Zillow and Redfin each appeared in 108 of 288 answers (37.5%) from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity. NAR was named first in 48 of 288 answers. Google showed AI Overviews for 62 of 72 lookups (86.1%), and Zillow led there with 25 of 62. bankrate.com was the most-cited domain.
RESEARCH · Published July 20, 2026 · Updated November 1, 2026
Residential Real Estate Media in AI Answers: Zillow and Redfin Tie at the Top
Published July 20, 2026 · Updated November 1, 2026
288
AI answers analyzed across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity
37.5%
of answers named Zillow, the most-named (108 of 288)
11
tracked names named at least once (of 11)
86.1%
of Google searches showed an AI Overview (62 of 72)
Version 2. This version replaces the first version of this study, first published July 20, 2026. It uses measured counts, so the two versions are not comparable. Version 2 asks 24 questions three times each on ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity (288 answers) and adds Google AI Overviews. Every rate comes with its count and a 95% interval.
What the data shows
01
108/288 (37.5%)
Zillow and Redfin each appeared in 108 of 288 four-engine answers (37.5%, CI 32.1–43.2%). Their intervals are identical, so the data cannot separate them.
02
48/288 (16.7%)
The National Association of Realtors was named first in 48 of 288 answers, ahead of Freddie Mac (44/288), Redfin (42/288) and Zillow (36/288).
03
30.2%
NAR appeared in 87 of 288 answers (CI 25.2–35.7%). That interval overlaps the Zillow and Redfin range, so NAR cannot be ranked clearly below them.
04
9/12 (75.0%)
On the current 30-year mortgage rate question, Freddie Mac was named first in 9 of 12 answers. Bankrate was the name engines included most often, in 11 of 12 answers.
05
86.1%
Google showed an AI Overview for 62 of 72 lookups (86.1%, CI 76.3–92.3%). Zillow appeared in 25 of those 62 overviews (40.3%), the highest of any tracked name.
06
84/282 (29.8%)
bankrate.com was cited in 84 of 282 grounded answers (29.8%). It was the most-cited domain, with 107 of 2,684 citations (4%).
07
63.9%
Company and brand sites accounted for 1,715 of 2,684 four-engine citations (63.9%). Trade and specialist press accounted for 287 (10.7%).
08
9.7%
HousingWire appeared in 28 of 288 answers (9.7%). Inman and The Real Deal each appeared in 12 of 288 (4.2%). Most of those mentions came from the industry-news question.
09
1/288 (0.3%)
Mansion Global appeared in 1 of 288 four-engine answers (0.3%) and in none of the 62 AI Overviews.
10
34.7%
Of 2,684 four-engine citations, company and brand sites supplied 932 (34.7%), review and comparison publishers 471 (17.5%) and general news and business press 362 (13.5%).
Appearance rate across 288 four-engine answers. The bar is the 95% confidence interval; overlapping bars cannot be told apart at this sample size.
Which names AI engines name
Zillow
37.5%
Redfin
37.5%
National Association of Realtors
30.2%
Freddie Mac
22.6%
Realtor.com
20.8%
Bankrate
18.4%
NerdWallet
18.1%
HousingWire
9.7%
Inman
4.2%
The Real Deal
4.2%
Mansion Global
0.3%
| # | Name | Named in | Appearance rate | 95% interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zillow | 108/288 | 37.5% | 32.1–43.2% |
| 2 | Redfin | 108/288 | 37.5% | 32.1–43.2% |
| 3 | National Association of Realtors | 87/288 | 30.2% | 25.2–35.7% |
| 4 | Freddie Mac | 65/288 | 22.6% | 18.1–27.7% |
| 5 | Realtor.com | 60/288 | 20.8% | 16.5–25.9% |
| 6 | Bankrate | 53/288 | 18.4% | 14.4–23.3% |
| 7 | NerdWallet | 52/288 | 18.1% | 14.0–22.9% |
| 8 | HousingWire | 28/288 | 9.7% | 6.8–13.7% |
| 9 | Inman | 12/288 | 4.2% | 2.4–7.1% |
| 10 | The Real Deal | 12/288 | 4.2% | 2.4–7.1% |
| 11 | Mansion Global | 1/288 | 0.3% | 0.1–1.9% |
The full list
Own-domain citation is the share of 282 grounded answers that cited the entity's own domains (subdomains included). Citation share is of all 2,684 citations.
