Real estate agents are independent contractors who must pay for most or all of their marketing, vehicle expenses and other operating expenses out of their own funds. Because you essentially run your real estate career as any other business owner may handle operations, you may be focused on boosting profits while keeping expenses as low as possible. Investing in a real estate CRM may seem like a major expense that is purely a convenience. If you have this mindset, it is easy to assume that a CRM would not be worth the financial investment. However, when you take a closer look at the many benefits of a customer relationship manager, you may see just how valuable this technology can be for your business.
1. Save Time and Energy
Real estate professionals usually must manage relationships with multiple clients at one time. If you are a busy agent, you may even need to handle the needs of dozens of clients. Before you call or email each client, you may sift through notes to refresh your mind about the client’s unique needs and concerns. This can be time-consuming, and it can waste energy unnecessarily. A critical aspect associated with taking your career to the next level involves being more productive. Because a CRM helps you to manage your client list and locate notes about them with ease, you can save a tremendous amount of time and energy through the use of this type of program. You may be able to learn a lot more information from the Ixact Real Estate CRM website and their online resources.
2. Work Efficiently On-the-Go
A quality real estate CRM usually has mobile applications. Real estate agents are white-collar workers, but they are not chained to a desk all day. You may spend many long hours out in the field each day, and you may handle calls and respond to emails from your car or a coffee shop while you are in between client meetings and home tours. Because a CRM is accessible through your smartphone or laptop via a wireless connection, you may be able to work more efficiently from any location.
3. Provide Better Customer Service
When you can easily recall details about emails and conversations before getting on the phone with a client, you can better serve their needs. You may also appear to be more attentive and knowledgeable. Some CRM programs enable you to schedule reminders for follow-ups as well. For example, you may schedule a reminder to reach out to a customer three days from now to check in. In these ways, you can improve the level of customer service that you provide to your clients.
4. Improve Marketing
Some real estate CRM programs let you take your marketing efforts to the next level with ease. For example, you can easily maintain an accurate client list, and you can assign each client to a specific category. For example, you may have a group of hot leads who are actively looking for a new home, and you may have mid-range leads who may be looking for a new home within a few months. This categorization enables you to easily create targeted, customized marketing messages.
While you will need to make an initial investment when purchasing a real estate CRM, you can see that this is an investment that will pay off over time. Because there are many variations in CRM programs, spend time comparing the options today as a first step toward taking advantage of a CRM.