A comprehensive strategy to implement Hermes Agent — an open-source AI agent platform by Nous Research — into The Core Group's real estate workflows, streamlining operations, elevating customer experience, and creating a turnkey package for resale to other agents.
The Core Group is a 21-agent real estate team brokered by eXp Realty, serving the Greater Orlando metro area. Led by Justin Core (Team Leader, Broker Associate), the team specializes in luxury, historic, and investment properties.
Team brokered by eXp Realty — cloud-based, publicly traded brokerage. Office at 236 S Lucerne Cir, Orlando, FL 32801. Stellar MLS + Greater Orlando Association of Realtors IDX.
Luxury homes, historic properties, and investment real estate. Tagline: "Simplifying Real Estate." Active blog covering seller tips, buyer guides, and local market insights.
20+ Communities
Oviedo, Winter Park, Winter Springs, Lake Mary, Lake Nona, Windermere, Winter Garden, DeLand, Deltona, Avalon, Casselberry, College Park, Downtown Orlando, Thornton Park & more.
Squarespace website, Google Maps API, Stellar MLS/IDX search, Zillow review integration, Google Analytics, Facebook SDK, reCAPTCHA. Social: Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube.
21 Agents
Led by Justin Core, Cheryl Core, Jackson Core. Includes bilingual agents (Spanish), VA loan specialists, and agents serving South Florida. Financing partner: Prime Mortgage (Matt Atkins).
Orange (#FA6829) + Charcoal (#32353E) + cream backgrounds. Open Sans / Raleway typography. Clean, modern, photography-forward design. All-caps section headers.
Real estate is a relationship business drowning in administrative work. The industry's tools are fragmented across 10+ categories with no unifying intelligence layer. Here's what agents face daily.
¹ MIT/InsideSales.com Lead Response Management Study, Dr. James Oldroyd (2007). B2B web-lead study, widely cited in real estate.
² National Association of REALTORS®, cited across multiple industry sources. Includes all transaction tasks, not just scheduling.
³ NAR 2019 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, Ch. 7, p.124. Confirmed 66% in 2019, 65% in 2023, 66% in 2025 reports.
⁴ Harvard Business Review, "The Short Life of Online Sales Leads" (Oldroyd, McElheran, Elkington, 2011). 2,241 companies. 23% never respond at all.
The MIT/InsideSales.com study found leads contacted within 5 minutes are 21x more likely to qualify than at 30 minutes. But HBR found the average company takes 42 hours to respond — and 23% never respond at all.
NAR reports the average real estate transaction takes ~40 working hours for an agent. That time is spread across coordinating with buyers, sellers, lenders, title companies, inspectors — each requiring separate calls, emails, and document exchanges.
Post-NAR settlement (Aug 2024), buyer-broker agreements are mandatory before showings. Brokers carry personal liability for every agent's files. Most compliance is reactive, not proactive.
Agents typically juggle separate CRM, transaction management, showing service, e-signature, accounting, and marketing tools — each with separate logins, separate data, and limited integration. No single platform orchestrates across all of them.
Hermes Agent is an open-source AI agent framework by Nous Research that runs in your terminal, messaging platforms (Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, SMS, Email, and 15+ others), and web browser. It doesn't just answer questions — it takes actions. Important: Hermes's real-estate-specific capabilities are custom skills and integrations Justin's team will build — they are not bundled out of the box.
Hermes stores client preferences, property details, transaction history, and learned workflows across sessions. It never forgets a client's needs or where a transaction stands.
The same agent runs on SMS, WhatsApp, Email, Discord, Telegram — whatever channel the client prefers. Voice messages are auto-transcribed. The agent responds in seconds, 24/7.
MCP servers, API calls, browser automation, terminal commands, file operations. Hermes connects to 20+ messaging platforms out of the box. Real-estate-specific tools (CRM, MLS, DocuSign, ShowingTime) require custom integration via MCP servers or custom skills — these are not pre-built.
Schedule recurring tasks: morning market briefings, lead follow-up sequences, transaction deadline monitoring, post-closing nurture campaigns. Hermes runs them automatically and delivers results.
Hermes saves reusable workflows as "skills" — proven procedures that load into future sessions. A buyer-intake skill, a listing-prep skill, a transaction-coordinator skill. The agent gets better at your specific business over time.
Each agent on the team gets their own Hermes profile — isolated sessions, memory, skills, and config. Justin as team leader has oversight. New agents get pre-configured profiles with brokerage skills loaded.
