How Perplexity and AI Search Engines Find Estate Agents

A growing number of property buyers and sellers are no longer starting their search on Google. Instead, they are typing questions like “Who are the best estate agents in Clapham?” or “Which realtor should I use to sell a condo in downtown Toronto?” into AI search engines like Perplexity, ChatGPT with browsing, Google AI Overviews, and Microsoft Copilot.

These AI search engines do not simply return a list of links. They synthesise information from multiple sources and provide a direct, conversational answer that often names specific businesses. If your agency is not being cited in these answers, you are becoming invisible to a rapidly growing segment of potential clients.

How Perplexity and AI Search Engines Work

Unlike traditional search engines that rank web pages, AI-powered search tools like Perplexity use a process called Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). When a user asks a question, the system:

• Searches the web in real time. It queries multiple sources including websites, review platforms, directories, news sites, and social media.
• Evaluates source authority. It weighs information from trusted, authoritative sources more heavily than from unknown or low-quality sites.
• Synthesises an answer. Rather than showing links, it generates a natural language response that directly answers the question, citing its sources.
• Provides citations. Each claim in the answer links back to the source it was drawn from, giving users (and you) transparency into what data informed the recommendation.

This is fundamentally different from traditional SEO, and it requires a different optimisation approach. We call this Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) — learn the fundamentals in our comprehensive guide to GEO.

What Signals AI Search Engines Use

Through extensive testing and analysis, we have identified the key signals that determine whether an estate agent gets cited in AI search results:

1. Review Volume and Quality

AI search engines heavily reference Google reviews, Trustpilot, and other review platforms when recommending local businesses. Agencies with 100+ reviews and high average ratings are significantly more likely to be cited than those with fewer or lower-rated reviews. Our guide to online reviews covers strategies for building your review profile.

2. Structured Website Content

AI search engines parse website content to understand what an agency does, where it operates, and what makes it distinctive. Your website needs clear, structured content that explicitly states your areas of coverage, services offered, team expertise, and unique selling points. Vague marketing language gets ignored; specific, factual statements get cited.

3. Third-Party Mentions and Citations

Being mentioned on authoritative third-party sites carries significant weight. This includes directory listings, press coverage, industry awards, and mentions in “best of” articles. The more independent sources that reference your agency, the more likely AI search engines are to include you in their answers. See our citation building guide for a systematic approach.

4. Google Business Profile Completeness

Your Google Business Profile is one of the primary data sources AI search engines use for local business information. A complete, actively managed profile with regular posts, photos, and review responses signals a legitimate, active business.

5. Content Authority and Expertise

AI search engines favour content that demonstrates genuine expertise. Blog posts with original data, local market analysis, and expert commentary are more likely to be cited than generic content. This aligns with Google's E-E-A-T framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).

How to Get Cited in AI Search Results

Here is a practical action plan for improving your visibility in AI search engines:

• Create area-specific pages. Build dedicated pages for each area you cover, with specific data about average prices, recent sales, and local market conditions.
• Use FAQ schema markup. Implement structured data that helps AI systems understand the questions your content answers.
• Write in a clear, factual style. AI search engines prefer content that makes definitive, well-supported statements. “Average prices in SW15 rose 3.2% in Q3 2025” is more citable than “The market has been performing well recently.”
• Build citations across directories. Ensure consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information across all online directories and platforms.
• Actively manage reviews. Respond to every review on Google, and systematically request reviews after every completed transaction.
• Publish original research. Local market reports with your own data and analysis are highly citable by AI systems.

Content Formatting for AI Discovery

The way you structure content on your website directly affects how easily AI systems can extract and cite it:

• Use clear heading hierarchies (H1, H2, H3) that describe exactly what each section covers.
• Include specific numbers, statistics, and data points rather than vague claims.
• Write in a question-and-answer format where appropriate — this mirrors how people ask questions to AI search tools.
• Include a clearly identifiable “About” section on your website with your founding year, team size, areas covered, and key credentials.

Monitoring Your AI Search Citations

Unlike traditional search rankings, monitoring AI search visibility requires a different approach:

• Regular testing. Periodically search for your agency on Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Google AI Overviews using natural language queries like “best estate agents in [your area]” and “who should I use to sell my home in [your area].”
• Track which sources are cited. When your agency is mentioned, note which source the AI cited. This tells you which parts of your online presence are most effective.
• Monitor competitors. Search for your competitors to understand what signals are getting them cited and where you may have gaps.

AI search is not replacing Google — but it is growing rapidly. The agencies that invest in GEO strategies now will have a significant head start over those that wait.

Want to understand how your agency appears in AI search results? Book a free consultation and we'll run an AI visibility audit showing exactly where you stand and what to improve.