Property managers have to wear a lot of hats—it's always helpful to have a little assistance where you can find it. With the increasing demands of today’s rental market and the constantly changing nature of the world around us, even handling “business as usual” is anything but these days. Your property management company has to handle sourcing and tracking tenants, managing properties and rental contracts, collecting payments, performing maintenance, and, and – when does it end?
Fortunately, you no longer have to do all of this on your own. Modern property management software started the upswing, and now with the addition of a property management CRM platform, you’ll be able to streamline lead generation and qualification, communications, contact management, and more. You can create touchpoints for every contact with leads or tenants, track relevant sales opportunities, and foster better relationships with your vendors, business partners, and tenants alike.Â
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased need for remote solutions, the cloud-based nature of property management CRMs is one of their biggest allures. Cloud hosting allows you and your team to stay on track from anywhere, at any time, and many of the CRMs available today even have native mobile apps for Android and iOS to make it even more convenient to manage your business on the go.Â
The cloud affords many benefits, namely productivity, flexibility, customization, and scalability. This makes it a great choice for growing property management firms whose needs are going to change (and hopefully grow) in the future. (Plus, when you integrate with the intake and scheduling services from Smith.ai, your customer service needs will be one more thing you can cross off your list.)
Some property managers and firm owners think that since they’ve invested in other property management software, they’ve got everything that they need. While that’s a good start, the basic software that most have in place isn’t nearly as capable as it could be with the addition of a CRM. CRMs take all the aspects of lead, client, and tenant management and streamline them to ensure that your people are taken care of—so yes, you absolutely need one.
But which one? Well, that’s why we’re here to help. In the list below, you’ll find the top 10 CRMs for property management, from basic free tools to customized high-end solutions and everything in between. We’ve done the research and chosen the best of the best to help you get started on your integration. When you’re ready, contact our team to discuss how we can integrate with several of the platforms below and complete the CRM lifecycle with dedicated contact support via phone, messaging, live chat, and more.Â
Formerly Infusionsoft, Keap is a platform that is designed with sales and client management in mind. The platform offers a host of marketing and lead generation tools, along with a rich lead and client database that is searchable. There are detailed reports and automated task tools, as well.Â
Keap offers SMS and email marketing features, follow-up automation, sales pipeline and deal monitoring, integrated lead conversion tools, native apps for Android and iOS, and one of the most affordable prices on the market for all that you get. Plus, you’ll love the highlights like:
The NetSuite CRM platform from Oracle is a dedicated solution that focuses on smaller scalability needs and a total operational management solution. This SaaS deployment is cloud-based and offers marketing analytics and sales tools along with a top-down view thanks to dedicated front- and back-office functions.Â
The NetSuite platform includes an application development tool to help customize your deployment and it even has social media tools, partner relationship management, and streamlined commission management tools for lead commissions and referrals. You’ll enjoy features and tools like:
Salesforce Sales Cloud part of the #1 CRM brand in the world. Salesforce has created this and other tools like Essentials and Lightning Experience that are designed to focus on improving relationships for better deals and transactions. The Salesforce brand offers lead tracking, opportunity management, a detailed client data portal, and reporting tools that are sure to impress.Â
Plus, Salesforce offers one of the most affordable and scalable solutions for managing customer relationships from lead generation through to tenant status and beyond. Being able to integrate Sales Cloud with your other software tools is just one more reason to add this one to your list. Plus, did we mention how affordable it is?
