If you were meticulous about taking notes in school, the structure of CRM setup will feel intuitive. If not, rest assured—the logic is pretty straightforward. You start with broad categories and break them down into more specific components, to capture and organize every relevant detail.
This logic is the foundation of any CRM.
Real Estate CRM Objects
If "real estate" is the focus, think of objects as the broad categories that organize your real estate data. In a real estate CRM, objects are the building blocks that help organize the different aspects of your business. Each object focuses on a specific area, making it easier to manage information and streamline your day-to-day operations.
Which categories would you want to drill down into for a real estate CRM?
Great question! The following is a list of six objects that we would include in a customized CRM for real estate:
Properties are the foundation of your CRM, representing the listings you’re working with—whether for sale or rent. Each property record includes key details like the address, price, type (residential or commercial), size, and standout features such as a pool or gym. This helps you quickly access the information you need to match the right property to the right client.
Leads are prospective clients who’ve shown interest in buying, selling, or renting a property. By capturing details like their name, contact information, budget, and preferences, this object helps you follow up with them efficiently. Knowing how a lead found you, whether through a website or a referral, can also help focus your marketing efforts.
Clients are leads who have become active buyers, sellers, or renters, or who have worked with you in the past. This object keeps track of their history, preferences, and any ongoing deals. Having these details on hand allows you to provide a more personalized and professional service, strengthening your relationships.
Agents represent your team members who interact with leads and clients to close deals. The Agents object helps you keep track of their workloads, performance, and unique skills, like the languages they speak or certifications they hold. This ensures that you’re assigning the right agent to the right client or task, helping your team stay productive and focused.
Appointments are the meetings and property viewings that keep your business moving. By tracking appointment details such as the date, time, location, and status, this object ensures that nothing slips through the cracks. It’s a simple but essential way to stay organized and manage your team’s schedules effectively.
Deals represent the transactions you’re working on, whether they’re in progress or completed. This object tracks the status of each deal, the sale price, the closing date, and the agents involved. Monitoring your deals helps you identify where things are moving smoothly and where there might be delays, so you can keep your pipeline on track.
Real Estate CRM Records
Once your focus and categories are established, drill down further with records; the individual entries within each object.
Records capture the unique details that define each item in your CRM, they allow you to track and manage the finer details of each item, ensuring that every piece of data is organized and easily accessible when you need it..
For example:
- Under the Properties object, a record would represent a specific property listing, including details such as address, price, and characteristics.
- In the Leads object, a record would capture an individual lead’s name, contact details, and preferences.
- The Clients object would store information related to specific deals, such as a client’s purchase history and their current inquiry if they are an active client.
- A record in the Agents object would include information about each real estate agent on your payroll and any details that might help you streamline operations. For example, their names, contact information, start date, birthdate, etc.
- Scheduled viewings and follow-up calls would be tracked within the Appointments object, making it easier to manage interactions and timelines.
- Lastly, in the Deals object, records would specify key deal details such as closing dates and whether the deal is active or inactive.
Real Estate CRM Fields
You might have already guessed it, fields are the specific details that exist in each record.
Fields that you will need to include in your real estate CRM by record and object are:
- Properties: price, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, type (residential, commercial) square footage, year built, days on the market, property availability date, pet-friendly, special features (pool, gym, doorman)
- Leads: location preference, budget, property type, moving window (ASAP, 3-6 months, 1 year),lead source
- Clients: relationship type (buyer, seller, renter), contact preferences, deal stage, family size, important dates
- Agents: commission percentage, current workload, location, languages spoken, licenses/certifications
- Appointments: date, time, location, property ID, client ID, appointment status, notes from meeting
- Deals: status, final sales price, buyer agent, seller agent, closing date
Establishing the objects, records, and fields is just half of the process, and it allows you to collect and codify information so that you can provide more personalized and streamline service. The CRM magic happens when you establish connections between them all to complete the foundation-building process.
Here are the first three connections that we would establish:
1. Connecting Properties and Leads:
🔗 Start by linking the "Properties" object to the "Leads" object.
🚀 Each lead record should be associated with specific properties that match their preferences, such as location, budget, and type of property. Fields like "lead source" and "moving window" in the lead record can be cross-referenced with property fields like "availability date" and "price" to streamline the matchmaking process.
⚡This connection ensures that agents can quickly recommend properties aligned with the client’s needs, reducing response time and increasing satisfaction.
