Choosing Your First CRM, or Considering Moving to a New One?

Choosing one –

First and foremost, if you are not committed to making (as opposed to getting) the time to learn, implement, and consistently use it, don’t waste your time and money.

Right now is typically one of the best times to do it in most markets. Some resort markets get busier this time of the year, but most start slowing down next month, so it’s a good time for most.

Do not pick your first CRM based on price, planning to move to a “better” one when you can afford it. Moving from one CRM to another creates two issues:

The learning curve is a much bigger investment than the actual dollar investment. Going through it a second time is something you want to avoid if possible by making the right choice the first time.

Moving from one CRM to another means you must export your database from the first one, and import it into the next one. In almost all cases, you will lose almost all data other than your contact information. That being, name and address, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, web site addresses, and if you’re lucky – categories and/or notes.

Moving to a new one –

“The grass is always greener over the septic tank” – Erma Bombeck.

As Paul Harvey would say, “and now, for the rest of the story”. Greener is the upside. The downside is that it may not smell as good as it looks.

When you are looking at the possibility of moving to a new CRM, examine your reasons for doing it. If it is because you have outgrown your current solution, that’s probably a good reason. If it is because you see another CRM that does something you want, that your current CRM does not, it may be a good reason. Bear in mind though that it is only one or two reasons. Make a list of all the things you do with your current CRM, and then look to see if the new one does them all, and does them as easily, say with a comparable number of clicks to do it.

Finally, is what you are gaining by making the move worth a new learning curve, and losing all the historical and property data that you have in your current one?

Do you really need a CRM?

There are a good many agents who do a significant amount of business without a CRM. That is a fact. But another fact is that if that same person did have a CRM they would have more of a life, with less stress, with less mistakes, with better service, with less staff, with more compliments, with more referrals. So you may want to consider it.