Choosing the software for the agency you’re building

The right CRM should still make sense a few years from now, not just on demo day.

Most agencies don’t change CRMs very often.

When they do, it’s usually because they’ve outgrown the one they already have.

Maybe the team has doubled.

Maybe they’ve opened another office.

Maybe they’re spending more time working around the software than working in it.

Those problems don’t really appear overnight.

They build gradually, and by the time they’re obvious, changing platforms is a much bigger job than anyone expected.

That’s why it’s worth thinking a few years ahead before making the decision.

The things you don’t notice on day one

Every CRM looks pretty good in a demo.

The database is tidy.

There’s a handful of listings.

A few contacts.

Everything loads quickly.

That’s not really the environment you’ll be working in six months or two years from now.

Your database grows.

Your team grows.

The number of conversations, listings and follow-ups grow with it.

Those are the moments where you start noticing little things.

You find yourself exporting another spreadsheet.

Someone asks for a report that takes longer than it should.

Your team starts using a second tool because the first one doesn’t quite do what they need.

None of those things feel like a big deal on their own.

Together, they slowly change the way people work.

Growth changes your questions

When you’re choosing a CRM, it’s easy to focus on today’s checklist.

• Can it manage contacts?
• Can it send emails?
• Can it create appraisals?

They’re important questions.

They’re just not the only one’s worth asking.

The better questions usually sound more like this…

• How will this work if we double our database?
• What happens if we open another office?
• Will new staff learn it quickly?
• How many extra tools will we end up adding over the next few years?

You probably won’t know all those answers today.

That’s okay.

The point is to ask them before they become expensive.

Every new tool solves one problem…

…and sometimes creates another.

Most agencies don’t wake up one morning with six different systems.

It happens gradually.

A reporting tool here.

A proposal tool there.

Something else for prospecting.

Another login.

Another subscription.

Another place where customer information needs to stay up to date.

Before long, your team spends almost as much time moving between software as they do using it.

That’s one of the reasons we’ve spent so much time talking about “built in, not bolted on.”

It’s a simple idea.

When the tools your team uses every day are designed to work together, there’s less time spent switching systems and more time getting work done.

It also means your customer information stays connected as your agency grows.

The CRM you choose today should still fit tomorrow

No one buys software expecting to replace it in a couple of years.

Changing CRMs takes planning.

It takes time.

It affects your whole time.

That’s why it’s worth looking a little further ahead before making the decision.

Think about where your agency is heading, not just where it is today.

The answers might change which platform feels like the best fit.

Five questions worth asking before you decide

Before you commit to any CRM, ask yourself:

• Will this platform still suit our agency in five years?
• Which features are included, and which rely on separate products?
• How easily can it support another office or a bigger team?
• Will our customer information stay connected as we grow?
• How much extra software are we likely to need over time?

You don’t need every answer straight away.

But they’re good questions to have in the back of your mind.

Compare the features that matter

If you’re weighing up different CRM platforms, we’ve put together a side-by-side comparison of the features that matter most, from CRM and prospecting through to appraisals and listings.

You’ll also see how different platforms approach connected workflows, built-in functionality and the tools agencies rely on every day.

Explore our Reapit Sales comparison guide.