Multiple Time Zone Working

BY System Updated / Oct 25, 2019

#communication
#October
#contacts
#2019
#efficiency
#international

Do you work across multiple time zones and need to ensure that communications with your contacts take place at appropriate business hours? SalesWizardCRM now supports regional time zones, allowing your users to work within their local time and to easily see the local time of their contacts.

You’ve always got the right time

When adding an international dialling code to a Contact Card, the system automatically predicts the contact's country and time zone
Find Card feature offers the option to search by time zone
Contact Card and Add Agenda both indicate the contact’s local time
Agenda items conform with the user's local time
Colour coded time zones help you better manage agenda activities

SalesWizardCRM lets you easily work in sync with your contacts, so you always know when it’s the right time to connect with them.

If you'd like more information about multiple time zone working, please contact the Support Team at support@saleswizardcrm.com

Improve Your Response Time With Email Templates

BY Tracey / Jul 23, 2019

#July
#communication
#2019
#email
#templates
#efficiency

It’s no surprise that swift and effective communication is absolutely crucial to stay competitive in today’s business world. Your existing clients want updates and they expect to hear from you without delay, so information has to be pretty much available on demand. New leads are no different and failing to respond in a timely manner means you might be out of the game.

There’s definitely no time to lose in the fast-paced property sales environment and to manage these high expectations, your business needs to be taking advantage of the email template facilities that should be available within a quality real estate CRM.

Leverage the benefits of email templates

Whilst enquiries should always be met with a quick response, they still need to be personalised, look professional and include information specific to the enquiry. No pressure, right? That’s where the advantages of templates come in. Easy to set up and use, templates can be configured to automatically import details from the CRM data fields that you specify, so teams can create email templates tailored to regular enquiries and can be used multiple times.

Templates are a critical tool for creating efficiency so that emails don’t need to be reworked every time an enquiry comes in. Once set up they prevent users from wasting valuable time and money by eliminating the need for laborious cutting and pasting exercises between numerous documents and sources. The opportunity for making errors is significantly reduced too, as establishing the use of templates enforces accuracy of content. When specific information fields require mandatory completion, it's more difficult for it to be unintentionally omitted. Consistency of documentation is maintained too, making it easier for teams to quickly locate important information.

Essential for facilitating effective marketing strategy activities such as email drip campaigns, templates provide the solution for seamless communication with new and existing leads throughout the sales process and all the way to closing the deal. Don’t forget that having uniformity also lets your brand stand out. Email templates are customisable and can be created to incorporate your company’s brand identity and voice. Giving your communications a unified appearance is important for conveying a professional image, building familiarity and trust with both your current and prospective clients.

SalesWizardCRM email templates let you effectively connect with your clients

Specifically designed for the property development industry, our sophisticated software contains automation features that make time consuming and labour intensive administrative tasks a thing of the past. With SalesWizardCRM it’s easy to create your own custom templates, so there’s no need to keep creating emails from scratch. Email template integration is just one of many powerful tools that lets teams improve their productivity and focus on what really matters - driving those property sales numbers up!

Experience SalesWizardCRM for yourself, request a free demo today

The Power Of Collaboration For Property Sales Success

BY Tracey / Jun 10, 2019

#June
#CRM
#property
#2019
#collaboration
#goals
#teamwork

Collaboration is about having a shared vision and working together to achieve common goals. Pooling resources and talent creates the positive energy and momentum that is vital for success in today’s business environment. This strategy is being increasingly adopted in the workplace and replaces the more traditional business approach of creating ‘competition’ amongst colleagues, a practice now considered to be outdated and counterproductive.

Solid teamwork and building strong alliances with colleagues really exemplifies the power of collaboration and makes a massive difference when it comes to both winning business and delivering the best client service. Individuals working to their own agendas can seriously undermine collaborative efforts, so it’s important that specific objectives are clearly communicated and everyone in the team understands and shares the same ambitions. Collaboration is an exciting and effective way of working which can produce some pretty impressive results and really take your business further.

CRM brings everyone together

The adoption of CRM systems in the real estate industry has certainly allowed teams to collaborate more easily. CRM is a dynamic tool that allows businesses to share all information collected during the course of client interactions. The ability to work closely together on deals increases productivity and builds much better client relationships. As each client moment is captured in one place, all team members have full visibility into deals, keeping workloads balanced and sales progression on track. Inefficient paper trails that cause delays and miscommunication around what documents may be outstanding or what stage a deal is at, become a thing of the past.

