To know whether AI mentions you when buyers ask, run a fixed set of questions across several AI platforms, rather than asking one question yourself now and then. When AI answers which agent to use in a district, it draws on your website, Google Business Profile and reviews, plus other sites such as property portals, directories and news. If there's little about you in those places, if it's vague, or if the details don't match, AI mentions offices with more complete information instead. Below: how people ask, what AI reads, how to check, and what to fix first if you're missing.
1. How home buyers ask AI
People ask AI in far longer sentences than they type into Google, often with their own conditions, such as a budget range, a commute or the size of the family. We group the common questions into four types, and a check should include all four to see the full picture.
| Question type | Example | What AI needs to know |
|---|---|---|
| Finding an office | Which agency would you recommend in Taichung's Beitun District | Where you are, which areas you serve, your office name and contact details |
| Finding a person | Is there an agent in Zhubei who knows newly completed homes | Who the agent is, which area they know, which kinds of property they know |
| Comparing | Should I sell through a franchise office or a small local one | How the way you work differs from others |
| Process | What do I need to prepare to sell a home for the first time | Guides and FAQs you've written |
2. What AI bases its answer on
AI doesn't visit your office. It reads text it can find online, mainly from four sources.
- Your website: office pages, agent pages, service areas and FAQs, ideally written as sentences that can be quoted
- Google Business Profile: name, address, hours, categories, description and reviews
- Other sites: what property portals, directories, local news and forums say about you
- Reviews: what clients wrote and how you replied
Your office name, address and phone number should match across all four. If the website uses one name, the Business Profile another and a property portal a third, AI may treat you as several offices, or not mention you at all. Franchise offices often see another problem: AI recognizes the brand but can't say which office or which district.
3. How to check whether you're mentioned
List 10 to 15 questions people actually ask, covering all four types, using the areas you really serve. Ask each one on ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and Claude, and note three things per question: whether you're mentioned, which other offices are mentioned and which sites AI cited. AI answers can change each time, so check regularly with the same questions and look at the trend, not a single result.
Checking by hand takes time. The free quick scan in GEO by TriloAI takes about 1–2 minutes and shows whether ChatGPT can read your site. A full analysis runs up to 15 questions across 5 AI platforms at once, and the report shows how often AI mentions you, which competitors you lose to, which sites AI relies on and the three things to do first this month. Re-testing with the same questions later lets you compare before and after.
4. What to fix first if you're missing
After the check, decide what to do first based on what you found. You don't have to do everything at once; start with the situation that comes up most.
| What you found | What to do first |
|---|---|
| AI doesn't mention you at all | Fill in the office page and service areas on your website, and tidy up your Google Business Profile |
| AI mentions you but gets the name or address wrong | Align the office name, address and phone number on your website, Business Profile and other sites |
| AI mentions the brand but not your office | Give each office its own office page and Business Profile, stating which areas it serves |
| The sites AI cites don't include you | Start with the sites listed in the report and add or update your details one by one |
Remember when writing: office and agent pages are also public-facing descriptions. Claims about service areas and experience should match the facts, the brokerage's name should be visible, and avoid superlatives like the strongest in the area. Details follow the latest notices from the authorities.
The short version
Whether you appear when buyers ask AI is something you measure with a fixed question set across several platforms, then fix one source at a time from the places AI relies on.
Frequently asked questions
- Can't I just ask ChatGPT once to see whether it recommends me?
- That isn't accurate enough. AI answers can change each time, and different platforms answer differently. You need the same questions, checked regularly across several platforms, to see a trend.
- Can a franchise office rely on head office's website?
- Head office's website matters, but people ask about their area. Each office is better off with its own office page and Google Business Profile stating which areas it serves, so AI can say which office it means.
- If AI mentions me, will people list their homes with me?
- Not necessarily. Being mentioned by AI gives people one more chance to come across you. We measure honestly whether AI mentions you and also look at inquiries from Google, but we don't treat the two as the same thing.
- How do I start checking?
- Start with the free quick scan in GEO by TriloAI: no sign-up, about 1–2 minutes to see how ChatGPT answers. For the full picture, the five-platform check covers ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and Claude.