Pros and Cons of Real Estate CRMs

Many seasoned real estate brokers are choosing real estate CRMs to manage their client information and help market their business. While technology offers many conveniences and perks, are there any downsides?

As with any new technology or system, there are pros and consusers may experience. The following are a few positives and negatives to choosing real estate CRMs for your business.

Pro: A real estate CRMdoes everything you dreamed of and more!

It’s true. Many CRMs offer limitless capabilities to organize your client information, assist with marketing campaigns, delivering daily call lists, and more. Quite possibly everything you need to grow and expand your business is at your fingertips with a real estate CRM.

Con: You’ll experience a learning curve with a new system.

The downside to such a robust system is the learning curve. It may have incredible capabilities, but many users barely learn the half of it. An initial learning curve is common and can become frustrating as it takes time and effort to learn the new system.

Take advantage of training and resources provided by the company and be prepared to spend extra time in the beginning to master a new system.

Pro: It saves important client data in one central location.

No more paper files scattered across your office or electronic files you have to email from one computer to the next. CRMs offer one central location to store all your client data, marketing campaigns, reports, and more.

Con: No system is fool proof. Data can still be lost if not properly maintained.

The data still needs to be backed up. Systems can fail and it’s the responsibility of each individual to make sure their data is backed up in the off chance the data is lost.

Pro: Data can be accessed remotely.

No more rushing back to your office computer for information you left behind. Data in your CRM can be accessed from any computer whether you’re in the office, at home, or on the road. This convenience makes doing business so much easier.

Con: Sensitive data could be breached by a third party.

The downside? While security measures are put in place by companies, the threat of a third party accessing your data always exists. Do your part by logging out after use and protecting your account with secure passwords. Limit who has access to the system and train staff about data security to protect your business.

Pro: Create reports and track sales and marketing efforts.

Interested in seeing actual data on your progress? A real estate CRM can track your marketing campaigns and leads so you know which efforts are working and which offer fewer results.

Con: Real estate CRMs come at a price.

A real estate CRM is an investment in your business. While CRMs may differ on functionality or features, they can also differ in price. Some CRMs may have a large initial start-up fee and others may offer their services for a monthly fee.

Keep in mind, the cheapest option isn’t always the best option. Find a quality CRM with the features that will help you grow your business at a price you can afford.

ReferralMaker organizes your contacts, helps you establish goals, tells you who to call or visit, and more. Learn how ReferralMaker can help take your real estate business to the next level this year.

Best Real Estate CRM: Which Tool Is Right for Your Business?

Real estate CRMs are a powerful tool to organize and grow your business in one central location. Generate leads, contact clients, and schedule drip marketing campaigns – all in one platform!

The best real estate CRM is the one that you’ll use. But we understand it can be difficult to navigate the market and choose the best real estate CRM for you. Here we’re comparing a few of the top real estate CRMs on the market to help make your decision easier.

Insightly

Insightly is a great CRM for contact and task management at a low monthly rate. It’s perfect for keeping track of conversations with prospects and managing your daily tasks. Link Insightly with your Outlook or Gmail accounts to save conversations with contacts. Each time you click on a contact page, you’ll view previous emails and notes including opportunities and upcoming appointments.

It’s important to note, Insightly isn’t a real estate specific CRM. This means the settings are generic and need to be customized to your business. Templates can be built with automatic checklists for buying or selling homes. The only downside is you have to create these yourself.

This is a great general CRM, but it lacks MLS integration or direct marketing tools. If this is important to you, a real estate CRM with MLS integration may be a better choice.

REthink

REthink is a real estate CRM loaded with real estate features so you spend less time customizing. Based onSalesforce (a leading CRM product), this CRM is customized specifically for realtors with tools and resources to grow your business. Built-in MLS integration allows you to import listings and match prospects to homes based on their preferences. Also included are real estate marketing tools such as direct mail marketing and automated drip email campaigns (for an additional rate).

REthink is a strong platform with great functionality, but it can be complicated to set up and use on a daily basis. When you include additional features, it can get more expensive with each add-on.