SalesWizardCRM makes collaboration super easy

Our innovative software is specifically designed for property development sales. SalesWizardCRM tracks all leads and deals in one place, enabling teams to work collectively to deliver the best client experience at every stage of the sales process.

Online collaboration ensures everyone has access to real-time information and remains focused on pushing deals through as smoothly as possible. Multiple users can view data simultaneously, share valuable information and participate to make changes to the system. SalesWizard’s sophisticated portals allow agents, clients, lawyers and suppliers to exchange information and updates, whilst providing a secure space for e-signing and editing of documents. Clever automations prompt teams about due dates so they can respond quickly, makes sales progression seamless and move deals forward faster.

Learn more about SalesWizardCRM and see how our solution can empower sales teams to escalate your business to the next level. Request a free demo

The Rising Popularity of Short-Term Lets

BY Tracey / Apr 30, 2019

#APRIL
#investing
#2019
#lettings
#short term
#accommodation

Since 2014, the number of short-term property lets in the UK has grown at an exponential rate. This trend is attracting increasing numbers of savvy investors who want to benefit from the higher returns and tax advantages that short-term lets offer.

The rise of short-term letting is attributed to the development and growth of the ‘sharing economy’. Recent advances in technology has allowed online portals such as Airbnb and Homelike to connect huge databases of people who want to rent out their properties with people who are looking for short-term accommodation.

A short-term let is a property rental that can be for up to six months or as little as one night. They are also referred to as holiday lets since that is what they are most commonly being used for. People are taking advantage of the wider choice of accommodation types on offer such as serviced apartment type models or private residences in a range of locations and often at cheaper rates than traditional hotel options. Their popularity is also being fuelled by the notion that guests can explore both established and new areas and ‘live like a local’ whilst enjoying all the comforts of home.

This type of letting appeals to a wide range of potential customers from corporate clients visiting on business, holiday travellers, those who may be relocating and want to check out an area first or families and friends spending time together. All bills, maintenance and WiFi are taken care of and there’s more space and privacy to make themselves comfortable. Corporate clients have played a big role in driving demand, with companies choosing to use short-term lets rather than hotels as they are often a more economic option and their employees benefit from a more home from home experience.

Why the sudden increase in popularity amongst investors? Put simply, money. It’s a win-win situation - property owners are making better returns on short-term lets and their guests are saving more money. With the advent of sites such as Airbnb, advertising property to attract guests has never been cheaper or easier. Additionally, tougher tax rules surrounding property investment (such as the phasing out of mortgage interest relief) has moved property investors towards short-term letting where there are better tax advantages to be found.

Choosing the right location is key. Offering high quality properties in desirable areas that are popular with both the corporate market and tourists alike are much more likely to have greater success. A further attraction is the flexibility that short-term letting offers. Not only can owners earn a lucrative income from their property, they can also use it for some of the time themselves and let it out exactly when they choose. This flexibility also means that prices can be adjusted up or down to suit the time of year and demand.

So, the potential for investors in this sector is certainly very attractive. With the opportunity to charge much higher daily rates, the returns generated by a short-term let can far outweigh those of a traditional buy to let. As demand is set to continue to increase, property owners are making the switch to short-term letting where they are discovering more flexible and innovative ways to make the most out of their investment.

The Importance Of Email Verification

BY Tracey / Feb 27, 2019

#2019
#February
#email
#verification
#spam
#Brite Verify

SPAM filters, SPAM traps, poor sender reputation, dodgy IP’s - there are a myriad of ways your email marketing can miss your intended audience. Using an email address checker to maintain a hygienic email list is an essential way to ensure your hard earned email marketing campaigns hit the inbox.

Detox Your Mailing Lists And Protect Your Reputation

Dirty lists just don’t deliver. Out of date email addresses, expired domains and misspelled email addresses all trigger high bounce rates and tarnish your sender reputation. This can lead to poor spam scores, blacklisted IP addresses and possible account suspensions. It can be extremely difficult and frustrating to recover your reputation. Checking your email lists on a regular basis is a simple and effective way to defend yourself and maximise your delivery rates.

Real Data = Smarter Campaigns

Don’t waste valuable time emailing non-existent customers. Regular data cleansing eliminates bad leads and drastically improves deliverability so you can be confident you are reaching real people who want to hear from you. When your data is segmented into active and inactive lists, you can send targeted messages to your audience with far more accuracy. When recipients receive messages that are relevant to them it builds confidence in your brand and starts converting prospects into customers.

