That's the thing. And what I mean by real is think that content that relates to the people you're trying to attack, and it builds these genuine relationships. And AI is looking for that authenticity and authority, too. But that's your superpower. Now go and use it. If you think this was useful, please subscribe to this channel. If you're listening, please add it, download it, share it with somebody else. I appreciate you. I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Podcast: Your Daily Real Estate Podcast with Tristan Ahumada
Episode: 878 — "The Trick To Being The Only Agent AI Recommends"
Date: April 26, 2026
Host: Tristan Ahumada
In this episode, Tristan Ahumada dives into how artificial intelligence—especially platforms like ChatGPT—is fundamentally changing how clients find real estate agents. The core message: if AI-driven systems don’t know who you are, you’re invisible to potential clients. Tristan shares practical strategies to ensure you’re the agent that AI recommends, focusing on new optimization tactics, digital presence, and the importance of trustworthy, specific content.
“It’s not a future problem, it’s a now problem, because it’s happening as we speak.” (Tristan, 00:14)
“If your info is different across all platforms, AI gets confused and skips you. That’s a big one.” (Tristan, 05:55)
“The ones who wait are going to wonder why the phone stopped ringing.” (Tristan, 09:10)
Tristan Ahumada stresses that the game for real estate agents has fundamentally changed: success now depends on being recognized and cited by AI systems that increasingly shape client discovery. He outlines straightforward, actionable steps—ranging from optimizing your online presence and providing locally authoritative content to tightening your digital footprint—so that when someone asks AI for the best agent, your name is the one given.
It’s not just about being online—it’s about being intentionally visible where AI and today’s clients look first.