The right customer relationship management (CRM) system is essential for Realtors who want to stand out in a crowded marketplace and deliver best-in-class service to their clients. The best CRM software helps real estate professionals find buyers, arrange property showings, handle negotiations, manage mountains of paperwork, and guide each deal to completion. CRM solutions keep you organized and streamline the complexities of buying and selling property. We’ve reviewed dozens of CRM platforms and analyzed their features and functionalities to pinpoint the CRM solutions that best fulfill the needs of real estate professionals.
Customer communication
Lead generation
Growing Real Estate Businesses
Marketing
$25 per user per month (billed annually)
$20 per month (two users; billed annually)
$30 per month (three users; billed annually)
$159 per month (two users; additional users $29)
30 days
14 days
14 days
14 days
No
Yes
Yes (workforce management platform only)
No
24/7 by phone, email and chat
Service level depends on plan chosen
24/7 by live chat, phone and email
24/7 by live chat, phone and email
10GB (not on Starter)
No
5GB (standard plan)
No
15
1
1
0
Keeping in touch with clients is challenging, especially when real estate agents are juggling multiple deals. Salesforce’s client communication tools excel in streamlining and improving the quality and frequency of buyer and seller interactions.
We were impressed by how easily Salesforce segments clients according to various preferences; this feature is excellent for targeted email outreach. For example, when a listing appears in a particular school district, you can immediately email buyers who are interested in that area. Or, if you have clients who want a quick sale, you can email them tips for making their property more appealing. This focused communication engages clients and prompts them to act.
We also appreciated Salesforce’s smart communication automations. For example, you can prompt agents to contact new leads immediately or reach out to a buyer who just attended a viewing to garner their feedback. Keep buyers and sellers in the loop automatically via emailed updates when a deal moves to the next stage. Automation tools help you react quickly to win new business and keep current clients happy and informed.
Salesforce allows you to contact clients by phone, email, text message and more; the platform records every interaction. All agents can quickly access a client’s history to provide nuanced help and support.
HubSpot is an excellent CRM platform for Realtors who want to improve their marketing efforts. In a few short steps, you can generate new leads from the platform via social media and email campaigns. HubSpot helps you establish a presence on the communication channels that buyers and sellers use most.
We were particularly impressed by HubSpot’s management of social media marketing campaigns, which is a crucial tool for real estate marketing. You can create and launch campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest and TikTok to grab your target audience’s attention, and a LinkedIn integration can help those who sell commercial real estate. HubSpot’s central CRM dashboard helps you keep your messaging consistent, which is essential to brand recognition.
We also like that HubSpot’s insights reveal which campaigns are working and which ones aren’t hitting the mark. This information can help you restructure your marketing efforts until you find an approach that resonates with your target clients.
HubSpot’s lead-capture system impressed us, too. It lets you set up a live chatbot on your site and connect your website forms to the platform; when someone makes an inquiry, a new customer record appears in your system. You can set up an automation to prompt agents to contact the lead so you can impress them before your competitors do.
monday Sales CRM is an excellent tool for Realtors who are scaling up their agencies. The flexible workflow automations allow you to roll out the same processes and procedures at every location. Save your staff time by automating essential but repetitive tasks, like assigning leads and sending follow-up emails. These automations improve efficiency at every location and help you maintain control over your processes. Better still, your customers get a consistent, high-quality experience no matter which branch they visit.
We were impressed that monday uses Kanban views to help staff manage deal flows and visualize where individual sales are in the sales pipeline. Owners and managers can check these views anytime to ensure that team members at every branch do everything possible to close deals.
With monday’s unified database, it’s easy to sync existing and new contacts. Thanks to mobile CRM capabilities, on-the-go agents can update client information via the mobile app, which is as full featured and easy to use as the desktop dashboard. Everyone in your agency can access accurate, real-time information.
The platform excels in CRM analytics and performance tracking, letting you monitor real-time CRM metrics across the business and by branch to make data-driven decisions that improve company performance.
Keap is an excellent CRM platform for lead nurturing, helping Realtors turn more inquiries into sales. The system’s marketing automations, email marketing platform and customizable templates make it easy to send regular, relevant and engaging messages to prospects, thus giving you the best chance of getting the listing.
