Understanding AI’s impact on Home Buying Searches

July 7, 2025

AI search is reshaping how individuals search for and discover homes. It’s a technology that’s becoming increasingly familiar. With more buyers leaning on voice assistants or intelligent search engines, the home building sector needs to adapt. Understanding AI search’s dynamics helps ensure that homes appear front and center when potential buyers go hunting online.

The growing influence of AI in search corresponds to changes in consumer habits. As people use AI search tools to find homes, these algorithms learn to provide more personalized results, aligning closely with user preferences. Home builders who grasp AI’s potential position themselves to attract these tech-savvy buyers. This evolving landscape presents a chance to stand out, not just by having beautifully designed homes but by utilizing tech-driven marketing strategies that reach the right people at the right moment.

Phone with ChatGPT prompt for best home builders near me

What is AI Search?

AI search involves intelligent algorithms that parse through vast amounts of data to return the most relevant search results. This technology can crunch through a sea of information to understand and interpret user queries. Imagine typing a question into an AI-powered search engine. Rather than just finding keywords, the system attempts to understand the context and intent. This means when a future homeowner asks about features of eco-friendly houses, AI doesn’t stop at generic listings. Instead, it digs deeper, offering detailed matches aligned with the request.

This type of search technology uses natural language processing to enhance search results. It’s more than just searching keywords—it’s about understanding entire statements and delivering meaningful outcomes. For home builders, integrating this capability means optimizing content so AI’s digital assistant pinpoints their listings. It’s a shift from standard keyword strategies to a nuanced approach focusing on user intention.

Growing Use of AI in Home Searches

Prospective Buyers Using AI in their New Home Search in 2024

AI-powered search is quickly transforming how homebuyers discover and evaluate properties, making it increasingly important for builders to adapt to this evolving landscape. Tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini are being used by a growing number of U.S. consumers to simplify and personalize the home search experience.

A 2024 survey by Veterans United Home Loans revealed that nearly one-third of prospective buyers are already leveraging AI tools, particularly for tasks like locating homes and taking virtual tours. This trend marks a broader shift toward faster, more customized, and tech-driven homebuying journeys. As AI continues to advance, its influence on the real estate process is expected to deepen, offering even more intelligent, intuitive, and efficient ways for buyers to find the right home—and for builders to connect with them more effectively.

How Many Website Visits Come from AI Tools?

As AI tools become more common in the home search process, it’s important to track how they drive traffic to your website. Monitoring AI referrals in Google Analytics helps you understand where visitors are coming from, measure engagement, and adjust your content strategy to stay visible in this new search landscape.

Monitoring AI visit trends through Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is simpler than it sounds, and it’s a powerful tool in understanding buyer behavior. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to setup a custom report to track these visits:

Set Up Google Analytics 4: If you do not already have GA4 configured on your website, begin by establishing a new property in GA4 to collect user and visitor behavior data and add the tracking to your website.

Create a Custom Report: Navigate to the Explore section, and select the Blank exploration report.

Configure your Exploration report: In the first column of the report configuration module on the left (Variables), provide a name for your report. In our example, we’ve named the report “A.I. Traffic”. Next, choose the desired date range.

Set up a custom Segment

In Settings section, click the plus symbol to add a Segment. This will open a window enabling you to segment the website traffic to filter out the website session traffic coming just from AI sites. First select the button “Create Segment”
Select “Session Segment”
Name the segment. In our example, we have named the segment “AI Sites”.
Add the filtering criteria for the AI sites you wish to track, for example:
Page referrer matches regex: ^.*\ai/.*|.*\.openai.*|.*copilot.*|.*chatgpt.*|.*gemini.*$
Then, click the “Apply” button

Select your reporting Dimensions and Metrics

In the Dimensions section, click the plus iconto select the following dimensions, and add them to the report: Session source / medium, Landing page + query string
In the Metrics section, click the plus icon to select the following metrics, and add them to the report: Sessions, Total users, Key events

Add your Segment, Dimensions and Metrics to Report Settings
- In the second column of the report configuration module on the right (Settings), double click the segment, dimensions and metrics, or drag them to the appropriate sections (Segments to Segment Comparison, Dimensions to Rows and Metrics to Values). This will add them to your report and you will start to see the results showing the AI engine referral source and the landing page the traffic came to, if available.

Add to report settings in GA4 exploration

Monitor Results
- Now that you have your A.I. Traffic report set up, it will be available for you to view anytime. You can return to your Exploration report periodically and update the date range to view updated results.

Example of AI report from GA4 exploration

Tips to Optimize Your Website for AI Search

Provide Clear and Structured Content
To make your website more AI-friendly, consider some essential optimization strategies. Start by ensuring your site uses clear, relevant content. AI engines like organized contentove specifics, so using descriptive headings (H1, H2, H3, etc), easy-to-read paragraphs and lists and tables where appropriate. Be sure to useand concise, informative language to helps them provide better matches. Consider adding Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), which can match directly to user prompts.
Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)
Another tip is to structure data for search engines using schema markup. Schema markup is basically applying labels behind the scenes in your website’s code that tell search engines and AI what your content means—not just what it says. For example, you can tag your business name, address, services, reviews, and more so that AI tools can understand and highlight your info more accurately. This helps AI understand your content’s context and increases the chances of appearing in search results. Additionally, focus on improving page speed. A fast-loading website enhances user experience and gains favor with search engines.
Local SEO Optimization
If you’re trying to show up in searches for specific areas—say, “home builders in Orlando” or “custom homes in Phoenix”—you’ll want to make that local connection clear. That means having dedicated pages for each area you serve, and making sure your business name, address, and phone number are always written the same way. Embedding a Google Map and linking to your Google Business profile is also helpful. And don’t forget to mention local landmarks or neighborhood names in your content. These little details help AI and search engines match your site to people searching in your area.
Media Content with Context
For every image, use Alt text and captions to describe what’s in it—like “Modern open-concept kitchen with custom cabinetry in Raleigh, NC.” For videos, adding transcripts makes them easier to understand and index. Not only does this help AI tools surface your content more accurately, but it also makes your site more accessible for everyone.
Navigation and Internal Linking
A well-organized website not only improves the user experience but also helps AI tools better understand and categorize your content. It’s important to maintain a clear, consistent navigation structure and to use internal links thoughtfully. For example, if a page discusses your kitchen remodeling services, it should link to related content such as project galleries, testimonials, or service details. These internal connections create a logical flow across your site, helping both users and AI systems easily find and understand the relationships between different pages. A structured site map and intuitive menu design also contribute to better crawlability and, ultimately, better visibility in search results.

Integrating these practices smooths navigation for AI, making it easier for these engines to connect your properties with interested buyers. These proactive changes today serve to strengthen online presence tomorrow.

Harness AI Search for Greater Success

Phone with ChatGPT with new home in background

As AI-driven search continues to evolve, optimizing your website for better visibility in tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and other emerging platforms is no longer optional—it’s essential. A strong foundation of clear content, structured data, local SEO practices, and regular content updates ensures your brand remains competitive and discoverable when potential buyers are searching for new construction home builders.

If you’re looking to enhance your online presence, explore the benefits of home builder marketing with Blue Tangerine. Position yourself at the forefront of digital innovation and capture the interest of today’s informed home buyers.

THE BLUE TANGERINE TEAMBlue Tangerine is a digital marketing and website development agency specializing in the home building industry. We help builders grow their online presence, generate leads, and drive sales through strategic marketing solutions.