(And What Real Estate Pros Need to Do About It)
How generic social media services are hurting your SEO, destroying your GEO potential, and why AI engines aren’t finding you when prospects ask the questions you’re an expert on
The $200/Month Problem That’s Costing You Thousands in Lost Leads
Recently, I had a consulting session with a successful real estate broker. She pulled up her Instagram feed—polished, consistent, posted daily. “I’m paying $200 a month for this,” she said proudly.
Then I started asking questions:
- “Are these your listing photos?” No.
- “Do these reflect your market area?” Not really.
- “Do you know what neighborhoods these photos show?” Silence.
- “Who wrote this caption about ‘spring market trends’?” She had no idea.
Here’s what hit me: She was paying to become invisible.
Those beautiful, generic posts? They were identical to the content being pushed out for hundreds of other agents across the country. The same stock photos of homes are used that aren’t in her market. Same vague captions about “great time to buy.” The same templated “tips” could apply to any city, anywhere.
And while she thought she was staying consistent with social media, she was actually hurting her ability to be found by the very people who need her expertise most.
Why Generic Content Is SEO and GEO Poison
Your potential clients aren’t just browsing Zillow anymore. They’re asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google’s AI:
- “What’s the market like in [your specific area]?”
- “Should I buy now or wait in [your city]?”
- “What neighborhoods near [local landmark] have the best schools?”
- “What’s the median home price in [your neighborhood] right now?”
And your name isn’t coming up in the answers.
Why? Because the AI engines are looking for specific, helpful, authoritative content. They want answers that demonstrate real expertise about real markets. Generic content that could be about anywhere is content about nowhere.
As Maurice White from Mod Op explained on my recent podcast episode, “Real estate content that ranks normally focuses on basic property information. But content that gets cited by AI is really full, fleshed-out, particular pieces of content with summaries, bulleted data points, cited sources, and FAQ sections that answer specific questions about that particular area.”
A recent episode from RootedInRevenue.com on this topic and what inspired this post:
The Revenue Impact You’re Not Seeing
Here’s what’s really happening:
Before: Buyers and sellers started with agents they knew, then maybe browsed some websites.
Now: They’re forming opinions about markets and agents through AI-generated responses before they ever think about calling someone.
If you’re not visible in these AI-generated responses, you’re not even in the consideration set when buyers and sellers are forming their initial preferences.
These mediocre brokers are getting cited as authorities. They’re not necessarily the ones with decades of experience. They’re the ones with content that answers specific questions about specific markets with specific data.
What “Over-Automated” Content Actually Looks Like
Let me paint you a picture of what’s probably happening with your current automated service:
Generic Post Template:
- Stock photo of a “luxury kitchen” (could be anywhere)
- Caption: “Spring is a great time to buy! Interest rates are [generic statement]. Contact us to learn more!”
- Posted to 500+ agents across 12 states
- Zero market-specific information
- No helpful data
- No unique expertise
Versus What AI Engines Want:
- “As of August 2025, the median home price in East Beaverton is $624,200, a 3.2% increase from last year. Inventory has increased to 2.1 months, indicating a slight shift toward buyers having more options. Here’s what this means for families looking at the top-rated school districts…”
See the difference?
The Questions You Need to Ask Your Current Provider
If you’re paying for automated content, ask these questions today:
- Market Specificity: Do the posts reference my actual market area by name? Do they include local landmarks, school districts, and neighborhood names?
- Data Accuracy: Where does the market data come from? Is it current? Is it specific to my service area?
- Expertise Display: Do the posts showcase my unique knowledge of local market conditions, pricing trends, or area-specific factors? Have you even talked to me about this?
- Customization Level: How much control do I have over the content? Can I add my insights, modify the data, or include information about specific neighborhoods?
- Uniqueness: Are these near-exact posts being used for other agents? In other markets?
If the answers disappoint you, you’re paying to be invisible.
The GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) Framework for Real Estate
Based on Maurice’s expertise and what we’re seeing work, here’s what your content strategy should include:
Foundation Level (Do This First)
- Technical website setup with proper schema markup and site structure
- Google Business Profile optimization for your specific service areas
- Foundational SEO so AI engines can even find your site
Content That Gets You Cited
- Market-specific summaries: “The Sunset District housing market in August 2025…”
- Neighborhood expertise: Detailed pages for each area you serve with school ratings, price trends, and local amenities – you are talking about their homes or future communities. Show you are guiding them to take this leap or support businesses they love – or will grow to love.
- FAQ sections: Actual questions your clients ask about your specific market
- Cited sources: Reference local market reports, cite neighborhood associations, link to school district data
What Makes You Different
- Your experience: “In my 12 years selling in the Pearl District, I’ve seen…”
- Local connections: “Working with the top three contractors who specialize in 1920s homes in Laurelhurst…”
- Market insights: “Unlike other neighborhoods, the Hawthorne area typically sees…”
The Two-Quality-Posts Rule
Here’s my recommendation: It’s better to have two quality, market-specific pieces of content per month than to splatter social media with generic, repetitive posts.
Quality content that gets you found by AI:
- Answers a specific question about your market
- Includes current, accurate data
- Showcases your unique expertise
- References your actual service area by name
- Provides actionable insights
How to Transition Away from Generic Automation
Step 1: Audit Your Current Content
- Review your last 20 posts
- Count how many mention your specific market by name
- Identify which ones could be posted by any agent in any city
- Calculate your actual return on investment
Step 2: Set Up Your Foundation
- Ensure your website has proper technical SEO
- Optimize your Google Business Profile for local search
- Create a content calendar based on questions your clients actually ask
Step 3: Create Your Content Framework
- Develop templates that require local market data
- Build a system for adding your unique insights
- Plan quarterly updates to keep information fresh
Step 4: Choose Your Path
DIY Approach: Use AI tools to help with research and initial drafts, but add your expertise and local knowledge Professional Help: Work with someone who takes time to understand your market and expertise Hybrid: Handle quick posts yourself, invest in professional help for major content pieces
Red Flags to Avoid When Choosing Content Help
Run from providers who:
- Won’t show you examples of customized content
- Can’t explain how they’ll incorporate your local market data
- Offer “one-size-fits-all” packages
- Require long-term contracts without proving value first
- Can’t tell you how they’ll make your content unique
Look for providers who:
- Ask detailed questions about your market areas
- Want to understand what makes you different from competitors
- Can explain how content connects to lead generation
- Offer to start with a small project to demonstrate value
- Understand both SEO and GEO principles
The Bottom Line: Authority vs. Automation
Your potential clients are asking AI engines about your market expertise right now. They’re comparing neighborhoods, analyzing price trends, and researching school districts.
The question is: When they ask “Who are the most knowledgeable agents in [your area]?” does your name come up?
Generic, automated content ensures it won’t. Market-specific, expertise-driven content ensures it will.
Getting Started This Week
Immediate Actions:
- Go to Claude (my favorite), ChatGPT, or Perplexity, and ask questions about your market that you should be the expert on
- See if your name or business appears in the answers – this may be biased if you have a paid account and are logged in.
- Audit your current social media for market-specific vs. generic content
- Calculate what you’re actually paying per valuable post – check those monthly and annual recurring costs and packages – what’s included?
This Month:
- Create five pieces of content that answer specific questions about your market areas
- Add FAQ sections to your website addressing common local market questions
- Update your Google Business Profile with market-specific posts that link back to pages that continue the conversation on that topic
- Test what happens when AI engines are asked about your areas of expertise
Remember: You are the local expert. You have the market insights. You provide incredible value to your clients.
The problem is that the AI engines don’t know that yet.
It’s time to change that.
Need help setting up your foundation for market-specific content that gets you found by both search engines and AI answer engines? We can help you create a system that showcases your expertise and attracts qualified leads in your market areas.