SalesWizardCRM Supports Email Verification

SalesWizardCRM supports industry leading BriteVerify software to check the validity of your email addresses. Amongst our many flexible automation rules, is a tool to automatically re-verify an address after a certain period, which ensures maximum list hygiene. Each Contact Card is stamped with a helpful "passed/failed validation testing" message and the date they were last checked.

A Clean Bill Of Health

Whether your use BriteVerify or any other 3rd party checking tool, make email list verification an integral part of your email marketing strategy. Email verification will give you the confidence your target audience will be reached, every time you hit send!

Integrating Spreadsheets

BY Tracey / Jan 29, 2019

#January
#2019
#integrating
#spreadsheets
#Excel
#Google
#Sheets

Get more out of your data with our latest productivity boosting tool. SalesWizardCRM now supports Web Queries, which lets you link the data on your database with an external Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or Google Sheet.

Web Query is a great way to analyse your data utilising the speed and convenience of spreadsheets.

Need a quick way to calculate your staff sales commissions? SalesWizardCRM makes it super easy by linking your live sales data to your customised commission spreadsheets.

Read our step by step Technote to find out how.

If you'd like more information on how web queries can boost your company's productivity, please contact the Support Team at support@saleswizardcrm.com

Tagging Within MailChimp

BY Tracey / Jan 08, 2019

#contacts
#January
#2019
#Mail Chimp
#tagging
#list

Tags are a great way of sending email marketing campaigns to a subsection of people on your MailChimp Master Contact List so you can achieve more targeted communications. Keeping your contacts on one large list has many advantages, including preventing you from automatically adding someone who may have already unsubscribed. Tagging contacts in MailChimp is super easy with SalesWizardCRM.

Watch this video to find out how to set up automation rules to apply tags

Lawyers Portal Tour

BY Karolina / Dec 14, 2018

#DECEMBER
#2018
#lawyers
#portal
#deal
#progression

Explore SalesWizard’s Lawyers Portal and discover the best way to connect with trusted lawyers and get deals processed swiftly. Your lawyers can view and progress sales using one simple summary page.

See the Lawyers Portal and its latest updates in action:

Automatically Create Contact Cards For New Agencies

BY Karolina / Dec 05, 2018

#DECEMBER
#2018
#productivity
#agencies
#contacts
#pr
#latestnews

Spend less time on admin with our latest new time-saving feature! Now when you add a new agency to SalesWizardCRM, the system can automatically create a contact card for the Agency’s Primary Contact and add it to a pre-selected data folder. This is especially useful when used in conjunction with the bulk emailing feature as you can be sure you haven’t missed any of your new Agencies off the list.

To enable this feature

Step 1 - Configure your ‘Agent Create Default’

From the menu bar select Admin
Click on Data Folders
Choose the data folder to which the Primary Contact is to be added
Scroll down and tick the box ‘Is Agent Create Default’
Click Save

That’s it. Now, each time a new agency is added SalesWizard will automatically create a contact card for the Primary Contact in the data folder you selected.

Step 2 - Adding A New Agency To The System

From the menu bar select Admin
Click on Agencies
Use the + button to create a new agency contact in the usual way

Note this feature only applies to the creation of new agencies and will not add Primary Contacts retrospectively.

Use A Property Specific CRM To Enhance The Client Experience

BY Karolina / Nov 19, 2018

#2018
#CRM
#property
#client
#November
#experience

In the business environment, the best recipe for success is providing a great client experience. So, what should real estate agents really be focusing their efforts on - making their own lives easier or improving client relationships? Today’s property investors are looking for an enhanced, more personalised buying and selling process and it’s the role of the property professional to deliver this as effectively as possible.

Put simply, clients don’t like waiting. They are demanding easier ways to communicate and want instant updates about their buying or selling status. For them the whole process should feel effortless and they certainly don’t expect to have to chase for updates.

CRMs are the enabling platform for a better client engagement strategy and can provide the tools to deliver the information they want. An important point to remember is that today’s clients are tech savvy and they expect the same from their agents.

Respond In A Timely Manner

Being responsive and proactive plays a big role in good lead management. Making a good impression from the outset is the best opportunity to turn precious leads into clients. As the first contact is usually via a website, portal, phone call or email, these interactions need to be seamless. Responding to new leads in a timely manner is key and helps build trust. Take too long in getting back to them and they’ll go elsewhere.

