Last updated: November 2026
By Dustin Randall Olson, Coach DO
Key takeaways
- Google AI messaging is reaching more Business Profiles, Search Engine Roundtable reported on October 29, 2026.
- The AI reportedly answers routine customer questions and hands harder ones to the business owner, per the same October 29, 2026 report.
- It reportedly works only on phones and networks that support RCS, and other texts go straight to the business phone, as of October 29, 2026.
- Some businesses were asked for an EIN and a privacy policy link during setup, per an October 28, 2026 report.
- Coach DO’s take: for US agents, 42 U.S.C. 3604(c) covers statements and ads that show a preference based on a protected class, so test what the AI says about neighborhoods before you turn it on.
Google AI messaging is reaching more Business Profiles, and one day a bot could answer a buyer’s question before you see it. Search Engine Roundtable reported the wider rollout on October 29, 2026. Access is still limited, and the examples so far are restaurants, not real estate.
So you have time. Use it, because the prep is the part that protects you.
What Google AI messaging does
Customers message you from Search and Maps using their phone’s own texting app. Google says the AI will “answer routine questions from customers, instantly and at no cost,” per the October 29 report. Anything it has no answer for gets handed to you, and you can take over at any time.
Yes, Google calls it an AI agent. Confusing for our industry, so I’ll stick with “the AI.”
This has been brewing. A message button with an AI section appeared for a few hours in June 2026, then vanished. The pilot email shared in October was written for restaurants.
| What was reported | Source and date | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| AI answers routine questions, hands off the rest | Search Engine Roundtable, October 29, 2026 | Decide which questions only you should answer |
| AI needs RCS; other texts go to your phone, and text rates may apply | Search Engine Roundtable, October 29, 2026 | Confirm which number your profile uses |
| Some businesses asked for an EIN and privacy policy link, with a review of three to four working days | Search Engine Roundtable, October 28, 2026 | Have both ready before you need them |
| Which business categories qualify | No Google list found as of November 4, 2026 | Check your own Messages tab |
Can real estate agents use it yet?
Not confirmed. As of November 4, 2026, I found no Google help page that explains the feature or lists eligible categories. Even the reporter who covered it said he didn’t see it on his own profile.
Open your Business Profile and look at Messages. One early report mentions a red dot there. No dot means nothing to turn on today, so go straight to the prep below.
Why a wrong answer costs you more than a restaurant
A restaurant’s bot gets the specials wrong and someone orders the fish anyway. Your questions are different. “Is this a safe neighborhood?” “Is it good for families?” “How are the schools?”
Those are the exact questions that get agents in trouble. Federal law bars any notice, statement, or ad about a home’s sale or rental that shows a preference based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin.
I found nothing from Google on who answers for an AI reply sent under your name. Assume it’s you. Canadian agents have provincial human rights rules and their own regulators to weigh. (I’m a coach, not an attorney, so this is education, not legal advice.)
People are also getting used to asking instead of searching. OpenAI’s Adam Fry said ChatGPT’s search-like volume is roughly one-fifth of Google’s, per a November 4, 2026 report. That’s OpenAI’s own number, not an audited one. Still, the habit is real, and a message box on your profile fits it.
Five things to do before you turn it on
- Clean up your profile. In the example shared so far, the AI pulled up a restaurant’s menu items and prices, so assume yours leans on what your profile says. Compare your hours, services, service area, and description against reality. If you want a second set of eyes, here’s how I approach Business Profile work for agents.
- Confirm your phone number. Non-RCS texts reportedly go straight to your phone. Make sure it’s the one you actually answer. Phone is the first letter of PAWN+™ for a reason.
- Get your paperwork ready. Find your EIN and the link to your website’s privacy policy. Plenty of agents work as sole proprietors and may not have an EIN, and the IRS issues them free (page reviewed October 16, 2026). I found nothing on what Google asks of Canadian businesses.
- Test it from a friend’s phone. Ask what a buyer would ask, then ask the safe neighborhood question on purpose. Screenshot anything you wouldn’t say yourself. Find the off switch before you go live.
- Read every conversation for two weeks. A handoff only works if you show up for it. Put a real plan behind lead conversion, and move every real person into your database so the conversation doesn’t die in a message tab.
My call
If Google offers it, do the prep first, then test it. A bot can tell someone your hours. It has no business telling a family where to live.
That conversation is still yours, and it’s the one people hire you for.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google AI messaging free?
Reportedly yes, as of October 29, 2026. Standard text rates may apply to messages from people whose phones or networks don’t support RCS.
Do I need an EIN to turn on Business Profile messages?
Some businesses were asked for one, per an October 28, 2026 report. That came from one person’s screenshot, and I found no published Google rule on it.
Will the AI replace me answering my leads?
No. It reportedly handles routine questions and hands off the rest, and you can step in at any time. Your results still depend on how quickly and how well you follow up.
Want to know what Google’s AI would find on your profile right now? Get your free 100-point Google and AI audit.
About the author: Dustin Randall Olson (Coach DO) is a triple certified business coach, fifth generation real estate professional, and founder of Coach DO, LLC. He created GAS Engine Optimization and the PAWN+ identity framework, which help real estate agents across the United States and Canada get found on Google and recommended by AI search. He coaches the whole person, not just the business, from his home base in Franklin, Tennessee.