Stop Chasing Shiny CRMs

When working with real estate team leaders, the conversation often turns to the tools they use to manage their business—specifically, their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.

For any small service-based business, a solid CRM is essential. It stores customer and prospect information, allows you to segment contacts, send mass emails, and much more. But here’s the thing: You don’t need the “perfect” CRM.

What Can CRMs Do?

I’ve explored numerous CRMs tailored for the real estate industry over the years (yes, I’m a bit of a tech geek!), and I can tell you that most CRMs promise a lot. A quick Google search will list the top features a real estate CRM should have:

• Contact and Lead Management

• Task and Appointment Reminders

• Mobile Accessibility

• Integration with Third-Party Tools

• Customizable Fields for Your Sales Process

• Workflow Automation

• Pipeline Management

• Personalized Marketing Capabilities

• Custom Reporting and Analytics

• Ease of Use and Customer Support

And many CRMs also let you build a website, feature property searches, integrate AI chatbots, and more. It sounds fantastic, right?

So, Why Don’t I Care?

With all these capabilities, it might seem like a CRM could just run your business for you. All you need to do is show homes and cash checks. But nothing could be further from the truth.

In reality, most realtors and teams use only about 10%-25% of their CRM’s features. Even as someone who loves tech and is always on the lookout for better solutions for my team, I’d place myself in the 25% bucket. The sheer volume of tools and settings can be overwhelming.

Switching CRMs can give you a temporary sense of productivity, but if you’re not actually using those features, you’re not gaining much.

Stop Chasing Shiny CRMs

So, what’s the solution?

Before you rush to judge whether your current CRM is right for you, follow these steps:

1. Create an Ideal “Touch System”: Document how you’ll maintain contact with past clients, referrers, and prospects throughout the year. Write it down!

2. Audit Your Current Touches: Identify which touches you’re already doing and add one new touch each month or quarter using your current tools.

3. Stick with Your Tools: Don’t switch CRMs until your ideal touch system is fully implemented.

4. Feed New Leads into the CRM: Once your touch system is working, think about how you'll bring new leads into the CRM.

5. Consider a Custom Website: If your CRM offers website features you don’t yet have, that’s the next step.

6. Add Features Slowly: Implement one new feature every 1–3 months, not all at once.

 

When Do You Need to Switch CRMs? 

You should only consider switching CRMs under these two circumstances:

• Your current CRM can’t support your ideal system, and you’re confident that the new features will justify the time investment.

• Your CRM is facing persistent technical issues that have gone unresolved for months.

In short, don’t chase shiny CRMs unless you’re absolutely sure your current system is holding you back.

When you do switch, the experience you’ve gained will help you make an informed decision, ensuring that you only choose the features you really need—and not just what’s “shiny.”

What’s the Exception?

I believe the best CRM is the one you actually use. If you’re successfully tracking customers with Excel and manually implementing your touch system, that might be enough—at least for now.

But there’s one exception: If you’re leading a team, hiring an assistant, or allowing others to access your client data, Excel is no longer sufficient. At that point, you’ll need a CRM that multiple people can safely access without risking data loss.

Ready to Switch?

If you’ve decided you need a new CRM, I’ve got a handy requirement list that most realtors find useful when evaluating new options. Email me, and I’ll share it with you!

And if you'd like additional guidance, book a quick intro call with me here: https://tidycal.com/noracrosthwaite/. I also offer monthly coaching for agents and teams implementing systems and scaling their businesses.

May it be of service! 💖