RealTown's RealTalk

Hi Bonnie,

I understand your frustration! We are using MarketLeader now, which allows us to stay in contact with customers and add as many notes (although they're limited in length) as we want. HOWEVER, the huge problem is that we can't search them!!! Our assistant (who works with our current database all the time) was just complaining about this Monday! This makes them useful only when we are looking at a specific customer's record. They also don't export when we do a backup of the database.

This is just one of the reasons that led me to start developing my own CRM solution: Agent in Command. We were scheduled to have the application in beta by May this year, but I now expect it to be in beta sometime in July. My wife and I are both agents, and I'm having this application build expressly to serve the needs of real estate agents. I'd be happy to give you access to the beta when it's available, or let you know when the application is available to the public for subscription.

Enjoy your beautiful Colorado summer!

Bob Weibler

bob@rivervalleyhome.com

Noy sure I understand your question. If all you want to do is keep notes on contacts, maybe Outlook is enough. If you also want new leads to be automatically added to a CRM solution as well, then there are several options. Top Producer would be one, AdvantageXi would be another. There are others too, depending upon your overall needs. Please contact me if you would like more information.

Gary David Hall

http://TheRealEstateCRMBroker.com

Bonnie posted:

Our IDX solution, Wolfnet, does not have a decent contact management system.
Which IDX system offers an effective means of keeping up with the leads. We
get lots of leads, approximately 30-40 a month, and I do not have an
effective means of keeping notes on conversations with them, other than
Outlook.
Any suggestions on this would really be appreciated.

Bonnie,

I understand your frustration with Wolfnet. I had it for a couple of months
with another company I worked for. The broker promoted it as the best thing
since sliced bread and claimed we would get a drip e-mail system. I'm now
with a company that uses a Reliant site and their back office is wonderful.
They have an automatic drip e-mail system and either the company or the
agent can set it up. But occassionally when someone else with the company
already has the lead in their back office, I can't send out e-mails through
their system. That's when I go back to Agent Office and Outlook. Outlook
is for the one e-mail at a time/personalized stuff and Agent Office is for
my drip e-mail system that I also have in my company site. But it isn't
automatice. I have to open it and send out the e-mails.

Linda Grissette, GRI, e-PRO Certified, JIM * Prudential Select Properties,
St Louis Area * Mailto:Linda@Grissette.com Check out th "Internet Success
Kit" at http://www.RealEstateMarketingHelp.com/InternetSuccessKit.htm

Bonnie,
The best answer to your question may depend on just how much customer
management you are looking to do. If all you want is to track contacts
and when you last spoke with them, there are very many options available
to you that will do so, from Outlook and ACT. Some, including but not
limited to our free real estate specific program RealFutureCRM, also
allow you to manage email campaigns and mailing lists based on your
contact database. Honestly, the options range from staggering to
outright confusing.

However, if you are looking for a program which will automatically
import leads from your website (and other lead sources) and allow you to
manage them effectively, including the ability to assign them to agents
in your team and to hold the agents accountable for follow up, then your
options are very limited. Again, RealFutureCRM is an option, but there
are a couple of others - but not many at this level of lead management.
It all depends, as always, on your needs. Knowing that is always the
first step.

Richard Kalman
President
Adigida Solutions (RealFutureCRM)
www.realfuturecrm.com