How agents can boost visibility in AI search 

At this point, it's undeniable: The era of artificial intelligence is here, and real estate leaders are increasingly urging agents to adapt if they want to stay relevant and keep their business going strong.

With the tech changing so quickly, implementing an AI marketing strategy may seem daunting. But as LOC8 Founder Bobby Kerr explained during a recent appearance on the Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered podcast, the core themes relevant for SEO remain critical for AI search. What's most important, Kerr said, is for agents to be visible, be consistent and demonstrate what makes them special.

"If you are just so general and out there," AI tools "are just gonna ignore you," Kerr said. "You've got to tell your own story. No one's gonna talk about you like you."

Don't become 'a ghost': Maintaining a Google Business profile is vital because AI tools check these pages often, according to Kerr. Agents should also have a presence on industry-specific platforms — like Zillow, Homes.com and Realtor.com — and on non-industry platforms like Yelp or the Better Business Bureau.

"If you're not on all those locations and you're not getting keyword, highly geographical reviews on those platforms, then you're gonna be a ghost," he warned.

Establish your 'EEAT': Experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness — that's what Google refers to as "EEAT," Kerr explained. Agents should be "telling the story" of their EEAT on their Google Business and industry-specific platform profiles, their website and their social media posts.

What agents misunderstand about AI search: "Agents are thinking that AI recommends the best, most long-standing successful agents," Kerr said, but those factors alone aren't enough. "You've got to make sure that your brand is visible."

Agents still need to demonstrate their authority and expertise online, he added — but they must do so strategically. "All of your expertise — your decades of experience, your transaction count, your volume count — all still matters. But if that story is not being told in the places that Google and AI search tools are looking, then you're a ghost to all of those tools."

'Control the controllables': Though new tech is in a constant state of flux, "the principles are the same."

"Control the controllables," Kerr advised. "You can control how you're making your story heard. You can control how often you're asking for reviews from your past clients in your database and your current clients. You can control taking photos and videos of yourself to add to the world's biggest platform, which is your Google Business Profile."

"Control those things," he added, "and you're gonna be okay."

Consistency is key: AI tools have "a recency bias," Kerr said, meaning an agent's visibility in AI search depends on consistent updates.

Without recent reviews, added posts and new pictures, "Google literally looks at you and says, 'Why would we promote this business in search results if they don't have recent clients?'"

Avoid AI suppression: AI tools may deprioritize content that appears to be entirely generated by AI. For agents, this mostly occurs on their websites. "If you use an AI tool to create a blog, just go take it off of Claude, take it off ChatGPT, put it in Microsoft Word or whatever editor you have, and then make it yours," Kerr urged. "Add some things that you customize that only you can say."

If it looks like AI and sounds like AI, "it most likely is," he added — "and a human may not be able to know the difference, but certainly Google and AI search tools can."

In pursuit of the 'holy grail' 5-star review: When a client is willing to write a review, Kerr said agents shouldn't be afraid to offer guidance on what kind of content will benefit their business most.

There are five key components to a helpful review: a five-star rating, inclusion of the agent's business name as it appears on Google, geographical specifics, phrases indicating an agent's expertise, and photographs. Together, these create the "holy grail of a Google five-star review," Kerr said.