CRM for real estate agents
Client intake, matter tracking, and follow-up CRM picks for real estate agents โ not full practice-management or billing suites.
Important
For client intake and follow-up โ not legal practice management (billing, trust accounting, court calendaring).
In residential real estate the lead is worthless if you're second to call. Portal leads (Zillow, Realtor.com), open-house sign-ins, and referrals all go cold within minutes, and your MLS and transaction tools (dotloop, SkySlope) do nothing to chase them. That's the job a CRM does: instant speed-to-lead, a long nurture for buyers who won't transact for 6โ18 months, and past-client touches that drive repeat and referral business.
The picks below are chosen for solo agents and small teams: fast lead capture and routing, drip campaigns tied to buyer/seller stage, and closing-anniversary follow-ups โ sitting beside your MLS and e-sign tools, not replacing them.
Ranked comparison
| # | Tool | Starting price | Rating | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HubSpot | Free | 4.4/5(11,200) | Try HubSpot |
| 2 | Pipedrive | $14/mo | 4.5/5(8,200) | Try Pipedrive |
| 3 | Zoho CRM | $14/mo | 4.1/5(6,800) | Try Zoho CRM |
| 4 | ActiveCampaign | $15/mo | 4.5/5(10,300) | Try ActiveCampaign |
| 5 | Brevo | Free | 4.5/5(2,200) | Try Brevo |
What matters for real estate agents
- Speed-to-lead: instant text/email auto-response to portal and form leads
- Long-horizon drip campaigns for buyers 6โ18 months from transacting
- Past-client and closing-anniversary touches that drive repeat + referral
- Lead-source tracking to see which portal or referral partner actually converts
- Plays nicely with MLS, dotloop/SkySlope, and e-sign rather than replacing them
Common questions
Do I need a real-estate-specific CRM or a general one?
Either can work. Real-estate-specific tools bundle IDX and lead routing out of the box; general CRMs are cheaper and more flexible but need setup. The picks below note which lean which way so you can match it to your lead sources.
Will it replace dotloop or my MLS?
No. The MLS stays your listing source and dotloop/SkySlope your transaction file. The CRM owns lead capture, nurture, and repeat-client marketing, then hands a ready client to those tools.
Does this replace my industry-specific software?
For client intake and follow-up โ not legal practice management (billing, trust accounting, court calendaring).
What is the #1 pick for real estate agents?
We rank HubSpot first for most real estate agents teams based on adoption, pricing transparency, and fit for follow-up workflows โ verify against your existing stack.
How much does CRM cost to start?
Several picks start at $0/mo or include a free tier; budget for SMS and integrations separately.