Your real estate CRM checklist: everything you need to consider
Are you looking for your first real estate CRM? Alternatively, are you looking to replace your current real estate CRM? Are you looking for different options before going with your current CRM’s latest upgrade? You might be feeling a little lost among all the buzz about this feature or that feature. What you really need is a real estate CRM checklist to ease you through the evaluation.
Ask yourself the following questions before making any decisions about your real estate CRM.
Mobile-Friendly Interface
As a successful real estate agent constantly on the move, a mobile-friendly CRM is paramount. You need the flexibility to access and manage your CRM from anywhere, ensuring that you’re not tied to your desk. This mobility empowers you to update client information instantly and respond promptly to inquiries while on the go, offering unparalleled convenience and efficiency.
Enquiry Capture Automation
An effective real estate CRM should seamlessly capture all inquiries generated from prominent listing sites like realestate.com.au and domain.com.au. This feature not only saves you valuable time but also minimises the risk of errors associated with manual data entry. Relying solely on personal email correspondence can lead to missed opportunities, making automated enquiry capture a must-have.
Integrated Mobile App
An integrated mobile app within the CRM is a game-changer for real estate professionals. It enables you to input visitor information and comments directly into the system during open houses and private inspections. Additionally, it provides easy access to your entire contact database, allowing you to connect with clients or prospects swiftly during on-site visits. This streamlined process empowers the CRM to gather pertinent information about potential clients, facilitating quicker relationship development.
Portal Pushing Functionality
Effective marketing in the real estate sector requires broad exposure on key property listing portals in both Australia and New Zealand, such as domain.com.au, realestate.com.au, trademe.co.nz, and realestate.co.nz.
A CRM with portal pushing capabilities automatically disseminates your property listings to these platforms, ensuring that your listings reach the widest possible audience. This eliminates the need for manual data entry on multiple websites, saving you time and ensuring consistent online visibility.
What Are the Email Marketing Features?
One of its pivotal functions revolves around simplifying and automating your email marketing endeavors. As you harness the full potential of your CRM in this domain, it’s essential to ask yourself a series of pertinent questions. These queries will not only guide you in optimising your CRM for email marketing but also enable you to unlock its broader capabilities.
- Comprehensive Feature Set: Does the system provide a comprehensive suite of features that cater to your specific needs and objectives? A well-rounded platform should cover various aspects of real estate management, ensuring that you have all the tools necessary to excel in your profession.
- Standard Letter Forms and Templates: Does the system offer a library of standard letter forms and templates? Access to these standardised documents streamlines your communications and ensures consistency in your correspondence.
- Photo Integration: Will the system seamlessly integrate with your agency’s photo database? This capability is crucial for easy access to property images and visual assets when creating listings and marketing materials.
- Drag-and-Drop Email Newsletter Options: Is there a user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface for creating engaging email newsletters? This feature simplifies the email marketing process, enabling you to craft visually appealing newsletters with ease.
- Automated Listing Alerts: Can the system automatically send alerts about new listings or sales to your clients or prospects? Timely notifications keep your audience informed and engaged, enhancing their experience.
- Custom Group Creation: Does the system allow you to create custom groups or categories for contacts and listings? Customization options enable you to organize your database in a way that best suits your business requirements.
- Weekly Open For Inspection Emails: Will the system facilitate the creation and scheduling of weekly emails containing upcoming Open For Inspection details? This feature ensures that potential buyers or renters are well-informed about available properties.
- Open For Inspection Reminders and Thank-Yous: Can the system automate Open For Inspection reminders and thank-you messages to attendees? This thoughtful touch fosters positive client relationships and improves attendance at property viewings.
Does the Software Offer Social Media Integration?
One critical aspect to consider when evaluating CRM software is its capability for seamless integration with social media platforms. In today’s digitally-driven landscape, maintaining an active social media presence can often feel like a significant portion of your daily routine. Hence, it’s imperative to assess whether your chosen CRM system offers robust social media integration features.
The convenience of having a CRM that can automatically sync new listings and sales with your various social media channels cannot be overstated. This integration can potentially save you countless hours that would otherwise be spent on manual updates and postings. Imagine the convenience of transforming your Facebook page into a fully functional real estate website, where the latest listings are automatically and effortlessly added to your social media feeds.
This level of automation not only enhances your operational efficiency but also extends your online reach and engagement. By seamlessly incorporating your property listings and sales into your social media presence, you can consistently engage with your audience and showcase your offerings to a wider pool of potential clients. In essence, this feature transforms your social media platforms into dynamic hubs for real estate activity, elevating your online presence and simplifying your marketing efforts.
Does the CRM Sync With Other Services?
In today’s fast-paced, interconnected world, the ability to synchronize your essential data, such as contacts and calendars, across various devices and software platforms is nothing short of indispensable. It’s imperative to assess whether the chosen CRM seamlessly accommodates this crucial aspect of modern business operations. Here are some critical questions to ponder in your real estate CRM checklist:
Mobile Device Compatibility: Does the CRM offer a robust syncing mechanism that ensures your contacts are effortlessly synchronised with your mobile device? The convenience of having your client and prospect information readily available on your smartphone cannot be overstated, especially for on-the-go professionals.
Outlook Integration: Is the CRM compatible with Outlook contacts, allowing for a seamless exchange of data between the CRM and your Outlook address book? This integration streamlines your communication efforts and ensures consistency in your contact management.
Calendar Synchronisation: Beyond contacts, does the CRM extend its syncing capabilities to your calendars, both on mobile and desktop devices? The ability to maintain a synchronised calendar across various platforms ensures that you’re always aware of your appointments and commitments, regardless of the device you’re using.
By carefully considering these aspects, you can ensure that the CRM you choose not only centralises your contact and calendar management but also empowers you with the flexibility to access and update this critical information whenever and wherever you need it. This synchronisation capability plays a pivotal role in enhancing your productivity and efficiency, allowing you to stay on top of your professional commitments with ease and convenience.
What Is the Provider’s Service Like?
Selecting the right CRM partner is a pivotal decision that can profoundly impact your success. To make an informed choice, it’s crucial to delve deeper into what their service entails. Here are some key considerations to bear in mind:
Geographic Location: It’s prudent to ascertain the geographical location of your CRM partner. Are they based in Australia? A local partner often possesses a deeper understanding of the nuances of the Australian real estate market, which can be invaluable in tailoring their services to your specific needs.
Training and Support: Does your CRM partner offer comprehensive training and real-time support? A robust support system is indispensable, especially during the initial implementation phase and when encountering any issues or questions. Reliable training and support ensure that you can harness the full potential of your CRM effectively.
Responsive Communication: Assess the partner’s approach to communication. Do they actively listen to your feedback and concerns? A CRM partner who values client input and promptly incorporates suggested updates demonstrates a commitment to evolving their platform to meet your evolving needs.
In essence, your CRM partner should be viewed as an extension of your team, contributing significantly to your real estate business’s success. Therefore, making an informed decision regarding their location, support services, and responsiveness to feedback is vital to establishing a productive and mutually beneficial partnership.
Real Estate CRM at MRI Software
Hopefully, all of these benefits prove to you just how valuable a real estate CRM checklist can be, before you choose the right solution for your agency.
To find out how our powerful and innovative CRM software can transform your business, please click here to schedule a personalised demo or call our team on 09 883 3196, we would love to help.
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