Edition 46

Read time: ~10 minutes

Welcome back.

In this edition, you’ll learn how to track AI referral traffic right in your GA4 account, our favorite new AI agent that is highly capable, and what the recent acquisition of Redfin means for your business.

If you're new here, don't worry. We've got you covered. Our previous editions are a treasure trove of tips, tools, and news. Check them out to stay ahead of the game.

Or, if you’re caught up, let’s jump right in.

In this, and every, edition you can expect…

…and to get at least 1% better at generating more of the right type of leads.

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As real estate professionals, you're always on the lookout for new, cost-effective ways to attract and convert buyers and sellers. One emerging channel you can't afford to ignore is traffic coming from Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot. More and more buyers and sellers are turning to these AI-powered tools to research neighborhoods, find agents, or compare homes, rather than relying solely on traditional Google searches.

We’re already seeing AI-driven referrals accounting for up to 3% of our clients' total website traffic—and this number is quickly rising. This trend represents an entirely new, potentially high-intent audience you might miss if you're not tracking it effectively.

Below, we'll walk you step-by-step through creating a simple yet powerful referral report using Google Analytics 4 (GA4). This will help you clearly identify leads coming from AI-powered tools—enabling you to optimize your marketing and convert more visitors into clients.

AI-powered tools—also known as LLMs—are significantly changing how buyers and sellers gather information online. They're asking these platforms detailed questions about home-buying processes, neighborhood recommendations, pricing guidance, and even local agents.

If you're not actively tracking AI referrals, you're essentially missing out on valuable insights. Tracking AI referrals allows you to:

Here's how you can set up tracking for AI-driven traffic and conversions in GA4:

Select metrics that will measure meaningful interactions:

Drag the “Page Referrer” dimension into the Filters section. Then add the following regular expression (regex) in the filter setup, matching known AI sources:

CopyEdit

^.*ai|.*\.openai.*|.*copilot.*|.*chatgpt.*|.*gemini.*|.*gpt.*|.*neeva.*|.*writesonic.*|.*nimble.*|.*outrider.*|.*perplexity.*|.*bard.*|.*edgeservices.*|.*astastic.*|.*bnngpt.*$

This regex ensures our report clearly isolates referral traffic from top AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity from your broader traffic.

GA4 Explore gives you several visualizations to gain clear insights:

💡 Tip: Add the Date dimension to your report to monitor changes over weeks or months, helping you quickly adapt your strategy.

Click “Save” at the top-right corner to keep your report accessible in GA4. Set aside time each month (or even weekly, if your AI traffic grows rapidly) to review performance data and adjust accordingly.

Now that you're tracking precisely how much traffic and how many leads come from AI-powered tools, here’s how you can use this data to drive more business:

Optimize Content for AI Referrals:
If you notice that Gemini or ChatGPT regularly recommends your neighborhood guides or market updates, create additional detailed content—such as video tours, Q&A articles, or data-driven market analyses—specifically addressing common AI-user queries.

Improve Marketing Messaging:
2Identify frequently asked real estate questions from AI referral data. If visitors coming from Perplexity often seek insights on local home prices or school districts, adapt your website messaging, email campaigns, and social media posts to directly answer these exact queries.

Strengthen Lead Generation:
If referral visitors frequently engage with your "First-Time Homebuyer Guide," add a clear call-to-action within that content to capture emails or schedule consultations. Convert curiosity into actionable leads by aligning your messaging with AI-driven questions and interests.

AI platforms are rapidly becoming vital resources for buyers and sellers conducting real estate research. By tracking AI referral traffic in GA4, you'll:

✅ Identify precisely which AI platforms drive the best leads.
✅ Discover which content resonates most within these platforms.
✅ Fine-tune your marketing efforts for more conversions and better ROI.

Begin tracking your AI referral traffic today, and you'll be positioned far ahead of competitors who aren't yet leveraging these powerful new channels. By understanding and optimizing for AI referral traffic now, you’re setting your real estate business up for sustained, meaningful growth.

Manus streamlines your workflow by automating essential yet time-consuming tasks, letting you focus on building meaningful client relationships and closing more deals. Specifically, Manus empowers you to:

✔️ Enhance Client Consultations: Deliver professional reports and market insights effortlessly, providing clients with impressive, data-backed recommendations.

✔️ Optimize Your Time: Offload research, market comparison tables, and administrative tasks, freeing up more time for client interactions and lead nurturing.

✔️ Drive Better Decisions: Gain clear insights through visually appealing data and accurate analyses, helping you make informed, confident business decisions.

✔️ Improve Professional Credibility: Consistently present high-quality, detailed, and polished reports that impress clients and position you as a leading expert in your market.

Comparative Market Analysis (CMA):
Quickly produce comprehensive comparative market analyses tailored to your clients' needs, with clear visualizations and actionable insights.

Example: Provide sellers with in-depth market comparisons that justify pricing recommendations, helping to streamline negotiations.

Local Market Research:
Instantly gather data on neighborhoods, local trends, and recent sales activity to identify opportunities and strengthen your market positioning.

Example: Generate detailed neighborhood overviews for buyer presentations, positioning you as a knowledgeable, trusted market expert.

Client Presentations & Proposals:
Use Manus to rapidly generate polished presentations, combining rich media, data-driven analysis, and personalized insights for client meetings.

Example: Prepare an engaging, visually compelling presentation for a high-value client to win listings or secure buyer agreements.

Manus provides real estate agents and brokers with a reliable, powerful AI partner to tackle the busywork, ensuring you spend your valuable time on high-impact activities. Whether you’re researching markets, creating reports, or identifying opportunities, Manus simplifies complex tasks and empowers you to present your expertise clearly and convincingly.

Ready to elevate your real estate business?

Discover Manus today and let your new AI assistant handle the busywork while you focus on closing more deals!

Rocket Companies' recent $1.75 billion acquisition of Redfin marks a significant shift in the real estate landscape. The merger, bringing together Redfin's powerful real estate brokerage platform with Rocket's extensive mortgage lending capabilities, sets the stage for a fully integrated digital home-buying experience. While this development has the potential to disrupt traditional real estate models, it also presents unique opportunities for agents who understand their distinct value proposition in an evolving industry.

Rocket's acquisition of Redfin signals the potential for greater consolidation and increased competition from well-funded, technology-driven brokerages. Agents now face heightened pressure to match the scale, convenience, and efficiency promised by an end-to-end online platform backed by substantial financial resources. For some agents, this merger may indeed present a threat, especially if they rely solely on traditional methods or lack a clearly defined niche.

Despite these challenges, the acquisition emphasizes the growing importance of what technology alone cannot replicate: personalized service, local expertise, and meaningful relationships. Agents who strategically position themselves to leverage these human elements can turn this industry shake-up into a significant advantage.

Here’s how agents can effectively respond to this market change:

While Rocket and Redfin aim to streamline and digitize the home-buying process, they cannot replicate the nuanced understanding and personalized attention an experienced agent can provide. This acquisition, therefore, becomes an opportunity for agents to clearly define and articulate their value proposition.

Real estate remains fundamentally a people-centered industry. Those who capitalize on their ability to provide bespoke services, foster genuine connections, and leverage deep local knowledge will not only withstand industry shifts but thrive amidst them.

Thanks for reading.

See you next week.

The Real Estate Marketing Update Team @ imFORZA