We found that 80% of answers in Seattle named a specific agent, team, or brokerage. This was -9 percentage points from the national result of 89%, and -8 percentage points from the mid-market result of 88%. Each city reflects 20 answers collected on two days, so small differences may be within noise.
Where AI looked in Seattle
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% | 68% | 72% | +6 pts | +3 pts | #23 | #8 |
| FastExpert | 60% | 42% | 44% | +18 pts | +16 pts | #11 | #3 |
| Zillow | 60% | 56% | 57% | +4 pts | +3 pts | #25 | #10 |
| Other directories | 50% | 39% | 31% | +11 pts | +19 pts | #12 | #7 |
| Homes.com | 25% | 25% | 24% | 0 pts | +1 pts | #33 | #14 |
| Yelp | 25% | 7% | 7% | +18 pts | +18 pts | #1 | #1 |
| Google Business Profile | 20% | 17% | 15% | +3 pts | +5 pts | #17 | #9 |
| Local news | 20% | 15% | 12% | +5 pts | +8 pts | #14 | #9 |
| HomeLight | 15% | 24% | 22% | -8 pts | -7 pts | #41 | #17 |
| Brokerage websites | 10% | 9% | 10% | +1 pts | +1 pts | #32 | #11 |
| Realtor.com | 5% | 17% | 19% | -12 pts | -14 pts | #50 | #20 |
| Social media | 0% | 3% | 3% | -3 pts | -3 pts | #48 | #18 |
pts = percentage points; local average: 2.9 individual agents per answer
Other directories appeared in 50% of answers here, +19 percentage points above national's 31%. FastExpert appeared in 60% of answers here, +18 percentage points above same-size markets's 42%.
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 zillow.com (28), fastexpert.com (19), homes.com (11).
| Platform | Citations |
|---|---|
| zillow.com | 28 |
| fastexpert.com | 19 |
| homes.com | 11 |
| realtrends.com | 11 |
| yelp.com | 10 |
| google.com | 7 |
| homelight.com | 3 |
| ratemyagent.com | 3 |
| realestate.usnews.com | 3 |
| expertise.com | 2 |
| newswire.com | 1 |
| realtor.com | 1 |
Biggest local differences
- Compared with national results, Other directories was +19 percentage points at 50% here versus 31%.
- The local Yelp share of 25% stood +18 percentage points from the national share of 7%.
- FastExpert registered 60% locally and 44% nationally, a +16 percentage points difference.
How each AI tool answered in Seattle
| 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% | 6.2 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 85% | +15 pts | Agent or team websites (60%), FastExpert (60%), Local news (60%) |
| ChatGPT | 60% | 2.4 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 88% | -28 pts | Agent or team websites (100%), Google Business Profile (80%), Yelp (80%) |
| Gemini | 100% | 8.2 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 99% | +1 pts | FastExpert (80%), Other directories (80%), Agent or team websites (40%) |
| Perplexity | 60% | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 83% | -23 pts | Agent or team websites (100%), Homes.com (100%), Zillow (100%) |
Google AI Mode: its largest source-mix difference from its national answers was FastExpert, at 60% here versus 29% nationally (+31 percentage points).
ChatGPT: its largest source-mix difference from its national answers was Yelp, at 80% here versus 21% nationally (+59 percentage points).
Gemini: its largest source-mix difference from its national answers was Other directories, at 80% here versus 24% nationally (+56 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 60% to 100%. Average names per answer ranged from 2.0 to 8.2.
Across the four tools, average pairwise overlap was 4% in Seattle, compared with 7% nationally. At least one name overlapped across tools in 80% of comparable local answers, versus 83% nationally.
Seattle 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 mid markets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answers naming an agent or team | 80% | #49 of 50 | #20 of 20 |
| Individual agents per answer | 2.9 | #19 of 50 | #6 of 20 |
| Average tool-list overlap | 4% | #42 of 50 | #18 of 20 |
Markets nearest in the ranking
- For agent-or-team naming share, Seattle ranked between Savannah, GA and Portland, ME among the 50 markets.
- For individual agents per answer, Seattle ranked between Portland, ME and Bend, OR among the 50 markets.
- For tool-list overlap, Seattle ranked between Atlanta, GA and San Antonio, TX among the 50 markets.
Seattle market context
Population: 754,195
Median household income: $123,860
Median home value: $938,600
Per-capita income: $86,095
Owner-occupied homes: 44%
Homes with broadband: 94%
Home-value-to-income ratio: 7.6×
Household-to-per-capita-income ratio: 1.4×
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimatesSeattle 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 mid markets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 754,195 | #16 of 50 | #4 of 20 |
| Median household income | $123,860 | #3 of 50 | #1 of 20 |
| Median home value | $938,600 | #3 of 50 | #1 of 20 |
| Per-capita income | $86,095 | #2 of 50 | #1 of 20 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 44% | #42 of 50 | #19 of 20 |
| Homes with broadband | 94% | #4 of 50 | #2 of 20 |
What this means for agents in Seattle
- 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.
- Answers named 4.7 people or organizations on average here, versus 4.6 nationally. A consistent public identity is more useful when an answer presents a longer list.
Questions asked in Seattle
- Who is the best real estate agent in Seattle, WA?
- Who should I hire to sell my home in Seattle, WA?
- Top realtors in Seattle, WA
- Best listing agent in Seattle, WA to sell a house
- Which real estate agent should I use to buy a home in Seattle, WA?
Seattle AI search questions
How often did AI name an agent or team in Seattle?
In Recasi's 2026 study, 80% of AI answers for Seattle, WA named an agent or team. The national comparison was 89%.
Which source type appeared most often in Seattle AI answers?
Agent or team websites appeared in 75% of answers for Seattle, WA.
How much did AI tool lists overlap in Seattle?
The four tools had 4% average pairwise overlap in Seattle, WA, versus 7% nationally. At least one name overlapped across tools in 80% of comparable answers.
Read the full study
See the 50-market report for national results and all 50 local comparisons.