Check out this platform for features like:
Copper is a cloud-based platform that offers a CRM designed ideally for use with G Suite and Google Workplace. However, it can be used with several other tools and software, so don’t discount it if you aren’t a Google user. The CRM tool specializes in the generation, tracking, and management of leads and client contacts, making it ideal for property managers looking to keep units full.Â
Copper offers a customizable user interface and scalability for property management firms of all sizes. It has an extensive list of features that include automated workflows, easy-to-use dashboard features, and no coding required. Copper integrates with MailChimp, HubSpot, DocuSign, Slack, Zendesk, and other platforms when you upgrade to a premium plan, too.Â
If you think Copper sounds good, consider:
FreeAgent CRM is a tool developed specifically for real estate, including property management. This platform will improve deal tracking, lead generation, and the client relationship from end to end. Social tools and automated marketing are available, along with collaborative resources to keep teams connected and improve performance on an organizational level.Â
FreeAgent CRM is all about scalability and customization with drag-and-drop features, easy changes, and a better way to manage clients whether you’re a single property owner or a management firm with hundreds of properties. It includes helpful reminders and can integrate with other software in your tech stack, as well. The highlights of FreeAgent CRM include:
Quickbase CRM is designed as an easy-to-use contact and opportunity management tool. It combines a CRM with project management features in a single platform, making it easy for you to track data, manage clients, and keep your properties organized at all times. There's a mobile CRM tool and a solution manager to track opportunities and sales contacts, as well.Â
The Quickbase CRM platform includes integrations with several other software tools, status updates, a simple dashboard, and robust reporting features. There is a lead tracking tool and it has more features than you might expect for the price. Speaking of features, the highlights include:
BoomTown is a predictive real estate CRM designed with the same principles as the BoomTown ROI suite of tools. It includes lead generation tools, IDX websites for agents and managers, a mobile app, and dedicated success management tools and resources. The platform integrates with several partners and includes a custom lead matching tool to create more opportunities.Â
Property managers will enjoy the actionable insights and MLS updates, along with dedicated prospecting tools and the ability to create targeted lists and customized action plans. The entire platform is dedicated to improving ROI, which means your CRM will be focused on improving relationships and leads to that end.Â
The highlights of BoomTown CRM include:
LeadSimple is a dedicated lead generation and management tool for real estate and property management. This CRM tool is all about fostering better relationships with a 360-degree view of the client journey from lead capture to closing and beyond. It’s a great resource for sourcing tenants, automating business processes, and enabling scalable growth for your property management business.Â
LeadSimple helps automate more to save time and money, helping with document generation and storage, data entry, and other tasks. You will be able to maintain a human touch while still capitalizing on technology, and they even offer a full process consulting service to help companies identify the ideal solution.Â
LeadSimple has features like:
Freshworks CRM is a customer engagement solution that’s all about improving relationships and leads for all types of businesses rooted in sales. Property managers can find several benefits to this CRM, including the fact that it helps drive closures, nurture existing customers, and integrate automated workflows to streamline tedious tasks and save time and effort.Â
You can reduce costs and improve contact with the Freshworks CRM platform, which is cloud-based and offers a unified solution for collaboration between your sales, marketing, and management teams, helping create more opportunities for your business now and in the future. The features to note here include:
HubSpot is probably one of our favorites for any industry, simply because it’s completely free and includes a host of solutions and tools for improved customer experiences across the board. HubSpot does have paid plans available for those who want advanced features, but even the basic platform is pretty impressive.Â
HubSpot CRM offers everything that you want, including opportunity management and lead generation tools, total contact management with cloud-based scalability, and the opportunity to upgrade to a paid membership at any time or just use the free platform forever. The key highlights of this free CRM include:
Any of the CRM platforms listed here will take your property management business into the future of customer relationship management with ease. The scalable, automated solutions are focused on streamlining efforts and reducing the amount of time that you spend on your computer trying to juggle all of your client details and property management hats.Â
You’ve got a lot to deal with as a property manager and having a CRM is just one way that you’re going to make things easier on yourself and your business. The team at Smith.ai can be the other part of the equation, offering a partnership that is focused on integrated, streamlined client and customer support and relationship management. We have a team of dedicated receptionists that can handle messaging, phone calls and intake, and even live chat.
You have properties to manage, but you have tenants and leads that deserve a better experience. With one of the CRMs listed above and our virtual receptionists, you’ll be on your way to more streamlined operations and more satisfied tenants. You can reach us at (650) 727-6484 or hello@smith.ai to schedule a consultation or request a demo today.