What is the best real estate CRM for a UK estate agency — Alto, Reapit, or a generic CRM?
Alto and Reapit are built specifically for UK estate agency workflows and include property management, portal integrations, and letting compliance features that generic CRMs do not have out of the box. The right choice depends on your agency's size, whether you do sales only or lettings as well, and what integrations you need. Alto suits smaller to mid-size agencies. Reapit is more commonly used by larger multi-branch agencies. Generic CRMs such as HubSpot work well when combined with a property data layer, but require significantly more configuration to reach the same baseline functionality. The platform matters less than whether it is configured correctly for how your agency operates.
How do I set up automatic Rightmove and Zoopla lead routing in a UK real estate CRM?
Rightmove and Zoopla both send lead notifications by email. The most straightforward approach is email parsing: a rule-based workflow reads the notification email, extracts the lead data (name, contact details, property enquired about), creates a contact record in the CRM, and assigns it to the negotiator responsible for that property. Some CRM platforms also support direct API connections to portal lead feeds. The configuration requires mapping portal fields to CRM fields, setting assignment rules by property or postcode, and building a response reminder trigger. Without this configuration, portal leads default to a shared inbox with no assignment, no record, and no follow-up prompt.
How do I automate weekly vendor updates in Alto or Reapit for a UK estate agency?
Vendor update automation in Alto or Reapit works through pipeline stage triggers and scheduled email sequences. When a viewing is booked, the CRM triggers a vendor notification. When a viewing is completed, the system sends a feedback request to the viewer and compiles the response into a vendor summary. Weekly marketing update emails are triggered on a schedule rather than manually. The content of each email is drawn from pipeline data: number of viewings booked, number completed, feedback themes, and negotiator recommendation. Setting this up requires configuring the pipeline stages correctly, building the email templates, and connecting the trigger logic to the right stage changes.
How do I track Right to Rent check status and expiry dates in a UK letting agency CRM?
Right to Rent tracking in a CRM requires custom fields on the tenancy record: check status (not started, in progress, completed), document type (passport, residence permit, etc.), document reference number, check date, and expiry date for time-limited documents. An automated reminder is set to trigger a configurable number of days before the expiry date so the letting team can conduct a follow-up check before the document expires. These fields need to be added to the CRM record directly rather than tracked in a separate spreadsheet. When a letting agency is audited, compliance status should be visible in the CRM against each tenancy rather than requiring a separate file to be produced.
How do I add chain status tracking to a UK property sales pipeline in a CRM?
Chain status tracking requires custom fields added to the sales deal record: buyer's current property status (no chain, listed, under offer, exchanged), vendor's onward purchase status (not found, found, under offer, exchanged), and a chain risk rating. A formula or manual flag can surface high-risk chains in the pipeline view so sales managers can see which deals are most vulnerable to falling through. The fields are updated by negotiators as they receive updates from solicitors and other agents in the chain. Without these fields, chain risk is invisible in the pipeline and surfaces only when a deal collapses.