4. Artificial Intelligence
AU/NZ: Search has changed. The main game hasn’t.
👓 4 minute read
AI is changing how consumers research property, but the latest evidence should give agency owners pause before diverting time and money away from the channels that continue to generate real commercial results.
In a recent Stepps analysis, Josh Cobb makes the central point clearly: there is currently no stable ‘AI ranking’ for an agency to win. Research involving almost 3,000 identical prompts found less than a one-in-100 chance of receiving the same list of businesses twice. The same businesses appearing in the same order occurred closer to one time in 1,000.
That makes claims about guaranteed ChatGPT rankings, measurable ‘AI authority’ or fixed AI mention rates highly questionable.
More importantly, Google still processes approximately 373 times more search activity than ChatGPT. Research involving almost 4,000 consumers also found that only 5% acted on an AI recommendation without checking elsewhere. The other 95% went on to verify the recommendation through Google, the business’s website, its reviews or Google Business Profile.
Cobb’s own analysis of real AI search prompts supports this. Consumers are using AI largely to understand the buying and selling process, not to select a local agent. When buyers ask AI to find property, the answers typically direct them back to realestate.com.au, Domain and Google.
AI may be a new front door, but it frequently leads consumers into the same house.
First National’s strategy is vindicated.
For years, First National has invested in strengthening members’ digital authority. That work, now brought together under Reputation Uplift, concentrates on the factors that help Google understand, trust and recommend an agency:
A complete and accurate Google Business Profile
Detailed, authentic and consistently acquired reviews
Correct business information across websites, portals and directories
Relevant local content demonstrating expertise
Strong responses to reviews and public feedback
Current team, branding and contact information
These foundations have helped put 73% of First National offices into the top three Google Map Pack positions.
In the network comparison previously undertaken, First National’s 73% led The Professionals at 64.4%, Ray White at 62%, Raine & Horne at 57%, LJ Hooker at 43.5%, Harcourts at 43% and McGrath at 38.1%.
That advantage matters because the top three positions receive a disproportionate share of consumer attention – and because the same reliable information Google uses is also read by AI platforms.
In other words, good Google strategy is not being made obsolete by AI. It is becoming the foundation on which AI visibility is built.
What members should do
Stay focused on the main game. Continue asking for detailed client reviews, keep your Google Business Profile current, and use your network’s Reputation Uplift strategy to address weaknesses in your local search position.
Audit old staff profiles, outdated branding, inconsistent contact details and ageing content. Monitor third-party review sites and respond appropriately to public complaints, because AI can draw on those sources when describing your business.
Most importantly, apply commercial discipline to anyone selling an ‘AI ranking’ solution. Ask what was measured, where the statistics came from, and whether the person identifying the supposed problem is also selling the cure. Then, ask First National for a second opinion. We’re here to represent your interests, not a digital agency’s bottom line.
AI deserves attention, but not at the expense of the channels consumers are actually using. The evidence supports the strategy First National has pursued for years: build genuine authority, strengthen your reputation, and make sure your agency survives the checks that almost every prospective client will make.
We respond to negative reviews on your behalf, upon request. Don’t waste your valuable time. Brief Communications & Corporate Affairs Manager, Stewart Bunn, for assistance.
That is the work that compounds – and First National members are already well ahead.