Zillow appearing inside ChatGPT changes where discovery begins. It does not mean agents and lenders should lean on Zillow. It means more buyers will describe what they want in a general assistant first, then see results that may flow through a portal. Your advantage comes from meeting consumers before that first portal touch and making your expertise the easiest next step.
What Shifts and What to Do About It
1) Conversation Is the New Search BoxPublish short, plain-English answers on your site and socials that match how people ask: specific, local, and easy to quote. Clear content is more likely to be surfaced or paraphrased accurately.
2) Own the Next StepIf the first touch is in chat, the second should be your channel. Make one path obvious everywhere: book a call, message now, or get organized for pre-approval. Use short forms, instant scheduling, and fast replies.
3) Make Listings and Pages Assistant-FriendlyWrite remarks and key pages as if they will be summarized out loud. Use clean descriptions, verified features, brief neighborhood notes, and media that answer the top five buyer questions. Add a concise line on schools, commute, and monthly cost where rules allow.
4) Add One Intake QuestionAsk, “Where did you start your search?” Tag “Assistant” in your CRM. Use the data to tune spend and effort across portals, social, and owned content.
5) Win on Local ExpertiseAssistants compress information. They cannot replace on-the-ground insight. Publish micro-guides only a local expert can write: shade streets, utility norms, boundary quirks, pocket parks and dog rules.
6) Keep Financing Talk CompliantTreat assistant conversations as discovery. Move rate and program talk into your approved process. Keep explainers current and aligned with company policy.
Borrower Readiness Belongs to You
Give shoppers a simple next step that lives in your world. A borrower-readiness app lets them monitor credit, track savings, and see where they stand before they apply. If you already use one, make it the default action in follow-ups. Examples if relevant: KeySteps for individual LOs, FinLocker in an enterprise setting.
A Practical 30-Day Plan
Ship three evergreen explainers. How much down do I need. My true monthly cost. How a 2-1 buydown works.
Tighten your handoff on every page. One visible call to action.
Refresh five listings and two key pages. Clean copy, verified features, one-paragraph
neighborhood note, media that answer common questions.
Add the new source tag. Review data in 30 days.
Coordinate with top agent partners. Align standards and follow-up.
Bottom Line
Do not chase the portal. Get in front of it. Speak the way buyers ask, make the next step obvious, and show local expertise an assistant cannot. Keep listings crisp, education clear, and handoffs simple. If a borrower-readiness tool fits your process, use it as a quiet bridge from curiosity to relationship.
If you are a KeySteps or FinLocker loan officer, or an agent who co-brands with them, feel free to reach out to compare notes and map simple, practical strategies for getting in front of assistant-driven discovery.