For home service brands and franchise marketers, the path from homeowner search to booked job is changing. A survey of 1,025 U.S. homeowners conducted by MGH found that ChatGPT, TikTok, influencers and social media are playing a growing role at every step, from discovering a provider to making the call.

ChatGPT Is Driving Leads and Sales

AI search is becoming a real lead source for home service providers. Among homeowners who use ChatGPT, 48.5% have discovered a home service provider through the platform, 32.9% have reached out to a provider for more information and 16.9% have used a provider based on ChatGPT results. In addition, 55% said they would be more likely to use a home service provider if it appeared in ChatGPT search results.

TikTok Is Turning Views Into Customers

Among TikTok users, 66.5% have discovered a home service provider through TikTok videos, 41.2% have reached out to a provider for more information and 24.5% have used a provider after seeing TikTok videos.

Influencers Are Driving Home Service Decisions

Nearly half of homeowners (49.5%) have discovered a provider through an influencer post, while 31.9% have reached out to a provider for more information and 15.6% have used a provider after seeing influencer content.

Social Media Is Creating Demand for Home Services

Social media isn’t just helping homeowners choose a provider. It’s showing them what they need. More than half of homeowners (53.3%) have learned about a home service need they hadn’t previously considered, such as dryer vent cleaning, air duct cleaning or HVAC and water heater maintenance, after seeing social media posts or videos. In addition, 40.1% were reminded to schedule routine maintenance, and 28.0% were motivated to try a new home service.

Google and Word of Mouth Are Still King (For Now)

When looking for home service providers, 61.1% of homeowners turn to Google search first and 42.4% start with referrals from friends and family. ChatGPT follows at 19.4%, ahead of TikTok (14.4%), Instagram (14.1%), Facebook search (13.4%), HomeAdvisor (11.9%), Nextdoor and neighborhood apps (11.6%) and Facebook Groups (10.6%).

What This Means for Home Service Brands

Google and referrals still lead, but they’re no longer the whole picture. For home service brands, and especially franchise systems marketing dozens or hundreds of local locations, being found now means showing up consistently across AI search, social video and creator content. 

That starts with accurate, consistent location information across websites, listings and reviews, so homeowners and AI tools alike find the right local provider. It continues with short-form video that shows real work and educates homeowners on services they may not know they need, and with creator partnerships that build trust before the first call. 

Franchise brands that coordinate these efforts across their system, while leaving room for each location to stay local, will be best positioned to turn discovery into booked jobs. Click here to view and download the full home services infographic.

For questions regarding this survey or to learn how MGH helps home service and franchise brands reach homeowners, please reach out!

Results were collected Feb. 13-15, 2026, and are based on 1,025 U.S. adult homeowners ages 18 to 60, with census balancing for age and gender. The survey was conducted via the SurveyMonkey Audience Panel by MGH. The survey results have a +/- 3.125% margin of error. Respondents could select up to three starting points for their search.