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Real estate agents shift from SEO to answer engine optimization
HousingWire says answer engines can cite an agent or omit them entirely, making reviews, structured Q and A content, and consistent business data across platforms key to appearing in AI recommendations.
HousingWire reports that many people who once searched for the “best Realtor” on Google are now asking AI assistants, including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google’s AI Overviews, or phone assistants, for a direct recommendation instead of a list of links.
The outlet explains that this change, known as Answer Engine Optimization, differs from traditional SEO because answer engines read and synthesize online information and then generate natural language recommendations, sometimes naming just one agent and a short explanation.
HousingWire highlights practical elements it says answer engines use to recommend agents, including structured question and answer content, consistent business information across platforms, and reviews that document concrete results.
According to the piece, agents that are not selected as a cited source can see reduced visibility, and in some cases may not appear at all, as the competition shifts from earning clicks to earning citations inside AI-generated answers.