The real estate business is booming right now and is predicted to be a remarkable year for investors. With more and more investors entering the market, there is a high demand for efficient customer relationship management software. According to the real estate CRM market research, the opportunities are immense and tend to grow.

With so many prospective customers interested in real estate, a CRM system is a necessity. A CRM helps you keep track of all your customers and their details in one place. Without a CRM, it's hard to remember details about each customer, like what properties they looked at, their budgets, and when you last talked to them. This can lead to bad customer service and missed chances.

In this article, we'll show you step-by-step how to build a CRM for your real estate business and figure out how much it'll cost you. 

Why do real estate companies need a customised CRM?

A customer relationship management software or CRM helps to keep customer data in one place. With a CRM, your marketing, sales, or service teams can easily see a customer's history and details with just a few clicks. You'll know where you left off with them and what to do next. This helps you give better, more personalised service.

We do agree that there are plenty of CRM software available in the market. However, building a customised CRM will give you more control over the data and allow you to create features that are specific to your business needs.

Benefits of using a customised CRM

Quick adaptation

With a customised CRM, your team will be better able to adapt to the system instead of figuring out for weeks what are functions available in the CRM system. This also helps real estate companies avoid overspending on features that are not useful for them.

Fosters collaboration

One of the best things about using a CRM is its ability to connect cross-functional teams in real time. 

For example, the marketing teams can easily share customer data and insights with the sales team, allowing for more targeted communication with potential leads. Then once the sales are done, customer service can take it from here. 

Improved customer relationship management

Using a CRM leads to efficient customer relationship management, ultimately resulting in improved customer satisfaction and retention.

Centralised leads 

A CRM lets you gather and store info on all your potential buyers and sellers in one convenient place. You can easily capture new leads from your website, social media, emails, etc. This makes it easy to quickly follow up with interested people and turn them into successful deals.

According to a study, companies using a CRM can see over 300% higher conversion rates from leads, and CRM tools also help shorten sales cycles by up to 14%.

Time-saving

CRMs let you automate repetitive tasks like sending listing updates, appointment reminders, follow-up emails, and more. This frees up your time and ensures no hot leads are missed.

Updated clients 

Your clients can easily see their property info, and conversation history and contact you anytime. This transparency builds trust.

Data-driven decision

The ability to track and analyse customer interactions across different touchpoints can provide valuable insights for both marketing and sales teams, helping them make more informed decisions and drive better results.

Scalability

As your business expands, a quality CRM can grow with you by adding more users, properties, integrations, etc. It's built to support you long-term.

Real estate is a competitive industry and not having a CRM lowers your chance of closing a big deal. It helps you work more efficiently, get more leads, and close more deals. For any successful real estate business, a customised CRM is a must-have.

Want an assessment of your real estate company’s needs? Talk to our experts!

Why should you choose custom code development to build a CRM?

When it comes to choosing software for real estate companies, you basically have two options, you can either use a ready-made product or create a custom solution.

• Choosing to build with custom code, you will be building from scratch. While packaged CRMs may seem convenient, they often fall short in addressing the unique needs of your business. 
• Custom code development allows you to build a customised solution that perfectly aligns with your specific processes, maximises efficiency, and positions your company for long-term success.
• A custom CRM system compliments the unique workflows, data structures, and operational intricacies of your business. It manages the leads and property listings to simplify client communication and track transactions. 
• This integration removes the need for using a ready-made CRM product that does not align with your processes. It improves efficiency and productivity.
• Furthermore, through custom development, CRMs can integrate easily with the diverse tools and platforms you already use, such as listing portals, marketing automation software, and financial management systems. 
• As your real estate company grows, a custom CRM can easily scale to accommodate your expanding needs. Whether you need to add more users, manage a larger property portfolio, or incorporate new features, custom code development offers the flexibility to adapt and scale the software accordingly.

So in essence, custom CRM means a perfectly fitted, integrated, scalable system.

Hire our custom code developers to build a perfectly suited CRM for your real estate business.

