How to Make Your Real Estate Database Work For You

A well-kept client database is the backbone of great relationships and the key to a booming real estate business. But let’s be real: managing a database, part of your customer relationship management (CRM) software, can get pretty tricky. Here’s the lowdown on some handy strategies to revamp your approach. Transforming the database into a powerful tool can help you stay connected with your clients and significantly boost your sales as it grows.

Smart Segmentation

You’ve probably heard how important it is to personalize all marketing messages for the client for better engagement. The first step to personalization is to break down a database. We split that contact list into manageable chunks based on specific characteristics. In real estate, think about sorting people by:

• When they bought their home
• Where they live
• The type of property they’re interested in (condo/townhome/single-family/waterfront)
• How you heard about them
• Specific features they want

This way, you can tailor your messages to what different groups want to hear. Why would someone who bought their home in the last year want to sell it? Or if they’re in a condo, they don’t need tips on lawn care. Segmentation works to boost your engagement and conversion rates significantly.

Understanding Client Preferences

What is the secret to a service that people remember? The small things. Part of that is knowing how they like to communicate! Some people prefer text over email, but others detest spammy text messages. Track how each client likes to be contacted. 

While you’re at it, add in how often they want to hear from you. Someone early in the sales cycle may need more touches than one months down the road or who just closed a deal with you. 

Tailoring how often you check in to fit personal communication preferences helps to build stronger connections.

Routine Review & Engagement Tracking

Set aside weekly dedicated time to manage, analyze, and reflect on your database and marketing efforts. Look at email open rates, bounce rates, database growth, and follow-up rates. 

Making a review part of your weekly routine allows you to adjust strategies as needed. How else will you know your database and marketing are working the way you expected? Know your numbers, and you’ll be on your way to making your marketing as effective as possible.

Prioritize Your Contacts

Develop a ranking system for database contacts based on their current interest level or potential future interest. Use specific criteria to categorize clients—such as “interested now,” “interested soon,” “interested in the future,” or “no longer interested.” Some agents use a number or a grading system. 

Ranking clients allows you to focus your efforts on leads most likely to convert. It’s an efficient use of time and resources.

Add a review of your contact ranking system to that weekly database check-in. Update clients as they move through your sales cycle and workflow.

The Power of Tagging

If your CRM software has client tags, utilize the feature! It’s a way to mark specific interests, past interactions, or personal details about your contacts. Some use the tags in for their priority ranking system.

Tags make it easier to send highly personalized emails that feel tailor-made. Let’s say a waterfront property has recently come on the market. Quickly send a new listing alert to clients tagged “waterfront” or “interested now.” 

Clients engage more with you when they get content that matches their interests and preferences.

Balance Between Automated and Personal Touch

Blasting out mass emails and drip campaigns is super efficient, but don’t get too hooked on constant automation. All marketing strategies need tweaking from time to time. People know when they’re being served a mass message.

Ensure your marketing messages sound and read like you took the time to be personal and genuine. Don’t send too many emails or text all at once. Change up what you’re doing from time to time. It could be inviting them to a webinar, or sending a video inside an email message. Even varying the length of the copy or using an infograph could show there’s a person behind the contact. 

It’s amazing how little changes make a huge difference in nurturing those relationships.

Workflow Planning

Whip up a marketing plan that mirrors the customer journey. Sketch out every step, from the first hello to the follow-up after the deal. Throw in some custom contact touchpoints for each phase.

For example, a new lead has just registered on your website. Your CRM is sophisticated and knows what webpage they are on. It automatically sends an email with similar properties but also triggers you or your inside sales agent to call within 24 hours to follow up with their registration. Perhaps there’s even a push notification thanking them for signing up. 

In that call, they said they were interested in buying in the next two to three months. Now, you update their profile in the database to send weekly market updates of new listings. A month later, you send a personalized check-in email about the benefits of working with your team. 

Later, when they become a client, there’s a triggered email saying thank you and welcome to the team. The following automation lists the next steps once they’re under contract. The day after they close, you send another email expressing how happy you are that they have found their new home and how much you appreciated working with them. A year later, an anniversary note goes out. 

Sticking to a client journey plan means you won’t let any chances slip away. It also keeps you more consistent in using your database to reach clients consistently. 

Now Go Crush Your Database

Managing a database for real estate agents is more than gathering contacts. It’s about building a lively resource that boosts engagement and increases sales over the long term. You do it by adding a personal touch, prioritizing what matters, and communicating enough frequently to stay top-of-mind. Putting these ideas into practice will improve your client relationships. It will also set you up for success in real estate’s competitive world.