We found that 95% of answers in Traverse City named a specific agent, team, or brokerage. This was +6 percentage points from the national result of 89%, and +6 percentage points from the small-market result of 89%. Each city reflects 20 answers collected on two days, so small differences may be within noise.
Where AI looked in Traverse City
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 | 65% | 73% | 72% | -8 pts | -7 pts | #41 | #15 |
| Zillow | 65% | 62% | 57% | +3 pts | +8 pts | #14 | #8 |
| FastExpert | 55% | 50% | 44% | +5 pts | +11 pts | #16 | #7 |
| Realtor.com | 40% | 24% | 19% | +16 pts | +21 pts | #2 | #2 |
| Homes.com | 25% | 24% | 24% | +1 pts | +1 pts | #34 | #13 |
| Brokerage websites | 15% | 11% | 10% | +4 pts | +5 pts | #15 | #9 |
| Google Business Profile | 15% | 15% | 15% | 0 pts | 0 pts | #30 | #10 |
| Social media | 10% | 4% | 3% | +6 pts | +7 pts | #6 | #4 |
| HomeLight | 0% | 18% | 22% | -18 pts | -22 pts | #50 | #18 |
| Local news | 0% | 8% | 12% | -8 pts | -12 pts | #50 | #18 |
| Other directories | 0% | 17% | 31% | -17 pts | -31 pts | #50 | #18 |
| Yelp | 0% | 7% | 7% | -7 pts | -7 pts | #49 | #18 |
pts = percentage points; local average: 2.2 individual agents per answer
Other directories appeared in 0% of answers here, -31 percentage points below national's 31%. HomeLight appeared in 0% of answers here, -18 percentage points below same-size markets's 18%.
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 (71), homes.com (17), zillow.com (15).
| Platform | Citations |
|---|---|
| google.com | 71 |
| homes.com | 17 |
| zillow.com | 15 |
| fastexpert.com | 13 |
| realtor.com | 9 |
| experience.com | 4 |
| maps.google.com | 1 |
Biggest local differences
- Compared with national results, Other directories was -31 percentage points at 0% here versus 31%.
- The local HomeLight share of 0% stood -22 percentage points from the national share of 22%.
- Realtor.com registered 40% locally and 19% nationally, a +21 percentage points difference.
How each AI tool answered in Traverse City
| 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% | 4.4 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 85% | +15 pts | Agent or team websites (60%), Google Business Profile (40%), Zillow (40%) |
| ChatGPT | 80% | 2.4 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 88% | -8 pts | Zillow (100%), FastExpert (80%), Agent or team websites (40%) |
| Gemini | 100% | 4.8 | 2.0 | 2.8 | 99% | +1 pts | Agent or team websites (60%), FastExpert (60%), Zillow (60%) |
| Perplexity | 100% | 2.6 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 83% | +17 pts | Agent or team websites (100%), Homes.com (100%), Realtor.com (80%) |
Google AI Mode: its largest source-mix difference from its national answers was Local news, at 0% here versus 38% nationally (-38 percentage points).
ChatGPT: its largest source-mix difference from its national answers was FastExpert, at 80% here versus 42% nationally (+38 percentage points).
Gemini: its largest source-mix difference from its national answers was Realtor.com, at 40% here versus 8% nationally (+32 percentage points).
Perplexity: its largest source-mix difference from its national answers was HomeLight, at 0% here versus 55% nationally (-55 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 4.8.
Across the four tools, average pairwise overlap was 5% in Traverse City, compared with 7% nationally. At least one name overlapped across tools in 80% of comparable local answers, versus 83% nationally.
Traverse City 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 small markets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answers naming an agent or team | 95% | #17 of 50 | #6 of 18 |
| Individual agents per answer | 2.2 | #42 of 50 | #15 of 18 |
| Average tool-list overlap | 5% | #39 of 50 | #18 of 18 |
Markets nearest in the ranking
- For agent-or-team naming share, Traverse City ranked between St. George, UT and Tulsa, OK among the 50 markets.
- For individual agents per answer, Traverse City ranked between San Antonio, TX and Atlanta, GA among the 50 markets.
- For tool-list overlap, Traverse City ranked between Baltimore, MD and Raleigh, NC among the 50 markets.
Traverse City market context
Population: 15,593
Median household income: $74,087
Median home value: $415,400
Per-capita income: $53,432
Owner-occupied homes: 64%
Homes with broadband: 91%
Home-value-to-income ratio: 5.6×
Household-to-per-capita-income ratio: 1.4×
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimatesTraverse City 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 small markets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,593 | #50 of 50 | #18 of 18 |
| Median household income | $74,087 | #25 of 50 | #10 of 18 |
| Median home value | $415,400 | #29 of 50 | #16 of 18 |
| Per-capita income | $53,432 | #14 of 50 | #7 of 18 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 64% | #4 of 50 | #4 of 18 |
| Homes with broadband | 91% | #30 of 50 | #12 of 18 |
What this means for agents in Traverse City
- Answers named 3.5 people or organizations on average here, versus 4.6 nationally. A consistent public identity is more useful when an answer presents a longer list.
- Zillow, Homes.com, or Realtor.com appeared most often here at 65%, compared with 57% nationally. We recommend reviewing the corresponding public profiles for complete, current details.
- Local news or social media appeared in 10% of local answers, versus 12% nationally. Consider developing useful local coverage beyond profile pages.
Questions asked in Traverse City
- Who is the best real estate agent in Traverse City, MI?
- Who should I hire to sell my home in Traverse City, MI?
- Top realtors in Traverse City, MI
- Best listing agent in Traverse City, MI to sell a house
- Which real estate agent should I use to buy a home in Traverse City, MI?
Traverse City AI search questions
How often did AI name an agent or team in Traverse City?
In Recasi's 2026 study, 95% of AI answers for Traverse City, MI named an agent or team. The national comparison was 89%.
Which source type appeared most often in Traverse City AI answers?
Agent or team websites appeared in 65% of answers for Traverse City, MI.
How much did AI tool lists overlap in Traverse City?
The four tools had 5% average pairwise overlap in Traverse City, MI, 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.