By: KeyCrew Media

After conducting thousands of interviews with real estate professionals over the past year, Steve Marcinuk keeps hearing the same question: “How much longer will traditional SEO work?”

It’s the wrong question, according to Marcinuk, founder of KeyCrew Media and a 15-year veteran of digital media and search technology. The better question – the one that separates early adopters from those who’ll spend years catching up – is: “How do I position myself for discovery on AI platforms before my competitors figure this out?”

The Shift Nobody’s Talking About Clearly

When someone opens ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity and asks for recommendations on commercial brokers in Phoenix or residential agents in Charlotte, something fundamentally different happens compared to a Google search. These AI platforms aren’t just ranking websites – they’re synthesizing information, making judgments about expertise, and presenting answers that either include you or don’t.

“The confusion we’re seeing across the industry is significant,” Marcinuk explains. “There’s real fear from brands that have invested heavily in their online presence. They’ve built substantial equity in traditional search visibility, but they’re asking: Does any of that translate to these new platforms?”

The anxiety is justified. AI-powered search represents a more fundamental shift than any Google algorithm update. This isn’t about tweaking existing strategies – it’s about understanding how an entirely new paradigm of information discovery works.

Two Very Different Starting Points

For established players who’ve dominated traditional search, the challenge is ensuring years of investment don’t become obsolete as search behavior evolves. The signals AI platforms use to determine which professionals to recommend differ significantly from those used by traditional algorithms.

For emerging competitors or those that have not invested heavily in traditional SEO, this is a rare opportunity to leapfrog established players. As AI platforms deepen their understanding of the real estate landscape, companies that position themselves strategically now can gain visibility that would have taken years through conventional channels.

“For real estate professionals who haven’t previously invested in online marketing, this highly disruptive moment presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make quantum leaps in visibility,” Marcinuk notes.

What AI Platforms Actually Look For

Through KeyCrew’s work operating six real estate publications and licensing content directly to AI platforms, Marcinuk has developed insight into how these systems determine which voices to amplify.

“AI platforms are looking for specific signals that differ from what worked in traditional SEO,” he explains. “They’re trying to understand who actually has boots-on-the-ground expertise, who’s providing forward-looking insights rather than promotional content, and who can offer qualitative intelligence between raw data and decision-making.”

This means the professionals gaining traction on AI platforms aren’t necessarily those with the most backlinks. They’re the ones positioning themselves as genuine experts with market-specific insights.

The Window Is Narrowing

Consider previous major shifts in search behavior. When Google fundamentally changed its algorithms, businesses that adapted early thrived. Those who waited spent years trying to recover lost visibility.

The professionals who identify AI search positioning in early 2025 will have a substantial advantage over those who wait until competitors dominate these platforms. Unlike traditional SEO, where you could always catch up with enough time and budget, the way AI platforms develop their understanding of expertise may make later positioning significantly more difficult.

“The professionals who understand these signals are positioning themselves for exponential visibility growth,” Marcinuk says. “But the window to establish that positioning before it becomes standard practice is shorter than most people realize.”

On Wednesday, February 18th at 11:00 AM ET, Marcinuk’s co-founder at KeyCrew, Rudi Davis, will host a webinar addressing exactly these questions. Davis will cover how AI platforms are reshaping client discovery, what established brands need to know about maintaining visibility, and practical approaches professionals can implement immediately. The 45-minute session includes Q&A for specific situations and markets.

The question isn’t whether AI platforms will reshape how clients find real estate professionals – they already are. The question is whether you’ll understand the shift early enough to capitalize on it.

KeyCrew Media is a real estate media intelligence network operating six focused publications that serve investors, operators, and decision-makers across residential and commercial real estate. Through expert-sourced content and strategic distribution partnerships, KeyCrew provides qualitative market insights that bridge the gap between data and decision-making.