Get Found in the AI Era: How Multifamily Properties Can Stand Out

Published on

April 23, 2026

What Multifamily Marketers Can Do to Succeed in AI-Driven Search

Generative AI is increasingly becoming part of the rental search process. In a recent webinar, Apartments.com’s Kathy Neumann and Google’s Dave Hoffman walked multifamily owners and operators through the ways renters are using AI today and the top marketing strategies that can help properties stand out.

The growing role of AI in rental searches

More and more people are integrating AI into their everyday lives. Nearly 60 percent of people report using AI for personal purposes, and active users of Google’s Gemini have grown 40 percent year over year, said Hoffman from Google’s real estate and multifamily division.

While this shift has been less dramatic for multifamily, about 5 percent of renters today report using tools like Gemini and ChatGPT in their rental search, said Neumann, Apartments.com’s VP of marketing.

However, even when renters aren’t actively seeking out a generative AI chatbot, they’re still engaging with AI throughout their rental search, she explained.

This includes AI-powered search tools within rental search sites, such as Apartment AI Smart Search, a natural language search tool that’s also the industry’s first AI-powered voice search.

Generative AI may also appear in the rental search in other forms — such as AI overviews that appear at the top of renters’ search results, and interactive AI leasing tools on property websites.

“AI supports renters throughout the entire search journey,” Neumann said.

AI has also shortened the customer journey between the discovery and decision phases, Hoffman said. Over three-quarters of Google users report making decisions more quickly and more confidently when they use AI tools such as Google’s AI Overviews or AI Mode, according to an Ipsos survey commissioned by Google.

GEO: the principles of showing up in AI search

SEO isn’t the only game in town. SEO, or search engine optimization, refers to the best practices for ranking in traditional search. Its new cousin, generative engine optimization, or GEO, is all about showing up in AI tools.

Compared to SEO, GEO delivers fewer clicks but generates more queries, engagement, and higher quality traffic, Neumann explained.

Which sources matter most to generative engines

When it comes to visibility in AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, two recent studies offer important insights for multifamily properties.

Not all sources are equally valuable. Two key sources topped the charts in property management-related searches, according to a recent analysis by SOCi. Google Maps ranked first, with 35 percent of citations, followed by Apartments.com with 27 percent of citations. All other sites and sources, including other rental search networks, trailed behind with citations in the single digits.

In another study, internet listing services (ILS) ranked first. This analysis, by Agency Fifty3, examined which links ChatGPT provides in rental searches. ILS links appeared 73 percent of the time, community websites came up 71 percent of the time, and local map results showed up 35 percent of the time.

What makes ILS sources like Apartments.com so effective? Generative engines look for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness — a framework Google calls EEAT, which holds true across traditional and AI search.

“AI tools will see your ILS as a trustworthy source that specializes in delivering the content and experience renters are looking for,” Hoffman said.

How multifamily marketers can expand their AI visibility

So, what should multifamily properties do to show up in AI-powered search? Neumann and Hoffman highlighted these best practices:

Focus on the sources prioritized by generative engines: the property’s Apartments.com listing, Google Business Profile, and community website.
Ensure information is accurate, consistent, and complete across all channels. This includes removing out-of-date information and eliminating even small inconsistencies.
Make information easy for generative engines to read. Use structured data such as bullets, FAQs, and section headings.
Anticipate and answer prospective residents’ questions, including the questions leasing teams regularly receive.
Include specific details about each available unit to help generative engines give renters personalized, detailed responses.
Keep testing it out to see how your property appears.

“Don’t look for a quick fix,” Hoffman said. “Your content has to be genuinely valuable, and that’s not something you can fake.”

Generative AI may be relatively new to the scene, but it’s not going away, and now is the time for multifamily marketers to adapt their strategy.

“More and more renters will turn to AI in their search for their next apartment,” Neumann said. “With the right strategy, you can make sure they find your community.”