A good CRM offers features and automations such as website integrations and email configuration that lets you seize opportunities and get back to new prospects immediately.

Nurture Client Relationships

Clients like attention and want to feel involved in the whole journey. Let them know that their opinions matter and that you are always on hand to help. Ongoing conversation gives them a clear picture of what’s happening behind the scenes and helps them feel more empowered and in control.

A powerful CRM solution has the ability to schedule events and automate communications. Contacting clients at the right time and providing essential updates helps build solid and long lasting relationships. For an even more personalised experience, some CRMs can even allow clients direct access into the system where they can update their personal information, access documentation and interact with others. SalesWizardCRM allows your clients to do just that.

A professional CRM should offer the type of game-changing client experience that gains their loyalty and fuels the growth of your business. Our innovative software is specifically designed for property development sales and comes with an amazing set of tools that automate tasks, process deals faster, improve productivity and provide real-time updates.

SalesWizard’s online Client Portal gives them their own unique space on the system. Here they can view their personal details and submit changes, securely upload important documentation, track their sales progression in real time, e-sign documents and stay informed about the latest news and construction updates.

Interested in learning more about SalesWizard or want to experience it for yourself, request a free demo.

CRM features should go beyond lead management

BY Karolina / Sep 20, 2018

#CRM
#property
#lead
#management
#software
#prodcutivity

Leads are the lifeblood of any business and are key to its growth and success. In general, sales departments rely on CRM systems for lead management. This process usually starts with capturing and inputting incoming leads when a potential buyer makes an inquiry via a company website, email or social media channels.

CRM systems often contain features to help prevent leads from going cold by alerting the sales team when they need urgent attention. The end goal is to convert a lead to a closed deal and when that’s achieved the general perception is that the CRM’s job is done. But this shouldn’t be the case.

Using a CRM system that only provides lead management features could greatly limit the potential of a business. The system should become the overall framework on which a business builds its work processes.

A great CRM system should provide a 360-degree view of the organisation and not only concentrate on one area. It should provide tools to assist and improve in a number of areas of business such as monitoring sales activities, enhancing customer service and enabling marketing campaigns. By obtaining these crucial insights into team performance and an in-depth understanding of its customers a business will be able see its true status and develop future strategies and plans.

A single, robust CRM system can transform a business if it facilitates more efficient monitoring and prioritisation of tasks without ever needing to leave the system. Whether sharing information with colleagues, organising documents or calculating commission, these tasks should be easily completed in one place.

SalesWizardCRM, specifically designed for the property development industry, comes with an amazing set of tools to automate tasks, process deals, improve productivity and provide real-time updates.

If you are interested in learning more about SalesWizardCRM or have any questions about how our solution can revolutionise your business, please get in touch.

Real Estate Crowdfunding

BY Karolina / Sep 06, 2018

#2018
#realestate
#property
#September
#investing
#crowdfunding

The internet has been a game changer for real estate investing. Many investors are turning to crowdfunding to get in on deals that were traditionally reserved for those in the know or with stacks of cash. Real estate crowdfunding is gaining in popularity and for some becoming a favourable way to invest in the property market. Investors are able to quickly diversify over several deals and build a real estate portfolio which provides them with a passive income.

The concept of real estate crowdfunding is to invest in real estate along with other investors through a chosen platform that will propose deals and take care of all the work such as: listing deals, legal work and managing the property. Most importantly, it allows investing in real estate with smaller amounts of capital.

There are quite a few platforms to choose from. Let’s explore some of them and the opportunities that they offer.

Housers, possibly one of the best known to investors, is a platform based in Spain. Apart from allowing investment in Spanish properties, it is constantly expanding to other countries in Europe, like Italy and Portugal. Housers is well known for offering high quality investments, usually in fast growing, large cities like Barcelona. Refurbished apartments are predominantly offered, so the rental yields on the platform are quite attractive at around 5%. Other investment opportunities are also available, such as small shops and hotels. So, if you want to diversify your portfolio in a short space of time, Housers give you the opportunity to do just that.

Based in Estonia, Crowdestate is a platform with a focus on development loans for real estate projects. Because your investment is financing a new development there is less potential for capital growth as the rate on the loan is fixed at the start of the project.

A very similar platform also based in Estonia is EstateGuru. Like Crowdestate, it mainly focuses on development loans with fixed rates of approximately 10-12 %. They also offer monthly repayments on the loans, meaning you will get a passive income each month if you choose to invest in their projects.

