As customers turn to AI to research agents in their area, an expert has urged the industry to capitalise on generative engine optimisation to make the shortlist, or risk being left behind.
Speaking at the REB Innovation Summit in Sydney, Digital Brief founder Russell Easther said that consumers have moved beyond using a typical search engine to find information, with the usage of AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude rising in recent years.
“The way that we get information has changed a lot, and it certainly is true with the way we use the platforms as well,” Easther said.
According to Easther, as customers increasingly used AI to research real estate agents, professionals needed to review their marketing strategies to ensure they appeared in search results.
He said that catering to AI through generative engine optimisation (GEO) had become pivotal for agents to maximise their discoverability online.
While there was a difference between a marketing strategy optimised for both search engine optimisation (SEO) and GEO, Easther said that there was a significant level of crossover between the two.
“90 per cent of what you do for SEO is going to work for large language model (LLM) optimisation as well.”
Here is how to ensure that a social media strategy caters to both GEO and SEO:
Understanding GEO is no longer optional
According to Easther, while businesses understood that it was important to appear in online search results, many didn’t understand their own visibility.
He said that an alarming number of businesses were unaware of whether they would even appear in AI-generated search results, even as consumers switched to the tool as their primary source.
“ChatGPT is the sixth most-used website in the country, and many don’t even know how their business is ranked on it,” Easther said.
“If somebody asked ChatGPT for ‘the best real estate agent’ in your suburb, would you appear?”
Target clients where they are
According to Easther, while many consumers often used forum sites such as Reddit as a key source of information, very few in the real estate industry incorporated it into their marketing strategies.
To give their branding a boost, he said agents could utilise social media videos as an easy-to-make, effective way to increase their visibility.
“It really helps the LLMs to pick up this content, and it will help you later on down the track.”
To strengthen their chances of being picked up by AI tools, Easther said they should demonstrate their knowledge of the local property market in their content.
“If you are bringing new information to the LLM, like specific insights, they love that. If you can put that out there, that proves that you have more topical depth than anyone else.”
Discover how AI considers your business
He said that Google was the most significant search engine AI tools would leverage and that it was important for agents to present a clear image of what they did.
“When the LLMs and Google come in to take a look at your stuff, you want to try and present a united front and make it nice and clear for the tools.”
According to Easther, agents needed a defined niche, a client demographic, and a clear geographic area, with the information easily found on their website.
To find out how agents and their businesses were viewed by the AI tools, Easther said it was as simple as copying a website link and asking it, “What does the agent specialise in?”
Validation key to appearing in AI search
For agents to be included at the top of any digital search, Easther said it was pivotal that they be validated by external sources.
“We want to keep an eye on what sources the AI is using to get its information.”
If there was minimal mention of an agent's name outside of their own website, Easther said the AI would often overlook them.
To strengthen their chances of being found, Easther said that they needed to establish a presence on third-party sources, such as industry publications or business directories.
“If you want to improve your rankings in the LLMs for your business, you will want a link back from authoritative leading websites.”
Don’t skip out on client testimonials
As an extra source of validation for AI to consider, Easther said that agents should encourage clients to leave reviews.
“Google reviews are absolute gold.”
“Reviews are one of the biggest levers we can pull when it comes to trust, and it is one of the most important to get right.”
Additionally, Easther said that developing a GEO strategy was not an overnight process and would require significant work from agents.
“There is a lot to do, but because ChatGPT is picking it up, that’s why you need to do it.”
“If you can do that, you’ll feel much more positive.”
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