🛠️ The Tools I Actually Use (And Why They Work)

AGENT EDITION 😎

My Real Stack — No Fluff, No Sponsored Posts

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Tools always come up.

At networking events, on the sidelines of a conference, in a side conversation with another agent — it always circles back to the same thing: what are you using and is it actually worth it?

I love these conversations. So I figured I’d just lay out my whole stack in one place — what I use, why I use it, and what it does for my business.

And I’d genuinely love to hear what’s working for you, too.

Let’s get into it.

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📂 CRM: Relationship-First, Always

My CRM philosophy is simple:

I’m not looking for a lead machine. I’m looking for a relationship manager.

The whole point is to make sure I never forget a person, a conversation, or a follow-up. My workflows exist to protect my relationships — not replace them.

I’ve been running on Sphere, and I want to be clear about this:

If I weren’t a Compass agent, I would 100% keep Sphere. No question.

It’s built for relationship-driven agents. Smart workflows, touchpoint reminders, and built-in accountability. It keeps me connected to my sphere in a way that feels human — not automated.

One of my favorite features is the built-in intake form. I send the link to a new client, they fill in their info, and it automatically populates into Sphere. No manual entry, no dropped details. Clean and seamless from the very first touchpoint.

That said, I’m making the move to Compass CRM soon — and the biggest reason is simple:

I’m currently doing double work.

Right now, I’m essentially running two CRMs in parallel, which isn’t sustainable. The switch to Compass consolidates everything in one place, reducing friction and increasing focus.

What I’m most excited about is their Timeline Templates — prebuilt or customizable workflow sequences that ensure I don’t miss a single step in any part of my process. Whether it’s a new listing, a buyer under contract, or a post-close follow-up, the template walks me through exactly what needs to happen and when.

No dropped balls. No “wait, did I send that?” moments. Just a clean experience for my client at every stage.

That’s the standard I hold myself to — and Compass is building the infrastructure to match it.

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✉️ Email: Superhuman + SaneBox

Email is where most agents lose time. There’s too much of it, and it’s the wrong kind.

My fix is a two-tool combo that works together like a team:

SaneBox filters before I ever see anything.

It learns what matters, what’s noise, and keeps my inbox clean. Less to process means more focus where it counts.

Superhuman is how I process what’s left — fast.

Keyboard shortcuts. Instant triage. Snooze, remind, follow up. It turns email from a drag into a focused 20-minute sprint.

Together, they’ve completely changed my relationship with my inbox.

✔️ Less overwhelm ✔️ Faster response time ✔️ More mental bandwidth for clients

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🏡 Homebot + Keeping Current Matters (KCM)

These two are quiet workhorses.

Homebot sends personalized home value reports to my past clients and sphere — automatically, every month. Every time someone opens that email, they see their home’s value estimate and my name at the top.

It’s one of the best “stay top of mind” tools I’ve found because it delivers real value, not noise. I’m not just checking in — I’m giving them something useful every single time. My homeowners actually tell me they look forward to it every month. That says everything.

And the cost? I partnered with my preferred lender, and I’m only paying $25/month. The rest is subsidized by the partnering lender. For what it does, that’s a no-brainer.

Keeping Current Matters (KCM) is my go-to for market education.

It takes complex housing market data and turns it into clean, agent-ready content — slides, graphics, talking points. When a client asks, “Is now a good time to buy?” I’m not winging it. I’m pulling from real data, presented in a way that actually lands.

I’ll be honest — it’s $99/month, which is on the heftier side. But the content library is so rich and so consistently updated that I find it absolutely worth it. Articles, social media content, market updates, buyer and seller resources — it covers a lot of ground and keeps me current in a way that shows up in my conversations.

If you’re looking for a resource that makes you sound like you actually know what’s happening in the market — because you will — KCM is worth a serious look.

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🤖 AI Tools: Here’s My Honest Take

AI is everywhere right now. Every agent wants to know what’s worth it.

Here’s exactly how I use it — and why I use different tools for different things.

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ChatGPT → Quick Brainstorming

ChatGPT is my go-to when I need to think fast.

Need ten subject lines for a listing email? Done in 30 seconds. Stuck on how to open a newsletter? Throw it a prompt and see what comes back.

I use it like a whiteboard. Quick, generative, no overthinking.

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Claude → Deep Work & Collaboration

Claude is different, and I mean that in the best way.

This is where I go for real work — the kind that takes thought, nuance, and back-and-forth. Writing a long-form article like this one. Thinking through a strategy. Working through something complex.

Claude doesn’t just respond. It collaborates. It feels less like a tool and more like a colleague who thinks alongside you.

That distinction matters.

And honestly — it doesn’t hurt that I feel politically and ethically aligned with Anthropic as a company. In a space where that stuff actually matters to me, it’s a quiet but real plus.

What’s making it even more powerful right now is something called Cowork — Anthropic’s agentic desktop tool that lets Claude actually do work on your behalf. Not just answer questions. Actually execute:

✔️ Organize files ✔️ Synthesize research ✔️ Create documents ✔️ Work across your apps

And through connectors — integrations with Google Drive, Gmail, DocuSign, and more — Claude can pull context from tools you already use and act within them. I’m still exploring this side of it, but I can already see where it’s headed.

We’re moving from AI that advises to AI that executes. That’s a big deal.

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Granola → Meeting Notes, Solved

Granola runs quietly in the background during your calls and meetings. It listens, captures what matters, and hands you a clean summary when you’re done.

Action items. Key decisions. Follow-ups.

No more scrambling to take notes mid-conversation. After a recent listing strategy session, I had a full summary of the pricing discussion, my seller’s concerns, and my next steps — ready before I even closed my laptop.

If you’re in back-to-back calls, this one is a game-changer.

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💡 The Bigger Picture

The agents winning with AI right now aren’t the ones with the most tools.

They’re the ones who’ve figured out how to integrate a few tools well.

ChatGPT and Claude consistently show up as the most-used AI tools among top producers — and the common thread isn’t the tool itself. It’s the workflow. Knowing when to use it, how to apply it, and when to put it down and just be human.

That’s the skill.

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📞 Want to Talk Through Your Stack?

If you’re an agent and want to geek out on tools, workflow, or how to build a system that actually sticks — I’d love to jump on a quick 15-minute Agent Connection Call.

Grab time here: 👉 https://calendly.com/jed_i

Because when your tools work for you… The business follows.

— Your Los Angeles real estate JED.i 🥷🏽