I'm looking for information on how agents are tracking their prospects and leads. I've seen software that does with varying degrees of detail, but I'm interested to hear what others consider the "sweet spot"?

How do you track leads?

What information do you consider essential to know about each lead? For example, buyer vs. seller?

How do you follow up and work to convert leads to customers?

Thanks for the advice!

As corney and hokey as it sounds I have a big spiral and clipboard that I carry with me everywhere with all my notes (and only that I can read) and I carry over tasks day to day on what I need to do... as much as a techno sav. as I am, I just can't find it as easy as grabbing pen and paper and jotting it down, and while I enter leads/prospects into my Top Producer the pad and paper always trump anything else IMO.

Josh

I use The ACT software

here is a link to there site http://www.act.com/

Top Producer is great. If you are a touchy-feely sort, you can also just use index cards and a tickler file with days of the week/ month - just moving your card from space to space reminding you of what your next action step is with each client.

I use Top Producer. Some teams use Salesforce.com, but it's a pretty robust system. Top Producer may be better for smaller operations.

I was using Top Producer until recently. I was paying $33/month plus $16 a month for "remote". Now I use Outlook for FREEEEE!

I use 3 x 5 cards. Don't laugh (lol). Super handy. Never have boot-up probs.

ColdCaller, I'm not laughing... in fact, its high tech nowadays! You've got the Hipster PDA:

http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/03/introducing-the-hipster-pda/

For those using TopProducer: do you have to be a customer to download leads from your realtor.com website or is there also a way for people using AO, ACT!, Goldmine, etc.?

Thanks again!

Powermarketing center.com

Dee in Austin -Why aren't you on board anymore??

I like that idea LOL Plus you don't lose contacts if the HD ceases to work.

I use outlook 2003 , works great , i can use flags to determine levels of interest , and have information about the buyer/seller attached to the file.......and it was free with my laptop!

Outlook 2003, with heavy use of categories and custom fields. I have even written macros that allow me to print envelopes and personalized letters with the click of a mouse. Plus, it automatically syncs with my PocketPC. Plus it's included with Office.

Speaking of Outlook, does anyone know how to create what I would call an "action plan", like when you get a new prospect, a plan you "append" to them that has you do certain things on certain days (without sitting and setting up 40 reminders for each prospect you get each time.)

Let me know if this does or doesn't make sense.

Josh

Josh,

I'm a pretty avid Outlook user, and I personally don't know of any way. I do understand what you are looking for though. If you figure out a way, let me know!

Anyone use Eurekaware? I was using it as an Outlook add-in but was running into all sorts of strange issues. I uninstalled it and I am now using plain old Outlook. Anyone have good ideas on how to best customize Outlook 2003 for RE?

I've done a lot of Windows development myself. If people are genuinely interested in an Outlook add-in for doing action plans, please let me know. Although I think that an application 110% focused on RE is ultimately the better solution (provided it is done right), you can't deny the fact that Outlook has a huge and well an exceptionally well-established user base. The good thing is that you could probably put something together in a relatively short time-frame. If you have ideas or interest, feel free to email directly via the board.

Thanks!

There is already an add-on for outlook to convert it to real estate specific.

http://www.eurekaware.com/Default.asp

It is $39.95

There is also a Business Contact Manager that is already an add-on with Office. You just have to have your disk and add it on. It would not be RE specific though.

Paul, thanks for the link to EurekaWare. I was thinking of an add-in to address defining action plans within Outlook. For instance, creating meetings and tasks at specific dates or anchoring their creation time to when items are completed. It would also be easy to add merge events, etc. if useful. Is there an easy way to get this done today in Outlook?

Sorry, I should have been clearer in my original comment that I feel that a full *desktop* application focused on real-estate (and not an add-in) would be the ideal solution. I've never liked how Outlook manages contacts and relationships. IHMO, Business Contact Manager is only a modest improvement on this. Add-ons for other products like ACT! also are just bolting the RE business processes onto their existing model vs. serving it exclusively. I realize there are products like AgentOffice and TopProducer, however; they have some serious quirks as well it seems.