More People Are Asking ChatGPT for a Realtor. Are You Coming Up?

Short answer: yes, people moving to a new town are asking ChatGPT, "Who's the best realtor here?" It answers with a handful of names and a reason for each. If ChatGPT can't read your website, or your site doesn't say who you help and where, you won't be one of those names.

I tested it in my own town, Golden, BC. Here's what came up, why some realtors make the list, and what I'd fix this week if I were a realtor anywhere in Canada.

I asked ChatGPT about my own business first

My real search, October 17, 2026. Logged out, no history.

I opened ChatGPT, logged out so my own history couldn't sway it, and typed my business name and town: "Megan Moore Marketing in Golden BC."

It knew me. It said I run a digital marketing and social media business in Golden, that I help women business owners get seen, attract leads and grow sales. It listed my services and linked my website and LinkedIn.

That's step one of this whole test. Does ChatGPT know you exist, and does it describe you the way you'd describe yourself? If it gets your town, your services or who you help wrong, a buyer asking "Who's the best realtor here?" isn't going to hear your name.

Then I asked the bigger question: "Best realtor in Golden BC." It came back with a short list of local realtors, each with a star rating, a phone number and one line on why it picked them. Not just names. A reason. ChatGPT had already decided who each realtor is for.

Why this matters right now

On Google, a buyer scrolls past ten listings and a few ads. ChatGPT hands back a short list with reasons. There's no page two. You're on it, or you never knew they were looking.

That's not a slow shift. It's a door opening while most realtors are still polishing their Google listing. And the people asking are often exactly who you want: buyers moving from out of town, who don't know anyone local to ask.

What ChatGPT needs to see on a realtor's website

Buyers don't type keywords into ChatGPT. They describe their life. "We're moving from Calgary with two kids and a dog. We want a house near a school with a yard. Which realtor in Golden should we call?"

ChatGPT looks for the realtor whose website clearly matches that situation. Most realtor sites say "Your trusted local expert" and show a listings feed. That tells ChatGPT almost nothing about who you're for.

Here's what to put on your site instead:

• Say who you help, in plain words. "I help families relocating to Golden from Calgary and the Lower Mainland." "I specialize in acreages and recreational properties." Pick the two or three buyers you serve best and name them.

• Give each one its own page. A page for relocating families. A page for mountain and ski properties. A page for first-time buyers. Write each one the way those clients describe their move to you.

• Answer the questions out-of-town buyers ask. "What's it like living in Golden in winter?" "How far is Kicking Horse from town?" "What do homes near the schools cost?" Make the question the heading and answer it in the first sentence.

• Name your area clearly. "Realtor in Golden, BC, serving Columbia Valley and Field." On your homepage and contact page, not just your footer.

• Share proof with specifics. "Helped a family from Calgary find a house a short walk from the elementary school" beats "Great to work with!" every time.

• Keep your reviews coming. ChatGPT showed star ratings and review counts for every realtor it named. Ask happy clients for a Google review, and mention the type of move in your request.

You're not writing for a robot. You're writing down what you already tell clients, so the robot can repeat it.

Me and Emma at home in Golden. Photo by Erin Kirkbride.

The one technical check that matters most

ChatGPT uses a crawler called OAI-SearchBot to find websites for its search answers. OpenAI says sites that block it won't show up in ChatGPT search answers, and recommends allowing it. Even with everything set up right, a spot on the list isn't guaranteed. But if the crawler can't get in, you're out before you start.

Ask whoever manages your website to check these five things:

1. robots.txt allows OAI-SearchBot to reach your public pages. A blank robots.txt is fine; a line that blocks it is not.

2. Your hosting or security service doesn't block it. Some security settings block "AI bots" with one switch. Make sure ChatGPT's search crawler isn't caught in that.

3. Your homepage and service pages load without a login.

4. Google Search Console shows your important pages as indexed.

5. Your sitemap lists the pages you want found. I checked my own site while writing this, and my sitemap was empty. I fixed it the same day. It happens more than you'd think.

OpenAI notes that a change to robots.txt can take about 24 hours to be picked up.

What I'd do this week if I were a realtor

You don't need a new website. You need a few pages that say clearly what you already tell buyers every day.

1. Open ChatGPT, log out, and ask: "Best realtor in [your town]." Screenshot what comes up.

2. Write down the 10 questions out-of-town buyers ask you most.

3. Pick the 2 or 3 types of buyers you serve best and give each a page on your site.

4. Answer your top 3 buyer questions on your site, question as the heading, answer in the first sentence.

5. Send the five-point check above to whoever manages your website.

6. Ask your last five happy clients for a Google review.

7. Ask ChatGPT again in a month and compare.

This is the part Claude is great at. Once it's set up to know your business, your area and your voice, it turns those buyer questions into blog posts, community pages and listing content every month, in a fraction of the time.

If you want that set up for your business, that's what my In-House Session is for. In one 2.5-hour session, we set up Claude as your marketing agent in your own account, and train you or your assistant to run it. No monthly retainer.

Have a question first? Text me on WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions

Does ChatGPT recommend realtors?

Yes. Ask it for the best realtor in a town and it can search the web and name a few, with ratings, phone numbers and a reason for each.

How do I get ChatGPT to recommend me as a realtor?

Make sure its search crawler (OAI-SearchBot) can reach your website. Then say clearly who you help, where you work and what buyers ask you, in plain text on your own pages. Reviews help too.

Is this different from Google SEO?

It builds on the same basics: clear pages, real text, reviews and a working sitemap. The difference is that ChatGPT gives a short list with reasons, so being clear about who you're for matters even more.

Do I need a new website?

Usually not. Most realtors need a few clearer pages, not a rebuild.

How long does it take to show up?

There's no set timeline, and a spot isn't guaranteed. A robots.txt change can take about 24 hours to be picked up; new pages take longer to be found.