When a renter asks ChatGPT or Google’s AI where to live, the answer doesn’t come out of thin air. AI pulls from a short list of websites it trusts. So we went looking for that list. We ran the same renter questions across different metro areas and tracked every website AI and Google leaned on to answer them.
The results were more interesting than a single “top sites” list. A few websites showed up everywhere. Many more only mattered in one market. And the specific question a renter asked changed which properties got recommended at all.
- Review sites lead. Yelp and ApartmentRatings were the two most-cited sources on average, and both made the top 10 in every market.
- Only three sites were top 10 everywhere: Yelp, ApartmentRatings, and Zillow.
- The #1 source changed by market. ApartmentRatings led in two markets, Apartments.com in one, and Facebook in another.
- Every market had its own sources. More than half of the websites we found showed up in just one market.
- The question matters. In one market, the same property was recommended in 27% of answers for one question and 0% for another.
How We Ran the Research
We used our AI Visibility Report to run the same set of renter questions in metro areas in different parts of the country, ranging from smaller markets to major metros. The questions were written the way renters actually ask them, with only the city name changing from market to market:
| The questions we asked |
|---|
| Who are the best apartment complexes in [city]? |
| Which apartment complexes in [city] offer the best value? |
| Which apartment complexes in [city] are reputable and trustworthy? |
| Which apartment complexes in [city] have strong recent reviews? |
| I need an apartment complex in [city] soon. Who should I contact? |
| Which apartment complexes in [city] should I compare before choosing? |
| What do people say about [property] in [city], and is it a good company to choose? |
For each market, we tracked how often every website appeared in the pages Google ranked and AI platforms cited for these questions across Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, ChatGPT, and Gemini. We then took each market’s top 10 sources and compared them side by side.
The 10 Websites AI Cites Most for Apartment Searches
To compare markets of different sizes fairly, we calculated each website’s share of the top 10 citations in every market, then averaged those shares across markets. Here’s where the most influence landed.
Average share of top 10 citations across markets
Orange bars are sites that made the top 10 in only one market. Yelp combines yelp.com and m.yelp.com. Source: MarketApts research using our AI Visibility Report across U.S. metro areas.
Two things stand out right away. First, the top two sources are review sites, not listing sites. Second, the averages hide a lot of variation. A site can carry serious weight in one market and not make the list at all in another.
How the Results Changed From Market to Market
Here’s each website’s share of the top 10 citations in each market. The highlighted cell is that market’s #1 source.
| Website | Market A | Market B | Market C | Market D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yelp | 17% | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| ApartmentRatings | 19% | 14% | 8% | 18% |
| Apartments.com | Not top 10 | 14% | 21% | 17% |
| Zillow | 8% | 15% | 12% | 9% |
| Not top 10 | 15% | 6% | 13% | |
| RentCafe | Not top 10 | Not top 10 | 16% | 6% |
| Trulia | Not top 10 | 11% | 7% | Not top 10 |
| Not top 10 | Not top 10 | Not top 10 | 13% | |
| Market-specific sites | 56% | 16% | 15% | 8% |
Market-specific sites are sources that made the top 10 in only that market, such as affordable housing directories, smaller listing sites, a short-stay search site, and a local real estate brokerage. Yelp combines yelp.com and m.yelp.com. In Market B, Facebook and Yelp each held about 15%; Facebook is highlighted as the single most-cited website.
Finding 1: Reviews carry more weight than you might expect
Yelp was the most consistent source in the entire study, holding between 15% and 17% of top 10 citations in every single market. ApartmentRatings was close behind and was the #1 source in more markets than any other site. Add Facebook and Reddit, and review and community sites made up roughly 4 in 10 citations in the average top 10 list.
That lines up with the questions renters ask. “Reputable,” “trustworthy,” and “strong recent reviews” are reputation questions, and AI answers them by looking at what real residents say. If your reviews are thin, outdated, or unanswered on these sites, AI has less reason to recommend you. That’s where reputation management comes in.
Finding 2: Only three sites made the top 10 everywhere
Yelp, ApartmentRatings, and Zillow were the only websites in the top 10 in every market. Apartments.com was a heavy hitter in most markets, including the #1 spot in one, but didn’t make the top 10 in another. Facebook was the single most-cited source in one market and missed the list entirely in another.
The takeaway: a “national” listing strategy is a starting point, not a finish line. The sites that matter most depend on where your community is.
Finding 3: Every market has its own local sources
Across the top 10 lists, more than half of the websites we found showed up in only one market. In the smallest market, more than half of all top 10 citations went to sites that didn’t appear anywhere else, including affordable housing directories and smaller rental listing sites. Other markets surfaced a short-stay search site, a local real estate brokerage, and Reddit threads where renters compare complexes.
In one market, marketapts.com itself made the top 10, a good reminder that well-built property pages can earn citations too. It’s also why we built our apartment SEO work around the content AI can actually read.
Finding 4: Bigger markets give AI more to draw from
The number of pages Google ranked and AI cited for our questions ranged from 46 in the smallest market to 127 in the largest, about 102 on average. In a smaller market, a handful of sites carry the conversation, so showing up on the right ones has an outsized effect. In a bigger market, the competition for attention is spread across many more pages.
