We found that 80% of answers in Houston named a specific agent, team, or brokerage. This was -9 percentage points from the national result of 89%, and -9 percentage points from the large-market result of 89%. Each city reflects 20 answers collected on two days, so small differences may be within noise.
Where AI looked in Houston
This table compares the source types found in this market's answers. A source type can appear in more than one answer, so shares describe answer-level presence rather than a rank of individual websites. The two rank columns show how the local share compares with the study's 50 markets and its size class.
| Source type | Here | Same-size markets | National | Vs. size | Vs. national | Rank / 50 | Rank / size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agent or team websites | 85% | 75% | 72% | +10 pts | +13 pts | #5 | #1 |
| Other directories | 45% | 38% | 31% | +8 pts | +14 pts | #13 | #4 |
| Zillow | 30% | 51% | 57% | -21 pts | -27 pts | #49 | #11 |
| FastExpert | 25% | 38% | 44% | -13 pts | -19 pts | #46 | #11 |
| HomeLight | 25% | 25% | 22% | 0 pts | +3 pts | #16 | #6 |
| Homes.com | 25% | 23% | 24% | +2 pts | +1 pts | #18 | #2 |
| Google Business Profile | 10% | 11% | 15% | -1 pts | -5 pts | #37 | #7 |
| Local news | 5% | 12% | 12% | -7 pts | -7 pts | #37 | #10 |
| Realtor.com | 5% | 13% | 19% | -8 pts | -14 pts | #47 | #10 |
| Social media | 5% | 2% | 3% | +3 pts | +2 pts | #17 | #3 |
| Yelp | 5% | 7% | 7% | -2 pts | -2 pts | #27 | #6 |
| Brokerage websites | 0% | 8% | 10% | -8 pts | -10 pts | #43 | #10 |
pts = percentage points; local average: 3.2 individual agents per answer
Zillow was the largest gap in both comparisons: 30% here, -27 percentage points from national (57%) and -21 percentage points from same-size markets (51%).
Selected public platforms cited
These raw citation counts are limited to public platforms; personal, team, and brokerage domains are not listed. The highest local counts were google.com (25), zillow.com (15), realtrends.com (14).
| Platform | Citations |
|---|---|
| google.com | 25 |
| zillow.com | 15 |
| realtrends.com | 14 |
| homes.com | 7 |
| homelight.com | 6 |
| fastexpert.com | 5 |
| realtor.com | 3 |
| bizjournals.com | 1 |
| facebook.com | 1 |
| upnest.com | 1 |
| yelp.com | 1 |
Biggest local differences
- Compared with national results, Zillow was -27 percentage points at 30% here versus 57%.
- The local FastExpert share of 25% stood -19 percentage points from the national share of 44%.
- Other directories registered 45% locally and 31% nationally, a +14 percentage points difference.
How each AI tool answered in Houston
| Tool | Share naming an agent/team | Avg. names per answer | Individual agents per answer | Teams per answer | National share | Difference | Top 3 source types |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google AI Mode | 100% | 5.8 | 4.2 | 1.6 | 85% | +15 pts | Agent or team websites (80%), Other directories (40%), Google Business Profile (20%) |
| ChatGPT | 60% | 1.8 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 88% | -28 pts | Agent or team websites (80%), Other directories (60%), Zillow (40%) |
| Gemini | 100% | 8.6 | 6.6 | 2.0 | 99% | +1 pts | Agent or team websites (80%), FastExpert (60%), Other directories (60%) |
| Perplexity | 60% | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 83% | -23 pts | Agent or team websites (100%), Homes.com (100%), HomeLight (80%) |
Google AI Mode: its largest source-mix difference from its national answers was Zillow, at 0% here versus 38% nationally (-38 percentage points).
ChatGPT: its largest source-mix difference from its national answers was FastExpert, at 0% here versus 42% nationally (-42 percentage points).
Gemini: its largest source-mix difference from its national answers was Other directories, at 60% here versus 24% nationally (+36 percentage points).
Perplexity: its largest source-mix difference from its national answers was HomeLight, at 80% here versus 55% nationally (+25 percentage points).
Across the four tools, the local share naming an agent or team ranged from 60% to 100%. Average names per answer ranged from 1.6 to 8.6.
Across the four tools, average pairwise overlap was 3% in Houston, compared with 7% nationally. At least one name overlapped across tools in 60% of comparable local answers, versus 83% nationally.
Houston in the 50-market study
These positions use the 50 markets in this study and the markets in the same size class; tied values are ordered by market name for a stable comparison.
| Measure | Here | Among 50 markets | Among large markets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answers naming an agent or team | 80% | #40 of 50 | #10 of 12 |
| Individual agents per answer | 3.2 | #10 of 50 | #4 of 12 |
| Average tool-list overlap | 3% | #46 of 50 | #9 of 12 |
Markets nearest in the ranking
- For agent-or-team naming share, Houston ranked between Dallas, TX and Jacksonville, FL among the 50 markets.
- For individual agents per answer, Houston ranked between Missoula, MT and Los Angeles, CA among the 50 markets.
- For tool-list overlap, Houston ranked between San Diego, CA and Milwaukee, WI among the 50 markets.
Houston market context
Population: 2,328,253
Median household income: $64,813
Median home value: $277,800
Per-capita income: $42,430
Owner-occupied homes: 42%
Homes with broadband: 90%
Home-value-to-income ratio: 4.3×
Household-to-per-capita-income ratio: 1.5×
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimatesHouston Census context in the study
These Census estimates add local context; ranks use the same 50 study markets and size class, with ties ordered by market name.
| Measure | Here | Among 50 markets | Among large markets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,328,253 | #4 of 50 | #4 of 12 |
| Median household income | $64,813 | #43 of 50 | #11 of 12 |
| Median home value | $277,800 | #35 of 50 | #10 of 12 |
| Per-capita income | $42,430 | #30 of 50 | #8 of 12 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 42% | #46 of 50 | #10 of 12 |
| Homes with broadband | 90% | #42 of 50 | #10 of 12 |
What this means for agents in Houston
- Answers named 4.5 people or organizations on average here, versus 4.6 nationally. A consistent public identity is more useful when an answer presents a longer list.
- A directory source appeared in up to 45% of local answers, versus 44% nationally. Consider reviewing directory listings for accuracy and consistency.
- Agent or team websites appeared in 85% of Houston answers, versus 72% nationally. We recommend keeping a bio, reviews, and recent sales current across those pages.
Questions asked in Houston
- Who is the best real estate agent in Houston, TX?
- Who should I hire to sell my home in Houston, TX?
- Top realtors in Houston, TX
- Best listing agent in Houston, TX to sell a house
- Which real estate agent should I use to buy a home in Houston, TX?
Houston AI search questions
How often did AI name an agent or team in Houston?
In Recasi's 2026 study, 80% of AI answers for Houston, TX named an agent or team. The national comparison was 89%.
Which source type appeared most often in Houston AI answers?
Agent or team websites appeared in 85% of answers for Houston, TX.
How much did AI tool lists overlap in Houston?
The four tools had 3% average pairwise overlap in Houston, TX, versus 7% nationally. At least one name overlapped across tools in 60% of comparable answers.
Read the full study
See the 50-market report for national results and all 50 local comparisons.