The world of real estate is fast and always evolving.
From negotiation to sales, consistent and effective communication with clients is crucial, and it can mean the difference between surviving and thriving as a real estate professional.
It’s no secret that the market is saturated, and competition is fierce. But one thing that can give your real estate agency a competitive edge is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.
A CRM system, when tailored specifically to your agency, can not only ensure you never miss out on an opportunity again but also be the driving force behind the success of your business, as this guide sets out.
How to Choose the Right CRM
In short, a CRM system provides a seamless experience for professionals using the technology and the clients they serve.
It helps you to stay on top of tasks, leads, and communication—and when we’re talking about the benefits of CRM, this is just the start.
Streamlined Communication
In real estate, timing is crucial. Not just that but information too.
For example, if you pick up the phone and have to spend a few minutes searching for all-important client details, it won’t help your customer relationships or their overall experience.
After all, clients want to feel like they’re your sole priority, and a real estate CRM system makes this possible.
With every detail logged and past conversations shared, a CRM system acts as a centralized hub for client interactions, ensuring no detail is lost or overlooked.
This makes future conversations easier, and you can set follow-up reminders too. If you’re not in the office, another colleague can pick up where you left off.
Effective Lead Management
You might think a real estate agency is only as good as its leads. But the truth is an agency is only as good as its strategy for these leads.
With a CRM system in place, however, you can capture, categorize, and nurture leads, ensuring you engage clients at the ideal time.
An intelligent CRM system will do the hard work for you, using a points-based scoring system against your leads—ranking them on interaction and allowing you to target clients more effectively.
Sales Progress
Another advantage of implementing a CRM system into your real estate business is its ability to track a sale’s status from the first meeting to the final stages.
This doesn’t just offer a clear overview of past sales; you can use the data provided to analyze sales trends, client behavior, and areas for improvement.
This can prove pivotal for your future sales and strategy.
Real-World Examples of CRM Empowering Agents
Several different CRM systems are available on the market, and the best option for your real estate business will depend on the following factors:
Budget
You might be tempted to opt for the most affordable CRM system or one that promises feature-rich capabilities. Instead, work out your budget and find a CRM system that fits it.
What’s more, instead of viewing the CRM system as an expense, try to see it as a boost to your sales and consider the potential return on investment.
Features
Another tip for finding the best real estate CRM for your business is to determine the essential features required. For example, do you require mobile accessibility?
Perhaps you’d like a system that integrates with social media or email marketing platforms?
Focus on the core functionalities of your business and what it is you require a CRM system to do and start your search here.
Reviews
Ultimately, you’ll likely require a user-friendly CRM that is easy to implement and ensures a smooth transition and experience for you and your team.
After all, a straightforward system will typically result in higher adoption among your staff.
For this reason, it’s a good idea to research some of the most popular CRM systems in real estate and look at real-life reviews to see what other people think of them.
This includes AgentPro, Zillow Premier Agent CRM, and RealtyJuggler—all of which have consistently high reviews in the real estate industry.
How to Implement a CRM System in Your Real Estate Business
As with any new technology implementation, it’s not just a case of choosing one, setting it live, and waiting for the results to come in.
Instead, it requires the right strategy and careful planning stages. We’ve pulled together a step-by-step approach to ensure your CRM is set up for success from the get-go.
- Plan: Before diving in head over heels, it’s wise to spend some time understanding how exactly the CRM system works and how it will integrate with any current systems you have in place.
During this process, set out a clear plan for data migration, integration, and key timelines. While these might change, it’s good to have a plan to work toward. - Training: Just like other new technology or additions to your real estate business, to maximize the CRM’s benefits, you need to ensure your team is up to date with how it works and how they can use it effectively.
Workshops and training sessions should be arranged, and you can offer drop-in sessions while your team gets to grips with the software.
After all, the more comfortable they are, the better the results. - Best Practices: Another top tip for maximizing your CRM results is to ensure everyone is using it correctly and in the same way.
For example, inconsistent data entry can not only skew the results but also make the system confusing to understand.
Therefore, data entry guidelines are required, and you should regularly review these to ensure adherence.
Encourage your team to set reminders, follow up any leads, and use the CRM’s analytics tools to monitor performance. - Feedback: Another often-overlooked part of implementing a new technology, including CRM systems, into real estate, is feedback.
Ask your team what they think of the system and find out if there are any improvements required or areas they’re struggling with.
You might find this only requires a simple fix, or it could be that a wider training program is needed.
Either way, it’ll show your team that you’ve got their back, and you’ll be taking those all-important steps to level up your CRM use in-house.
Common Pitfalls of CRM in Real Estate and How to Avoid Them
While the benefits of CRM systems are undeniable, it’s important to be aware of the common mistakes associated with them to ensure you can avoid these and get the most out of your new system.
Inconsistent Data
As mentioned above, the success of a CRM system depends on the data and details inserted.
Ensure your agents are inputting data correctly and in an organized manner.
Set out data guidelines and conduct training and reminders to ensure all staff are on the same page.
That way, there will be no confusion when someone logs onto the CRM system and sees confusing information.
Not Using the Features
Put simply, investing in a CRM system and not using all the features is a huge waste of money and resources.
That’s why it pays to consider exactly what you require from a CRM system before finding one that suits you.
Once implemented, you should regularly review the system to see how your team uses it. Consider scheduling time to explore and use some of the most advanced features too.
Resisting Change
Any new tools, processes or technologies are at risk of resistance—especially if some individuals are accustomed to older and more traditional methods.
In this instance, outline the benefits of the CRM system and explain how it can improve day-to-day tasks and help individuals to be more efficient.
You could even offer rewards for those who actively use CRM to encourage greater staff participation.
Choosing the Wrong System
Again, we’ve mentioned the importance of choosing a CRM that meets your needs and desires, and this is one of the biggest mistakes that some real estate businesses make.
Not all systems are created equal. While some might be too basic for your needs, others could be too complex.
Involve your team during the decision-making process to determine what they want from a system and try a few demo versions before making your choice.
Ignoring Regular Updates
As with other software, CRM systems should be regularly updated for enhanced security, improved features, and basic compatibility.
Not doing so will really impact the overall capabilities of your CRM, so if you do see any reminders, be sure to not ignore them.
Looking Ahead with CRM
The truth is, those real estate businesses that want to be here in the next 10 years will be required to stay up to date with the latest tech and inventive solutions, CRM being one of them.
Not only can it streamline operations and boost communication, but it can also provide actionable insights that can tailor your strategy for the future.
So, to level up your business, why not consider real estate CRM today? It might just be the new tool that your real estate needs.
Latest Articles
Sharad Mehta 
