Realty Agents

I believe the first real estate specific software an agent must invest in is contact management software.

Bill Gates, in his book called “Business at the Speed of Thought” said “How you gather, manage and use information to serve the needs of your customer will determine whether you win or lose in your business.” I happen to think Bill Gates is a pretty smart guy.  I know he has more money than I do, so I try to pay attention to what he has to say.

I believe the first real estate specific software an agent must invest in is contact management software. I bought my first contact management software back in the 80’s when I purchased a copy of “Howard and Friends”.  I loved that funny little program but after Howard (and Friends) had a very long delay in adapting to windows, I moved on to AgentOffice. (The RE/MAX branded version was called Agent 2000 back then). For those new to contact management software (CRM), I’ve written about how I organize my database on my Real Estate Solutions Blog.

AgentOffice came onto the real estate scene in 1992. Today, the AgentOffice program offers a contact manager, listings and sales manager, scheduler, document manager and integrated email.  Top Producer was introduced prior to Agent Office and these two contact management programs seemed to have little competition in the 90’s. The competition between them was fierce and their users were ferociously loyal. Top Producer had better presence at the NAR Annual Convention and Expo and for awhile, AgentOffice seemed to exist without much fanfare or significant upgrades.  As a user, I was worried they were abandoning the program altogether.  When the program was sold to Fidelity National Real Estate Solutions, the program took on a new life.

In 2003, Top Producer introduced an online version with a monthly fee.  I know a few users who jumped to the other side (AgentOffice) with concerns about their database being compromised. I also know AgentOffice users, especially those with teams, who gravitated over to Top Producer. 

I’ve stuck with AgentOffice now for over 12 years. It mostly gets the job done but more importantly, moving all that data now would be a gigantic task. Keep that in mind when you select contact management software!

PROS: Agent Office, a product of Fidelity National Real Estate Solutions does everything you would expect a contact management program to do and does it well. Recent good news is that TransactionPoint® a transaction management platform and ZipForm® / WINForms® Integration is now accessible through the Listings and Sales modules of AgentOffice.

CONS: My experience with customer service has never been a totally positive one and satisfaction is largely dependent on who answers the phone. AgentOffice never has introduced an online version, although a product called “eserver” enables Agent Office to be accessed online.  Without “eserver”, teams or an agent with an assistant who needs to share data, are forced to “sync” computers, a rather awkward process.

I’m convinced that the perfect contact management software does not exist. What product works best for me is not necessarily best for you, and deciding which product you should use can be a challenge. Gary Hall has been using and recommending contact management software for a number of years and is an outstanding resource.  If you are planning to buy your first CRM program or if you are thinking about making a change, be sure to check with Gary first.

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