Is your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program working for you?  A part of what I do as a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, is helping clients streamline their processes for dealing with databases, setting up drip mail campaigns and following-up with contacts. This involves pairing clients with the right CRM. There are numerous programs available to real estate professionals these days and I have used a number of them. For this post, I want to cover one in particular.

Quite a few years ago, I was introduced to Top Producer and I have to be honest, I wasn’t overly impressed. I thought the system was cumbersome and not very user friendly so I stopped using the program with clients. Today, however I have a completely different opinion.

About a year and a half ago, I started using Top Producer again but this time it was the 8i version. Top Producer 8i is a completely different program than the one I used a few years back. The 8i version has a fabulous clean layout, it’s packed full of features, customizable action plan templates and it is by far more user friendly than previous versions. Top Producer 8i is not only a real estate CRM, but rather an all encompassing CRM, sales and marketing tool.

Top Producer Updates – May 5, 2010

This past week, Top Producer released an update for 8i that includes some exciting new enhancements that I can’t wait to try out with my clients (at least I think they are exciting).

New Contact Record Header

The contact record header has been overhauled with a new layout that includes a Contact Status indicator, Buyer Preferences and an icon, when clicked, displays all the contacts primary information. No more searching multiple screens to find important contact details. The right hand side of the header contains a set of three buttons that allow quick access to various actions you can initiate for this contact (i.e. Market Snapshot, Action Plans, Email etc.), report printing and the Things to Talk About feature (love this feature and will discuss it further in a future post).

New Contact Record Summary Tab

The contact record now has a summary tab that houses all the important information about that contact in one place and at-a-glance for easy initiation of new tasks. This includes Contact Notes, Listing Notes and Closing Notes. Along the right hand side there are another set of boxes that make it very east to see, at-a-glance, Next Call and Appointments for that contact. Incomplete and complete activities can also be viewed with a quick click of the tab.

The contact information box shows the primary contact information and by clicking the icon in the bottom right hand corner you can view the rest of the contact information in a convenient pop up window without having to switch screens and move away from the contact record.

Social Media Activity

Lastly, Top Producer has integrated Social Media Activity to 8i. In this third box you can enable your contacts Facebook and Twitter feeds within 8i to have an at-a-glance view of what’s going on in their lives and get to know them better. With this new integration, you are able to view and reply to Facebook posts (420 character limit. Option to add photos) and reply and retweet tweets from within Top Producer 8i.

When viewing a contact record it’s easy to see their social media activity which could also help with your marketing strategies. Engaging with your contacts via 8i is quick and could make a lot of difference to your contact that you’re taking the time to get to know them.

In order to enable Social Media Activity for your contacts you have to configure your own social media account in your preferences. Also at the time of writing this post, Top Producer only has Facebook working in this update, and will be adding Twitter in the next couple of weeks.

The new features added to Top Producer 8i this past week will make tracking your contact details, initiating various actions and engaging with your contacts quicker and more streamlined. I keep crossing my fingers that in future updates I’ll see an announcement that Top Producer is compatible with Mac…wishful thinking, I know. 

Time is a precious thing for agents on the go, and I think these changes will allow you and your assistants more time and added benefits to engage with and market to your contacts.

Do you use Top Producer 8i? What are your thoughts on the new changes?

I am excited to announce that this Friday, May 9th, 2008, I will be a guest on Real Estate Radio USA along side my colleague, and friend, Laura Monroe of Creative Agent Solutions.com .

We have been invited to discuss the nitty-gritty details about Real Estate Virtual Assistants (REVA’s) and how Real Estate Professionals, like yourselves, can benefit from partnering with a REVA.

We hope you will join us, with Barry Cunningham and Barry Johnson, on Friday, May 9th at 5:00 pm Eastern for a fun filled show answering all your burning questions about Real Estate Virtual Assistants. Laura and I are excited and honored to be a part of the first Real Estate Radio USA show featuring REVA’s as their guests.

See you Friday!

As a Real Estate Professional, you probably spend a good part of your day, most days, concentrating on the revenue generating tasks of your business such as previewing homes, meeting with clients, showing homes, presenting offers and holding open houses, and if you’re not; you should be. The reality is that most Real Estate Professionals find themselves juggling time spent on day-to-day administrative duties, and time spent on the more important tasks of building relationships and generating revenue.

Let a Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant (PREVA) eliminate the need to “juggle” and take care of the day-to-day administrative duties for you. These tasks, or business solutions as I like to call them, may include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Blogging
If you don’t already have one, a PREVA can set up a blog for you using your existing website set-up or one of the more popular blogging platforms such as WordPress (free and self hosted sites) and TypePad. Once set up, or using your existing blog, a PREVA can help maintain and update the blog, as well as brainstorm content ideas.

2. Contact Management
Keeping your contacts and leads up-to-date is key. Using a CRM (Contact Relationship Management) program such as Outlook, ACT, or my personal favorite, The Wise Agent, a PREVA can customize, organize, update and maintain all of your contacts, appointments and deadlines in such a way that flows with your own personal working style.

3. Drip Email Campaigns
We will create, customize, maintain and arrange distribution of email campaigns for your buyers and sellers which is key to keeping you in the forefront of your contacts minds.

