Today, AI systems like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, Gemini and Perplexity are increasingly acting as the first stop for people researching mortgages, remortgaging, or general financial advice. And that shift matters for lead generation.
Recent research shows AI chatbots have seen explosive user growth, with ChatGPT now one of the top five most visited sites globally, and usage increasing over 2.5× year‑on‑year. At the same time, traditional Google searches are down, especially on desktop. Meanwhile, Google’s own AI Overviews now appear in 16–21% of all search results, including many financial and advice queries.
So the question becomes: How do you ensure your mortgage brand is the one AI recommends?
So here are my practical, mortgage‑market‑ready steps.
1. Understand what your clients actually ask AI, not what you hope they ask!
AI platforms personalise answers, which means they respond to natural language, not keywords. According to research, the average AI prompt is 23 words long, often phrased conversationally and differently from one person to another.
For mortgage advisers, that means customers won’t just search “Mortgage broker London”
They’ll ask things like:
- “I’m a first‑time buyer with a small deposit, looking to buy a flat in Sutton, I earn £53k who can help me?”
- “Is it cheaper to remortgage or take a product transfer in 2026?”
- “Which mortgage broker can help self‑employed borrowers with only 1 years accounts?”
Start collecting real customer language from your CRM, email enquiries, sales calls, social channels, and adviser conversations. Build your content around those phrased questions.
2. Think ‘topics’, not just keywords, because LLMs (like Chat GPT, Gemini, Claude) recommend trusted authorities, not pages.
One of the biggest changes in search is that AI models don’t “rank” websites. Instead, they recommend brands that demonstrate topical authority.
For mortgage advisers, your topical areas might include:
- First‑time buyer guidance
- Buy‑to‑let portfolio lending
- Remortgage timing
- Affordability criteria explained
- Credit profile requirements
- Self‑employed and contractor mortgages
AI systems pull from thousands of documents to form their understanding of these topics. If you’re weak in any area, you won’t be cited.
Create content clusters around each topic. Don’t just write “best rates” pages, expand into explainers, case studies, checklists, comparison articles, local market updates, and “real‑world scenarios” (which AI loves summarising).
3. Build citations – 82% of AI‑cited links come from third‑party sites
One major factor is that AI overwhelmingly cites independent third‑party sites, not brand websites. In fact, just 9% of citations come from a brand’s own site.
For mortgage advisers, this means:
- Reviews matter (Google, Trustpilot, Feefo).
- Being featured in comparison articles matters.
- Guest expert commentary matters.
- PR matters, especially local press, trade publications, and niche financial sites.
If an AI model repeatedly sees your name across trusted sources, it starts to treat you as an authority, even before it’s read your own site.
4. Make your website technically “AI friendly”
AI search systems favour sites that are:
- Well‑structured
- Up to date
- Easy to analyse
- Clear in their positioning
This means now is the time to:
- Fix broken links and outdated content
- Add FAQs in natural language
- Make your positioning one sentence and crystal clear eg;, “We help London first‑time buyers navigate mortgages with simple, jargon‑free advice.”
5. Monitor how AIs talk about you
One of the biggest opportunities is to monitor AI responses the same way you’d monitor Google rankings. AI is becoming a new “audience” you must influence.
Test prompts like:
- “Who are the best mortgage brokers for first‑time buyers in X”
- “Who offers the best remortgage advice near me?”
- “What’s the best way for a self‑employed borrower to get a mortgage?”
Document what brands show up. If you’re not there then it’s likely your competitors’ PR, content, or citations are stronger.
Final Thoughts: AI Search is Here, But Mortgage Advisers Who Act Now Will Win New Customers Faster
AI isn’t replacing Google search but it is influencing customer journeys at every stage: awareness, consideration, evaluation, and intent. Mortgage advisers who strengthen their topical authority, build citations, and write content the way clients speak will become the brands AI recommends first.