| # | Name | Named in | Appearance rate | 95% interval | First mention | Own-domain citation | Citation share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zillow | 108/288 | 37.5% | 32.1–43.2% | 2.1 | 12.8% (36/282) | 1.7% |
| 2 | Redfin | 108/288 | 37.5% | 32.1–43.2% | 2.1 | 19.5% (55/282) | 2.5% |
| 3 | National Association of Realtors | 87/288 | 30.2% | 25.2–35.7% | 1.8 | 14.9% (42/282) | 2.6% |
| 4 | Freddie Mac | 65/288 | 22.6% | 18.1–27.7% | 1.7 | 7.4% (21/282) | 0.8% |
| 5 | Realtor.com | 60/288 | 20.8% | 16.5–25.9% | 2.8 | 5% (14/282) | 0.5% |
| 6 | Bankrate | 53/288 | 18.4% | 14.4–23.3% | 1.9 | 29.8% (84/282) | 4% |
| 7 | NerdWallet | 52/288 | 18.1% | 14–22.9% | 1.8 | 24.8% (70/282) | 3.1% |
| 8 | HousingWire | 28/288 | 9.7% | 6.8–13.7% | 2.3 | 18.1% (51/282) | 2.6% |
| 9 | Inman | 12/288 | 4.2% | 2.4–7.1% | 2.5 | 3.9% (11/282) | 0.5% |
| 10 | The Real Deal | 12/288 | 4.2% | 2.4–7.1% | 1.9 | 1.8% (5/282) | 0.2% |
| 11 | Mansion Global | 1/288 | 0.3% | 0.1–1.9% | 7 | 0% (0/282) | 0% |
The top eight, side by side
| # | Name | Appearance rate | Answers and interval | Other measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zillow | 37.5% | 108/288 answers · 95% CI 32.1–43.2% | first-mention position: 2.1; owned-domain citation (36/282): 12.8%; citation share: 1.7% |
| 2 | Redfin | 37.5% | 108/288 answers · 95% CI 32.1–43.2% | first-mention position: 2.1; owned-domain citation (55/282): 19.5%; citation share: 2.5% |
| 3 | National Association of Realtors | 30.2% | 87/288 answers · 95% CI 25.2–35.7% | first-mention position: 1.8; owned-domain citation (42/282): 14.9%; citation share: 2.6% |
| 4 | Freddie Mac | 22.6% | 65/288 answers · 95% CI 18.1–27.7% | first-mention position: 1.7; owned-domain citation (21/282): 7.4%; citation share: 0.8% |
| 5 | Realtor.com | 20.8% | 60/288 answers · 95% CI 16.5–25.9% | first-mention position: 2.8; owned-domain citation (14/282): 5%; citation share: 0.5% |
| 6 | Bankrate | 18.4% | 53/288 answers · 95% CI 14.4–23.3% | first-mention position: 1.9; owned-domain citation (84/282): 29.8%; citation share: 4% |
| 7 | NerdWallet | 18.1% | 52/288 answers · 95% CI 14–22.9% | first-mention position: 1.8; owned-domain citation (70/282): 24.8%; citation share: 3.1% |
| 8 | HousingWire | 9.7% | 28/288 answers · 95% CI 6.8–13.7% | first-mention position: 2.3; owned-domain citation (51/282): 18.1%; citation share: 2.6% |
All four engines returned 72 of 72 answers. ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity grounded all 72, and Claude grounded 66. ChatGPT named Zillow in 37 of 72 answers (51.4%) and Redfin in 36 of 72 (50%), the highest rates for either. Gemini named Zillow in only 14 of 72 (19.4%) but named NAR in 31 of 72 (43.1%), its most frequent tracked name.