PropertyBase

This real estate CRM is similar to REthink. Both are based onSalesforce with similar interfaces and features. Features unique to PropertyBase include financial management and direct mail marketing tools.

This option does not include the ability to schedule drip email campaigns. Though built on a strong Salesforce platform, PropertyBase costs more for solo agents or small teams.

Referral Maker

Referral Maker is simple and easy-to-use while offering tons of tools to help grow your real estate business. This real estate CRM helps you generate more leads with a relational marketing system that tracks your interactions with clients.

The Priority Action Center (PAC) gives you a daily call list and offers tips for conversation starters. Included is a daily action plan to track your efforts and monitor results.

Referral Maker Pro offers you access to tools to create monthly mailings, mid-month eReports, the ability to track pop-bys, and more. You receive everything you need in one central location to market and grow your real estate business.

Remember, the best real estate CRM is the one you’ll use. Investigate your options and choose one that’s user-friendly for your business. As you track your clients and marketing efforts, you’ll feel more organized and experience faster growth!

This Real Estate App Helps You Make the Most of Pop-By Season

The summer selling season will be here before we know it. Now is the time to plan Pop-By deliveries to your best clients to show them you care.

Pop-Bys typically include small gifts and a personal note thanking your clients for their business and referrals. These surprise gifts offer a personal touch to help you maintain your best client relationships.

Real estate CRM software makes planning and delivering Pop-Bys easier than ever. Here’s how the Referral Maker App can help you plan and track Pop-By deliveries to your important clients.

·         Plan an Efficient Route –Chances are you may have clients all over town. Choose a specific neighborhood and use the Referral Maker App to view which clients live nearby. This app includes a map that helps you select the most efficient route to maximize your time while delivering to as many clients as possible.

·         Keep Your Client Information Up to Date – Accessing your real estate CRM system by app means you can take your client database everywhere you go. Did your client move or change emails? Update their information quick and easy from your phone or tablet. Wherever you are, your database can stay up to date.

·         Track Your Business Activities – The best way to keep current – track interactions with your clients including delivery of Pop-Bys with high-tech real estate CRM software. Keep your best clients at the top of your list by tracking your marketing activities so you’ll know when it’s time to check in again. Consistent contact with your best clients means they’ll remember you when a friend or family member needs your services.

With the Referral Maker App, your real estate CRM system goes with you so you have everything you need at your fingertips. The Referral Maker App is available for iOS and Android. Learn more about howinnovative real estate CRM software can help improve your business at ReferralMaker.com.

How to Make 2016 Your Best Year in Real Estate

It’s here. A new year to generate real estate leads and make it your best year yet. Now is the time to get started establishing processes and tactics to catapult your business to the next level. The following are three tips to motivate you to accomplish your goals and make 2016 your best year ever.

Be Realistic in Setting Your Goals

Setting new goals for the year should pose a challenge. But don’t make them so challenging that they’re impossible to accomplish in a year. Small or intermediate goals help track your progress as you look at achieving bigger goals in your career. To make your dreams a reality and stay motivated, take it a step at a time with attainable goals that offer you a challenge this year.

Establish Basic Processes

If you want to take your business to the next level in 2016, this may require getting back to the basics. This doesn’t mean you need to invest in expensive programs to generate real estate leads. But it does mean the new year is the perfect time to keep in touch with your clients and continue providing excellent service. Use real estate software solutions to track marketing efforts, reports, and client or referral contact information. Track each time you make contactwith your clients by phone calls, personal notes, or surprise gifts. Don’t forget to remind them that you’re never too busy for their referrals.

Become Your Best Self This Year

The most successful real estate professionals are continuously learning, growing, and improving themselves through professional development. Commit to learning this year by reading, listening to audiobooks, hiring a coach or mentor, and attending seminars such as Brian Buffini’s Success Tour or trainings like Peak Producers. Sharpen your professional skills and find better ways to serve your clients. A year dedicated to learning and growing is a year well spent.

Referral Maker offers the best real estate CRM on the market to organize client and referralinformation to make this year your best year yet. These real estate software solutions help you track your progress and connect better with clients. Generate more real estate leads this year the natural way by signing up at ReferralMaker.com today!