4. Flyers
Let a PREVA create fabulous marketing tools such as Listing Presentations and CMA’s that will “wow” your clients and keep you one step ahead of your competition

5. Listing Management
As a PREVA, we will handle all aspects of your listings from submission to your local real estate board, email blasts to agents and brokerages and advertising, to the creation of all related marketing materials, submission to your own websites, blogs and popular real estate portals and even purchasing your buyer/seller closing gift. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

6. Postcards
Creation and distribution of Just Listed, Just Sold and Specialty postcards will keep you on track with consistent marketing efforts.

7. Single Property Websites
Without a doubt, Single Property Websites, such as MarketSites by MyMarketWare should be at that the top of the list in the marketing plan for your listings. Each listing will be assigned its own unique URL, and as your PREVA we will handle the creation, submission and maintenance of each single property website with statistical information, for each site, sent to you regularly.

8. Virtual Tours
Another great marketing tool is the virtual tour. What better way to show off all corners of the home than with fabulous images, descriptions and links to capture the attention of prospective buyers. As a PREVA I will set all this up for you with special attention to where the virtual tour will be posted, to give your listing maximum online exposure (i.e. your websites, blogs and numerous other real estate portals). My virtual tour platform of choice is Real Estate Shows for its flexibility and high quality presentation.

9. Website Maintenance
We will ensure that your website(s) are kept up-to-date with current listings, news and buyer and seller information.

Lastly and most important…

10. Time and Money
Time is something we can give you to spend with family and concentrate on those revenue generating tasks mentioned above. Money can also be saved by partnering with a Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant. Contact Me for a cost comparison of using a PREVA as opposed to, or in conjunction with, an “on-site” assistant.

Photo by yoppy

If there is one thing you need to learn before you go into business it is never ever lose a contact’s details.  Whether it was only an exchange of information, former partner or a potential client, it is vital that you keep details of all of your business dealings.  That person you spoke to 10 years ago may just be the lady to bite at your next deal.  That man you spoke to last week might be the lead you need into a new venture.  So how can you organise your contacts to ensure no details are lost?

To be sure that the information is there when you want it and in a format which is helpful, you really need to have a central storage point which can possibly be accessed from any computer and is password protected.  The beauty of this is that you can add, change or find the contact details you require in an instant.  Many people also find it very useful to either make notes about the contact or even store details of past dealings – whether this is a client, potential client or someone to deal with in the Real Estate sector.

Many people are finding it useful to pass these more administrative procedures to their Real Estate Virtual Assistant, who can store the information at a central point – totally separate from any other contact details – and either call them up for the account holder or allow them online access.  Your contacts are one of your most valuable assets but it is up to you how you use them to assist with your business.

A lost contact may be a lost opportunity, and with the market as competitive as it is, nobody can afford to pass up any opportunities.

Photo by Toky

While there can be few areas of business which are faster moving than the world of Real Estate, 2008 is set to be an even more volatile affair with the credit crunch, falling prices and a need to act quicker to secure that sale, on time and on price.  Have you had any thoughts for 2008? Any plans of action in place?

Don’t risk giving your competitors a chance to power ahead of you, allow a Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant to help you create a new plan of action for 2008.  It is vital to your business that you have plans in place for the future and give yourself a target to aim for.  If you prefer to be at the cutting edge of the industry and planning, investigating and marketing are not your strengths then you should consider a Real Estate Virtual Assistant.

I am constantly in touch with players in the market and am a keen follower of the latest short, medium and long term trends in the market place, the information which allows YOU to plan ahead.  While some tasks may seem complicated and time consuming for you, I use the latest technology, the latest software and the latest techniques to ensure YOUR time is used efficiently.

In the Real Estate industry time is money and with money becoming a little tighter of late, it is imperative that you are ready for the challenges ahead.  Closing the deal is the end game, but why not contact us about taking some of the back office operations off you, leaving you more time at the sharp end.

While the world of Real Estate is often fast and furious, it is very easy to get over loaded with work, with leads and ideas.  How you manage your contacts, your data and your properties is the key to how successful you will be.  While it is the big deal exchanges which grab the headlines, there will be no large deals, no big profits unless you are organized and have everything which you need at you finger tips.  This is were we come in as your Real Estate Virtual Assistant, your online help, your sounding board and your “right hand”.

We can take away the more mundane tasks from your daily routine. No more working 20 hour days to finish off your paperwork, no more missing that big deal because you do not have time to call back, just more and more time to pull in the money, the big deals and the glory.

Each and every one of your customers and contacts is a potential repeat client, but you need to keep them warm, let them know that you are around. If you neglect your historic client base, you are just living hand to mouth and not building up your recurring income.  Let us show you how to store your deals, your contacts and your acquaintances in a way which will allow you stay at the forefront of all your clients minds.

A simple newsletter to your customers will keep your name in their mind, it will breed trust and above all it will show that you care.  Even an off the cuff remark about the state of a particular market or a summary of a big deal which has just gone down will keep your customers content, and it may even encourage a little more repeat business.  We will be using our blog to explain in detail what we can do for you and your business, from lead generation to marketing material, we have systems available to take away the mundane side of your business, leaving you more time at the sharp end!