7 Things to Look for in a Real Estate CRM System
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Whether you’re stepping into the real estate world for the first time or you’ve been working for years but your pace has slowed, a great real estate Contact Relationship Management (CRM) system can help you get organized, stay consistent, and strengthen the relationships that are the foundation of your business.
The right CRM isn’t simply a place to store contacts. When it’s chosen well and used consistently, it becomes the central hub of your daily work, giving you structure, reminders, and the ability to stay in touch in ways that matter. For many agents, the CRM is also their most powerful real estate lead-generation tool.
“A database is not a contact list. A database is a list of relationships,” said Brian Buffini, the chairman and founder of Buffini & Company. “It’s the heart of your business.”
Below are the essential features of the best CRM for real estate agents, with practical insight into how these systems help you generate leads, nurture clients, and build long-term success.
1. Organized, Accessible Contact Management
A strong CRM consolidates all your client information in one place, including contact info, outreach and transaction history. Instead of anxiously searching through scraps of paper or scrolling endlessly through your phone, the CRM will allow you to find what you need quickly.
Look for a CRM that also ranks your clients and leads by importance, track communication history, and set reminders for future touchpoints. That way you’ll never forget to stay in touch with your most important clients. By doing so, you are further deepening your relationship with them and staying top of mind.
2. A Clear, Focused Dashboard
When you log in each morning, your CRM should immediately show you what needs attention. A quality dashboard gives you an overview of your calendar plus a daily action steps plan. By reviewing this first thing, you’ll have better control over your day because you’ll know what needs to get done, whether that is meeting with a client, dropping off a Pop-By (a small gift) or finishing up your monthly marketing efforts.
Look for a real estate CRM that is easy to use right away. It should simplify and enhance your workflow, not add to your workload.
3. Goal Setting and Accountability Tools
A top CRM will help you set income targets and metrics that you need to reach your goals. Seek out a system that shows whether you’re on pace to meet important benchmarks. With consistent tracking, you’ll always know where you stand and whether you need to adjust.
4. Transaction and Expense Tracking
Staying on top of your pipeline and financials is critical. The best CRM for real estate agents will track your active deals, commissions, and expenses in one place.
As Brian Buffini reminds agents, “If you’re not tracking your expenses, you’re wasting time and money.”
With financial data integrated into your CRM, you’ll make smarter business decisions and avoid costly surprises.
5. Marketing Features That Strengthen Connection
A good CRM also functions as a real estate marketing platform. Choose a CRM that makes it easy to stay consistent while still delivering personal touches. Whether it’s a birthday card, a quarterly market update, or a quick text, the right CRM ensures no client slips through the cracks. Over time, these small touches lead to stronger relationships and stronger lead generation.
6. Mobility for On-the-Go Agents
As a real estate professional, you know that you are often not at your desk, but rather, on the road. That’s why it’s important to have a CRM that also has a mobile complement. The best CRMs offer a mobile app that allows you to add contacts, update notes, and check your action plan on the go.
It’s critical to be able to enter important information into your database quickly. That way you won’t forget details that could be integral to current deals as well as potential future transactions.
7. Ease of Use and Strong Support
The best CRM for real estate agents is one you’ll actually use. Complicated systems often end up abandoned. Look for a CRM that is intuitive, offers onboarding, and provides responsive customer support.
When you have a system that’s simple to navigate and backed by strong training, you’ll be more likely to integrate it into your daily workflow.
Buffini & Company’s Referral Maker® CRM
Buffini & Company has been guiding agents for decades through a relationship-based approach to business. Their Referral Maker® CRM is designed to support that method, making it one of the top CRMs for real estate lead generation.
Key Features Include:
- Priority Action Center – Organizes contacts by priority and suggests daily outreach activities.
- Goal-Driven Planning – Translates income targets into specific, actionable steps.
- Transaction & Expense Tracking – Keeps your pipeline and financial data in one place.
- Detailed Client Profiles – Stores personal details that make your follow-up more meaningful.
- Reports – Track your productivity over time.
- Mapping technology – Find out which clients to visit when you’re in a certain neighborhood or area.
Referral Maker® PRO also offers a full suite of monthly marketing materials including print mailers and cover letters, digital eReports and coordinating notecards. This option also includes Referral Maker® Social Suite, powered by Back At You, which auto-post listings and content across your channels, schedule posts and ads with ease, a library of branded, local content and a Canva-style design studio with compliance built in.
If you’re looking for a tool that blends lead generation, relationship management, and business planning, a CRM designed for real estate — like Buffini & Company’s Referral Maker® — is a smart investment.
Learn More About Working by Referral
Committing to working by referral will set you up to take advantage of the opportunities ahead — get more qualified leads, close more deals, make more money and have more time off. It’s a proven, repeatable system that works. It has done so for 100s of thousands of real estate professionals, and it can do the same for you!
Contact us for a free 30-minute Business Consultation call. We’ll help you: Get clear on your vision, uncover what’s holding you back and see what’s working for others just like you.
If it feels like the right fit, you’ll have the opportunity to partner with a full-time, Buffini & Company Certified Coach who will help you grow and scale in alignment with your strengths — so your business not only succeeds but helps you achieve the life of your dreams.