Property Partner is a UK based platform with a very different concept to the ones mentioned above. Instead of allowing investments in single apartments or buildings, Property Partner focuses on much larger deals like blocks of apartments. It seems quite appealing for small real estate investors who would otherwise not have the chance to access deals on this scale, because they would require quite substantial down payments. Investments are made in large UK cities like Manchester and London, so yields are usually lower but capital growth will be higher compared to investments made in smaller cities.

Crowdfunding is an excellent and affordable way to get started in real estate investing. If you are not ready to jump all the way in as a landlord or property manager, passive investing such as crowdfunding might be a good way to give it a try.

It’s important to remember that before you make any type of investment, whether in real estate or any other asset class, and whether active or passive, you must first do your own thorough research. No investment can guarantee a return or protection of all your capital, however, carrying out your own due diligence can help you identify safer options and reduce potential risk.

The Supplier Portal - Access LIVE Updates and Stay In The Loop

BY Karolina / Aug 23, 2018

#productivity
#property
#developers
#realtime
#sales
#progress

Property Developers who use Master Agents for the sales of their Properties are often busy people with heavy workloads and tight deadlines. They simply don’t have the time to chase agents for progress reports and updates. However, they still need to be informed of how their sales are going and how much of their stock is remaining.

SalesWizard’s new Supplier Portal provides an elegant solution to this problem. It allows Developers to view the latest updates for all of their sales via an easy to understand Activity Tracker.

The Supplier Portal is free of charge for all customers on our Ultimate Licensing package. Just ask your Master Agent for a Supplier’s login.

All The Intel In One Place

All information on SalesWizard is “Live”, so when a Deal is updated by a Lawyer, Agent or Company Employee it is immediately reflected on the system. This means Developers avoid wasting time on sales progression calls or requesting reports that may go unanswered. The Supplier’s Portal provides the latest status of any unit in your development, instantly and whenever you need it.

Colour Coded Activity Tracker

The activity tracker provides a summary view of all your latest sales data. It utilises a colour coded traffic light system to automatically highlight deals that are falling behind, giving the opportunity to get them back on track.

Automatic Notifications

Too busy to sign into the Supplier Portal? SalesWizard contains a powerful notification system which can email you about any key events such new deals, unit cancellations and exchanges.

Dashboard & Progress Bars

Keep your number crunchers happy with progress bars and dashboard widgets of key sales metrics. Your sales data can be downloaded at the touch of a button.

The Power Of Keeping In Touch

Imagine the benefits to your business by remaining at the forefront of information. By giving power and control back to you, timely interventions can be made if problems arise. Better reporting equals more informed decisions. It’s time to embrace SalesWizard’s digital solution to improve your productivity and achieve faster results.

Supplier Portal Key Features and Benefits

Simply log in to get all the information you need

View product pricing, availability and reservation statuses in real time
Access product brochures and download marketing materials
Live deal tracking - view the status of all active deal
Receive automated notifications via email or in-portal alerts
Add new leads
Colour coded activity tracker
Dashboard showing real time sales figures

Interested in learning more about SalesWizard or have any questions about how our solution can revolutionise your business, please get in touch!

Don’t leave your clients in the dark

BY Karolina / Aug 07, 2018

#2018
#realestate
#August
#client
#relationships
#communication

Real estate transactions are always extremely personal and tied to substantial amounts of money, so for the client it is important to deal with professionals that are trustworthy. It is the role of the real estate agent to put their client at ease and make the selling/buying experience as smooth as possible. The idea is simple, it’s all about the client and their needs. Whether the relationship with the client will be a success or not comes down to one thing - communication.

Clients come in with the idea that the real estate agent will do everything to fulfil their needs, provide the desired outcome and most of all make the whole process effortless. Although that’s also the intention of the real estate professional, lots of the hard work is taking place behind the scenes and the client is often left wondering where things are at.

And that’s where trouble begins because today’s clients don’t like waiting. As we live in a society where pretty much everything is available on demand, clients expect instant updates and results, they don’t expect to have to chase up estate agents or lawyers.

Up to the minute communication is growing thanks to the development of tech, so it’s understandable that clients expect information to be instantly available. A great client experience is not just about hand holding them throughout the process, providing regular updates and keeping them aware of what’s happening helps them feel more empowered and in control.

