“I’m going to pass you soon.”
That’s the message Anthony Palumbo, Vice President at Impact Commercial, gave to commercial real estate (CRE) professionals who still refuse to invest in modern technology.
“It doesn’t make sense,” he said. “I know colleagues in the industry who don’t want to adapt to it either. I think there’s this misunderstanding that technology isn’t valuable in commercial real estate.”
But Anthony knows the right technology can give you an edge.
That’s why, in April 2020, he invested in Rethink CRM—Buildout’s client relationship management platform purpose-built for commercial real estate.
At that time, the COVID-19 pandemic dominated the news cycle and economic uncertainty had many brokers and brokerage leaders scrambling to position their companies to weather a downturn.
When it came to technology, there were two lines of thought, which still persist today.
When it comes to the second group, Anthony’s thoughts are simple.
“I could not disagree more,” he said. “It’s not a cost. It’s an investment… and a write-off.”
The realization that investing in technology during a downturn was critical came from his understanding of which companies succeeded during past depressions and recessions.
“I was part of a master class a couple of months ago. It referenced how the companies that doubled down on their advertising ended up doing better than ever,” he explained. “And many of them became the major corporations that are still around today.”
His past experience with a CRM platform also played a role.
“I was at a company before this that invested heavily in technology,” Anthony said. “That whet my appetite for having a fully integrated CRM system.
“When I came here, I was like, ‘Wait. What about my projections? How am I going to do this now?’” he continued. “I was very hungry to have that all-in-one system. I think it’s super important to have everything in one place.”
Once he evaluated his options, Anthony quickly determined Rethink CRM was the best choice.
“I looked at Salesforce and a few other platforms, but when I saw Rethink, I realized it was the most geared toward my needs,” he said, adding that he enjoyed the combination of Rethink CRM’s Salesforce-based platform with its CRE focus. “I don’t need Salesforce. I need something that uses that technology to help me accomplish my goals.”
Now that Anthony’s using Rethink CRM, he touts its many benefits—starting with the reporting capabilities.
“I love the reports and the dashboard,” he said. “The deal activity and pipeline are what I focus on the most. I’m really in the habit of tracking that.”
Rethink CRM also allows him to adapt when deals unravel.
“It keeps me organized,” Anthony explained. “I have everything in front of me. If a deal doesn’t work out for one person, I can switch it to another client. I like that.”
Another important factor was Rethink CRM’s mobile capabilities, which ensure he can access and update critical information anytime, anywhere.
“I’m very on the go—working 14 hours a day,” Anthony said. “And it’s there when I need it.”
And Rethink CRM’s integration with Outlook makes it easy for him to document key data without distracting him from the task at hand.
“I love the Outlook integration because I can just click right in Outlook to add a contact to Rethink,” he said. “I can do whatever I need to do without getting bogged down and off focus.”
But perhaps most importantly, he found Rethink CRM keeps him motivated.
“If I don’t go into the program, I’m not going to get business because I’m not going to be tracking my progress and I’m not going to know where my deals are at,” Anthony explained. “And I don’t want just one deal a year. I don’t settle. I’m ready to double my pipeline.”
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