Your next renter is asking AI where to live

Welcome to The Unlock, a newsletter focused on cutting through the multifamily tech “noise” to show what actually matters in AI, leasing, and marketing. Each issue delivers market insights, technology trends, and deeper analysis on selected topics to see if there’s actually substance behind the hype.

Brought to you by Peek, the AI-powered leasing automation platform helping multifamily owners lease up to 30% faster.

Search is changing forever  

For the first time in Google’s history, organic search volumes are declining.
Bain & Company’s research shows a seismic shift:

80% of consumers now rely on AI-generated “zero-click” results for
at least 40% of their searches, reducing organic web traffic by 15%–25%.

ChatGPT usage surged nearly 70% in the first half of 2025. Renters aren’t going to google to start their apartment search anymore. They’re asking AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude for personalized recommendations.

For large owners and asset managers, this means leasing demand is being reshaped upstream, long before a prospect ever touches your community website or calls your leasing office. The traditional funnels built on SEO, paid search, and ILS placement are losing share of voice.

From keywords to conversations

Think about the shift in renter behavior:

Old Model: “Dallas 2-bedroom apartments balcony under $2,000” typed into Google, followed by 15 minutes of clicking through filter-heavy ILS pages.

Today: “Find me a 2-bedroom in Dallas with a balcony under $2,000” asked directly to an AI, which delivers a curated shortlist in seconds.

That’s not just a change in search. It's a change in decision-making power. Renters now trust AI to do the filtering for them.

For asset managers, owner operators, and marketers, this means visibility is shifting from Google rankings to AI rankings. If your property data isn’t accessible to AI models, your community may never make the shortlist—regardless of location, amenities, or price point.

And for those who think AI is only about impressions? Think again.

Click-through rates in ChatGPT have tripled in recent months as AI tools surface more live links and shoppers increasingly seek direct connections.

The rise of AI native standards

LLMs (Like ChatGPT and Perplexity) are moving away from just crawling scattered websites for data because it’s wildly expensive.

They increasingly prioritize structured, machine-readable feeds that make it easy to answer consumer queries directly.

For real estate, that translates to:

• Structured data on pricing, availability, and unit features
• Real-time feeds, not static web listings
• Immersive formats like 3D tours and video that AI can surface inside its responses

The implication for portfolio performance is clear: properties that are

AI-optimized will enjoy greater top-of-funnel demand capture, while those without structured feeds risk becoming invisible.

Introducing AI Connect

To solve this, we’ve launched Peek AI Connect, built on the emerging
Model Context Protocol (MCP)—the new standard for how AI tools connect to external platforms.

With AI Connect, assistants like ChatGPT can query Peek’s live unit database making your real-time pricing, availability, 3D tours, and amenities more discoverable in these tools.

It’s already live across all Peek-powered communities, creating a new channel of AI-driven demand. Instead of relying on stale scraped listings, prospects can get live data from your portfolio, positioned directly inside the platforms where they now search.

Why this matters for owners & asset managers

The AI shift isn’t just a marketing story—it’s an asset performance story.

Consider the implications:

• Competitive Advantage: Early adopters of AI-native integrations will gain an outsized share of renter attention while competitors lag.
• Leasing Velocity: Properties that surface in AI searches lease faster by reducing friction in the renter journey.
• Reducing Vacant Days: Being invisible to AI shrinks your funnel, creating unnecessary vacancy risk.
• Marketing Efficiency: Dollars spent on SEO and ILS placements will deliver diminishing returns if renter discovery has already shifted into AI tools.

The future of renter discovery

We’ve seen this movie before.

Search engines, mobile, and social media each rewrote how properties were discovered and leased. The owners and operators who adapted fastest captured demand at the lowest cost.

Now AI search is the next wave. Renters aren’t Googling your property anymore—they’re asking AI where to live.

The question is: will your portfolio show up in the answer?

Product Updates

Peek + EliseAI CRM

We’ve partnered with EliseAI to deliver a fully connected leasing experience—from online discovery to tour scheduling to CRM follow-up.

EliseAI customers can now:

• Auto-generate guest cards from Peek
• Track lead status in real time
• Schedule guided and self-guided tours seamlessly

Peek + RentCafe Upgraded Virtual Tour Integration

Virtual tours now publish automatically to RentCafe websites via API—no scripts, no manual uploads.

• Hourly auto-syncs
• Increased reliability of service
• Smoother experience for leasing teams and residents

New Self-Guided Touring Integrations

We’re making it even easier to scale self-guided tours with new smart-access partners:

Door → Unlock units + building doors automatically, no staff coordination needed

GeoKey → Connect property access devices directly to Peek, eliminating lockboxes and manual handoffs

Seam → Support for Yale, Schlage, August, and more with push-to-unlock + access codes

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