2. Tying Deals to Agents and Clients:
🔗 Create relationships between the "Deals" object and both the "Agents" and "Clients" objects.
💼 Each deal record can include fields for the assigned agent and the client involved, along with details such as the deal status, final sales price, and closing date.
⚡ By connecting these objects, you can easily generate reports on agent performance and client activity, while also enabling seamless tracking of deal progression for all parties.
3. Connecting Appointments with Properties and Clients:
🔗 Establish links between the "Appointments" object and both the "Properties" and "Clients" objects.
📅 An appointment record should specify the property being viewed and the client attending, using fields like "property ID" and "client ID." Additional fields such as "appointment status" and "notes from meeting" allow agents to capture key information and follow up effectively.
⚡ This integration creates a cohesive workflow, ensuring that client interactions and property engagements are well-documented and easily accessible.
Real Estate CRM Roles and Permissions
Once the foundation is built, and all objects, records, and fields are customized and connected correctly, you will be able to create and define roles and assign permissions based on your unique work processes.
No matter the size of your agency, you will need to establish an admin role and a real estate agent role. Larger agencies with multiple agents will probably add sales manager and marketing manager roles as well.
Real Estate CRM role management will probably look something like this:
Admin Role
The Admin is responsible for overseeing the entire CRM system, ensuring it operates smoothly for all users. They manage system configuration, maintenance, and data security, while also controlling user access and permissions. Admins support other roles by customizing the CRM features and addressing technical issues. With full system access, they can manage all data, users, and settings, including importing/exporting data, cleaning records, and monitoring system activity logs.
Real Estate Agent Role
Agents are responsible for directly interacting with assigned leads and clients. Their duties include scheduling property showings, negotiating deals, and closing transactions, while maintaining accurate records of their actions within the CRM. Agents have restricted access, meaning they can only view and manage leads, clients, and deals assigned to them. They can also manage appointments, track personal performance metrics, and update deal statuses, though certain actions, like finalizing commission details, require manager approval.
Sales Manager Role
Sales Managers oversee the entire sales team, ensuring targets are met and tracking the progress of leads, clients, and agents. They assign leads, manage workload distribution among agents, and generate performance reports. Sales Managers have access to all data in the CRM and can modify leads, clients, properties, and deals. They can generate detailed reports, assign leads, and adjust agent activity. Additionally, they may have approval authority for deals, discounts, or any sensitive data modifications.
Marketing Manager Role
Marketing Managers plan and execute campaigns to generate leads and monitor their performance. They track lead sources, collaborate with sales teams, and manage client engagement strategies. Marketing Managers have access to leads and clients for marketing purposes and can create, edit, and track campaign data. They manage email marketing efforts, segment contact lists, and generate performance reports, though they have limited system access and cannot modify system settings or manage sensitive deal data.
CRM for Real Estate Reports
Reports turn your CRM from a database of information into a tool for informed decision-making.
To effectively track key performance indicators (KPIs) in your real estate CRM, focus on designing reports that provide actionable insights.
Start with a report on monthly lead conversion rates to assess the effectiveness of your lead management and follow-up processes.
Include agent performance metrics to evaluate individual contributions and identify areas for improvement.
Track active property listings by type to ensure you have a clear view of inventory and market trends, and monitor pending deals by stage to stay informed about your sales pipeline and identify bottlenecks.
Finally, generate revenue forecasts to plan strategically and align your team’s efforts with financial goals.
CRM for Real Estate Dashboards
Dashboards give you a visual overview of your business. When you build your custom real estate CRM from the ground up, you can drill down into any object or record and see where you’re standing.
Internal Processes Dashboards:
- Lead Assignment Status: which leads still need to be assigned?
- Upcoming Appointments/overdue follow-ups: make sure that no follow-up falls between the cracks.
- Agent Activity Logs: track productivity
Business Goals Dashboards:
- Sales Pipeline Overview: see deals at each stage
- Properties Sold vs. Available: spot inventory trends
- Revenue Targets and Actual: are you hitting your goals?
- Client Acquisition Trends: which marketing efforts are paying-off
Setting up a CRM for real estate isn’t just about filling in fields—it’s about creating a system that mirrors your workflow and goals. The examples above are a starting point; the real magic happens when your CRM is flexible enough to adapt to the nuances of your business.
If you’re finding your current CRM restrictive, maybe it’s time to ask, “Is this really the right tool for my agency?”
