How to choose a CRM for your estate agency: a 10-point checklist

Choosing a CRM is one of those decisions that feels big, because moving all your clients and listings is a hassle you only want to do once. The good news is that the right questions make the choice much simpler.

Here is the checklist I'd use if I were a principal comparing systems today.

The 10 questions

1. Will my agents actually use it? Ask for a demo and imagine your least technical agent using it on their phone between viewings. If it's confusing in the demo, it will be ignored in real life.
2. Does it work on a phone? Most of an agent's day happens away from a desk. Leads, client notes and the calendar must work properly on a phone.
3. Can I see the whole office at a glance? As a principal you need a pipeline view: new leads, follow-ups that are overdue and deals in progress, without reading every message.
4. Can I get my existing data in? Ask how your current listings and contacts get imported. A CSV import of listings with photos saves days of retyping.
5. Does it work with the portals I use? You'll keep advertising on the big portals. Check how the CRM fits in with them today, and what is still on its roadmap.
6. Does it handle the paperwork? Disclosure forms, FICA documents and templates should live with the client or listing, not on someone's laptop.
7. What about trust accounting? If you run a trust account, check whether the CRM helps with it or whether you still need separate software.
8. Who owns my data, and can I export it? You should be able to export your clients and listings at any time. If you can't leave, think twice before you join.
9. Is it POPIA-friendly? Ask where data is stored, who can see it inside your office, and how access is removed when an agent leaves.
10. What does it really cost? Look past the headline price: per-agent fees, set-up fees, add-ons and contract length all add up. Ask whether there's a free trial or free tier.

A quick way to compare

Score each system out of 10 on these questions, then spend most of your time on the top two. Ask both for a demo with your own scenario: "Show me a new portal lead arriving and my agent following it up." How they answer tells you a lot.

Pick the system your team will open every morning, not the one with the longest feature list.

Where ErfFind fits

I built ErfFind as a free CRM and property marketplace for South African agencies, made here on the West Coast. It covers the leads pipeline, listings, clients, calendar, documents and trust accounting in one place, and it's free to use. I'm currently offering a small group of founding agencies the Pro plan free for 3 months, with no card and no contract.

If you'd like to put ErfFind through this checklist yourself, book a free demo.