If AI can't find you, neither can clients

For years, visibility for Australian real estate agents has been built in fairly familiar ways.

Google. Instagram. realestate.com.au. Signboards. Letterbox drops. Community involvement. Local reputation. Referrals.

Agents have spent years building their profiles so that when someone thinks about selling, their name is either already known, recommended by someone they trust, or easily found when they start researching.

All of those things still matter.

But there's now another layer influencing how potential vendors discover, research and compare agents.

They're asking AI.

And importantly, AI isn't only being used by people who don't know where to start.

Even a vendor who has been referred to an agent can now ask ChatGPT, Google AI or Gemini:

“I've been referred to John Smith to sell my home. Is he a good choice?”

“How does he compare with other agents in my area?”

“Which agents have the strongest track record selling homes like mine?”

A referral might get an agent into consideration. AI can now influence what happens next.

The same applies to someone who discovers an agent through Google, sees their signboards around the suburb, follows them on Instagram or finds them highly ranked on realestate.com.au.

They can ask AI to validate that choice, compare the agent with competitors or suggest alternatives.

And that's a significant shift for real estate agents.

AI search is changing the way people find agents

Traditional search usually starts with a relatively short search and gives the user a collection of results to investigate.

AI search is conversational.

A potential vendor can explain exactly what they're looking for, add specific criteria, provide context about their circumstances, ask follow-up questions and have AI help them research and compare their options.

Someone might ask a relatively simple question:

“Who should I use to sell my home in Mosman?”

Or something slightly more specific:

“Which agents have the strongest track record selling family homes in my suburb?”

But they can also have a much more detailed conversation:

“We're thinking about downsizing and selling our four-bedroom family home in Mosman. We've lived here for 18 years and the house probably needs some work before we put it on the market. We'd like an agent who really understands the local market, has a strong track record selling similar homes and can advise us on what we should do before selling. Who would you recommend and why?”

That's where AI search becomes very different from traditional search.

The person isn't trying to think of the right keywords. They're explaining their property, their circumstances, what matters to them and what they need from an agent, much as they would if they were asking someone for advice.

AI can then help them research and compare agents based on that context, potentially introducing them to people they may never have considered before.

The consumer doesn't need to understand what's happening behind the scenes.

They simply ask a question.

And increasingly, that question can ultimately be:

“Who should I use?”

AI can become part of the research and shortlisting process itself.

Being a great agent doesn't automatically mean AI knows it

This is one of the most important things for agents to understand.

You can be the number one ranked agent on realestate.com.au in your suburb and still not be recommended when someone asks ChatGPT who they should use.

You might have:

• exceptional sales results

• hundreds of positive reviews

• years of experience in your suburb

• a strong local reputation

• an extensive buyer database

• particular expertise in a type of property

• a significant share of your local market

But AI doesn't experience your reputation the way a local homeowner does.

It has to find and understand evidence of it online.

Your website, Google Business Profile, reviews, sales results, media coverage, local citations, authority content and wider digital footprint can all contribute to the picture AI builds around you.

If those signals are weak, inconsistent or incomplete, there can be a significant gap between the agent you are in the real world and the agent AI thinks you are.