The real estate market is an ever-changing landscape. With the recent downturn, real estate agents and brokers need to be creative and switch up their strategies if they want to stay competitive. One way to do this is to take advantage of customer relationship management (CRM) and automation tools that can help agents to streamline their processes, build relationships with clients, and increase their profits. By leveraging these tools, agents can find new ways to attract new clients and nurture existing ones, even in a down real estate market. With the right CRM and automation tools, any agent can be a success in any market.
What is customer relationship management (CRM)?
Customer relationship management (CRM) refers to any system that helps a company to track and manage relationships with customers. It includes software for managing sales and marketing activities, including contact management, lead generation, sales tracking, and customer service. CRMs come in many different forms, from software that is hosted in the cloud to CRM plugins for email marketing platforms. When it comes to real estate, one of the most popular CRM tools is a CRM that allows agents to track their leads and manage appointments. With an appointment scheduling CRM, agents can store pertinent information about each lead, like their name and phone number, as well as their interests and needs. This information can then be accessed again the next time the lead calls or emails the agent, so that the agent can serve them better.
Benefits of CRM and automation in a down real estate market
The most obvious benefit to using CRM and automation tools in a down real estate market is that they help agents to streamline their processes. CRMs and automation platforms help agents to be more efficient so that they can spend less time on administrative work and more time helping their clients. By keeping track of their leads and appointments, agents can stay organized and be more responsive to potential customers. They can also use automation platforms to stay in touch with their clients over time, which can help to nurture relationships that might result in future sales. One of the biggest benefits of using CRMs and automation tools is that they can help agents to find new ways to attract new clients and nurture existing ones, even in a down real estate market.
Types of automation
- Prospect and Client Automation -
This is the most basic form of automation, which can include sending out auto-responders, email drip campaigns, and SMS or text messages.
- Client Scoring -
This is a way to rate your prospects and clients based on their potential to refer somebody new to you or to buy or sell with you themselves, whether for the first time or as a repeat client. Once a contact is scored, automation can be used to help prioritize time and effort.
- Prospect and Client Sorting -
Agents can use automation to organize their leads and assign them to the appropriate team members. This is especially helpful for agents who work together as a team, such as in real estate franchises.
- Lead Assignment -
Agents can use automation to assign leads to specific contacts or properties based on certain criteria, such as the lead’s location, interests, and needs.
- Closing Automation -
Automation at the closing stage can help to keep track of tasks and timelines, as well as keep track of necessary documents.
Tips for getting the most out of your CRM and automation
- Choose the right CRM - CRMs come in many different forms, so agents should choose the one that best fits their needs. When comparing CRMs, agents should take into consideration their organizational needs, as well as their budget and the cost of each platform. - Prioritize your marketing efforts - Even though automation can help to drive leads, agents should prioritize in-person marketing efforts, such as networking events and conferences, to acquire new leads. - Choose the right automation for your business - Just because an automation tool exists, doesn’t mean that it’s the right fit for your business. Agents should make sure that their automation tool supports the type of work that they do, as well as their unique organizational needs. - Stay organized - Even with automation and CRMs, agents should stay organized to help themselves to be more efficient. They might want to consider using inbox tools, such as tools that allow them to tag emails, organize their desktop, and search through emails.
Strategies for implementing CRM and automation
- Create a structure - Before implementing automation, agents should take the time to map out their business. This can include creating a spreadsheet that outlines their team and their roles, as well as a calendar to track their leads and appointments. - Set up a lead magnet - A lead magnet is something that agents can offer to potential clients in exchange for their contact information. Agents can use their lead magnets to collect leads that can be sent to a CRM. - Create a friendly user experience - Just because agents are using automation doesn’t mean that their clients need to feel as though they’re being ignored or neglected. In fact, agents who are using automation should still be friendly and responsive to their clients, even if they are using software to track appointments and manage leads. - Set up recurring tasks - Automation can help agents to be more efficient, but not if they spend all of their time on administrative tasks that could be handled by the software. Agents should set up recurring tasks to help them to be more effective.
Potential pitfalls to avoid
- Using too many tools - Agents who try to use every tool available to them might find that they’re too busy managing software to actually help their clients. Agents should try to avoid using too many apps and stick to the ones that are most important to their business. - Using the same message for everyone - Automation is helpful for keeping track of leads and staying in touch with clients, but agents should avoid sending the same message to everyone. Instead, agents should tailor their messages to the specific needs of each lead so that they can be helpful. - Using automation as a crutch - While automation can help to expedite certain tasks, agents shouldn’t rely on their tools to do all of the work. Instead, they should use automation to help organize their business, so that they can spend more time helping their clients.
Case studies of agents who have used CRM and automation successfully
- Altitude Financial - This company used automation to help their agents to find and close more loans, even in a down real estate market. In fact, they saw a 60% increase in profits, which is impressive in any market. - Keller Williams Realty - This real estate franchise used automation to help their agents to close more sales, which is especially important in a down real estate market when sales are hard to come by. - Long Beach Real Estate - This company saw a 300% increase in profits, thanks in part to their use of automation. Agents were able to close as many as 80% more sales in the same period in the previous year and were still able to maintain the same level of customer service.
Resources for learning more about CRM and automation
- What Is Customer Relationship Management (CRM)? - To learn more about CRM, check out this article from Inc. - 6 Benefits Of Using A CRM For Real Estate Agents - To learn more about the benefits of using a CRM, read this article. - What is CRM? Everything you need to know about customer relationship management tools - To learn more about the different types of automation, read this article. - 6 Ways to Use CRM Technology to Improve Your Real Estate Business - To learn more about how to use CRM, read this article. - The Power of Automation in Real Estate - To learn more about the power of automation, read this article.
Conclusion
When it comes to real estate, a strong relationship with your clients can make or break your business. Using CRMs and automation tools can help agents to nurture these relationships and keep them healthy. When real estate agents use CRMs and automation tools, they can find new ways to attract new clients and nurture existing ones, even in a down real estate market.
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