December 06 2016
Imagine this: You meet a buyer at an open house, add them as a prospect to your digital rolodex, do an MLS search on their criteria, shoot them an email with the results, and put them on your automated notifications list.
Time-consuming, right?
Even worse, you don't know how many other agents are providing them with the same tired "service." But the right CRM, as shown in our online Technology Guide, can be leveraged to effectively convert leads and achieve a true client-for-life strategy.
While the core of every CRM is a contact manager with calendar functions, CRMs with select additional features and interfaces foster a deeper partnership between agents and their clients. The best CRMs enable Realtors to give clients the information they value while keeping them engaged in the decision-making processes.
For instance, Listingbook relies on a client opt-in approach that engages only home buyers and sellers that are actively looking for local real estate market information. By connecting to the service through a local Realtor, prospects can 'search like an agent' and access up-to-date reports on property details, valuation changes, neighborhood activity, and local real estate trends. The map overlay feature allows buyers and sellers to obtain information on schools, local points of interest, and real-time market conditions. Listingbook's reports include not just active listings sent to MLSs and third parties, but also sold data going back three years and pending listings.
"By adding richer and deeper information, agents can give consumers the most powerful, up-to-date and complete search by connecting clients to the best data available, which comes directly from the MLS," explains Randall Kaplan, CEO of Listingbook.
Listingbook also facilitates effortless and consistent client outreach by delivering automated daily email reports. For buyers, the report details any new listings that match their search criteria, including status changes, and notices of any relevant upcoming open houses. For sellers, the report delivers information on competitive properties in the area, pertinent price changes, and statistics on how many Listingbook users viewed or tagged their home listing.
Even more, Listingbook positions agents as the 'go-to' resource for additional information by enabling them to view clients' search activity and collaborate directly through the mobile platform. Through the Client Manager Dashboard, Realtors can view clients' current property explorations and straightforward summaries of online behaviors from the previous day, including when they log in and what they search for and view, as well as which properties are marked as favorites. As a result, agents are empowered to make appropriate recommendations about additional properties or local market strategies via private in-app messages.
Clients increasingly want to be a partners with their agent and expect the most up-to-the-minute property information available so they can make the best decisions possible. Leveraging the resources of a solid CRM can positively support ongoing relations with clients throughout the years, increasing the likelihood that they will reach out to their Realtor when ready to buy or sell again.
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