At SalesWizard we wanted property investors to experience that feeling of control, that’s why we created the Client Portal which provides each client with their own unique online area within the system. Here they can view their personal details and submit changes, securely upload important documentation, track their sales progression in real time, e-sign documents and stay informed about the latest news and construction updates.

By giving them access to the Client Portal, clients feel involved in the whole process and always have a clear picture of what’s happening behind the scenes. Yes, person to person communication still plays an important role but embracing a digital solution to satisfy the need for instant updates will result in a more satisfactory experience for all.

Why Marketing Portals Matter ?

BY Karolina / Jul 26, 2018

#2018
#July
#realestate
#marketing
#investment
#property
#portals

Ok property developers we get it. You want to give your products allure and an air of exclusivity. Certainly no prospective buyer wants to see a list of the same CGIs when browsing Zoopla/Rightmove. Whilst exclusivity may sound appealing, please be aware this all too often translates into lower sales volume. By denying your marketing partners the oxygen of publicity via portal advertising, they are forced to use their little black book of contacts to promote - with ever decreasing results.

In 2018, the vast majority of marketing agencies are not holding back a tidal wave of High Net Worth individuals desperate to pick up new residential properties. Since the 2017 UK stamp duty changes and latest fiscal regulatory changes in China it's extremely rare for marketing companies to work with more than 2-3 HNW’s.

So who’s buying? The majority of people who buy investment property are now “mom and pop” operations who own the home they live in and one other. Therefore, it's vital marketing companies are allowed to advertise products in order to find replacement buyers as their little black books dry up.

Since most property investors start their search by looking online, portal advertising must be an integral part of any property developer’s overall marketing strategy. Allow your marketing partners to take advantage of the enormous benefits portals can bring or you could be missing out on important leads and buyers.

Serious prospective buyers are much more likely to see your development for the first time on a portal such as Zoopla/Rightmove rather than via any other marketing medium. Portals maximise your exposure to the widest audience possible and as your listing is available to view 24/7, anyone interested can make an enquiry at any time.

Don’t be put off by the fact that your competitors could also be advertising on these websites. Using portals to your advantage can also set you apart from the competition. It’s how well your development is advertised in the first place that’s going to win you the leads. Attract more hits by ensuring that your listings always stand out from the crowd with the use of high quality visual content and relevant information about your company.

Portal advertising is a powerful lead generator which targets buyers more effectively, resulting in better conversion rates. With over 90% of all property searches commencing online, portals are definitely the place where it’s at!

What to look out for when investing in off-plan?

BY Karolina / Jul 19, 2018

#2018
#July
#realestate
#offplan
#investment
#property

Off-plan properties have always been popular with investors who want to buy into major developments and maximise their profit from the start. Many off-plan sites are located in desirable locations where demand outweighs supply, which pretty much guarantees capital growth and high returns. Having said that there are risks involved with investing in this type of property as quite a few things could go wrong.

The worst thing that could happen is a developer going bust before completing the project. In this scenario, unfortunately, investors would usually lose their deposits (and that could be anything between 10 to 50% of the property value). Some developers offer schemes that protect deposits, however they don’t usually cover more than 10%. So larger than usual upfront payments should be treated with considerable caution. The main thing is to do your research and only invest in property sold by an established developer with a proven track record, that way you are more likely to secure a sound investment.

It’s also a good idea to find out how the project is going to be funded, as deposits from buyers alone for sure wouldn’t be enough to cover the construction work and see it through to completion. You need to know how the developer is making up the shortfall. If the developer has secured a bank loan that’s usually a sign that their finances are in good shape.

Yes it’s true that you could make profit even before the property is built but it’s also possible to lose some money in due course. Property prices will always fluctuate, however if it’s a long term issue and is only affecting the area you have invested in, you haven’t done your due diligence with your investment. Find out more about the location that the site is on before you put money on the table. Consider things like: local economy, infrastructure, transport links and regeneration levels. Regardless on what’s going on in the market, if you are investing in a good location you will continue to achieve good yields, as people will always want to live there.

It may be the case that a property is delayed in terms of its completion date, however if you are buying from a trusted developer who has a history of finishing projects on time, this should be unlikely. Have a solicitor go over contract details to make sure there are penalties if a developer violates the contract with any unnecessary delays.

It’s common knowledge that new builds come at a premium, therefore make sure you get what you pay for. If there are any faults or issues, the developer should be the one putting them right. Again, check contract details to find out what your guarantee covers to avoid any additional expenses.

