What to look for in a real estate contact manager

There are all kinds of contact management systems on the market today, but how do you know which one is right for your business and fits your budget? Well, first things first, you need to know what your options are. Let’s review the different types of systems that exist:

Generic: Outlook is an example of a basic generic manager. The nice thing about this type of product is that you probably already own a copy of one. If you have Microsoft Office or Open Office, it’s already included and ready to go. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of time and customization to tailor it to your needs as a real estate agent. While this option may be the least expensive, most of the time this type of system will not be able to tie in with the rest of your business, such as lead generation or marketing solutions that come with contact managers designed specifically for you. our industry.

Industry Specific: These contact managers give you much more control over your business than more generic options. Most include features like lead tracking, listing integration, drip campaigns, and more. Since the software is already customized for real estate, you save the time and energy of trying to build something this efficient out of a generic program – no one wants to reinvent the wheel! This conviction, however, will usually end up costing you more. I personally think that since communication with clients and prospects is at the heart of real estate, it pays to make sure you’re doing it right!

Web-based solutions: These are the newest type of contact management systems and where the industry as a whole is headed. While you may have a “generic” web solution (like Gmail, for example), industry-specific systems that are also web-based give you the best of both worlds:

• You have access to your contact database anywhere and anytime, not just on your office computer.
• Your contact manager can be automatically linked to your website and lead generation tools.
• Take control of your marketing with targeted emails and drip campaigns.
• Real-time site monitoring will give you instant notification of logs and other website activity via your email or mobile device!
• An integrated calendar can use scheduled messages to communicate with potential customers based on site activity or special events like birthdays.

If you’re looking for a new contact manager, I would definitely suggest an industry-specific web-based product that will give you the newest and best technology to stay ahead of the curve.

However, after narrowing the field, there are still a ton of different options. So what kind of features should you look for to get the most bang for your buck?

Easy to use: While there will always be a learning curve with new software, look for something that has a good user interface and is easy to navigate. See if you can get a demo of the CRM to make sure you like it before you buy!

customizable: You’re going to want to set up your account your way! Do you want all your emails to be forwarded to one main address? Maybe you’ve made a nice signature that you want to be able to put at the bottom of your emails. A good contact manager will allow you to customize it to your liking.

Interactive Calendar and Scheduling: The right CRM will help you have better communication with your prospects and customers. Having your email linked to your calendar will allow you to schedule important messages, receive reminders and notifications, and plan follow-ups with ease.

Integrated website and lead generation: When your contact database is connected to your website and lead generation tools, you can track all of your leads’ activities and then send them personalized property information automatically. Be sure to look for a CRM that has great statistics and reports so you can see the results of your marketing efforts and respond to them directly.

Integrated Marketing Options– Whether it’s social media, drip campaigns, or pay-per-click, newer contact management systems have these options built in. Wouldn’t it be nice to tweet right from your CRM or have pre-written marketing scripts ready to go at the touch of a button? These features are available with some of the newer technologies.

Transaction management: I’m sure you’re emailing documents to your clients all the time as you walk them through the home buying or selling process. If you have a transaction management system as part of your CRM, you can keep track of all your documents, require electronic signatures, and keep all your digital files organized as you send and receive them.