As a REALTOR®, this is probably a question you ask time and time again. You understand the benefits of using a CRM to manage your contacts, keep you organized and help you stay in touch, but with several to choose from, how do you identify which one is the best for you and your business?

I came across this article online from Brian Rayl at Home Value Leads where he tackles this topic by sharing the important questions real estate agents should be asking as they research CRM options. Here's what Brian has to say:

Where are you getting your leads?

There are some real estate CRMs that are tied to a single platform and there are other CRMs that accept leads from multiple sources. Where do the majority of your real estate leads come from? This is an important question because if your CRM is tied to a single platform, but you generate leads from other sources, you may have to do a lot of manual entry. If you generate leads from multiple sources, make sure your real estate CRM can handle it so you aren't stuck entering leads all day.

Are you a single agent or do you have a team?

This is a big question that many agents don't ask themselves when looking at real estate CRMs. Do you have an administrative assistant? Do you have showing assistants or buyers agents? Do you not have any of those things but have plans on adding them? Then you need to make sure your real estate CRM is team-friendly. You don't want to put a ton of time and energy into getting your real estate CRM perfect, only to find out it won't grow with you.

How computer savvy are you?

There are real estate CRMs that would be AMAZING for everything that you need, but if you aren't computer savvy then you won't understand them. Things like Salesforce and Infusionsoft are some of the highest powered CRMs out there, but there is a HUGE learning curve and most people won't understand them. Make sure not to get in over your head.

Does the real estate CRM play well with other services?

Some companies think they can do everything (CRM, lead gen, email campaigns, snail mail, etc) and so they force you to use their tools by making it hard to interact with other services. The hallmark of a great CRM is that they know what they do well and they know what to leave to others.

What if you want to generate leads from other services? What if you want to add video to your email marketing campaigns? What if you want to automate certain procedures? What if you want to connect your CRM with your calendar? These are all functions that other companies do extremely well, but if your real estate CRM doesn't play well with others, you may want to look elsewhere. Read the whole article here.

When you're researching real estate CRMs, you're looking for the one that will work for you, rather than requiring work from you. These questions are a terrific jumping off point to help you understand what features you require from a CRM and, eventually, which CRM is best for you. What better time to start a FREE trial with IXACT Contact, an easy to use real estate CRM that can help you get organized, staying in touch and focused.

To view the original article, visit the IXACT Contact blog.

Further Reading

• Which Real Estate CRM Should I Use?
• Real Estate CRMs vs. General Purpose CRMs
• Choosing a CRM