It's there, the brokers want you to use it, and they give it away for free so why wouldn't you?
Here are some real-life problems that agents have had with using the CRMs provided to them by their office:
The links below are to private Facebook groups, and if you are not a member of the group, you won't be able to view the story, it's easy to join, though. And, as long as you are a real estate agent, you can join.
Broker sent a mass email to all the leads in the system asking for referrals:
Mine was crazy. My old brokerage sent out surveys to all the homes I closed and asked them for a referral. Then on top of that got mad at me because I wasn't putting in my sphere into their CRM they were providing. And I didn't because I had a feeling they were accessing that data. I was right. That was my last straw and I left them 6 years ago.
Office calling their leads:
Good afternoon to everyone except shady brokers that call leads in your CRM to try to steal your clients. Edit: Story in comments.
Office forwarding your leads to other agents:
Brokerages: you want to do a service to your agents? Have a CRM they can use and you NOT steal their leads if they leave!!! Dirty. At the minimum, tell them when you “encourage” them to put all their family and sphere in your CRM. I left a brokerage I loved because of this!!! I left keeping them on standby to potentially go back. After learning they forwarded my mother as a lead to another (3) agents…buh-bye!
Office always has admin access:
This is a huge hot topic. Because of this, plenty of realtors refuse to use the brokerage's free or low cost CRM. On one side, if you have your own you can customize it however you want with no restrictions or having to request admin access for whatever you are putting in.
Office will kick you out of your CRM once you give your notice:
Can someone tell me if this is legal? I already contacted a couple of lawyers but no one is responding as its Sunday morning. I submitted notice that I was going to leave the brokerage I am at after my 3 deals in escrow close. I just tried to login to my email and my CRM and they are disabled. Can the brokerage do this even if I have my own intellectual property and leads I purchased and sourced on my own in there? I'd love any advice or guidance on how to handle this. Thank you.
The brokerage owns EVERYTHING:
I have seen a similar post a dozen times or more on this page. Your brokerage owns everything from your contracts, listings, CRM and email accounts, etc. When you are thinking about leaving prepare in advance before you tell your brokerage. Better yet, use your own email and buy into your own CRM.!!!
Yes. This happened to my cousin when she left a big name brokerage as well. They not only removed her from email and crm, she found out her former broker was reaching out to all of the leads she bought on her own...
All agents need their own CRM, their own email, a great side hustle that helps them generate leads and a great real estate mentor!!
Any data you upload into their CRM is the brokerages property at that point:
It sounds like they fired you. So yes, you will not have access to their systems.
In addition, you should not expect to close on those deals you have. They belong to the broker. You should read your contract with them to find out if you’re entitled to be paid on those deals.
It’s best to check these things out before you give notice. It seems like you made a costly mistake.
One final thought, those leads and clients you had in your CRM, expect that they will give them to other agents in the brokerage to work.
Remember: Your database is your biggest asset.
ummm you should be able to see whop that is....go talk to them and ask them why they are in your lead files and to stop it. You are a 1099 and not an employee, none of their business if not their lead.
This is why we tell agents all the time to have your OWN CRM...stop using brokerage provided CRM, emails, website...any of it. Heck even signs...I get my own promoting MY company with the brokerage name on a large rider in case I move.
NEVER EVER surrender your data to ANYONE. They aren't your friends, you just happen to work with them, not for them (because you are an independent contractor).
I will never understand why any agent would ever utilize a CRM provided by their brokerage. Not for the fear of theft of data, but for the ridiculousness of the concept. Do they not realize they are self-employed, and their database is one of their greatest assets in the RE business?
Certainly, reading all these real-life situations can be both eye-opening and unsettling. The experiences shared by agents are not only cautionary tales but essential lessons in the complex world of real estate.
What it all boils down to is this: Your database is your most valuable asset, and safeguarding it should be a priority. While utilizing an office-provided CRM might seem like a convenient and cost-effective option, the stories shared here illustrate that the risks might far outweigh the benefits.
Investing in your own CRM, managing your own email, and keeping a close eye on your contracts will not only grant you more control and security but also foster a business environment where you're the master of your destiny.
So the next time a free or low-cost CRM is offered by your brokerage, remember to read the fine print in your contracts, consider the experiences shared by your fellow agents, and weigh the true costs against the perceived benefits. After all, in real estate, as in life, the most alluring offers might not always be in your best interest. Most of the time, you'll be safer and more empowered by paying for your own solutions, keeping your data private, and taking control of your professional path.
