Last updated: August 2026
It’s easier to get all of this right by watching two very different people go through it, step by step. Neither of them looks like the neat funnel chart that most marketing plans are still built on.
Path 1: Buyer looking near Manchester
First step. They open ChatGPT and ask: “Is now a good time to buy a family home near Manchester?”
Step two. Google AI Overview answers a follow-up question about average home prices in a specific zip code.
Step three. They open Rightmove and Zoopla, browse the listings and check Zoopla’s estimate against what they’re told elsewhere.
Step four. They check business profile reviews on Google and Trustpilot for the two shortlisted agents.
Step five. A local Facebook group or Reddit thread is searched for a specific, nagging question: Is this area really safe, and is it really good for families?
Step six. Now they just go to the agent’s website to request an appraisal or book an appointment for a viewing.
If this factor is not visible anywhere in steps one through five, step six will never be executed. It’s not because the agent wasn’t good. Because the agent was never part of the conversation.
The second path: The facilities manager faces a sabotage lawsuit
This trip looks very different, and takes place in a completely separate place from the trip above, but the basic lesson is identical.
First step. They ask ChatGPT, “How do I dispute a vandalism claim when a lease expires?”
Step two. They are reading RICS guidance and pressing the sector for background information on the process and potential costs.
Step three. They search LinkedIn and sector directories to shortlist two or three accredited surveying companies.
Step four. They examine these companies’ websites and published case studies to obtain a track record of similar assets and ensure professional indemnity insurance coverage.
Step five. They search for the name of a specific surveying company along with “reviews” or “case studies” on Google.
Step six. Now just access the surveying company’s website to request a quote or fee quote.
Same pattern. Same lesson. Completely different audiences, different questions, different platforms, but if you’re not visible somewhere in steps one through five, step six will never happen, either of these two people, or others like them, you’re trying to reach.
The point of putting these two side by side
Still, real estate marketing plans are often built around one imagined customer, usually a residential buyer. But the landlord, the commercial tenant, and the solicitor instructing the surveyor are all running their own version of this same research trail, through completely different sources, and looking for completely different evidence.
Plan your content and case studies against each of these audiences properly, rather than assuming that one “about us” page will do the job for all of them. Write pages that actually answer the questions each of these people are asking, in the places they’re actually asking them.
If you would like help planning your content against these different audiences and filling the gaps, our AI Marketing team can help, and you can find out more about our work in this sector on our Real Estate and Real Estate Marketing page.
This four-part series, plus an overview, covers the full journey from first AI-powered question to inquiry, across all types of real estate audiences, not just one. For the full version, download our AI Property Search Guide.
