Use your own language
Set up records and stages using the words your team uses: buyers, vendors, landlords, appraisals, campaigns. It makes the system feel like yours.
Follow-up views
Save views such as “buyers to call this week” and “vendors with appraisals in the last 90 days”. Work through them on a set day.
Track opportunities with stages and owners
Appraisal booked → appraisal done → listing agreed → campaign live → sold. Every opportunity has an owner and a next date.
Staying in touch over the long term
Property relationships can span years. Set reminders to contact past buyers and vendors at sensible intervals, such as on the anniversary of a sale, and keep notes on their plans. A short, relevant message is remembered when they are ready to sell or buy again.
Recording the details that matter
- What each buyer is looking for: area, budget, property type, timing
- What each vendor wants: timing, price expectations, concerns
- Every inspection, appraisal and offer
- How they prefer to be contacted
Good notes let any team member pick up a conversation when the usual agent is busy.
Respecting privacy and contact preferences
Property businesses handle a lot of personal information. Record contact preferences, honour unsubscribes and only collect what you need. See our guides to the Privacy Act and the Spam Act.
Organising your contacts by type
Property businesses deal with many kinds of people: buyers, vendors, landlords, tenants, investors, conveyancers, mortgage brokers and tradespeople. Tag each contact with their role so you can build focused lists, such as “investors interested in units under $700,000” or “vendors who appraised in the last six months”. A contact can have more than one tag; a past buyer may become a landlord.
Following up after open homes
Open homes create a burst of new contacts in a short time. Log every attendee the same day with what they said they were looking for, then follow up within 24 hours. Note who is serious, who is just looking and who might be a future vendor. A consistent follow-up after every open home builds a database of active buyers that helps on the next listing.
Measuring what works
Track where each listing and buyer came from: signboards, portals, referrals, social media or past clients. After a few months you will know which sources bring vendors who list and buyers who buy, so you can put more effort into what works.
A worked example
A boutique agency records every open home attendee with what they are looking for. When a suitable property comes up, the agent filters buyers by area and budget and calls the best matches before listing it publicly. A past vendor, contacted on the anniversary of their sale, mentions they are thinking of downsizing, and the agency is first in line for the appraisal.
Quick checklist
- Tag contacts by role: buyer, vendor, landlord, partner.
- Log open home attendees the same day.
- Follow up within 24 hours.
- Record what each buyer and vendor wants.
- Set long-term reminders for past clients.
- Respect contact preferences and unsubscribes.
What NovaSoft One doesn’t do
NovaSoft One isn’t a property management or listing platform. It doesn’t syndicate listings, handle trust accounting or manage tenancies. Use it for relationships and follow-up alongside your specialist tools.
Explore the property and real estate starting point.
Common questions
Can a CRM replace a property management system?
No. A CRM handles relationships and follow-up. Rental management, trust accounting and listings need specialist tools.
How often should agents contact past clients?
A few useful touchpoints a year works for most: an anniversary note, a market update and an invitation to talk when they are ready.
What should we record after an appraisal?
The vendor’s timing, price expectations, concerns, decision-makers and the next agreed step, with a dated follow-up task.
This guide is general information for Australian businesses, not legal, tax or financial advice. Check anything specific to your situation with a qualified adviser or the relevant government agency.