Key features of a real estate CRM

As we are building a customised CRM, we need to set straight our priorities by selecting the features for the CRM software.

Centralised contact and lead management

• Having one central place to store and manage all your leads and client contacts is extremely important. With a centralised database, you can easily capture information about every potential buyer or seller lead that comes your way. 
• Whether they contact you through your website, from a marketing campaign, or any other source, you can quickly add their details to the CRM.
• This way, you'll never risk losing track of a promising lead. All the lead information stays organised and accessible in one convenient place within the CRM.

Property management

• One of the most useful features of a custom real estate CRM is how it helps you easily manage and keep track of all your property listings.
• With the CRM, you can store detailed information on every property you have listed - including descriptions, photos, pricing, and any other important details. Having all this data together in one place makes it easy to find what you need quickly.
• The CRM lets you categorise and filter your properties based on different criteria like location, the number of bedrooms/bathrooms, listing price range, and more. 

Automated lead capture and marketing campaigns

• If you enter the details of a lead manually into the system, it will take you hours and can lead to several errors.
• A well-designed custom CRM will automate lead capture by integrating with various lead sources, such as website forms, social media, and other marketing channels. 
• It also includes features like customisable email templates, marketing campaigns, and various communication channels that can be set up to initiate and manage communications with customers.

Task and appointment management

• A custom CRM will have a calendar and task planner to help you stay on schedule. This is really important so nothing falls through the cracks.
• With the calendar, you can schedule all your upcoming events like client meetings, home showings, due dates for paperwork, and more. 
• The CRM will send you reminders ahead of time so you don't forget and the task planner lets you make to-do lists.

Client portal

• The client portal provides complete transparency through secure access to property details, documents, and communication history.
• The portal encourages ongoing client engagement by enabling direct messaging with agents throughout the entire process.
• Personalised portal access elevates the client experience with clear transparency and open communication.

Streamlined communication management

• CRM seamlessly connects to email, text, and social media communication channels.
• The real estate agents can view and manage all client interactions within the CRM. A  complete record of every client touchpoint is stored automatically.
• Streamlined communication strengthens client relationships and experience.

Document management and storage

• All the client paperwork the dealers work with is safely uploaded and organised in the CRM. You can find even the smallest of information on a particular client within a few clicks.
• The property and financial documents are kept in one place which eliminates the chance of misplacing them.
• The documents and files are stored securely and follow real estate industry compliance rules.

Customisable reporting and analytics

• You can get data-driven insights on sales performance, lead conversions, and marketing efforts.
• By analysing data and trends, businesses can identify areas of improvement and capitalise on opportunities.
• With detailed reporting, stakeholders can track progress, measure success, and make adjustments as needed to ensure the company is on the right path toward achieving its goals.

Mobile accessibility for on-the-go agents

• Accessing vital CRM information from your mobile device anywhere allows for real-time updates and communication with team members.
• Being able to update tasks, schedules, and client details while out in the field ensures that no important information is lost.
• The mobile-friendly interface makes it easy to stay productive on the go, increasing efficiency and ultimately improving customer satisfaction. 

Integration with third-party tools

• This integration allows for a more efficient and effective way of managing your business operations.
• By eliminating the need for manual data entry, you can save time and reduce the risk of errors.
• The unified platform streamlines workflow by providing a centralised hub for all your tools, making it easier to access and analyse information across different systems.

Figuring out the must-have features for a real estate CRM is key to making a custom system that works for your business. As we have already done that, let’s move to building one.

Step-by-step process of building a customised CRM

So, let's combine those features with a development plan to make a CRM that helps your company run smoother, work better, and give clients a top-notch experience.

Identify your needs

The first step is to clearly define what you want the custom CRM to do for your real estate business. Make a list of all the must-have features like lead tracking, property management, client communications, and reporting. Be very specific about your requirements.

Design the blueprint

Next, wireframes are created to visually map out how the CRM will look and function. This blueprint allows you to preview the user interface and provide feedback before any coding starts. The design gets refined until everyone approves it.

