It doesn’t matter what industry you are in or how long you have been in business. The bottom line is that without customers, no business would thrive. Not only are customers the main source of revenue, but they provide feedback and direction. But understanding customers can sometimes be a bit tricky and cultivating relationships can take time and resources.

In real estate, you want to set a precedent of a smooth and streamlined customer experience straight from the get-go. One of the core tools that are the backbone of creating a superior experience for your clients, that will enable you to be the top producer is the implementation of a customer retention management (CRM) system.

Salesforce.com, Inc asserts that CRMs “improve customer retention, by as much as 27%¹.” Not only can it improve customer retention, but a CRM can automate processes and elevate customer service. It can also provide analytical and reporting data on current clients or prospective leads.

While CRMs are a great tool, they can be expensive. Here are a few top-rate free CRMs to consider implementing that won’t break the bank. 

Hubspot

One of the more recent CRMs to come to market, Hubspot is a free CRM tool that allows you to manage your pipeline, track activity, and log sales or leads within one consolidated system.

The system also allows you to notate whether or not a sale has been won or lost, as well as schedule appointments and track performance-based metrics. You can save meeting details, notes, and emails which can free up space in your inbox².

 The best part is that logged activity is automatic. You can sync your Gmail or Outlook platforms so that every call, email, and meeting is captured².

Zoho

Boasting over 150,000 top named clients worldwide, including such companies as Amazon. In and Netflix, Zoho is one of the most customizable CRM solutions on the market. Make sure you stick to the free edition, which includes three users. You can always upgrade to the standard edition for $12/month per user³.

With the free edition, you gain access to the essentials including lead tracking, task management, events, and notes. You can set up email notification and get access to standard analytical reports. One other nice free feature is that Zoho will track the online traffic for customers visiting your website. The platform is accessible from mobile phones and can be integrated with Google applications, including Gmail, making it a powerful tool to help you manage your client relationships³.

It also doesn’t hurt that it was ranked Best Enterprise Software Vendor in 2019 by Constellation Research, as well as the winner of for most recommended CRM system by PCMag³.

Insightly

Another highly ranked free CRM platform with a history of awards for Sales Force Automation in Insightly4. Like many other platforms, Insightly offers a modern, user-friendly interface with integrated tools that helps you build a “high-def picture” of your customers through segmentation and data analytics⁴.

Insightly’s pipeline management tools will help you close deals faster and it’s integration tools allow you to pull in existing tools you might already be utilizing. Some compatible integrations include Quotient, Box, and Mailchimp⁴.

Lastly, if you are worried about security, Insightly champions it’s security protocols and authentication processes. While the free version is a bit limiting but offers access for two users, up to 2,500 contacts, and a variety of email and data templates⁴.

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Sources

1 The 6 Biggest Benefits of CRM. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2020, from https://www.salesforce.com/hub/crm/benefits-of-crm/

2 HubSpot. (n.d.). HubSpot CRM. Retrieved February 26, 2020, from https://www.hubspot.com/crm/am1?mbsy_source=8fa06294-4932-4a7f-a0fb-e5cb2e824848&mbsy_exp=Mon,+25+May+2020+01:00:23+GMT&campaignid=32479&mbsy=Crbs3&utm_medium=am&utm_id=am54116731

3 Zoho CRM: Top-rated Sales CRM Software by Customers. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2020, from https://www.zoho.com/crm/

4 CRM Software CRM Platform Marketing Automation. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2020, from http://www.insightly.com/