Agents: Controlling Your Own CRM

Emily Williams
Published: 01/23/2012
Posted by: RET Staff

If you’re like some agents, you use a CRM (customer relationship management software) kindly provided by your broker. A CRM is a wonderful tool to help keep you organized and connected. However, while we’re not suggesting that you “look a gift horse in the mouth,” we are recommending that you ask yourself one important question: “Who controls my data?”

I’ll run through a hypothetical to demonstrate why the answer to this question is so important. John Q. Agent uses a CRM provided by his broker. When John then moves to a different brokerage, he may be able to export his contacts as a .csv file, but not the entirety of the information he has painstakingly entered over the years. Appointments, documents, and other information will be lost. In addition, while he’s trying to get settled in a new brokerage, he’s dealing with this complication.

Now this is not an adversarial, agent vs. broker issue. We understand the importance of strong relationships between agents and brokers – your broker will be your advocate, your ally and provide invaluable training and support. If they provide a CRM solution, they do it because they’re trying to help you stay organized and achieve your goals. We’re merely suggesting that a successful real estate agent will build lifelong relationships with their customers – and a CRM, where you control the data, is one way to do that.

First, Ask the Question
Take a moment to assess what you’re using for a CRM. No, Outlook is not a CRM. Does your broker provide the software? If so, ask them to explain what happens if you move for any reason.