System-level overview of how Hermes Agent integrates into The Core Group's real estate operations — from lead capture through closing and post-close relationship management.
HERMES REAL ESTATE INTEGRATION ARCHITECTURE · DOC NO: HRE-001 · REV A · NousResearch/hermes-agent
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Every step in the buyer and seller journey, mapped to what Hermes automates versus what stays with the human agent. The principle: Hermes handles the repetitive, time-sensitive work. Humans handle relationships, judgment, and negotiation.
New lead arrives from website form, Zillow, or social media. Hermes responds via SMS typically within 60 seconds — 24/7, even at 2 AM. Website form requires a bridge (n8n or custom webhook receiver) to forward leads to Hermes's messaging gateway.
Hermes: Messaging platform → instant SMS reply → qualification questions → CRM note in vaultHermes qualifies the lead (budget, timeline, location, pre-approval status), explains the buyer-broker agreement requirement (NAR settlement), and schedules a consultation with the human agent.
Hermes: Conversational qualification → buyer-broker agreement via DocuSign (custom MCP setup) → consultation schedulingHermes monitors MLS for new listings matching client criteria, sends curated property recommendations via SMS/email, and adjusts search parameters based on client feedback.
Hermes: MLS monitoring via browser automation (custom skill, ToS risk) → smart matching → property recommendations → feedback collectionClient finds a property they like. Hermes coordinates showing times across buyer's availability, listing agent's approval, seller restrictions, and the human agent's calendar via ShowingTime.
Hermes: ShowingTime coordination (custom skill — ShowingTime has no MCP server, requires custom build) → multi-party scheduling → calendar sync → confirmation messages Human: Conducts the showing, builds rapport, reads the buyer's reactionsBuyer decides to make an offer. Hermes drafts the purchase agreement with agent's input, attaches pre-approval letter and proof of funds, and submits to the listing agent.
Hermes: Document drafting → attachment gathering → submission → offer status tracking Human: Pricing strategy, contingency decisions, negotiation guidanceHermes tracks all deadlines, sends proactive status updates to buyer at each milestone, schedules inspections, and flags approaching contingency removal dates.
Hermes: Deadline tracking → milestone notifications → inspection scheduling → contingency deadline alertsHermes sends final walkthrough reminder, confirms closing logistics, delivers closing disclosure summary, and ensures all documents are signed and filed.
Hermes: Walkthrough scheduling → closing confirmation → document verification → MLS status updateNAR reports 66% of home sellers used an agent referred to them or one they'd worked with before (NAR 2019 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, p.124). Yet most agents have no systematic post-close nurture. Hermes launches a 12-month sequence: 7-day check-in → quarterly market updates → anniversary message → referral request → closing gift coordination.
Hermes: Nurture sequence → market updates → anniversary triggers → review request → referral askHermes pulls comparables from MLS, generates a CMA report with market trends, and prepares a listing presentation deck for the agent to present to the seller.
Hermes: MLS data pull via browser automation (custom skill) → CMA generation → market analysis → presentation prep Human: Pricing strategy recommendation, relationship building with sellerHermes schedules professional photography, coordinates staging, writes the property description, gathers HOA docs and disclosures, and enters the listing in MLS.
Hermes: Vendor scheduling → AI listing description → MLS entry → disclosure gatheringHermes syndicates to Zillow/Realtor.com/Trulia, creates social media campaigns, sets up retargeting ads, and schedules open house promotions across channels.
Hermes: Multi-platform syndication → social media scheduling → ad campaign setup → open house promotionHermes manages showing requests, collects feedback from buyer agents, tracks interest levels, and provides weekly traffic reports to the seller.
Hermes: Showing feedback collection (custom skill) → traffic analytics → seller reportsMultiple offers come in. Hermes ingests all offers (PDF, email, forms), normalizes into a comparison matrix, scores on weighted criteria (price, financing, contingencies, timeline).
Hermes: Offer ingestion → comparison matrix → weighted scoring → counter-offer draft Human: Negotiation strategy, seller consultation, final acceptance decisionHermes opens escrow, coordinates title work, tracks inspection timeline, manages repair negotiations, monitors appraisal, and ensures all closing logistics are confirmed.
Hermes: Escrow coordination → title scheduling → deadline tracking → repair negotiation prep → closing logisticsNew agent joins the team. Hermes creates their profile, collects licensing info, verifies credentials, sets up MLS/CRM access, and loads brokerage skills automatically.