We really like Keap’s automated “when-then” workflows for triggered emails. For example, when a new lead signs up on your website, Keap can immediately send a welcome email with recent homes you’ve sold in an area where they expressed interest. Responding quickly with relevant information gives prospects confidence and a solid reason to book an appointment.
We were also impressed by Keap’s drip email campaigns, which can boost Realtors’ conversion rates. You can experiment with content to see what strikes a chord with prospects. For example, if stories of recent sales in a prospective seller’s area resonate more than information on preparing your home for a sale, change your drip campaign to match. This customer engagement-driven approach is more likely to keep you top of mind when prospects decide on a Realtor.
Keap records all interactions with prospective customers, from initial contact and lead qualification to follow-up, engagement and closing. You can review past conversations and adapt your approach for each lead, making each call and email more effective.
CRM system costs for your real estate business will vary widely depending on your agency’s size and needs. While you may be able to start with a free option from HubSpot or monday Sales CRM (workforce management platform only), growing and more established real estate agencies and professionals will likely need higher-level features.
Our top CRM systems for real estate incur the following costs:
Higher subscription levels unlock more features, including analytics, automations, reporting tools and AI functions. Each CRM provider we’ve highlighted has an app store where you can add more functionality to the platform. However, add-ons will likely cost you more. For example, the Property Strength app on Salesforce costs an additional $150 per user per month.
Some CRM systems also offer paid onboarding, implementation and training services. For example, HubSpot’s onboarding service pricing starts at $750 and is compulsory on some tiers. Additionally, some vendors have premium customer service options that incur additional charges. For example, Zoho’s Premium support option costs 20 percent of your license fee and provides remote assistance, onboarding, configuration assistance and 24-hour support five days a week.
CRM platforms have a broad range of features that can handle numerous and complex business needs. For real estate agencies specifically, the following features are must-haves.
According to the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials, the U.S. is home to over 3 million real estate professionals. Marketing is crucial in such a competitive industry, and your CRM platform should boast extensive marketing features to make your brand stand out.
At the very least, ensure your platform offers must-have CRM integrations, such as social media integrations and integrations with tools that streamline email marketing. Consider a platform that provides a live chatbot that allows you to capture contact details on your website.
CRM systems are crucial for lead management because they centralize customer data. For the best results, migrate your existing data into your CRM immediately. Then, synchronize the CRM with your other business apps to create one centralized system.
Ensure that your CRM system logs all interactions with buyers and sellers and updates deal stages. To improve communication with clients, integrate options for email, phone, SMS (text message), WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger into your CRM.
Every real estate agency, no matter how big or small, can improve by understanding what it does well and what’s not working. To stay ahead, choose a CRM that can monitor performance and outcomes to gain valuable insights.
Your CRM platform can tell you which advertising channels pull in the most inquiries and which staff members persuaded potential sellers to sign up with your agency. This can help you allocate company resources and bring on more customers.
Managing buyers, sellers and the sales process is complicated. Employee error and forgetfulness are two big threats to confidence in a real estate business’s brand and customer satisfaction.
Take the pressure off your staff and provide better service by automating repetitive and time-consuming work. Create CRM workflows for tasks such as scheduling home inspections and post-sale email follow-ups, and facilitate other duties, like reviewing closing documents and starting a title document search.
To ensure you select the right CRM for your real estate agency, follow these steps:
Determine your top goals for your CRM. While you likely know you want to manage customer relationships, create a detailed list of the areas where you need help, such as contact management, deal tracking and email campaigns.
Examine your marketing processes and assess your e-commerce, project management and communication needs. You want the CRM you choose to facilitate your real estate business.
Not all CRMs will have the features you need. It’s crucial to check out any potential CRM platform’s app store to ensure you’ll get the functionality you want. For example, Salesforce has 15 real-estate-focused apps, while Zoho has two. These apps may provide you with convenient shortcuts to ensure your CRM meets your expectations immediately.
