Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software

The last thing a real estate professional wants is for leads to slip through the net in an already intensely competitive industry.

Real estate brokers want nothing more than to deliver first-class customer service. Any good real estate CRM like HubSpot, known for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive free plans, or Zoho CRM, ideal for small to medium-sized businesses, will include various automation and communication tools to make customers feel valued and important.

These include:

1. Streamlining customer onboarding and managing all documents and real estate transactions.
2. Automating tasks such as appointment scheduling and reminders.
3. Automated emails based on customer preferences and behavior.
4. Integrated SMS and calling features for timely communications.

Additionally, the CRM software improves lead conversion rates by segmenting captured leads for targeted communication, depending on how warm they are and where they sit in the marketing funnel.

The CRM software tracks and analyzes lead behavior and allows for timely and personalized follow-ups, increasing the likelihood of conversions as potential buyers receive attention and information relevant to their specific interests and needs.

As a result, a real estate company can boost its revenue per salesperson, retain customers, and improve customer satisfaction rates.

By automating the admin side of lead management, real estate agents can focus on high-value activities like giving more face time to existing customers, fitting in more viewings daily, acquiring new leads, or nurturing relationships with fellow brokers.

Virtual Staging Software

People buy a property when they can visualize it as a home. Virtual staging software uses artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools to furnish and design an empty property to help customers see it as a living space.

Virtual staging software has several advantages over traditional staging:

• The ability to quickly mock up multiple styles and layouts. With traditional staging, a real estate business would have to keep shifting new furniture and decor to create different looks. Virtual staging software can switch things up with a few clicks. The time saved helps agencies market more properties in less time.
• Naturally, virtual staging software is cheaper because there is no longer the need to buy or rent furniture to mock up a property.
• Virtual staging lowers the overall cost of selling a property, maximizing ROI and profit.
• Using AI makes virtual staging more accurate. AI can scan a room and suggest appropriate furniture, decor, and lighting. The improved realism makes traditional staging almost redundant.

Before and after using Virtual Staging AI.

Real estate professionals who wish to learn how to stage their listing virtually should consider using Virtual Staging AI.

Virtual Staging AI is for busy real estate agents who want to sell properties quickly. The one-click solution allows them to upload a picture of an empty room and watch it transform into an appealing staged space in just 10 seconds.

The app can additionally remove existing clutter and furniture from images before staging it.

With unlimited revisions, real estate agents can spend as long as they want to craft the perfect look.

Test Virtual Staging AI for free.

Lead Generation Software

Real estate agencies often generate inquiries from multiple sources, such as:

1. Third-party property listing websites
2. Website contact forms
3. Telephone calls
4. Store walk-ins
5. Social media

The real estate industry is competitive, making it crucial not to lose a lead. Lead generation software pools all leads from different sources and stores them in one easy-to-manage system.

But it’s more than just a database.

CRM and lead generation software work hand-in-hand to equip real estate businesses in many ways:

• Score leads based on the likelihood of conversion.
• Automate marketing efforts based on the lead score.

With AI, lead scoring and nurturing enter a new era. With its ability to analyze thousands of datasets from various sources, such as website visits, interaction with marketing materials, and response times, the algorithms can score leads accurately to determine their readiness to buy or sell.

This scoring helps prioritize quality leads, focusing efforts on those most likely to convert, thus increasing efficiency and success in lead conversion.

Some of the best lead generation software available on the market include:

RealGeeks

Real Geeks is an integrated platform for real estate agents, focusing on efficient lead generation and nurturing. It helps manage leads with its CRM and uses pay-per-click ads to attract leads.

One agent made $3 million in sales using Real Geeks

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Offrs

By leveraging AI and data collection, Offrs improves lead generation, focusing on identifying homeowners more likely to sell their properties, thus guiding agents to more promising hot leads.

MLS Search and Listings Software

MLS search and listing software provides up-to-date property details in a centralized database, which benefits real estate agents and customers.

For agents, they provide market analysis and property comparisons while helping customers streamline and narrow their property search.

Some of the best on the market include:

Zillow

Zillow is the most frequented real estate website in the United States, and its Zillow Premier Agent Program offers a range of features for agents:

1. Enhances agent profiles, increasing exposure to potential clients.
2. Connects agents with buyers and sellers actively searching on Zillow.
3. Provides targeted advertising in chosen ZIP codes to increase visibility.
4. The built-in CRM tracks lead interactions, helping manage and nurture relationships.
5. Access to webinars, training materials, and other resources for agent development and skill enhancement.

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Realtor.com

Earlier this year, Realtor.com launched an enhanced listing intelligence for agents. The features include:

• Insights into the number of potential buyers in the local market and those who’ve inquired with budget ranges that match the listings agents have on offer.
• Information on the top three ZIP codes showing interest in a listing and traffic sources (local, state, national, international).
• Data on local trends like median days on the market, list prices, and price reductions.
• Comparison of a listing’s performance with similar ones in the area.
• Tips to enhance listings with more photos or detailed descriptions.

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Marketing Software

Marketing software is crucial for real estate professionals for several reasons:

1. Apps like Buffer manage multiple social media accounts, schedule posts, and analyze engagement.
2. Email marketing tools like Mailchimp send personalized, automated email campaigns to nurture leads and keep in touch with past clients, which is essential for lead conversion and client retention.
3. SEO and content marketing that assists with optimizing website content for search engines, driving organic traffic, and establishing authority in the real estate market.
4. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising facilitates the creation and management of online ad campaigns, targeting specific audiences to maximize ROI.