Finding 5: The question changes who gets recommended
In one market, we looked closely at how a single apartment community performed question by question. The differences were dramatic.
| Question type | Mention rate | Share of voice | Avg. position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best apartment complexes | 0% | 0% | Not ranked |
| Best value | 27% | 10% | #2.7 |
| Reputable and trustworthy | 0% | 0% | Not ranked |
| Strong recent reviews | 17% | 11% | #2.5 |
| Need an apartment soon | 8% | 10% | #1.8 |
| Which to compare | 8% | 4% | #1.8 |
Mention rate is the share of AI answers that recommended the property. Share of voice is its share of all properties recommended. Average position is where it appeared in the list, with lower being better.
This property was a regular pick when renters asked about value, but invisible when they asked for the “best” or most “reputable” options. Even the most-recommended properties in that market were only mentioned in about 18% of answers. AI spreads its recommendations around, which means there’s real room to gain ground, and that a single test search tells you very little.
See the raw data
Here are the most-cited sources for each market, straight from our AI Visibility Report.
Want this data for your community?
We can run the same research for your property and show you which sites AI trusts in your market.
ChatGPT, AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Gemini: What’s the Difference?
“AI search” isn’t one place. Renters reach AI answers through several different products, and each one finds and presents information a little differently. That’s a big reason a property can be visible on one platform and missing on another.
The summary at the top of Google
An AI-written answer that appears above the regular results on a normal Google search, with links to the pages it drew from. Renters see it without doing anything different, which makes it the AI answer most people run into.
A conversation inside Google
A separate, chat-style search mode in Google. Renters can ask longer questions and follow up (“which of those allow dogs?”). It runs many related searches behind the scenes and pulls together a fuller answer with sources.
OpenAI’s assistant
A standalone AI assistant renters use outside of Google. When it searches the web, it cites the pages it used. Rental marketplaces are also building directly into it, so listings can show up right inside the chat.
Google’s AI assistant
Google’s standalone assistant app, separate from Google Search. It draws on Google’s search index and other Google information, but its answers and cited sources don’t always match AI Overviews or AI Mode.
| Platform | Where renters use it | How it answers | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Overviews | Regular Google searches | A short summary above the normal results | Strong Google rankings and listings help you get pulled in |
| AI Mode | The AI Mode tab in Google | A longer, conversational answer with follow-ups | Detailed content on pets, parking, pricing and amenities matters |
| ChatGPT | The ChatGPT app or website | A conversational answer that cites web sources | Reviews and third-party listings carry extra weight |
| Gemini | The Gemini app | A conversational answer backed by Google’s data | Consistent info across Google and your listings is key |
For a deeper look at the terms behind all of this, see What Apartment GEO, AEO, and AIO Mean in Multifamily Marketing and How Apartment Communities Actually Show Up in AI Search.
What This Means for Your Community
Based on what we found, here’s where we’d focus first:
- Start with your reviews. Claim and update your profiles on Yelp and ApartmentRatings, respond to reviews, and keep fresh ones coming in. These were the most consistent sources in the study.
- Keep your big listings complete. Apartments.com, Zillow, and RentCafe showed up across multiple markets. Accurate pricing, photos, floor plans, and amenities give AI something to work with.
- Don’t ignore Facebook and Reddit. Social and community sites were top sources in several markets. An active Facebook page and an eye on local Reddit threads both count.
- Find your market’s local sources. Many of the sites AI trusted only mattered in one market. You need to know which ones matter in yours, because a national list won’t show you.
- Check more than one question and platform. Visibility swung from 0% to 27% based on the question alone, so one test search won’t give you the full picture.
Much of this overlaps with strong local search work, so it helps you in Google Maps and traditional search at the same time. Our local SEO guide covers those fundamentals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which website does AI trust most for apartment recommendations?
In our research, Yelp and ApartmentRatings were the most-cited sources on average across markets, followed by Apartments.com and Zillow. But the #1 source changed from market to market, so the most important site for your community depends on where it is.
Why do the most-cited sites change by city?
AI pulls from whatever pages rank and carry useful information for that area. Some markets have strong local directories, brokerages, or active Reddit communities, while others lean more on national listing sites.
Are ChatGPT and Google’s AI pulling from the same sources?
Not always. AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, and Gemini each find and present information differently, which is why a property can show up on one platform and not another.
Can I see this data for my own property?
Yes. Our AI Visibility Report runs this same research for your community, showing which sites AI cites in your market, how often your property is recommended compared to nearby competitors, and clear next steps to improve.
See Which Sites AI Trusts in Your Market
Every market in our study looked different. Get an AI Visibility Report for your community to see your most-cited sources, how often AI recommends you versus nearby properties, and what to do next. Want to go further? Explore our Leasing & Growth services.
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Categorised in: Market Apartments Services
This post was written by Isabella Lagman
Isabella Lagman is a versatile professional writer with a genuine passion for language and storytelling. With over a decade of experience writing about apartment marketing, property management, and the real estate industry, she specializes in creating clear, engaging content that connects with both industry professionals and everyday readers. Her work spans a wide range of formats, from creative storytelling and lifestyle content to informative articles and technical documentation, allowing her to bring both creativity and precision to every project.