ChatGPT
72 asked · 72 returned · 72 grounded
Same questions, different answers
Zillow
51.4%
Redfin
50.0%
NAR
33.3%
Freddie Mac
33.3%
Bankrate
33.3%
Realtor.com
31.9%
Claude
72 asked · 72 returned · 66 grounded
Zillow
37.5%
Redfin
33.3%
NAR
27.8%
Realtor.com
19.4%
NerdWallet
19.4%
Bankrate
18.1%
Gemini
72 asked · 72 returned · 72 grounded
NAR
43.1%
Redfin
33.3%
Freddie Mac
27.8%
Zillow
19.4%
Bankrate
19.4%
NerdWallet
15.3%
Perplexity
72 asked · 72 returned · 72 grounded
Zillow
41.7%
Redfin
33.3%
Realtor.com
19.4%
NAR
16.7%
Freddie Mac
12.5%
NerdWallet
11.1%
Google AI Overviews were captured through 72 U.S. desktop searches and scored only where an overview appeared, so five-engine figures use 288 + 62 = 350 answers.
The fifth engine
86%
Trigger rate: 62 of 72 searches
Google returned an AI Overview for 62 of 72 lookups (86.1%, CI 76.3–92.3%). The other 10 returned no overview, and none failed. Within the 62 overviews, Zillow appeared in 25 (40.3%), Realtor.com in 16 (25.8%), NAR in 15 (24.2%), Bankrate in 13 (21%) and Redfin in 12 (19.4%). HousingWire, Inman and The Real Deal each appeared in 1 of 62 (1.6%). The most-cited overview domain was rocketmortgage.com, present in 15 of 62 overviews (24.2%). Community and social sources made up 19 of overview citations (10.8%), against 2% in the four engines. Of 176 Google AI Overview citations, company and brand sites supplied 82 (46.6%) and community and social sites 19 (10.8%).
| Five-engine rank | Name | Five-engine rate | Four-engine rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zillow | 38.0% | 1 |
| 2 | Redfin | 34.3% | 2 |
| 3 | NAR | 29.1% | 3 |
| 4 | Realtor.com | 21.7% | 5 |
| 5 | Freddie Mac | 20.6% | 4 |
| 6 | Bankrate | 18.9% | 6 |
| 7 | NerdWallet | 18.0% | 7 |
| 8 | HousingWire | 8.3% | 8 |
Who each question surfaces first
Six questions from the set. Each tile uses that question's own four-engine answers as the denominator.
| Question | Leader | Next | AI Overview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q01 · 12 answers | Redfin 100.0% | NAR 75.0%; Zillow 58.3% | AI Overview shown on 3 of 3 searches |
| Q02 · 12 answers | Bankrate 91.7% | Freddie Mac 75.0%; Zillow 58.3% | AI Overview shown on 3 of 3 searches |
| Q03 · 12 answers | Bankrate 50.0% | Zillow 41.7%; NerdWallet 41.7% | AI Overview shown on 3 of 3 searches |
| Q04 · 12 answers | Redfin 91.7% | Zillow 33.3%; NAR 33.3% | AI Overview shown on 3 of 3 searches |
| Q05 · 12 answers | Freddie Mac 33.3% | Bankrate 16.7%; NerdWallet 8.3% | AI Overview shown on 1 of 3 searches |
| Q06 · 12 answers | Freddie Mac 50.0% | NerdWallet 41.7%; Zillow 33.3% | AI Overview shown on 3 of 3 searches |
The four engines produced 2,684 citations. Of 2,684 four-engine citations, company and brand sites supplied 932 (34.7%), review and comparison publishers 471 (17.5%), general news and business press 362 (13.5%), trade and specialist press 215 (8%), institutions and trade bodies 149 (5.6%) and official and government sites 101 (3.8%).
Four AI engines · share of 282 grounded answers
Most-cited domains
bankrate.com
29.8%
nerdwallet.com
23.4%
cnbc.com
20.2%
redfin.com
19.5%
finance.yahoo.com
18.4%
housingwire.com
18.1%
forbes.com
16.0%
nar.realtor
14.9%
jdpower.com
14.9%
zillow.com
12.8%
Google AI Overviews · share of 62 overviews
rocketmortgage.com
24.2%
experian.com
12.9%
youtube.com
11.3%
zillow.com
11.3%
bankrate.com
11.3%
fred.stlouisfed.org
9.7%
reddit.com
9.7%
usbank.com
9.7%
resiclubanalytics.com
8.1%
nar.realtor
6.5%
Citation share by source type
Share of all citations by the type of site cited. Source types were reclassified on October 29, 2026. 'Company / brand sites' now covers only the official sites of companies, brands and schools; publishers, directories, trade bodies and other sites have their own types, and sites that could not be placed are 'Other / unclassified'.