Choose the tech stack

The developers will select the best programming languages, frameworks, and tools to build the CRM software. Factors like scalability, security, and integration with existing systems are considered.

Build the CRM

The approved designs and technology get put into action during the hands-on development phase. Coding is broken into smaller chunks, with each piece getting built and tested frequently. This Agile approach ensures any issues are caught early.

Integrate your systems

For maximum efficiency, the new custom CRM needs to connect with other tools you already use, like marketing software, MLS listings, accounting software, etc. Integrating all these allows a seamless flow of data between systems.

Train your team

Once the initial CRM is ready, comprehensive training is provided so your agents understand how to use it properly. Guides and documentation explain navigating features like lead management, client profiles, calendars, and more.

Rigorous testing

The custom CRM goes through quality testing to identify any bugs or glitches that are fixed before launch. This ensures it's working perfectly when rolled out to your team.

Deployment

After extensive testing, the finalised custom CRM is deployed and made available for your agents and staff to start using daily. 

Ongoing support

The developers continue to provide assistance, implementing any requested changes or added features as your needs evolve.

Have unique requirements for your CRM? Let us help you build a CRM that compliments your business.

Cost of building a customised CRM

Building a customised CRM means you have to think about each piece carefully to make sure it fits just right. Now, you also have to think about how much it will cost you. Custom CRMs cost differently depending on a few factors, such as how fancy you want them to be, what kind of technology they use, how well they integrate with other systems you already have, and how good the developers are.

Features and details

The total cost of developing a custom CRM system depends on several key factors. The main considerations are the specific features and capabilities you need, as well as the complexity of building those into the software.

No. of features

The number of features built into your CRM directly impacts the development costs. Basic functions like contact management and scheduling tend to be cheaper. However advanced capabilities like chatbots, lead scoring models, reporting dashboards, etc. increase the costs.

Development time

Most of the costs come from the hours of skilled labour required to build the custom software. On average, CRM developers charge around $50 per hour for their services. So the more development time needed, the higher the total price tag.

Assess requirements

The initial assessment of your business requirements is crucial for accurate pricing estimates. If you end up needing additional features beyond the original assessment, that will increase costs. Likewise, removing some requirements can reduce costs.

Integrations

If your new CRM needs to be connected with other existing tools like marketing software, MLS listings, accounting platforms, etc, it will charge you more. Each integration adds more development complexity and costs.

Test and support

Quality assurance testing is essential before launch to identify any bugs or issues. Costs for testing initial support and training are usually included too.

Ongoing maintenance

Finally, there may be additional fees for ongoing support and maintenance of your custom CRM after launch. Developers provide updates, fixes, and new functionality over time.

Hence, the more advanced capabilities, third-party integrations, testing or training, and long-term support you need, the higher the total custom development costs will be. However, working upfront to clearly define your specific business needs and requirements helps ensure accurate cost estimates.

Now, to build a customised CRM for your business, you need a team of experts. You have two options, choosing to hire and build with an in-house team or choosing a reputable software development outsourcing company.

How can we help you to build a customised CRM for your real estate business?

Our company specialises in creating customised CRM software solutions tailored to the unique needs of real estate agencies like yours. Our team will collaborate closely with you to fully understand your specific requirements, whether it involves managing leads, tracking properties, staying organized with calendars, or integrating existing tools.

We will design and develop a custom CRM solution from the ground up, incorporating all the essential features necessary to efficiently run your business operations. Throughout the process, we prioritize simplicity, ensuring that the CRM interface is user-friendly and easy for your agents to adapt to quickly.

With our proficiency in real estate technology, we deliver powerful custom CRM solutions that streamline operations, boost productivity, and elevate client service. We invite you to partner with us to create the perfect CRM system that will drive your success in the real estate industry.

‍Contact our team of expert developers and consultants to discuss your requirements and start building a custom CRM solution that drives growth and efficiency for your business.