Your customer relationship management (CRM) tool is essential to powering the day-to-day running of your agency – whether that involves sales, lettings or both.
As a result deciding which tool to use is a massive decision – one which requires plenty of research.
Why do agents use real estate software?
Due to the nature of the role, agents are constantly on the go, juggling multiple transactions and facing a fair bit of admin as a result.
So, having a database which allows you to store and manage your operations more effectively enables you to focus more on growing your business.
What to consider when looking for a CRM
What features are the most important to your agency?
What features are essential to running your agency? Do you need the ability to have your software be available for on the go? Or do you need robust client accounting for managing your landlords? With real estate software you need to know your non-negotiables and what’s nice to have to know if it’ll be a fit for your agency.
Migrating your data across
One of the most common pain points for agents when moving CRM is ensuring data is safely transferred, without the need for manual rekeying. After all, your data is the backbone to your agency and so carefully consider what the company offers to make this transition smooth. For example, do they have dedicated migration specialists? A support team to answer your queries when you need them? And what about on-hand training experts, so your team is ready to go on day one?
What integrations are available
Proptech integrations have become a must across real estate software in recent years. They provide you with a seamless way to manage all your operations without managing to login into multiple systems and re-key information. If you have third-party prop techs that you can’t complete your role without, then research who they already integrate with.
Ensure your agencies operations are in safe hands
You need to have trust in your CRM – afterall it should be taking care of the day to day running while you do your best work. For example, going for a partner with an established product backed with reviews from fellow agents. In comparison to more start up brands who bring a lot of innovation but don’t necessarily provide the assurance you need. Both have their benefits and drawbacks but it’s key to factor into your decision making. (P.S we recommend an established brand which is still evolving so you get the best of both worlds).
Future considerations
As we’ve already mentioned, choosing a CRM for your agency is an important choice. And, we’d also recommend in your research to keep an eye on what’s new. Fundamentally you need software which supports you but also grows with. Now we’re a bit biased but with Alto we’re always innovating based on what our customers (we released 125 product features last year alone).