| Source type | Four AI engines (of 2,684 citations) | Google AI Overviews (of 176 citations) |
|---|---|---|
| Company / brand sites | 932 (34.7%) | 82 (46.6%) |
| Review / comparison publishers | 471 (17.5%) | 17 (9.7%) |
| General news / business press | 362 (13.5%) | 11 (6.3%) |
| Trade / specialist press | 215 (8%) | 5 (2.8%) |
| Directories / rankings | 165 (6.1%) | 8 (4.5%) |
| Research / data providers | 150 (5.6%) | 9 (5.1%) |
| Institutions / trade bodies | 149 (5.6%) | 10 (5.7%) |
| Official / government | 101 (3.8%) | 15 (8.5%) |
| Reference | 63 (2.3%) | 0 (0%) |
| Community / social | 58 (2.2%) | 19 (10.8%) |
| Other / unclassified | 18 (0.7%) | 0 (0%) |
How can names improve their AI visibility?
These steps follow from the measured results above. They describe what the engines cited in this study and are not a guarantee of results.
| Step | What this study measured |
|---|---|
| Put your facts on your own domain. | Bankrate's own domains were cited in 29.8% of grounded answers, NerdWallet's in 24.8% and Redfin's in 19.5%. Bankrate was named in only 18.4% of answers, yet its own domains were cited in 29.8%. |
| Keep your facts accurate on the sites engines cite. | The most-cited sites other than the tracked names' own were cnbc.com (in 20.2% of grounded answers), finance.yahoo.com (18.4%), forbes.com (16.0%), jdpower.com (14.9%) and listwithclever.com (13.8%). Review and comparison publishers supplied 17.5% of citations and general news and business press 13.5%. |
| Check each engine separately. | ChatGPT named Zillow in 51.4% of answers against 19.4% on Gemini. ChatGPT named Bankrate in 33.3% of answers against 2.8% on Perplexity. |
| Do not ignore video and community sites. | Community and social sites supplied 10.8% of Google AI Overview citations against 2.2% in the four chat engines. youtube.com was cited in 11.3% of overviews and reddit.com in 9.7%. |
| Re-run the same questions every month. | Compare counts and intervals, not ranks. The 24 questions are in the appendix. |
Frequently asked questions
Which residential real estate name do AI engines mention most?
Zillow and Redfin tie. Each appeared in 108 of 288 four-engine answers (37.5%, CI 32.1–43.2%). NAR followed at 87 of 288 (30.2%), and its interval overlaps theirs.
Which name do engines put first most often?
The National Association of Realtors, named first in 48 of 288 answers. Freddie Mac was named first in 44, Redfin in 42 and Zillow in 36.
How often did Google show an AI Overview for these questions?
Google showed one for 62 of 72 lookups (86.1%, CI 76.3–92.3%). Zillow appeared in 25 of those 62 overviews (40.3%).
Which websites do the engines cite most?
bankrate.com was the most-cited domain, with 107 of 2,684 citations in 84 of 282 grounded answers (29.8%). nerdwallet.com, cnbc.com, nar.realtor and housingwire.com followed.
How visible is real estate trade press?
HousingWire appeared in 28 of 288 answers (9.7%), and Inman and The Real Deal each appeared in 12 of 288 (4.2%). On the industry-news question, Inman and The Real Deal each appeared in 11 of 12 answers.
Do the engines differ?
Yes. ChatGPT named Zillow in 37 of 72 answers (51.4%), while Gemini named it in 14 of 72 (19.4%). Gemini named NAR in 31 of 72 (43.1%). Perplexity named Bankrate in 2 of 72 (2.8%).
