Real estate customer relationship management (CRM) software provides tools for managing property transactions, generating homebuying leads, and monitoring listings. Additionally, they offer features for tracking leads and marketing to them through email, phone, online advertising, and social media. We looked at various CRM software that work best for real estate businesses and narrowed it down to the top eight options:
- Pipedrive: Best overall for real estate businesses that want a low-cost CRM option with a great mix of basic features
- LionDesk: Great option for real estate agencies looking for multichannel communication capabilities
- HubSpot CRM: Excellent choice for companies that want built-in content management tools
- Copper: Suitable for brokerages that use Google Workspace and are looking to streamline operations across departments
- Top Producer CRM: Best for real estate agencies that want to centralize leads from multiple sources
- Follow Up Boss: Great choice for real estate agencies that want advanced automation tools
- Propertybase: Recommended for real estate businesses looking for built-in clerical and administrative tools
- IXACT Contact: Best for rookie real estate agents who are new to the industry
How We Evaluated the Best CRMs for Real Estate
When selecting an industry-specific CRM, such as a real estate CRM, niche-specific value is one of the most critical factors. We measured this by evaluating pricing and capabilities specific to real estate businesses, such as functions for promoting services to buyers or sellers, tools for posting up-to-date property listings, and functions for managing transaction opportunities. In addition, factors associated with product usability and customer support were evaluated.
Based on our evaluation, Pipedrive is the best overall choice for its competitive pricing and features most useful to real estate firms, such as e-signature capabilities and a mobile application. It also integrates with PropertyRadar, an up-to-date database with extensive property ownership information.
The tabs below offer insight into our evaluation process for choosing the best real estate CRM software options:
40% of Overall Score
Total costs and various pricing options are typically the most important criteria for any small business decision, so it is most heavily weighed when reviewing the best CRM software for real estate. We considered access to free account options, varying subscription plans, and whether or not there are monthly billing plans available.
20% of Overall Score
The purpose of any CRM is to provide functional solutions associated with sales, marketing, customer service, and project management. Specifically, we looked at features that we consider necessary in a solid real estate CRM, including mobile capabilities, contract management tools, email marketing functionality, and mechanisms for bringing buyers and sellers to agents.
15% of Overall Score
The functions of any application are only as beneficial as they are usable. These criteria were analyzed by knowledge required to set up the CRM, skill needed to operate the platform, and intuitiveness of the user interface.
15% of Overall Score
Extensive support and service can prevent issues that a user might encounter. These are evaluated in terms of customer service hours and availability of support through various channels like phone, live chat, and email.
10% of Overall Score
In addition to our first-hand experiences with the providers, we evaluated what others users are saying about each CRM. These criteria consider how customers feel based on their reviews to gauge overall popularity, ease of use, value for money, and how beneficial some of the built-in features are to users.
Pipedrive: Best Overall Real Estate CRM
Pipedrive
What We Like
- Integration with PropertyRadar for easy accessibility to public property records
- Overall, fairly inexpensive per user
- 24/7 customer support on live chat and email
What's Missing
- No free option available
- Built-in e-signature capabilities are only available on the Professional and Enterprise plans
- Two-way email syncing isn’t available on the Essential plan
Pipedrive Pricing at a Glance*
- Essential: $12.50 per user, per month
- Advanced: $24.90 per user, per month
- Professional: $49.90 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $99 per user, per month (minimum of 10 users)
- Free trial: 14 days full access
*Pricing is based on an annual billing option. Monthly plans are available as well.
Despite being a general-purpose CRM, Pipedrive offers solutions that would be especially appealing to real estate agencies, such as document management tools, email marketing functionality, and integrations with real estate platforms like Zillow, PropertyRadar, and Trulia.
On another note, relative to the other paid plans on this list, Pipedrive offers the best price per user along with multiple pricing options depending on the size and needs of your real estate firm. One low-cost alternative to Pipedrive that is not on this list but could offer similar price points and availability of a free plan is Zoho CRM. Their Standard plan is only $2 more per user, per month, while their Professional and Enterprise plans are both less expensive than Pipedrive.
To learn more about other lower cost options, check out our guide on the best free real estate CRM software.
Pipedrive Features
Pipedrive e-signature document signing sample
(Source: Pipedrive)
- Built-in e-signature and document tracking capabilities for transaction enablement
- Artificial intelligence (AI) sales assistant feature to help with decision-making by analyzing past performance, then suggesting new solutions such as which prospects to prioritize in order to improve sales performance
- Emails can automatically be linked to contacts, deals, and opportunities in the pipeline
- Smart contact data feature available to gain valuable insight on prospective buyers
- Mobile application auto-syncs with the web application for real-time data updates
Want to learn more about this CRM? Check out our Pipedrive review to learn more about its pros and cons.
