AI search

What are Google AI Overviews?

AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that appear in some Google search results to help people get the gist of a topic quickly, with links to learn more.

Google describes them as a way to help people get to the gist of a complicated topic or question more quickly and provide a jumping off point to explore links.

They show up for some searches, not all. When they do, they can include links to the pages Google used.

For apartment marketers, this means a renter might see a summary about your neighborhood or community before clicking any site.

What is Google AI Mode?

AI Mode is a Google Search experience where people can ask longer, more complex questions and follow-up questions, and Google answers with an AI response plus links to the web.

Google describes AI Mode as its most powerful AI search, with advanced reasoning and the ability to go deeper through follow-up questions.

Google says AI Mode uses a query fan-out technique, breaking a question into subtopics and running many searches at once.

A renter might ask something like which communities near a hospital allow large dogs and have a pool. Clear, specific information on your website and profile is what an answer like that can draw from.

Do I need to do anything extra to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode?

No. Google says there are no additional requirements or special optimizations needed to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode.

To be eligible as a supporting link, Google says a page must be indexed and eligible to show in Google Search with a snippet.

That means the basics still apply: let Google crawl your site, keep important information in text, and write helpful pages.

Be skeptical of services that claim a secret AI ranking formula.

How do I get my apartment community recommended by ChatGPT?

No one can guarantee a recommendation, but you can make it possible by letting OpenAI's search crawler access your site and keeping accurate, consistent information on your website, Google Business Profile and major listings.

OpenAI says its OAI-SearchBot is used to surface websites in ChatGPT's search features, and sites that opt out of it will not be shown in ChatGPT search answers.

NAA advises prioritizing the sources AI tools trust: your Apartments.com listing, Google Business Profile and website.

Answer common renter questions in plain text on your site, such as pet policy, parking, fees and what is nearby.

If I block GPTBot, will my property disappear from ChatGPT?

Not necessarily. OpenAI says you can allow OAI-SearchBot to appear in ChatGPT search results while disallowing GPTBot, which is used for model training.

OpenAI uses separate crawlers. Disallowing GPTBot tells OpenAI not to use your content for training. Blocking OAI-SearchBot keeps you out of ChatGPT search answers.

Check your robots.txt file, or ask your website provider, to confirm what is allowed.

Make the choice on purpose. Many apartment marketers want to appear in search answers even if they prefer not to contribute to training.

How many renters use AI to search for apartments?

Still a minority: recent surveys put it between about 5% and 11.5% of renters, depending on the survey and how the question was asked.

NAA cites an Apartments.com survey finding about 5% of renters report using tools like Gemini and ChatGPT in their rental search.

Zumper's 2025 renter survey of 6,019 renters found nearly 10% used tools like ChatGPT, up to 15% in major coastal cities. Zumper did not say that question was only about apartment search. The SatisFacts 2025 study found 11.5% cited AI-powered search or chat tools.

Listing sites and websites still reach far more renters, so AI should be added to your plan, not replace it.

Where do AI tools get information about my apartment community?

From public sources they can read, especially listing sites, Google Business Profile and your own website, so those need to be accurate and consistent.

NAA advises prioritizing the sources trusted by generative engines: the community's Apartments.com listing, Google Business Profile and website.

Google's own AI features draw on pages that are indexed and eligible to show with a snippet in Search.

If your website says one rent and a listing says another, an AI answer could repeat the wrong one.

Do AI tools read my reviews?

J Turner Research reports that over half of renters in its own study use AI to summarize reviews, though the study is undated and the method is not published. If true, the content of your reviews, not just your star rating, could shape what renters hear about your community.

J Turner Research reports from its own renter study that over half of renters already use AI to summarize reviews and spot red flags. Other surveys in this FAQ report much lower use of AI in renter search, so treat this figure with care.

Recurring themes like maintenance, pests or safety could become more visible this way.

Reply to reviews with helpful updates, and fix the issues that keep coming up.

How do I measure traffic from Google AI Overviews and AI Mode?

Google says sites appearing in AI features are included in the overall search traffic in Search Console, rather than in a separate AI report.

That means you cannot cleanly separate AI Overview clicks from regular search clicks in Search Console.

Watch trends instead: impressions, clicks and leads from organic search over time, and which pages get them.

For ChatGPT and other tools, you can check referral traffic in Google Analytics, though what shows up depends on the tool.

Do AI Overviews mean fewer clicks to my website?

Google says clicks from results pages with AI Overviews are higher quality, but the page does not give click volume figures.

Google says these clicks are higher quality, meaning users are more likely to spend more time on the site. That is Google's own claim.

Track organic leads and tours, not just clicks, to judge the real impact on your community.

Can I control what Google's AI features show from my site?

Yes, to a degree. Google says you can use nosnippet, data-nosnippet, max-snippet or noindex controls to limit what is shown from your pages.

These controls also affect regular search snippets, so limiting them could reduce your visibility in normal results too.

Most apartment marketers want their information shown accurately, not hidden.

Use these controls only for pages or text you truly do not want shown.

How can I check how my property appears in AI answers?

Ask the AI tools yourself, the way a renter would, and note whether your community appears and whether the details are right.

NAA recommends regularly querying chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini for rentals in your market to see how your property appears.

Try several kinds of questions: by neighborhood, by price, by amenity and by your community's name. Record the answers monthly so you can see changes.

If the details are wrong, fix the source: your website, Google Business Profile and listings. MultifamilyMarketing.com offers a free Digital Ecosystem Check if you want a second look at how these pieces fit together for your community.

Get the free Ecosystem Check