Hermes: Profile creation → license verification (custom skill querying FL DBPR API) → tool provisioning → skill loading → mentor assignment trackingHermes continuously monitors all active transactions for missing documents, expired licenses, approaching deadlines, and NAR settlement compliance — flagging issues before they become audit failures.
Hermes: Document tracking → license monitoring → deadline alerts → NAR compliance verification → audit-ready file generationHermes acts as a digital TC — proactively requesting documents, coordinating parties, tracking milestones, sending status updates, and escalating only exceptions to humans. Potential to reduce TC labor cost significantly (in-house TCs typically cost $45K+/year).
Hermes: Document chasing → party coordination → milestone tracking → status updates → exception escalationHermes calculates commission per agent split plan, generates CDAs, tracks 1099 reporting, and monitors trust/escrow account compliance.
Hermes: Commission calculation (custom skill) → CDA document draft → payout tracking. Trust account monitoring & 1099 prep are regulated activities — Hermes can assist but human review and licensed accountant sign-off required.Hermes provides Justin with real-time visibility into team pipeline health, predicts deal fall-through risk, forecasts production, and identifies coaching opportunities.
Hermes: Pipeline dashboards → risk prediction → production forecasting → coaching recommendationsThe real estate SaaS landscape is fragmented. Existing tools are siloed, rule-based, and passive. Hermes is the missing orchestration layer that connects everything and takes autonomous action.
| Gap | Current State | Hermes Solution | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-Platform Orchestration | 5-10 disconnected tools per agent. Zapier integrations are fragile. | Single AI agent layer connecting all RE tools via custom MCP servers and skills — not pre-integrated, requires custom development | TIER 1 |
| Lead Qualification | HBR found average lead response time is 42 hours; 23% never respond. CRM "AI" is rule-based drip campaigns. | Conversational AI that qualifies via SMS/voice 24/7, answers property questions, books appointments | TIER 1 |
| Transaction Coordination | NAR reports ~40 working hours per transaction across multiple parties. TCs cost $45K+/year or inconsistent outsourced. | Autonomous TC agent that chases documents, tracks deadlines, sends updates, escalates exceptions only | TIER 1 |
| Showing Scheduling | Scheduling is one of the most time-consuming coordination tasks for agents (NAR reports ~40 hrs total per transaction). | AI orchestrates across buyer, listing agent, seller, showing service — automatic | TIER 1 |
| Offer Management | Multiple offers arrive in different formats. Manual comparison sheets. | Ingests all offers, normalizes into comparison matrix, scores on weighted criteria | TIER 2 |
| Compliance Monitoring | Reactive — discovered during audits, not during transactions. Broker carries personal liability. | Continuous monitoring for missing docs, expired licenses, approaching deadlines, NAR settlement compliance | TIER 2 |
| Post-Closing Relationships | 66% of sellers use referred/past agent (NAR), yet most agents have no systematic post-close nurture. | Personalized 12-month nurture with market updates, anniversary triggers, optimal-timing referral requests | TIER 2 |
| Document Processing | 50-100+ pages per transaction. Residential is underserved vs commercial. | AI reads any RE document, extracts key terms, flags unusual clauses, summarizes for clients in plain language | TIER 2 |
| NAR Settlement Compliance | Buyer-broker agreements mandatory. Many brokerages not fully compliant. | Ensures agreement executed before showings, tracks compensation negotiations, generates disclosures | TIER 2 |
| Predictive Intelligence | Brokers lack real-time visibility into pipeline health and team performance. | Predicts deal fall-through risk, forecasts team production, identifies coaching opportunities | TIER 3 |
| Agent Onboarding | 3-6 month ramp-up. 10+ systems to set up. Inconsistent process. | Automated profile creation, license verification, tool provisioning, skill loading | TIER 3 |
Hermes's built-in memory is perfect for agent preferences and current context (~2K chars). But a brokerage needs a real knowledge base — client histories, transaction files, SOPs, market data. That's where Obsidian comes in.
Agent preferences, environment facts, current client context, communication style. Injected into every session automatically.
Client notes, transaction files, SOPs, checklists, market data, vendor contacts. Hermes reads, searches, creates, and edits these directly via file tools.
Natural language queries across the entire vault: "What did the Smiths say about school districts?" returns the exact passage. All-local, no cloud, no API keys.