LionDesk: Best for Multichannel Communications
LionDesk
What We Like
- Mass video campaign capabilities by email or text
- Prebuilt audience lists for Facebook Ad generators
- Features for designing digital and printed mail
What's Missing
- Contract management tools like e-signature and contract generation are only available by integration
- Learning curve is required for navigating the interface
- No built-in project management features
LionDesk Pricing at a Glance*
- Starter: $21 per month
- Pro+: $42 per month
- Elite: $83 per month
- Free trial: 30 days
*Based on annual billing. Monthly subscriptions are also available at slightly higher rates.
LionDesk offers powerful communication capabilities from an array of channels. It has a calling center, which includes a built-in power dialer that allows agents to go through call lists quickly while automatically updating the activity in the CRM records. There are video campaign features where users can deploy mass emails or SMS messages containing promotional videos.
The enhanced drip campaigns feature gives agencies the ability to send mass, automated messages to potential buyers and sellers through phone, email, and text. In addition, LionDesk has tools to design both digital and printed media, where printed media designs can be easily used for a direct mail campaigns.
Since LionDesk cannot offer any built-in tools for managing projects, businesses may want to consider some alternative CRM solutions such as Bitrix24, Apptivo, and Insightly, either in substitution or in addition to LionDesk.
LionDesk Features
LionDesk custom video texting page
(Source: LionDesk)
- AI lead follow-up feature that uses an auto-bot to have a live chat conversation with potential buyers
- Facebook Ad portal for ad generation within the LionDesk platform
- Transaction management tools for tracking properties and closings
- Lead importing capabilities through third-party sites like Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com
- Drip campaign tools built-in for sending automated messages through emails, texts, and phone calls
Read our LionDesk review to get more information on whether LionDesk is right for you.
HubSpot CRM: Best CRM for Managing Content
HubSpot CRM
What We Like
- Free plan, free supplemental marketing tools including website grader, buyer persona creator, blog idea generator, and marketing plan generator
- 24/7 customer support on all channels
- Content management system (CMS) integrates with the CRM
What's Missing
- Tools for e-signature and commission calculation are only available at the Professional plan level
- Relatively expensive for Starter and Professional plans for Marketing, Sales, Customer Service, CMS, and Operations Hubs
- The Google Search Console integration for viewing search results is only available on Professional plan
HubSpot CRM Pricing at a Glance
- Free: Limited features
- HubSpot for Startups: Ranges from $40 to $89 per month
- Marketing Hub: Starts at $45 per month
- Sales Hub: Starts at $45 per month
- Service Hub: Starts at $45 per month
- CMS Hub: Ranges from $270 to $900 per month
- Operations Hub: Free or starts at $45 per month
- CRM Suite: Starts at $68 per month
- Free trial for CMS and Operations Hub: 14 days
Many real estate agents use content marketing to educate potential buyers and sellers to enhance their brand presence and neighborhood expertise. HubSpot simplifies this strategy as it has a content management system (CMS) within the platform that integrates with the CRM features. Its CMS Hub gives businesses the power to create a website with drag-and-drop editing and offers search engine optimization (SEO) recommendations automatically.
Agents who manage websites and social media pages also have access to supplemental content tools, such as a blog idea generator, marketing plan creation tool, and website grader feature.
Because HubSpot CRM can get a little expensive, especially for the more advanced plans, real estate businesses may want to consider Pipedrive as a lower-cost alternative. Its pricing starts at $12.50 per user, per month, and their highest level Enterprise plan is only $99 per user, per month.
HubSpot CRM Features
HubSpot content management system domain page
(Source: HubSpot)
- Free blog idea generation tool
- Built-in sales email automation capabilities
- Free built-in appointment scheduler
- Built-in content management system (CMS) that integrates with the CRM platform
- Ability to design custom layouts for contacts, deals, and service ticket records
Want to know if this CRM fits your business needs? Check out our comprehensive HubSpot CRM review.
Copper: Best All-in-One CRM for Google Workspace Users
Copper
What We Like
- Designed specifically for Google Workspace and integrates with Workspace apps
- Built-in project management capabilities and Kanban-style project boards
- Built-in tag feature for segmenting potential buyers
What's Missing
- Integrations with popular apps like DocuSign, HubSpot, Mailchimp, QuickBooks, Slack, and Zendesk are only available on Professional plan
- Sales goal tracking is only available on Business plan
- Features needed for real estate businesses to handle transaction management and property listings are through integrations only
Copper Pricing at a Glance*
- Basic: $25 per user, per month
- Professional: $59 per user, per month
- Business: $119 per user, per month
- Free trial: 14 days
*Pricing is based on annual billing. Monthly billing is also available for a higher price.