Letting software handle marketing tasks streamlines complex processes like data analysis and customer segmentation, ensuring more targeted and effective marketing strategies.

Automating repetitive tasks like email and social media postings saves time, allowing real estate professionals to focus on core activities while valuable insights through data analytics enable informed decision-making and strategy refinement.

Contact Management Software

Contact management software organizes client data, such as contact details, preferences, and interaction history.

This organization is key for tailored communication and follow-up strategies. The software also automates repetitive tasks like:

1. Task management (setting reminders for follow-ups and other routine tasks)
2. Report generation tools (sales reports, for example)
3. Scheduling meetings
4. Sending reminders
5. Data entry

Some well-regarded contact management software options for real estate include:

• Salesforce: Offers extensive customization and integration capabilities.
• Pipedrive: Focuses on sales-driven CRM with visual pipeline management.
• Freshsales: Provides AI-based lead scoring, phone, email, activity capture, and more.

Contact management software helps real estate businesses build and maintain relationships, which is crucial for business growth.

Web Development Software

A website is a real estate agency’s first impression, so it’s important to get it right. Any website should:

1. Be mobile-friendly, especially as Google’s 2024 Page Experience Update prioritizes mobile websites.
2. Be easy to navigate and find information, or users will go elsewhere (likely to competitor sites).
3. Have a robust search feature with enough filters to quickly help visitors find properties with their desired features and budget.
4. Have a way to easily contact a real estate agent, including phone numbers, emails, a contact form, and a chatbot.
5. Internet data exchange (IDX) capabilities ensure the website displays only the up-to-date property listings from an MLS. IDX integration into a website ensures that listings are automatically updated, reflecting current market offerings.
6. CRM compatibility to manage client interaction and leads, which automates tracking and follow-up with clients and streamlines communications to avoid missed opportunities.

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Here’s a list of web development software that ticks all six boxes:

1. WordPress: Offers a wide range of plugins for customizing IDX and CRM functionalities.
2. Agent Image: Specializes in creating bespoke real estate websites.
3. Squarespace: Known for sleek designs, it can integrate IDX using third-party widgets and supports CRM tools for client management.
4. Placester: Another web development software specifically made for real estate professionals.
5. BoomTown: Known for its user-friendly IDX websites and effective CRM integration, tailored for real estate lead generation and client tracking.

Open House Management Software

Scheduling is a big part of a real estate agent’s work, from scheduling calls and meetings to viewings.

Having a fail-proof calendar management system takes the stress away. This is where open house management software offers easy calendar sharing to avoid those dreaded double bookings, making it easier to manage multiple open houses.

One lesser-known aspect of this software is its ability to create a 3D virtual tour, which allows for showing houses remotely, opening up the possibility to a larger client base beyond the immediate radius while getting in more viewing per day.

The software easily plugs into CRMs like Salesforce and Zoho to synchronize data, ensuring client information and interactions from open houses are automatically updated in the CRM.

This feature aids in tracking client preferences and follow-up activities, streamlining the lead nurturing process. Such integration enhances workflow efficiency, allowing agents to focus more on client engagement and less on administrative tasks.

Some examples of Open House Management Software tailored for real estate professionals include:

1. Open Home Pro: A widely used app for managing open houses, offering features like digital sign-in sheets, automated follow-up emails, and customizable content.
2. NeighborhoodScout: While not a typical open house app, it provides extensive data on properties and neighborhoods, which can be valuable for real estate decisions and presentations at open houses.
3. Open House Toolkit: This app focuses on electronic registration for open house visitors and sends automated emails post-event. It’s designed to simplify the home-selling process and enhance professionalism.
4. Kagent: Specializes in open house sign-ins using QR codes, offering free basic services and premium features like follow-up surveys.
5. OnSpot Social: Ideal for collecting and organizing customer information during open houses. It allows for effective communication and data management post-event.

Property Management Software

Property management software isn’t just for agents selling properties and provides numerous benefits for those specializing in rentals. It helps with tenant screening, lease tracking, rent collection, and maintenance scheduling.

Additionally, real estate agents can access financial reporting tools, aiding in budget management and profitability analysis.

Some notable property management software include:

1. AppFolio Property Manager: Offers a comprehensive set of management and accounting tools.
2. Buildium: Known for its ease of use and strong accounting features.
3. Yardi Breeze: Designed for smaller portfolios, offering a simple, intuitive interface.
4. Cozy: Ideal for independent landlords, focusing on rent collection and tenant screening.
5. Propertyware: Tailored for single-family home property management with robust features.

How to Choose the Right Software Stack for You

In this article, we have showcased the leading real estate agent software tools, each with distinct features.

Before choosing a software stack, consider the following:

1. What are the business’s specific needs? (e.g., is it lead generation, property management, or a CRM?)
2. What is the budget, and does the cost align with the expected ROI?
3. Can the software be customized to fit unique business needs?
4. Can the software integrate smoothly with existing systems?
5. How does the software ensure data security and privacy?
6. How easy is the software for the real estate team to use?
7. What do other users say about the software?
8. Can the software grow with the business?

Choosing real estate tools that align with your business goals and operational needs is important.

For those interested in innovative solutions for property showcasing, consider trying Virtual Staging AI. It offers a quick, efficient, cost-effective way to improve your property listings. Experience the benefits firsthand by trying Virtual Staging AI for free.