Hermes writes to the vault after every client interaction: "Called Smith about counter-offer at $445K, they approved." It reads from the vault before any client conversation: "Last interaction: Smith wants 3br near A-rated schools, budget $450K."
With QMD installed as an MCP server, Hermes can query the entire vault semantically: "What did the Smiths say about school districts?" → returns the exact passage from the client note, even if it was written months ago.
For the resale package, the Obsidian vault template with pre-built folder structure, SOPs, and Hermes skills IS the turnkey product. Other agents get a proven system, not a blank tool.
Justin builds and validates the Hermes + Obsidian system at The Core Group. Once proven, he packages it as a turnkey solution for other real estate agents who don't have tech guidance. Three tiers, from DIY to fully managed.
One-time setup fee: $500–$750
Pass-through costs (not included): LLM API ~$15–$50/mo · SMS (Twilio) ~$3–$8/mo · Hosting ~$2–$10/mo shared
Total pass-through: ~$50–$75/mo → ~75% gross margin
Priced against Real Geeks ($299/mo, CRM+website, no AI agent) and Follow Up Boss ($69/user + $499 platform). Delivers 24/7 AI lead response + TC automation at a fraction of a human TC ($300–$500/file).
One-time setup fee: $1,500–$2,500
Pass-through costs: LLM API ~$75–$250/mo (5 agents) · SMS ~$15–$40/mo · Hosting ~$5–$25/mo shared
Total pass-through: ~$250–$400/mo → ~33–58% gross margin
*MLS browser automation may violate your MLS terms of service — verify with your MLS provider. Licensed RESO API access is the recommended path.
Priced against kvCORE ($299–$1,000/mo) and Sierra Interactive ($300–$725/mo). Includes TC automation that replaces a $4,254–$6,020/mo in-house TC or $1,050/mo outsourced TC (at 3 closings/mo).
One-time setup fee: $3,000–$5,000
Pass-through costs: LLM API ~$300–$1,000/mo (20 agents) · SMS ~$60–$160/mo · Hosting included
Total pass-through: ~$800–$1,500/mo → ~0–47% gross margin (scales with shared infrastructure)
Priced against CINC ($499–$1,299/mo) and Ylopo ($545–$2,000+/mo). At 20 agents, per-agent cost is ~$75/mo — competitive with Follow Up Boss ($69/user + platform fee) while delivering full TC + compliance automation.
The package includes everything an agent needs to go from manual chaos to AI-powered efficiency — Justin's team handles the technical setup, agents just use messaging.
Pricing above is proposed — Justin should validate based on actual costs (LLM tokens, SMS, hosting) and desired margin.
Hermes Agent (open-source), Obsidian (free), QMD search (~2GB models), pre-configured config files, all ready to deploy.
Complete Obsidian vault with client folders, transaction templates, SOPs, market intel structure, vendor lists, and team management files.
Custom Hermes skills (built by Justin's team): buyer intake, listing prep, transaction coordinator, compliance monitor, CMA generator, market analysis, offer comparison. These are custom-built for real estate, not bundled with Hermes.
Setup guide, video walkthroughs, best practices, troubleshooting, and agent training materials. Written for real estate professionals — Justin's team creates these as part of the package. Covers Hermes CLI basics, messaging gateway setup, and daily agent usage via SMS/WhatsApp.
Guided onboarding (planned custom tool — Justin's team builds this): configures Hermes, connects gateways (SMS/Email/WhatsApp), loads real-estate skills, and initializes the Obsidian vault. Target: under 1 hour with Justin's team on a call.
Community Discord (Starter), priority email/SMS (Professional), dedicated strategy calls + SLA (Brokerage). Justin's team provides ongoing tech guidance.
A phased approach — start small, prove value, then scale across the team and into the resale product.
Justin + 2-3 agents. Install Hermes, set up SMS gateway, create buyer-intake and lead-response skills. Connect website form leads via n8n bridge or direct SMS forwarding. Measure: lead response time, after-hours capture rate.
All featured agents. Obsidian vault setup, transaction coordinator skill, compliance monitoring, post-closing nurture. Build custom MLS monitoring skill (verify MLS ToS compliance first — RESO API preferred over browser scraping).
All 21 agents. Per-agent profiles, team dashboard, agent onboarding automation, offer comparison system, QMD semantic search. Quarterly review and optimization.
Productize. Documentation, video walkthroughs, setup wizard, pricing tiers live. Beta test with 2-3 external agents. Launch marketing via Justin's network and eXp channels.