Tuesdays are 3 AI updates, one hot take, one action. Fridays are 1 practical real estate agent workflow.
Only half of agents now use AI daily or weekly, according to NAR's September 22 technology report, and the most common job is writing listing descriptions. This week there's a faster way to do that job, plus two new assistants that work on their own:
1. Gemini follows Claude's lead and launches skills.
On September 30, Google announced skills, which let you save a set of instructions and run it by typing a slash, so "write my listing description the way I write it" becomes one command (/listing-description) instead of a paragraph you retype. According to my surveys agents using AI to manage their sphere is still less than 40%, so try to build some skills for follow-up. Google's rollout notes put skills in Workspace on October 5 and the Gemini app from October 13, so check your account before you plan around it.
2. Meta launched Muse, a free AI assistant for small business owners.
On September 29, Muse for Small Business launched in the US and Canada, and it reads your Instagram and Facebook business accounts, connects to tools like Canva and Shopify, then drafts a growth plan and the posts to go with it. Meta says it's free for most uses, with paid tiers at $20 and $100 a month for heavier use. It also promises "nothing publishes, sends, or spends without your approval."
3. ChatGPT launched Dots, an always-on agent that early users say still needs work.
OpenAI announced Dots at DevDay on September 29, an agent with its own cloud computer that keeps working after you close the tab. Dots, Meta's Muse and last week's Grok Bot belong to a new kind of always-on agent that Ethan Mollick calls Clawlikes, and I think we're at the very start of a long road with them. Early reaction to Dots is mixed: AgentConn reported that testers saw Claude Sonnet 5.5 finish similar tasks in 5 to 6 minutes while Dots took 20 to 30. Muse is "the number one app in the App Store right now," so I'd start there and check back on Dots in a few months.
HOT TAKE
The thing to watch with always-on agents is how little you'll think about what they're doing. Once one is connected to your email and calendar, the work happens while you're driving to a showing and you only see the result. That's convenient until it sends something you wouldn't have. This is where AI is headed, so best to understand how these are working, how to set controls and learn how to take advantage of them. Learn on small jobs now so you don’t meet one for the first time on a live deal.
1 THING TO TRY
Try Muse this week, since it's the easiest of the three to set up. Sign in with a Meta account, connect your Instagram, and ask: "Look at my last ten posts and tell me what a stranger would assume about me." Give it 20 minutes and see whether it gives you any new ideas for your page. Meta says nothing publishes or spends without your approval, so a first test is low risk. If you like it, connect one more account next week.
AI FOR RE AGENTS DECEMBER COURSE IS OPEN
This is my hallmark course and the most important thing I run all year. It's four, live online sessions, December 6-12, built around projects you finish as we go.
Declan, from the April 2026 cohort, put it this way: "Highly productive class, project based with real time results. Matt has curated a well chosen path for agents to implement the latest and greatest tools." Enrollment is open now, and 10% off Earlybird pricing is live.
-Matt
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