How this study was measured
24 questions × 3 runs each × 4 AI engines = 288 answers + 72 Google searches · 62 AI Overviews
24 questions, each asked 3 times on each engine, measured October 26, 2026. Market: United States, English. The destination site was not mentioned to any engine. Entities count as named when they appear in the answer text or the extracted entity list; products, imprints and research arms roll up to their parent.
| Engine | Model IDs called | Asked | Returned | Grounded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | gpt-5-mini | 72 | 72 | 72 |
| Claude | claude-sonnet-5-5 | 72 | 72 | 66 |
| Gemini | gemini-3.7-flash | 72 | 72 | 72 |
| Perplexity | sonar-pro | 72 | 72 | 72 |
| Google AI Overviews | DataForSEO Google SERP (live, advanced) | 72 | 62 shown | 62 |
Own-domain citations count a domain plus all its subdomains, with the same rule in every table.
Definitions
- Appearance rate: answers naming the entity ÷ answers returned, with Wilson 95% intervals.
- First mention: average order in which the entity first appears (1 = first).
- Own-domain citation: grounded answers citing the entity's domains ÷ grounded answers.
- Citation share: citations to the entity's domains ÷ all citations.
Limits
- Measured on one day, October 26, 2026. Answers came from each engine's API (model IDs above); the consumer apps can answer differently.
- The question set has 24 questions with 12 answers each. Fourteen were added questions that lean toward mortgage and consumer homebuying topics. No question covered luxury property or home design.
- Only 11 names were tracked. Untracked names that appeared often include Rocket Mortgage (count of 51), J.D. Power (35) and Bank of America (30).
- Names are counted when they appear in an answer's text, so longer forms such as legal company names (for example "Meta Platforms, Inc." or "Ralph Lauren Corporation") count toward the brand.
- Claude grounded 66 of 72 answers, so citation figures use 282 grounded answers rather than 288.
- One question, "How do real estate agent commissions work after the NAR settlement?", names the National Association of Realtors, so those counts include up to 12 answers to it. Without it, Zillow and Redfin are still the top two.
- Intervals treat each answer as independent, so they understate uncertainty for the 24 repeated questions.
Appendix: The 24 questions
Questions marked "Core question" are the original study questions, asked word for word. The others are added neutral questions.
| # | Question | Group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | What is the median home price in the US right now? | Residential real estate | Core question |
| 02 | What is the current 30-year mortgage rate? | Residential real estate | Core question |
| 03 | What are the steps to buying a first home? | Residential real estate | Core question |
| 04 | How do I choose a real estate agent? | Residential real estate | Core question |
| 05 | What closing costs should a buyer expect? | Residential real estate | Core question |
| 06 | Is it a good time to buy a house? | Residential real estate | Core question |
| 07 | Should I get a fixed-rate or adjustable-rate mortgage? | Residential real estate | Core question |
| 08 | How do real estate agent commissions work after the NAR settlement? | Residential real estate | Core question |
| 09 | What are the best sources for real estate industry news? | Residential real estate | Core question |
| 10 | Which websites have the most accurate home value estimates? | Residential real estate | Core question |
| 11 | How many homes were sold in the US last year? | Residential real estate | Added question |
| 12 | How much down payment do I need to buy a house? | Residential real estate | Added question |
| 13 | What credit score do I need for a mortgage? | Residential real estate | Added question |
| 14 | How are home prices trending in major US cities? | Residential real estate | Added question |
| 15 | How do I get preapproved for a mortgage? | Residential real estate | Added question |
| 16 | What is the current housing inventory in the US? | Residential real estate | Added question |
| 17 | Should I refinance my mortgage now? | Residential real estate | Added question |
| 18 | How long does it take to sell a house? | Residential real estate | Added question |
| 19 | What is a home inspection and what does it check? | Residential real estate | Added question |
| 20 | What is the forecast for home prices next year? | Residential real estate | Added question |
| 21 | How do property taxes vary by state? | Residential real estate | Added question |
| 22 | What first-time homebuyer programs are available? | Residential real estate | Added question |
| 23 | How much does homeowners insurance cost? | Residential real estate | Added question |
| 24 | Which sites are best for searching homes for sale? | Residential real estate | Added question |
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5W is an independent PR, creative and GEO agency founded in 2003, and we get you in the chatbox. All of our work is done in house, including media relations, site building and content. Learn more about our GEO practice or write to info@5wpr.com.
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