After you create a shortlist of vendors with promising CRM software, it’s time to get some hands-on experience. Each CRM solution highlighted here offers a free trial, which is a great way to get a feel for a platform before you commit to it.
If you choose a vendor without a free trial option, request a demo. On the video call, ask questions and request demonstrations on how to perform the specific tasks you’ll need. For example, ask them to show you how the platform handles lead segmentation and how it integrates with your current email marketing tool.
After you go through the free trials and demos, whittle down your shortlist.
Get as many quotes as possible from the vendors you’ve approached. Be specific about what you need; ask which service tier would be the best fit and whether you’d need paid add-ons to access certain CRM features. Determine if the vendor charges fees for training, onboarding and customer support.
If you run a large, multibranch real estate agency, consider getting quotes from different vendors. This may encourage them to enter a bidding war to secure your business.
Before you commit to a vendor, seek online reviews, expert opinions and customer feedback on website forums. Pay particular attention to CRM reviews from other real estate professionals, as their experiences and needs will be similar to yours. Ease of use and customer service are important, so look out for comments on these subjects.
It’s almost impossible to run a successful, efficient real estate agency using multiple apps, databases and spreadsheets that don’t communicate. A real estate CRM provides oversight of staff activities, agent performance and deals in the pipeline.
Consider the following key benefits of CRM software for your real estate business.
Buying and selling property are stressful for homeowners. Your ability to keep clients in the loop and contact them when needed can make or break your brand.
From the initial inquiry to the property handover, a real estate CRM streamlines and improves customer communication. All client details are available immediately in the client history; colleagues can acquaint themselves with a particular client in seconds and offer the help and guidance they need. You can also free up staff members’ time by automating communications and setting reminders at different pipeline stages.
Tip: Ensure your CRM supports text message marketing as well as phone and email communications. According to the National Association of Realtors, 93 percent of real estate professionals communicate with clients by text, 90 percent via phone and 89 percent via email.
A single database ensures you and your staff see the latest customer information and deal progress in real time. Clients will be impressed and appreciative when they contact your agents and receive prompt, informed help.
Additionally, CRM software records every conversation, action and deal stage so you and your team can see both successes and bottlenecks.
CRM software includes integrated marketing and sales suites for distributing social media and email advertising campaigns to entice new leads. The built-in communication platforms help you stay in touch with leads until they become clients and beyond.
CRM software also plugs into home listing sites, like Zillow, and pay-per-click platforms, like Google Ads. With a CRM, you can promote your agency in various ways and monitor the performance of every campaign.
CRMs streamline and automate communication with buyers, sellers and everyone involved in a property transaction. They also free up your employees’ time by taking over mundane but necessary administrative tasks.
When human intervention is needed, you can set up alerts to spur action from your staff. For example, you can prompt colleagues to set up a showing, organize an open house or retrieve paperwork from a buyer’s lawyer.
Real estate CRM platforms are CRM systems that have been modified to help real estate professionals run their businesses more efficiently and profitably. They help agencies market themselves, convert more leads, and manage the home buying and selling process from start to finish.
Realtors need a CRM because the process of selling houses is complicated and involves multiple stages that must be tracked and managed. CRMs keep all information related to buyers, sellers and deals central and available to your agents at any time. CRM workflow automations can free staff members for more productive tasks.
HubSpot is a very capable CRM that many Realtors already use. It’s particularly strong in helping real estate professionals drive new inquiries. The app store features real-estate-specific plug-ins such as RealCity by Hapily, which has preloaded features and workflows designed to make agencies run more efficiently.
Every CRM comes with a core set of features you can customize. After you implement a CRM, look for ways to build workflows that benefit your agency, like streamlining marketing campaigns and alerting agents when they must progress a deal. Some CRMs — like Salesforce, Zoho, HubSpot and monday Sales CRM — have special real estate plug-ins that add industry-specific features and functionalities.
Many real estate professionals use Salesforce for their CRM because it’s highly flexible and customizable. You can adapt the platform to automate and streamline your agents’ work and make them more efficient. You can also choose from several real-estate-focused apps in the Salesforce marketplace.
Insights on business strategy and culture, right to your inbox.
Part of the business.com network.

source