To minimise the risk when when making off-plan investment you need to do your homework on the developer and do it extremely well. It’s absolutely crucial to understand what you are taking on before signing any documents. Buying off-plan can produce great profits and as long as you know what to look out for, you could be onto a very lucrative investment.

It might be time to rethink your social media marketing strategy

BY Karolina / Jul 11, 2018

#2018
#July
#socialmedia
#realestate
#marketing
#trends

Whether you like it or not, social media presence is a must for businesses of all kinds, especially real estate. This powerful marketing channel gives the opportunity to build relationships, engage with customers and most importantly, increase sales like never before. As much as you can use social media to your advantage, don’t just leap into it and repeat the mistake that many make - don’t over promote! Take a real social approach instead and actually engage with your customers.

Marketing on social should not be based on a ‘What can I sell you?’ mindset but ‘How can I help you?’ Your efforts will only be worthwhile if you provide your audience with valuable information and utilise the tools you have at your disposal.

Try the following techniques and up your social game!

Schedule your content

Plan your content ahead and it will pay off when you are struggling for ideas. Make notes based on what your customers ask you about and try to provide answers via your blog. Participate in LinkedIn groups to keep an eye on what’s going on in the industry and note down any emerging trends etc.

Go Live

Make the most of the Facebook Live feature. Your potential customers will love getting a behind-the-scenes view of the property. It will give your followers a feeling of exclusive, real time access and it is a great way to engage with your audience.

Automate

Consistency is everything when it comes to social media and you MUST post regularly to stay in the game. However, if you are using quite a few social media platforms it can be tricky to stay on top of it all. Use apps like Buffer or Hootsuite that let you schedule and automate posts.

Groups

Create a Facebook Group and link it to your business page. Groups give your customers a community feel and allow for more personal engagement. Let them network and help each other through the buying and selling process, but also participate yourself and offer advice.

Respond ASAP

We all expect information pretty much instantly these days so it is absolutely crucial to respond to comments and enquiries as quickly as possible. Customer experience is extremely important and will have a huge impact on your brand.

Use landing pages

If you want to convert your social traffic into potential clients you need to use landing pages. You should have multiple landing pages, depending on the audience you are targeting. Test different layouts and copy, as what works on Twitter might not work on LinkedIn.

Landing pages need to be engaging, relevant and most of all offer your potential customers something of value. You will not get that email address for nothing!

Setting yourself apart from the competition will go a long way and if your overall social media strategy is up to scratch, your audience won’t mind a promotional post every now and then. Social media is where your customers hang out these days so you simply cannot ignore this powerful channel as a part of your marketing strategy.

Embrace Technology to Revolutionise Your Business

BY Karolina / Jul 05, 2018

#2018
#productivity
#July
#technology
#automation

Recent advancements in Cloud and mobile technology have opened up a multitude of opportunities to improve the way real estate is sold, communicate effectively with your clients and deliver sales in record time. SalesWizardCRM is specifically designed for the investment property industry and comes with an amazing set of tools to automate tasks, process deals and improve your productivity.

Adding leads from emails is effortless

Naturally, SalesWizardCRM can automatically insert leads directly from your marketing landing pages, but what about new leads that arrive by email? Instead of laboriously copying and pasting, we can build tools to add new leads in seconds. The tools for Rightmove and Zoopla come as standard.

Following up leads becomes much more efficient

Real estate agents often miss out on new business opportunities by simply failing to follow up within time. Generating leads is an expensive business so letting them go unattended is simply not an option. SalesWizardCRM quickly identifies inactive leads so that no one slips through the net. We have made it incredibly simple to locate contacts that need to be called.

Activity tracking is super easy

Ensuring your sales remain attended to and on track can be tricky and time consuming - especially when you are handling a large volume of sales. The activity tracker feature in SalesWizardCRM monitors your sales and automatically flags those deals which are falling behind. Using self defined time periods, each deal is colour coded: red, amber and green so you can easily identify which deals need guiding back on track.

Fewer administrative tasks

Most real estate professionals will agree that filling out application forms and preparing documents are a time-consuming necessary evil. So, why not let the system do it for you? SalesWizardCRM can automatically complete documents such as application forms and send them for e-signature and allow you to focus on what really matters – selling!

When it comes to the real estate industry, if you want to build a successful property business, it’s time to embrace new technology and get that competitive edge.

If you are interested in learning more about SalesWizardCRM or have any questions about how our solution can revolutionise your business, please get in touch!

