Apartments.com vs Realtor.com:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Realtor.com had more branded searches than Apartments.com among real estate marketplaces in the United States. Realtor.com had about 1 million branded searches, while Apartments.com had 201,000. Realtor.com made up 4.1% of all real estate marketplace searches we track, and Apartments.com accounted for 0.82%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about real estate marketplaces, Realtor.com appeared in all five answers and Apartments.com in two. Realtor.com was mentioned before Apartments.com in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Realtor.com, about 5 searches for every 1 for Apartments.com
Who does AI mention more?
Realtor.com, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Realtor.com, named ahead of Apartments.com in every answer
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Top real estate marketplaces in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Realtor.com appeared in all five answers. Apartments.com was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Realtor.com was listed before Apartments.com in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Zillow1st
Redfin2nd- Realtor.com3rd
Homes.com4th
Apartments.com5th
Trulia6th
LoopNet7th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Zillow5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Redfin5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Realtor.com5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Homes.com3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Trulia2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- LoopNet2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Apartments.com2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about real estate marketplaces
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which real estate marketplace should I use in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best real estate marketplaces in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best real estate marketplace in the US for finding a first home?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“homes for sale”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“real estate websites”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 19, 2026.
Is Apartments.com or Realtor.com more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Apartments.com and Realtor.com by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven real estate marketplaces we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Realtor.com, Apartments.com. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Zillow | Redfin | Realtor.com | Trulia | LoopNet | Apartments.com | Homes.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 82.4% | 7.4% | 4% | 2.7% | 1.5% | 0.99% | 0.99% |
| Nov 2025 | 80% | 8.8% | 4.8% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.97% | 0.97% |
| Dec 2025 | 82% | 7.4% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.99% | 0.99% |
| Jan 2026 | 82.1% | 7.4% | 4% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.99% | 0.99% |
| Feb 2026 | 82.2% | 7.4% | 4% | 2.7% | 1.5% | 0.99% | 1.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 79.1% | 8.7% | 4.7% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 0.95% | 1.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 83% | 7.5% | 4.1% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 0.67% | 1% |
| May 2026 | 83% | 7.5% | 4.1% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 0.67% | 1% |
| Jun 2026 | 83.4% | 7.5% | 4.1% | 2.3% | 1.2% | 0.67% | 0.82% |
| Jul 2026 | 83.3% | 7.5% | 4.1% | 2.3% | 1.2% | 0.82% | 0.82% |
| Aug 2026 | 83.1% | 7.5% | 4.1% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 0.82% | 0.82% |
| Sep 2026 | 83.1% | 7.5% | 4.1% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 0.82% | 0.82% |
How has the Apartments.com and Realtor.com comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Realtor.com was ahead of Apartments.com in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Apartments.com’s share of searches among real estate marketplaces in the United States moved from 0.99% to 0.82%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 246K to 201K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Realtor.com’s share of searches among real estate marketplaces in the United States moved from 4% to 4.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1M.
How did search popularity change for United States real estate marketplaces in September 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for Apartments.com in the United States fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 246K to 201K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Apartments.com’s and Realtor.com’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Apartments.com
2 branded search terms
- apartments com
- apartments.com
Realtor.com
1 branded search term
- realtor.com
Other head-to-heads among real estate marketplaces
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