Over the past two years, AI has changed how buyers discover property.
Buyers are no longer starting with search results. They are starting with answers.
They ask an AI assistant where to buy. They ask for price guidance. They ask which agents to speak to. And the system responds without showing a traditional results page.
In an AI-led market, whoever supplies the data shapes the answer.
That shift has serious implications for principals.
AI tools now summarise information instead of listing links.
This compresses the buying journey. A buyer may no longer visit ten websites. They may only see:
If your office is not recognised as the original source of listing data, you may not appear in that answer.
AI systems look for:
They prioritise what they understand and trust.
That is why origin matters more than ever.
Portals are no longer just marketing channels. They are becoming structured data suppliers to AI platforms.
Property portals are actively strengthening direct relationships with AI systems. Their objective is simple. Become the structured source of truth that AI tools rely on when generating property answers.
If listings appear on a portal before your own domain, the portal becomes the recognised source. Your office becomes the contributor.
Over time, that weakens leverage.
Listings are not just marketing collateral.
They are structured data assets that influence:
When you do not control first publication, you reduce your future control over discovery.
AI rewards the original publisher, not the secondary distributor.
This is strategic, not technical.
Publish on your own domain first, then distribute.
Align paid campaigns to your URLs. Capture first party data. Ensure fast indexing and clear structure.
When done correctly, your office becomes the discovery engine.
Portals remain important. But they are no longer the origin.
Principals must win listings, protect margins, and future proof their office.
First publication supports this by:
Creating early buyer engagement
Compounding brand exposure
Capturing valuable first party data
Protecting AI visibility
This is about long-term competitiveness.
AI is not coming. It is already shaping discovery.
If offices continue to rely solely on portals as the first point of publication, five years from now many may find:
When buyers ask AI systems for property guidance, will your office be recognised as the source, or only as the supplier?
The offices that control origin will control visibility.
The window to act is open.
But it will not remain open indefinitely.