Copper is a CRM specifically created to have the same feel as the Google Workspace applications while integrating with them. Additionally, it provides agents with auto-enriched buyer profiles with information about potential buyers’ and sellers’ likes and interests.
Copper users can also handle back-office tasks like transaction enablement and accounting within the platform through integration capabilities with DocuSign to handle contract signings, and QuickBooks to handle bookkeeping.
For businesses that want all of the built-in tools and integrations offered by Copper, but are not Google Workspace users, we recommend Insightly as a very similar alternative. Insightly also has built-in project management features and can handle back-office tasks like document signing with integrations with Adobe Sign, DocuSign, and HelloSign. It can also manage accounting activities through integrations with QuickBooks and FreshBooks.
You can also check out our guide on the best CRM for operations for other options that include features benefiting accounting and marketing teams in addition to sales agents.
Copper Features
Copper project management chart
(Source: Copper)
- Built-in, premade email templates within the platform
- Auto-enriched contact profiles that scrape the internet for company information and social profiles and add them to the CRM contact profile
- Synchronization with Google Workspace applications like Sheets, Gmail, Docs, Calendar, Slides, Calendar, Hangouts, Drive, and Studio
- Integrations with QuickBooks for invoicing and accounting capabilities
- Can integrate with DocuSign for e-signature and contract generation features
Top Producer CRM: Agencies that Want to Centralize All Lead Sources
Top Producer CRM
What We Like
- Leads can be consolidated into the CRM by over 100 vendors, including Zillow, Realtor.com, Trulia, and Homes.com
- Unique social insight tool for advanced information about potential buyers
- Mobile application doesn’t require additional syncing
What's Missing
- No free option available
- Learning curve to navigate the interface
- No built-in tools for sales enablement for invoicing or payment processing
Top Producer CRM Pricing at a Glance*
- Starter: $45 per user, per month
- Professional: $75 per user, per month
- Advanced: $85 per user, per month
*Pricing is for monthly billing. Annual billing is available for a lower price.
Top Producer CRM is created for real estate agents to centralize lead management and marketing activities into one platform. The most notable standout of Top Producer CRM is their FiveStreet real estate lead management feature, which allows agencies to consolidate buyer and seller leads into the CRM from over 100 different vendors such as Trulia, Zillow, RE/MAX, and Realtor.com. It also integrates with productivity applications like Gmail and Outlook.
Since Top Producer CRM can only handle invoicing activities through integrations, real estate businesses looking for built-in tools to create invoices can look to HubSpot CRM as an alternative because it offers a built-in invoice generator tool.
Top Producer CRM Features
With Top Producer CRM, real estate agents can track transactions efficiently
(Source: Top Producer)
- Contact lists can be imported into the CRM from real estate websites such as Zillow, multiple listing services (MLS), Trulia, and productivity applications like Gmail and Outlook
- Social insights tool can connect information from a lead’s social media accounts, so that agents can view social bios, interests, and the links to their online profiles
- Ability to design IDX websites within the platform to automatically update property listings on the website
- Through integration with Zapier, leads can be imported directly into the CRM from Facebook Ads and Google Forms
- Reporting capabilities for tracking projected and earned commissions
Want to learn more about this CRM? Check out our Top Producer CRM review, where we explore its rich feature set.
Follow Up Boss: Best for Advanced Automation Features
Follow Up Boss
What We Like
- Smart lists tools that automatically prioritize warm, solid leads first in the contact list
- Automation tools for contacting prospective buyers, following up with old clients, and sending prospects to lending partners
- Customer service available seven days a week through phone and email
What's Missing
- Very expensive, regardless of plan selected
- No built-in tools for transaction management
- Call lists and one-click calling aren’t available on the lowest plan (Grow)
Follow Up Boss Pricing at a Glance*
- Grow: $69 per user, per month
- Pro: $499 per month (up to 10 users)
- Platform: $1,000 per month (up to 30 users)
- Free trial: 14 days
*Prices based on monthly billing. Annual billing is also available, which offers two months free.
Follow Up Boss helps agencies fulfill their sales and marketing goals through its built-in calling, texting, and emailing communication tools. It also has a smart list functionality that prioritizes warmer prospects who are more likely to buy.
Follow Up Boss allows users to configure rules to expand to more than just automatically sending marketing messages. It can also auto-refer leads to partner businesses like lenders or insurance agencies and send timely messages to contacts based on rules, such as sending a happy birthday text automatically on a contact’s birthday.
Since Follow Up Boss doesn’t offer built-in transaction management tools, agents who prioritize this type of functionality in their CRM should look at alternatives Top Producer CRM and Propertybase. They both provide built-in transaction management tools to handle the administrative tasks of a property transaction.
