commercial real estate crm

Leveraging Data and Relationships with Commercial Real Estate CRM

According to the National Association of Realtors, the average commercial real estate transaction value was $1.4 million in the second quarter of 2016. Commercial real estate clients are preparing to make a major investment, one that will affect potentially their entire organization. The property being leased could mean the difference between business success or ultimate failure. As such, those clients are going to want to run the numbers, and they’re going to want an agent that has easy access to the data they need.

On the other hand, those same clients want to be able to work with someone they trust, and while emotion may not be as key of a component in commercial real estate as it is in residential, it still plays an important role in the decision process. Establishing a professional working relationship with leads, current clients, and former clients helps ensure that buyers are listening to their agents’ advice, and that the agent is doing everything possible to protect their clients’ interests.

The solution to both of these issues — data and relationships — is customer relationship management (CRM). Specifically, commercial real estate crm software can give real estate professionals the ability to combine positive client relationships with valuable market data, resulting in improved returns for everyone involved.

What is commercial real estate CRM software?

As the name suggests, commercial real estate CRM is any CRM system designed or optimized for use in the commercial real estate industry. More specifically, it is a tool that allows commercial real estate agents to collect, organize, and recall large amounts of property and client data easily, and to consolidate multiple data sources and systems through a single, unifying program.

Commercial real estate agents can take advantage of CRM capabilities to keep track of individual leads, clients, and former clients from among a potential pool of thousands (or more). Data associated with each of these customers, such as contact information, history, preferences, notes, etc., is stored and attached to each individual buyer. This makes it easy for agents to retrieve client-specific information at a moment’s notice, and to tailor their service to match the unique needs of every customer.

CRM for commercial real estate professionals can also integrate with standard sales software, so that agents can guide their clients through the sometimes confusing ins and outs of the leasing process.

An effective commercial real estate CRM system improves in-house processes as well. Real estate firms can use advanced CRM data collection, storage, and analysis capabilities to boost IT effectiveness. Likewise, CRM-enhanced collaboration tools can improve project management, by coordinating teams in real time, improving inter-company communication, standardizing data tools across the entire organization, eliminating redundancies, and helping to identify new and upcoming opportunities.

In many ways, a businesses success is tied directly to the choice of CRM. Commercial real estate firms and agents need systems and tools that they can depend on. That said, finding the best commercial real estate CRM can be a difficult prospect.

 
Everything you need to know to get started with CRM 

What do the best commercial real estate CRMs have in common?

As of this writing Softwareadvice.com lists 208 potential real estate CRM options, so it’s safe to say that here are more than a few CRMs available on the market. On the other hand, real estate professionals can narrow down their options by focusing on a few key factors. Here’s what to look for when selecting CRM for your commercial real estate business:

  • Is it proven effective?
    As evidenced by the aforementioned comparison list, there are a lot of software providers deciding to throw their hats into the real estate CRM business. The question, then, is this: How many of those providers have a proven track record? Review sites and customer case studies can help weed out ineffective CRM options, so that you won’t have to take risks on tools that are unlikely to meet your needs.

  • Is it simple and user friendly?
    The data associated with commercial real estate is complex, but the CRM you use to manage it shouldn’t be. When you need to address client concerns, provide detailed information, or manage sales, regulation, or property data, a simpler solution is generally the best way to go. Intuitive controls, data visualization, and cross-channel support options ensure that those who rely on the CRM are capable of using it effectively.

  • Is it customizable?
    Every client is different, and the same can be said for every commercial real estate firm or agent. CRM tools that offer in-depth customization and configuration options are designed to match the needs of your business, so that you can provide a better service to you buyers. Whether it be through code customization, robust configuration options, enhancement via outside apps, or all of the above, tailoring your CRM solution leads to better client engagement and more efficient data application.

  • Does it integrate well?
    Unless you are starting from the ground up, you’ll likely want something that can integrate with and import client and property data from your current platform. This principle extends to other existing systems as well. Your CRM solution should be able to integrate with the processes you already use, so that you don’t have to reinvent your business to match your CRM.

  • Is it cloud based?
    Although there are definitely CRMs that do not operate out of the cloud, those that do provide so many advantages that cloud-computing has become an industry standard for CRM (commercial real estate or otherwise). Cloud-based CRM is housed entirely off-site, meaning that rather than depend on locally installed programs or hardware solutions, authorized users can access all of the relevant data they need directly over any secure internet connection. This enables users to connect from any device, from anywhere in the world — such as while introducing clients to properties.

 
Manage your sales opportunities more efficiently

Salesforce commercial real estate tools offer superior CRM solutions.

No single factor is more important to your commercial real estate business than your clients. Having the right tools to guide, inform, and support those clients is an absolute must. Salesforce is widely recognized as the number-one CRM option available today, and that customer-relationship expertise helps make it the most effective commercial real estate CRM on the market.

Salesforce commercial real estate CRM is a flexible, adaptable, intuitive, and completely cloud-based tool. Built on the award-winning Salesforce CRM platform, agents and firms can collect, analyze, and retrieve nearly limitless amounts of data in real time and at the touch of a button. Additionally, Salesforce CRM solutions are designed mobile-first, which means that users can enjoy full access to the entire catalogue of CRM capabilities, regardless of what kind of device they may be suing.

Commercial real estate CRM from Salesforce offers sales management, marketing automation, partner relationship management, and customer service. These capabilities help commercial real estate firms manage accounts, track leads, and maintain relationships with former clients — so that not only will you be able to help close your current sales, but you’ll also be able to depend on future sales from referrals and repeat customers. And, with additional apps available through the Salesforce app exchange, you’ll be able to extend your CRM effectiveness indefinitely.

Salesforce CRM is the top cloud-based CRM software for commercial real estate, and can give you the edge you need to manage your business and guide your clients.

Salesforce optimizes data to perfect commercial real estate client relationships.

The keys to successfully managing a commercial real estate firms are data and relationships. Salesforce gives commercial real estate firms the tools they need to do just that, and the proof is in the numbers; firms who invest in Salesforce real estate CRM see an average increase in sales revenue of 27%, a 34% increase in customer satisfaction, and a 32% in lead conversion.
Help your clients find the property that is right for them, with the best commercial real estate CRM system on the market: Salesforce.