We found that 90% of answers in San Jose named a specific agent, team, or brokerage. This was +1 percentage point from the national result of 89%, and +1 percentage point 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 San Jose
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 | 75% | 75% | 72% | 0 pts | +3 pts | #21 | #7 |
| FastExpert | 60% | 38% | 44% | +22 pts | +16 pts | #10 | #3 |
| Zillow | 60% | 51% | 57% | +9 pts | +3 pts | #24 | #5 |
| Other directories | 45% | 38% | 31% | +8 pts | +14 pts | #16 | #6 |
| HomeLight | 40% | 25% | 22% | +15 pts | +18 pts | #4 | #1 |
| Homes.com | 25% | 23% | 24% | +2 pts | +1 pts | #30 | #7 |
| Local news | 20% | 12% | 12% | +8 pts | +8 pts | #12 | #2 |
| Yelp | 15% | 7% | 7% | +8 pts | +8 pts | #9 | #2 |
| Realtor.com | 10% | 13% | 19% | -3 pts | -9 pts | #43 | #9 |
| Brokerage websites | 5% | 8% | 10% | -3 pts | -4 pts | #39 | #9 |
| Google Business Profile | 5% | 11% | 15% | -6 pts | -10 pts | #46 | #12 |
| Social media | 0% | 2% | 3% | -2 pts | -3 pts | #46 | #12 |
pts = percentage points; local average: 3.6 individual agents per answer
HomeLight appeared in 40% of answers here, +18 percentage points above national's 22%. FastExpert appeared in 60% of answers here, +22 percentage points above same-size markets's 38%.
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 fastexpert.com (18), zillow.com (15), homelight.com (11).
| Platform | Citations |
|---|---|
| fastexpert.com | 18 |
| zillow.com | 15 |
| homelight.com | 11 |
| homes.com | 8 |
| realtrends.com | 8 |
| yelp.com | 5 |
| google.com | 4 |
| realestate.usnews.com | 4 |
| ratemyagent.com | 2 |
| realtor.com | 2 |
| upnest.com | 1 |
Biggest local differences
- Compared with national results, HomeLight was +18 percentage points at 40% here versus 22%.
- The local FastExpert share of 60% stood +16 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 San Jose
| 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% | 6.8 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 85% | +15 pts | Local news (80%), Zillow (60%), FastExpert (40%) |
| ChatGPT | 80% | 3.8 | 3.6 | 0.2 | 88% | -8 pts | Agent or team websites (100%), FastExpert (80%), Zillow (80%) |
| Gemini | 100% | 8.6 | 5.6 | 3.0 | 99% | +1 pts | Agent or team websites (80%), FastExpert (80%), Other directories (40%) |
| Perplexity | 80% | 2.4 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 83% | -3 pts | Agent or team websites (100%), HomeLight (80%), Homes.com (80%) |
Google AI Mode: its largest source-mix difference from its national answers was Local news, at 80% here versus 38% nationally (+42 percentage points).
ChatGPT: its largest source-mix difference from its national answers was Yelp, at 60% here versus 21% nationally (+39 percentage points).
Gemini: its largest source-mix difference from its national answers was FastExpert, at 80% here versus 55% nationally (+25 percentage points).
Perplexity: its largest source-mix difference from its national answers was Realtor.com, at 0% here versus 32% nationally (-32 percentage points).
Across the four tools, the local share naming an agent or team ranged from 80% to 100%. Average names per answer ranged from 2.4 to 8.6.
Across the four tools, average pairwise overlap was 10% in San Jose, compared with 7% nationally. At least one name overlapped across tools in 100% of comparable local answers, versus 83% nationally.
San Jose 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 | 90% | #28 of 50 | #8 of 12 |
| Individual agents per answer | 3.6 | #3 of 50 | #1 of 12 |
| Average tool-list overlap | 10% | #8 of 50 | #2 of 12 |
Markets nearest in the ranking
- For agent-or-team naming share, San Jose ranked between Portland, OR and Santa Fe, NM among the 50 markets.
- For individual agents per answer, San Jose ranked between Flagstaff, AZ and Louisville, KY among the 50 markets.
- For tool-list overlap, San Jose ranked between Chicago, IL and Boise, ID among the 50 markets.
San Jose market context
Population: 990,138
Median household income: $146,427
Median home value: $1,233,200
Per-capita income: $65,945
Owner-occupied homes: 56%
Homes with broadband: 95%
Home-value-to-income ratio: 8.4×
Household-to-per-capita-income ratio: 2.2×
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimatesSan Jose 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 | 990,138 | #10 of 50 | #10 of 12 |
| Median household income | $146,427 | #2 of 50 | #1 of 12 |
| Median home value | $1,233,200 | #2 of 50 | #1 of 12 |
| Per-capita income | $65,945 | #4 of 50 | #1 of 12 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 56% | #17 of 50 | #3 of 12 |
| Homes with broadband | 95% | #1 of 50 | #1 of 12 |
What this means for agents in San Jose
- Answers named 5.4 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 60% of local answers, versus 44% nationally. Consider reviewing directory listings for accuracy and consistency.
- Local news or social media appeared in 20% of local answers, versus 12% nationally. Consider developing useful local coverage beyond profile pages.
Questions asked in San Jose
- Who is the best real estate agent in San Jose, CA?
- Who should I hire to sell my home in San Jose, CA?
- Top realtors in San Jose, CA
- Best listing agent in San Jose, CA to sell a house
- Which real estate agent should I use to buy a home in San Jose, CA?
San Jose AI search questions
How often did AI name an agent or team in San Jose?
In Recasi's 2026 study, 90% of AI answers for San Jose, CA named an agent or team. The national comparison was 89%.
Which source type appeared most often in San Jose AI answers?
Agent or team websites appeared in 75% of answers for San Jose, CA.
How much did AI tool lists overlap in San Jose?
The four tools had 10% average pairwise overlap in San Jose, CA, versus 7% nationally. At least one name overlapped across tools in 100% of comparable answers.
Read the full study
See the 50-market report for national results and all 50 local comparisons.