How to ensure CRM success in Real Estate?

BY Karolina / Jun 13, 2018

#2018
#June
#CRM

There is no doubt that the real estate industry is one of the most demanding and dynamic out there. Great client relationships and efficient work processes are a must in order to stay competitive. With leads coming from multiple channels, real estate professionals need a robust CRM system to manage clients, streamline processes and close deals on time.

Realising the benefits of a CRM is not a guarantee of successful implementation, as some simply refuse to use it.

Real estate professionals can be quite reluctant when it comes to using a CRM system. They worry that the new technology will undermine the value of personal interactions and disrupt their workflows.

Even though your team may not be on board to start with, there are ways to motivate them to use it. They need to realise that although CRM might not be what they want, it is definitely what they need.

Pick the right one

This is the first step to success and with a number of CRM solutions available, it’s not as easy as it seems. CRM needs to complement your business objectives and a ‘one fits all’ approach is not going to work here. It needs to be a real estate tailored CRM which allows automation of real estate marketing and sales processes.

Above all keep it simple, relevant and don’t buy into unnecessary features or integrations.

Involve your team in the purchase decision

Many companies make a big mistake by not involving their team when selecting a CRM solution. Your employees are more likely to use the system that they have personally helped to select and it will also help to bring them on board early on.

Help them understand the system

Providing adequate training is necessary. If your team doesn’t know how to use the system they will become frustrated and refuse to use it altogether. Make sure they understand the features and functionality. The CRM solution should increase their productivity and integrate seamlessly into current workflows.

Show what’s in it for them

Your team needs to realise what personal benefits the CRM offers them. They need to know it’s not just a management tool that they have been told to use. Make sure they understand that CRM does more than just track leads and monitor clients but it also provides marketing support and allows them to view their personal achievements.

Easy Access is Key

Consider a CRM solution that offers mobile access so it is easy to use on the go with an ability to update or retrieve information from anywhere. As real estate professionals spend a lot of time working away from the office, this will be seen as being of great benefit.

Praise early adopters

Recognise and applaud those who get on board early and share success stories of meeting or exceeding targets with the help of a CRM.

Real estate is a competitive environment so it might convince them that CRM is not just another technology fad and it can be used to their advantage.

CRM should empower your business and your team but even the best solution will fail if it’s not being used. If you want people to use any software or product they need to see the benefits of doing so. Your team needs to understand that CRM is not just another tool and a way to keep track of their work. They need to be shown its real value because if implemented correctly, CRM is still a game changer.

Speed up your sales cycle with eSignatures

BY Karolina / Jun 06, 2018

#2018
#June
#e Signing
#productivity

In today’s global economy, business productivity rates are of growing importance to government bodies. The UK’s large service economy has been singled out for particularly harsh criticism. Outdated processes take far too much time and make organisations less efficient. With productivity on everyone’s mind and high demand for instant results, businesses need to prepare for changes if they want to stay competitive and keep their customers happy.

A common productivity killer in organisations is the gathering of signatures. According to AIIM’s study on eSignatures on average 3.1 days are added to most processes in order to collect physical signatures and 42% of businesses admitted that their processes were interrupted by the need to obtain the pen on paper signature.

The old-school pen to paper contract execution is costing companies a significant amount of time and resources.

Preparing and sending the contract out, however time consuming, is the easy part. The most painful bit is the signature chasing and getting the deal closed.

Electronic signatures changed the game and made the whole process much smoother for both client and salesperson.

The eSignature tool integrated into CRM systems takes efficiency to another level. The ability to request signatures within CRM systems saves the sales professional tons of time putting the deals together, which means a better customer experience. All the customer needs to do is electronically sign and the deal is done. Forget emailing, printing, scanning etc.

As soon as the deal is eSigned, it is securely stored in the CRM database and immediately visible to those involved in the sales process. It’s all done within one system with no need to switch applications.

More and more companies are realising the benefits of using electronic signatures to replace lengthy paper processes. They understand that getting rid of the need for physical signatures can dramatically speed things up. For example Virgin Holidays has cut signing time for customers from two weeks to just two days by utilising electronic signatures.

eSigning is just one of many tools integrated in SaleswizardCRM designed to increase productivity, close deals faster and simplify the sales process.

A few years ago signing electronically was new to a lot of people but now everyone knows what it is and it’s time to embrace it. There’s lots of time (and paper) to be saved!