With spring in full swing, now is the time for ambitious home buyers and sellers to come out of hibernation. It’s nothing new to the seasoned real estate veteran, but even with all the preparations you and your agents normally do for this time of year, there’s one that doesn’t often make the to-do list:
Spring cleaning your customer relationship management (CRM) software.
Your brokerage’s CRM is there to help you and your agents communicate effectively with your clients, but to do that, it needs a little attention now and then. And just like a home, spring is the best time to do it—so you feel fresh and prepared for the season to come.
So why should you spring clean your CRM? And how exactly do you do it? Let’s find out.
Why your CRM needs regular cleaning
It might be weird to think of software as needing cleaning, but over time, just like dust bunnies and cobwebs, mismatched contact information and records can pile up in the hidden corners of your CRM.
This messy data can cause two major issues for your brokerage:
- It can cost money that you could otherwise put toward good prospects
When you have incorrect information floating around for clients, it can mean that you’re spending on marketing efforts that have no chance of return, frustrating the people you reach out to, or wasting precious contact spots in your CRM that you could be using for interested prospects.
- It can create issues for your—and your agents’—professional images
Anything that shows a client or prospect that you’re not on top of your game can mar their impression of how your brokerage and your agents will handle their home search or sale—which can end up costing deals. With messy data, that can take a few forms.
Maybe they hear from multiple agents who have no idea the other reached out. Maybe they get a personalized email with the wrong address. Or maybe they got a communication meant for someone else entirely.
So how do you tidy up your CRM and pre-empt these issues?
How to spring clean your CRM
It can seem like an intimidating prospect to get into your CRM and tidy up data. It’s not like you can just grab a broom, right?
The good news is that it shouldn’t be a manual process. Your CRM should include features that help you do this without having to scrub the data yourself.
Put de-duplication to work.
A good CRM will have a function that allows it to identify potential duplicates in your data and merge them into one up-to-date record for you. If it’s designed for real estate use, it should also know to check multiple lead sources for this information and line them up for you—so you don’t have to worry about duplicates from different listing placements.
Pro tip: Our Propertybase CRM is made to do exactly that! Learn more about how it works here.
Be proactive about updating client information.
Have you ever found out a client moved, written it down on a sticky note, and then put that sticky note on your desk—only for it to vanish mysteriously into the void? You’re not alone. The best strategy here is to be proactive, and luckily, there are a few techniques that can help.
Setting tasks: Agents might not always be able to open up a contact and edit on the spot, so make sure your CRM software allows them to create tasks. This way, they can make virtual sticky notes that remind them to go back and edit later—and don’t disappear.
Syncing contacts: One of the biggest struggles brokers face these days is getting agents to use the same software. If they’re continuing to update contacts in their preferred system, look into whether your CRM can sync contacts from those sources—so any edits made make it across your brokerage.
Update your consent records.
Consent to receive marketing information should never be a guessing game—so making sure your brokerage’s consent records are up to date should be part of your CRM spring clean. If you’re at all uncertain that you’ve got current information on what a contact wants to receive from you, play it safe and confirm with them.
Be sure to:
- Check on which methods they’d like to hear from you, and only communicate through those specific channels
- Note if any contacts have opted to unsubscribe, but are still receiving communications
- Make sure any new channels you add to your marketing strategy get unique consent
Pro tip: A CRM like Propertybase helps you stay on top of consent and opt-ins all year, so it doesn’t have to be a heavy lift in spring.
Cleaning out your brokerage’s CRM can help make sure you and your agents get the most out of your busiest season—and with the right resources, it doesn’t have to be a huge project, either.
Check out our CRM software and how it can help you keep a tidy database all year here!
