BUYER'S GUIDE: Contact Management
BY MICHAEL ANTONIAK
Efficiency experts
What might you pay someone to organize your contact information, keep your schedule, and track what needs to be done to grow your business and provide better service? If you’re thinking thousands of dollars, try again. For less than $50 a month, you can install a contact management solution on your computer or subscribe to one on the Web. Contact managers give you quick access to the information you need to show that you’re a caring professional, attuned to the special needs of each buyer or seller.
Today, contact management is just the core function for effective sales, service, and marketing. Your contact records can serve as the launch for direct mail or e-mail campaigns; they can be exported to other modules for managing the transaction; and they can supply the data for tracking your performance. For instance, use the data to identify how long it takes to make a sale from contact to close.
If you require only basic records, Microsoft’s Outlook or PowerMate’s Real Estate Address Book and Letter Writer might be all you need. But, for the latest sales management and business-building tools, you’d be better served by a more robust solution such as ACT! or one of the Top Producer products.
Next, consider whether you want a generic, off-the-shelf program or an application that’s been developed specifically for real estate. Generic programs such as ACT!, GoldMine, and Maximizer give you the latest features in contact management, but there’s some work involved in adapting them to your business. Programs developed by and for real estate professionals—Mark-It’s Advantage Xi, FNIS’s AgentOffice, or Adigida’s RealFuture Solutions, to name a few—are configured with predefined fields relevant to real estate sales. A third option: software add-ons, such as Pinpoint’s Trans/ACT for Real Estate and Sonoma’s ACTiveAgent and Real Estate Management System. These customize programs such as ACT! or Outlook for your special needs.
Finally, decide whether you’ll be better served with software you install or with one of the newer Web-based applications. (See “Online, offline, mobile”.)
Whichever solution you adopt, you’ll need to create your database. But as soon as you’ve set up your fields and entered your records, you’ll begin reaping the reward: clients and customers who recognize your new, more responsive service.
Contact management essentials
Database. This core feature lets you build and store records on contacts and schedule all client and property activities. It should be easy to set up, update, and search.
Ability to customize. Since no two people work alike, you’ll want the option to create custom- or user-defined fields and retrieve customized reports.
Import/export capabilities. The ability to move data between applications will save you time and allow flexibility in how you use your information. And, if you ever decide to switch to another contact manager, the time you’ve invested in this solution won’t be wasted.
Interactive calendar. This feature should alert you to what you need to do when and tie your appointment book to your contact records.
Web and e-mail support. Save time building your contact database with a program that allows you to create forms for capturing vital information on your Web site. Also look for a system that’ll allow you to launch or retrieve messages—and save them as part of your contacts’ histories—from within the program.
Reports. Look for the ability to run predefined reports, such as prospect lists by ZIP code, and to create customized reports. For example: Add an initial-point-of-contact field and generate reports showing where most of your closed transactions originated.
Online, offline, mobile
Choosing a contact manager isn’t just a matter of comparing features. You also need to decide whether to go with a traditional software product or a Web-based application for anywhere-anytime access. Then you need to decide whether to add modules and utilities to extend the reach of your system to your notebook or PDA. Installed software makes the most sense if you typically work from one primary computer. If you regularly log onto the Internet both at and away from the office, you may be better off with a Web-based solution. Some, such as ACT! for Web, carry a one-time fee. Others, such as Top Producer for the Web or Adigida’s RealFuture solutions, are offered on a monthly subscription basis. If you prefer to carry only a PDA in the field, data synchronization with a Palm or Pocket PC device is critical.
Software, Web, and add-on solutions
ACT! 6.0 for 2004 andACT! for Web
$249.95 for 6.0 or Web version
Best Software, www.act.com, 888/855-5222. ACT! 6.0 is customizable software for Windows or Mac to track up to 255 fields of customer info. Includes quick search. Daily, weekly, and monthly calendars. Ability to attach and view documents, PDFs, and images as part of contact records. HTML e-mail templates can be used for creating flyers. Enhancements for sending and receiving e-mail and viewing Web sites from within ACT! Synchronization software for sharing data with Palm, Pocket PC handhelds. The password-protected, Web-based version of ACT! offers similar capabilities and allows you to share and exchange data with software versions of ACT!
ACTiveAgent
$149; requires purchase of ACT! for Windows
Sonoma Enterprises, www.sonomaenterprises.com. 512/261-7763. Software add-on for real estate. Includes letter manager, expense manager, and campaign manager, real estate reports, brochure templates.
Advantage Xi
$195
Mark-It Systems, www.advantageXi.com, 417/777-4674. Real estate contact and business activity management software for Windows. Unlimited number of predefined or user-defined fields. Predefined and user-defined reports. Support for unlimited number of accounts. Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly calendar. Optional modules for managing info on properties, loans.
