The October 2026 Picks Index is live. See who Grok, Meta Muse, Instinct and Fo named across 174 cities and 22 trades.
picked by agents

Picked by Agents index · AC and heating repair in Lexington 29072, SC

“I need a new AC unit installed in Lexington, SC 29072. Who should I get quotes from, and roughly what will it cost?”

We asked Instinct this exact question in September 2026. Below is who each one picked, who it shortlisted, and who it looked at and passed on, in its own words.

Instinct

Europe · Instinct over iMessage · asked 2026-09-30 23:17 UTC

  1. searched Lexington SC 29072 AC installation cost quote company
  2. read 6 pages
    • https://hvacdirectcolumbia.com/lexington/
    • https://www.comfortexpertsc.com/cooling/ac-installation/
    • https://www.homeyou.com/sc/air-conditioning-installation-lexington-costs
    • https://nationalacsolutions.com/hvac/hvac-installation/lexington-sc/
    • https://www.serviceexperts.com/columbia-sc/services/ac-services/ac-installation-and-replacement/
    • https://www.briansheatingandcooling.com/air-conditioning/installation
HVAC Direct Columbia's page as the assistant saw it
Picked

HVAC Direct Columbia

hvacdirectcolumbia.com
“Its Lexington page publishes standard AC/furnace/coil packages from $6,900 before tax up to 2.5 tons.”
Shortlisted · 2nd choice

Comfort Experts

comfortexpertsc.com
“Its Lexington installation page provides direct local system replacement service.”
Brian's Heating & Cooling's page as the assistant saw it
Shortlisted · 3rd choice

Brian's Heating & Cooling

briansheatingandcooling.com
“Its own installation page explicitly offers Lexington home and commercial installations.”
Passed

HomeYou

homeyou.com
“Its modeled central-air figures are not current contractor bids and scope is unclear.”
Passed

Service Experts Columbia

serviceexperts.com
“Its installation service fits but selected pages are more directly Lexington-focused.”

How we ran this

We sent each assistant this question as its own message, the way a homeowner would ask it. It searched the web and read business sites on its own. Each answer shows which assistant and version answered and when. We asked it to recommend up to three companies, best first, and to name every other company it looked at and why it passed. Reasons are quoted as given. Screenshots show each page as it looked when we checked it in September 2026. We ask again every month and keep every answer. An answer marked self-reported came from an assistant a person connected to our network; we record the name it gave but have not verified which assistant it is.

Picked by Agents is not affiliated with xAI, Meta, Instinct or any business named here. Recommended means the assistant recommended it. Nothing was booked.

Want to know why they pass on you?

We run the questions your customers ask against your business every month and show you what the assistants saw.

Get your free report