It’s been happening for at least 6 months.
People are using Chat GPT, Claude, Gemini and a range of other apps to shortcut many tasks which now include:
- Looking for a property
- Selling their property
This includes:
- Which agent I should sell my property with;
- Which agent achieves the best prices in [suburb];
- What commission should i expect to pay to an agent selling my property in [suburb];
- Give me 3 agents that specialise in selling in [suburb];
- Who’s the best real estate agent to sell with in [suburb];
- List 5 properties on the market that fit these criteria;
- List 5 Four bedroom houses on the market within a 15 minute walk of [school];
- If i have a 4 Bedroom house on [street] in [suburb], what is it worth;
- …and so many other derivations.
Former REA Group CEO Simon Baker has been banging the drum, along with others, about this to small industry audiences for almost a year.
Early Signals from Overseas
Nine months ago, Mark Siwiec flagged it in the USA.
Australia always lags the USA on tech adoption.
Industry Conversation Picks Up Locally
Samantha McLean of Elite Agent, in an email to her subscribers, has highlighted that AI systems are increasingly deciding which agents to mention by drawing on signals from across the web, including community discussions, review platforms and independent third-party coverage, rather than relying on a single profile or website. The Harvard Business Review, a peer-reviewed academic paper, and a published report have all come to a similar conclusion.
In practice, this is where locally focused publications such as the Sydney Suburbs Online News network incorporating 62 sites across Sydney Eastern Suburbs News, Sydney Northern Beaches News, Surry Hills and Redfern News, and Sydney Lower North Shore News can play a role, by providing third-party coverage that contributes to an agent’s wider digital footprint.
What the Research Is Showing
We had been doing our own experiments and research over the last year and already knew that:
- Reviews
- Third-party references
were the two biggest contributors.
Most agents receive five-star ratings for transactions these days, which means third-party references become the differentiator.
Where Sydney Suburbs Online News Can Help You
as well as:
- Local Expert programs
- Local Property Market Snapshots
These provide opportunities for an agent to be published as a local market commentator in one of 62 territories across the Greater Sydney area.
These third-party opportunities are your very best way to accumulate the profile you need for AI — never mind directly reaching the local people who will see you.