REAL ESTATE INSIGHTS
Harris Real Estate Daily
By Tim & Julie Harris · December 13 2025
On October 10th, 2025, Google flipped a switch inside Gmail that 99% of users still don’t know exists.
And yes—it affects you, your business, your clients, and anyone who sends you an email.
Google’s new update automatically allows Gemini AI to:
Scan every email you receive
Read attachments
Analyze financial documents
Review private messages
Build data and advertising profiles from your inbox
All without you ever opting in.
This was enabled by default.
The good news:
You can shut it off in less than 60 seconds.
Below is the step-by-step guide every real estate professional should follow immediately.
✅ Why This Matters for Agents
Your Gmail likely contains:
Buyer and seller financial docs
Pre-approval letters
Signed agreements
Contracts
Inspection reports
Personal messages
Private negotiations
Letting an AI system automatically ingest that information—without your knowledge—raises obvious concerns.
Even if Google claims the data is anonymized, most agents would prefer that no AI model is trained on their clients’ confidential communications.
This is one of those rare moments where opting out is simply the smart move.
✅ How to Turn Off Gmail’s Hidden AI Scanning
Follow this exactly:
1. Open Gmail in your web browser
Go to Gmail.com and log in.
2. Click the ⚙️ gear icon (top right)
Opens your Quick Settings panel.
3. Select “See all settings”
Takes you to the full settings dashboard.
4. In the “General” tab, scroll to:
Smart features and personalization
Uncheck the box.
This stops Gemini from analyzing:
Emails
Attachments
Drive files
Docs
Private messages
5. Next, turn off Google’s Workspace-wide smart features
Go to:
Settings → “Google Workspace smart features” → “Manage Workspace”
Toggle OFF:
Smart features in Google Workspace
Smart features in Google Products
This prevents your inbox data from spreading across Google’s entire AI ecosystem.
✅ Bonus: See If Your Gmail Was Ever Exposed in a Breach
The original creator of this tutorial suggests running a Gmail privacy scan to check whether:
Your email appears in data leaks
Your password was exposed
Your account is flagged in known breaches
Whether you use their tool or a reputable alternative, running a check is smart.
✅ Bottom Line for Real Estate Pros
A major privacy setting was turned on inside Gmail—automatically.
It impacts every agent, every brokerage, and every client you communicate with.
Most users have no idea this happened.
Now you do.
And now you can turn it off.
— Tim Harris
Tim and Julie Harris Real Estate Coaching
📬 Interested in Elite Coaching? Text Tim directly at 512-758-0206