Follow Up Boss Features
Follow Up Boss automations list page
(Source: Follow Up Boss)
- Automations can be configured to nurture long-term buyers, follow up with an old lead that has new activity, send timely messages, and auto-send lead referrals to partners
- Mobile application has functions available for making calls, sending texts, emailing, accessing lead data, taking notes, collaborating with teams, and tracking lead sources
- Leaderboard tool can be used to recognize and coach agents by broadcasting sales performance indicators like sales closed and prospects generated
- Built-in telephony features for call dialing and receiving inbound calls
Propertybase: Best for Real Estate Clerical & Administrative Tools
Propertybase
What We Like
- Built-in transaction management capabilities with e-signature and document management tools
- Built-in website design and SEO tools
- Built-in marketing design tools for print media and email marketing
What's Missing
- Most of the standout features for website management and transaction management are an additional cost
- Customer service doesn't offer a live chat communication channel
- Minimal customization options for the dashboard and pipelines
Propertybase Pricing at a Glance*
- Company: $69 per user, per month
- Enterprise: $89 per user, per month
*Prices are for annual billing and just for the CRM. Additional features for website and transaction management have additional costs.
Propertybase has a back-office feature that includes tools for some administrative tasks associated with real estate transactions such as e-signature, compliance assistance, and secure document storage. Agents can make sure mistakes are minimized by collaborating with managers before closings. Using the secure intranet feature, which can be accessed by both the agent and the brokerage management, each of the tools for administrative tasks and transaction management are integrated, creating a streamlined workflow,
Since transaction management tools are critical to a real estate operation, and Propertybase doesn’t offer tools that complete transactions automatically, we recommend Pipedrive and Top Producer CRM as alternatives that offer transaction management tools without an added cost.
Propertybase Features
Propertybase transaction management starting page
(Source: Boston Logic)
- E-signature tool built into the transaction management features
- Ability to utilize a secure intranet as part of the platform
- Drag-and-drop email customization features
- Has an easy-to-use website builder that includes Internet Data Exchange (IDX), which can display up-to-date property listings on the site
- Collaboration tools within the transaction management features that allow managers to review and approve documentation prior to closing on properties
IXACT Contact: Best for New Real Estate Agents
IXACT Contact
What We Like
- Contact support teams assist in setting up the CRM and syncing with other apps
- Well-designed features for newer agents, like the personalized roadmap feature
- Executive summary tools that provide an overview on progress and goals of agents
What's Missing
- IDX website, Social Stream, mass email, text marketing, and recruiting feature are optional add-ons that have additional costs
- User interface can be challenging to navigate
- Functionality on mobile app is limited to contact communication and task management
IXACT Contact Pricing at a Glance
- IXACT Contact Plan: $33 per month when billed annually or $39 per month when billed monthly
- Free trial: Five weeks or up to six months for new agents
- Optional Agent Website Add-on: $13 or $33 per month plus $24 per year setup fee and $65 flat one-time setup fee
- Optional Social Stream Add-on: $20 per month
- Optional Mass Email Add-on: $10 to $150 flat fee for 1,000 to 50,000 emails
- Optional Text Marketing Add-on: $5 per month for 100 credits or $15 to $175 flat fee for 500 to 10,000 credits
- Optional IXACT Recruiter Add-on: $38 or $85 per month
IXACT Contact is an excellent real estate CRM for new agents for several reasons. The first is simply economical—IXACT Contact offers a six-month free trial with all features included for new real estate agents and agents who have become licensed within the past 12 months.
Another reason is the personalized roadmap feature that allows agents to create sales goals and lays out the objectives needed to hit those goals. Also, because many new agents will likely be new to using a real estate-specific CRM, new agents see a lot of value in the concierge setup services that IXACT Contact provides.
The concierge setup services give agents setup assistance in uploading contact lists, creating monthly e-newsletters, establishing the keep-in-touch strategy, automating lead capture, and creating their IDX website.
IXACT Contact has a limited mobile application, only allowing users to communicate with contacts, view listings, and manage task activities. Top Producer CRM is a great alternative with expansive mobile capabilities that allow users to communicate with contacts, access a follow-up coach, schedule appointments, manage tasks, create notes, follow up with leads, and view property listings.
IXACT Contact Features
IXACT Contact newsletter creator
(Source: YouTube)
- Built-in contact intelligence feature to monitor former and current buyer information through contact profiles and social media accounts’ some of the more personal information includes birthdays, move-in history, referrals, and communication history
- Personalized roadmap tool to create sales goals and lay out the objectives needed to get there
- Ability to create Internet Data Display (IDX) websites in the platform that automatically show up-to-date listings
- Email marketing capabilities include automated drip campaigns for mass emailing and the ability to generate e-newsletters automatically
- Social stream add-on to allow users to automate finding and posting content to social media pages
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