Agent Business Builder 4.0 Professional
$549
PowerMate Software, www.powermatecorp.com, 800/581-1943. Real estate contact management, sales, and marketing solution for Windows or Macintosh with customizable database. Interactive calendar and planner with reminders. Word processor. 116 marketing letter templates. Predefined and user-defined reports. Compose and send e-mail and dial phone numbers from within contact records.
AgentOffice
$399
FNIS Systems, www.FNIS.com, 800/996-6547. Customizable real estate productivity software suite for Windows. Predefined fields. Import contact data from Top Producer and other Windows database applications. Send e-mail directly from the application. Modules for word processing, managing listings, and building presentations and marketing materials. Calendar and scheduling. Data synchronization with Palm handhelds. Branded versions for Keller Williams, RE/MAX, and Realty Executives.
GoldMine 6.0 Business Contact Manager
$199.95
Front Range Solutions, www.frontrange.com, 800/776-7889. Generic contact and business management solution for Windows. Real estate templates. Customizable database and reports. Contact history tracking. Customizable desktop display. Tools for sales and opportunity tracking and analysis. Integrated search and report function. Data sync between desktop PC and notebook or PDA. Create forms to capture lead information on visitors to your Web site.
Instant Impact Gold
$329.95
Information Products, www.instantimpactgold.com, 818/986-9295. Real estate software suite for Windows. Customizable contact records with user-defined fields. Standard and customized reports. Calendar and scheduling. CMA reports for listing presentations. Alerts you to send follow-ups for e-mail campaigns.
LeadCommander REProfessional 6.6
$229
DataBasix Technologies, www.leadcommander.com, 877/259-9476. Real estate information management/marketing software system for Macintosh, Windows. Combines contact management with lead generation, prospecting, and marketing tools. Unlimited number of contact records, user-defined fields. User-defined search and report functions. Marketing campaign with follow-up. E-Merge engine for creating personalized e-mail correspondence to contacts based on user-defined criteria. Optional Auto-Pilot feature to manage and route incoming calls.
Maximizer 7.0
$199
MultiActive Software, www.multiactive.com, 800/804-6299. Generic contact and business-activity management system for Windows. Unlimited number of contact records and user-defined fields. Preformatted and user-defined reports. Calendar with scheduling and reminders. Tools for building Web site and gathering contact info there. History of e-mail contacts as part of contact records. Send e-mail from application. Download free data-sync software for Palm after registration.
Outlook 2003
$109
Microsoft Corp., www.microsoft.com/outlook, 800/426-9400. Personal information management and communication solution for Windows and Mac. Basic contact management features with unlimited user-defined fields. Calendar and scheduling with alarm. Manage multiple e-mail accounts. Initiate instant messaging from e-mail, contact records, or calendar.
Real Estate Address Book and Letter Writer 2.5
$179
PowerMate Software, www.powermatecorp.com, 800/581-1943. Basic contact and activity management solution designed for easy set up and use. Electronic address book with contact info. Contact history tracking. Letter writing for mass mailing campaigns. Built-in report functions.
Real Estate Management System
$225; requires Microsoft Outlook
Sonoma Enterprises, www.sonomaenterprises.com, 512/261-7763. Real estate software add-on for Microsoft Outlook creates to-do checklists for activities from pre-listing through closing.
RealFuture Solo, Pro, and SFM
From $99.50 per year, or $9.95 per month, for RealFuture Solo
Adigida Solutions, www.adigida.com, 866/234-4432. Web-based real estate business management solutions. For rookies, RealFuture Solo includes contact management, address book, task scheduling with reminders, and print and e-mail campaign building tools. For experienced practitioners, RealFuture Pro adds automated e-mail and print campaigns, team sharing of database content, and Web-generated lead integration. For teams and brokers, RealFuture SFM adds sales management and multiple database support.
Trans/ACT for Residential Real Estate Agents
$195, requires purchase of ACT!
Pinpoint Tools LLC, www.recsnet.com/products/ta-residential.htm , 800/238-0560. Real estate software add-on for ACT! Organize info on buyers, sellers, properties, loans. Circle RS #063
Top Producer 6i and7i
$495 for 6i; $34.95 per month for 7i
Top Producer Systems, www.topproducer.com, 800/444-8570. TP 6i offers real estate information and marketing management suite for Windows. Unlimited contact records with user-defined fields. Built-in planners for scheduling and task completion. Library of real estate letters. Mass e-mail capability. Tools for creating marketing materials. Optional module supports data sharing with Palm. TP 7i is a password-protected, Web-based suite with same core functions as software suite. Also includes tool kit for capturing Web site leads. Optional modules let subscribers retrieve info from cell phones and PDAs.
Prices are the manufacturers’ suggested retail prices and are subject to change. This list isn’t comprehensive; NAR doesn’t evaluate or endorse these products and isn’t responsible for changes in company info.
FACTOID
Of REALTORS® who use a computer for their business, 64 percent own or use contact management software.
—2003 REALTOR® Magazine survey, MRI, Custom Division
