“A CRM solution is too much for us. We’ve tried it in the past and it didn’t work for us.”
We tend to hear this opinion from time to time from some of the commercial real estate (CRE) brokers we work with.
On one hand, we can understand their viewpoint. We find that many CRE brokers have had experiences with CRM solutions that simply weren’t a good fit – for their brokerage or for them personally. Often, these solutions weren’t tailored to the CRE industry, were overly complex, or led to more work for the brokers without delivering meaningful results. (Or all of the above!)
Yet we can’t help but think that they may be missing an opportunity to move away from these one-size-fits-all types of solutions and embrace a CRM solution built just for CRE brokers. For example, we developed Buildout CRM to give you exactly what you need to build your network, manage leads in your pipeline, and close more deals.
Buildout CRM gives you built-in data on nearly nine million properties, lead management tools, real-time reporting, powerful analytics, and more. It’s fully customizable to meet your specific needs so you can stay on top of leads and make sure you contact the right people, with the right information, at precisely the right time.
Just like the old saying, “one bad apple shouldn’t ruin the bunch,” one bad experience with the wrong software shouldn’t permanently mar CRE brokers’ view of CRM solutions, especially since better, industry-specific versions exist today.
Yet we also realize that many CRE brokers may only need a better way to improve and manage prospecting processes. After all, many CRE brokers and brokerage firms still rely on Excel spreadsheets, paper forms, and other manual efforts that attempt to get the job done (but usually come up short).
Additionally, after 15+ years of working with, and supporting more than 50,000 brokers and developing our own CRM, we’ve learned that CRM is not always the right tool for the job for many CRE brokers.
For example, powerful prospecting tools (such as Buildout’s Prospect and Nurture solution) can help brokers save time and effort but more importantly, they help them quickly uncover top prospects, more likely to lead to a listing. For example, Buildout’s prospecting solution lets brokers unlock email and cell phone details to reach leads directly.
Plus a simple, easy-to-navigate console makes it much easier to manage leads, opportunities, and next steps. Buildout even gives brokers visually appealing proposal capabilities, so they can generate beautiful, on-brand proposals in just minutes.
Where a CRM solution is ideal for managing information to keep track of clients, opportunities, and all the data relevant to managing relationships, a prospecting solution helps CRE brokers automate and streamline the way they manage transaction data.
For CRE brokers, looking to move beyond paper-based strategies and find a better way to build and manage their pipeline, a prospecting solution may be right for them.
If you’re still not sure which solution is right for you, understanding your appetite for CRE tech is a solid first step. Take this 2-minute survey to get a personalized assessment that will help you choose the tech “meal plan” that will be the most satisfying for you.
Discover the many advantages of Buildout CRM or book a no-obligation demo to see how this CRE-specific solution can help you manage your leads and win more business.
Or, see why our prospecting solution may be the right option to help you build a more effective pipeline with a brief demo today.
