ChatGPT does not "pick" an estate agent from a secret list. It pulls together what it can find and verify about agencies in your town, such as your Google Business Profile, website, portal listings and reviews, and names the ones that appear clearly and consistently across those sources. If your details are thin, out of date or contradictory, you are easier to leave out.

What a buyer or seller actually asks an AI assistant about estate agents

People rarely type "estate agent Ennis". They ask a fuller question, often by voice or in a chat window. Typical examples:

  • "Who is the best estate agent for selling a house in Terenure?"
  • "Which estate agents in Galway handle apartment lettings?"
  • "I'm selling my late mother's house in Dundalk. Who should I talk to?"
  • "Is there an auctioneer near Kinsale who knows the holiday home market?"
  • "How much do estate agents charge in Cork?"

Notice the pattern: a location, a type of property or situation, and a hint of trust. In Ireland, many people also say "auctioneer" or "auctioneer and estate agent" rather than only "estate agent", so your wording should cover both.

An AI assistant is a chat tool, such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini or Perplexity, that answers questions in plain language instead of showing a list of links. It tries to give a short, confident answer, which usually means naming only a handful of agencies.

Where AI assistants get their information on local estate agents

Assistants draw on a mix of sources. Which ones they use varies by tool and by question, but these are the ones that typically matter for Irish agents:

  • Google Business Profile. This is the free listing that appears on Google Search and Google Maps, showing your address, hours, category, reviews and photos. Gemini in particular leans on Google's own data.
  • Your website. Your service pages, branch pages, team pages and valuation pages tell the AI what you do and where.
  • Property portals. Daft.ie and MyHome.ie show which agencies are actively listing in an area. Our related piece on where AI looks when recommending an Irish estate agent goes deeper on this.
  • Reviews. Google reviews are the main ones, but Facebook recommendations and independent review sites can also be picked up.
  • Regulatory and trade information. The Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) licensing register, and membership of bodies such as the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) or the Irish Institute of Auctioneers and Valuers (IPAV), help confirm that you are a genuine, licensed business.
  • Local press and directories. Mentions in regional newspapers, local business directories and Golden Pages entries add further confirmation.

Perplexity usually shows its sources next to the answer, which makes it a useful window into what AI is actually reading about you.

Why one estate agent is named and another is left out

The difference is rarely about who is the biggest. It usually comes down to how easy you are to understand and verify. In our measurements, agencies that are named tend to share several traits:

  • Clear identity. The same name, address and phone number appear everywhere.
  • Clear location. The agency is obviously tied to a town or area, not just a county.
  • Clear specialism. The site says whether you handle residential sales, lettings, commercial, new homes or rural property.
  • Specific reviews. Clients mention the town, the staff by name and what happened, for example "valued our semi-d in Salthill and sold within weeks".
  • Recent activity. Current listings, recent reviews and updated profile details suggest you are trading now.

An agency can be excellent and still be skipped if its website only says "Welcome to our family-run business", its Google category is wrong, and its reviews say little more than "Great service".

Another reason is conflicting information. If your Google listing shows one phone number, your website another and an old directory a third, the assistant has less confidence in any of them.

Signals you control: Google Business Profile, website and portal listings

Most of what counts is within your reach. Start with these.

Google Business Profile

A Google Business Profile is the free listing that controls how your agency appears on Google Search and Maps. Check the following:

  • Primary category. Choose "Real estate agency" or the closest accurate match, and add secondary categories only where they are true. See why your business category changes what AI recommends.
  • Service areas and address. List the towns and neighbourhoods you cover. If you have a shopfront, keep the address exact.
  • Description. Write two or three plain sentences: who you are, which area you serve and what you handle.
  • Hours. Keep them accurate, including bank holidays. Our guide to Irish public holiday variations shows how.
  • Photos. Show the office, the team and recent properties. A photo checklist helps you cover the basics.
  • Reviews. Ask recent clients, and reply to every review in a natural, human tone.

Your website

Give each of these its own page where you can:

  • Selling a home in [town], with your process and fee approach in plain terms
  • Lettings and property management, if you offer them
  • Free valuation requests
  • Team pages with names, roles and PSRA licence number
  • Area pages covering the neighbourhoods you know well

Use ordinary wording that a seller would use. A short FAQ on each page ("How long does a sale usually take?", "What do I need for a BER certificate?") gives AI ready-made answers to quote.

Portal listings

Make sure your agency name on Daft.ie and MyHome.ie matches your website and Google listing exactly, and that your branch details and logo are current.

How to test what ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity say about your agency

You can do a basic check in about twenty minutes. Open each assistant in a fresh chat and ask:

  1. "Which estate agents should I consider for selling a house in [your town]?"
  2. "Who are the best estate agents for lettings in [your town]?"
  3. "Tell me about [your agency name] in [your town]."
  4. A question about your niche, such as "estate agent for farm sales near [town]".

Write down which agencies are named, in what order, and what reasons are given. Repeat the questions on another day, because answers can change. Also note whether the assistant gets your details wrong, such as an old address or a branch you closed.

If you use Perplexity, click through the cited sources. They often reveal which pages are doing the work for your competitors.

What to fix first if your agency is not being mentioned

Work in this order, because the early steps unlock the later ones:

  1. Make your details identical everywhere. Name, address, phone number, website and opening hours should match across Google, your site, Daft.ie, MyHome.ie, Facebook and directories.
  2. Fix your Google category and service areas. This is quick and often overlooked.
  3. Rewrite your homepage and one key service page. State clearly what you do, where, and who for.
  4. Collect more specific reviews. Ask clients to mention the area and what you helped with. Never offer incentives or write reviews yourself.
  5. Add a licence and credentials section. Include your PSRA licence number and any professional memberships.
  6. Publish local content. A short, honest guide to selling in your area, or a note on recent local market conditions, gives AI something distinct to reference.

If you would like a quick starting point, the free check on suggestedby.ai measures whether AI assistants name your agency when people ask about your town.

No one can guarantee a mention, because assistants change how they answer. But clear, consistent and verifiable information gives you the best chance of being included.