Buyer guide

How to choose a real estate CRM

For agents, teams and brokerages. Price, fit, data ownership and the consent rules that apply to texting and email from any CRM.

Published 2026-10-21. All guides · Software hub

Our perspective

Software is the most transparent corner of the industry we cover: 14 of the 18 tools we list publish a price on the vendor’s site. That makes the less visible costs the thing to compare: per-seat fees as a team grows, texting and dialer add-ons, and the cost of leaving. A CRM also makes it easy to message many people at once, and the rules still apply: the FCC says commercial texts sent with an autodialer require written consent, and the FTC’s CAN-SPAM guide requires a working opt-out honored within 10 business days. (FCC, Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts (consumer guide, reviewed Feb 27, 2026); FTC, CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business)

Checklist

Price the plan for your team size in 12 months, including add-ons (texting, dialer, IDX website, extra seats).
Test import and export: can you get contacts, notes and history out in a standard format?
List the integrations you need (lead sources, transaction management, email, calendar) and confirm each one.
Check how the CRM records consent and opt-outs for texts and emails. (FCC, Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts (consumer guide, reviewed Feb 27, 2026); FTC, CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business)
Run a trial with real workflows and at least one teammate.
Ask about contract length, cancellation and data deletion after you leave.

Questions to ask

What does the plan cost at my team size, and which add-ons do most customers buy?
How do I export all my data, and in what format?
How does the system capture texting consent and process opt-out replies?
Which lead sources integrate natively, and which need a third-party connector?
What support channels and hours are included in my plan?

Red flags worth clarifying

None of these proves a problem on its own. Each is a reason to ask for an explanation in writing before you sign.

Pricing only available after a sales call, with no written quote.
No self-service export of your contacts and history.
Annual contracts that auto-renew without notice.
Bulk texting features with no consent tracking.
Review averages you cannot verify on the review site.

What the public record can and can’t tell you

Can show

Published prices and plan limits (vendor sites)
Documented features and integrations
Review averages where we read them ourselves

Can’t show

How easy the product is for your team until you try it
Support quality for your account
Future price changes

How our scores work here

CRMs are scored with our software model: features (25%), pricing (20%), ease of use (15%), integrations (15%), support (10%), verified reviews (10%) and traction (5%). Where a criterion cannot be sourced (for example ease of use for products we have not used), it stays pending and the score uses the remaining weight. Scores are a number out of 10 with the breakdown; no label or tier is attached.

Explore

Software hub · Real estate CRMs · Best for solo agents · Best for teams · Best for brokerages · Follow Up Boss · Lofty · BoldTrail · Wise Agent · Sierra Interactive · Real Geeks · Follow Up Boss vs Lofty · Wise Agent vs Follow Up Boss · Software comparisons · Marketing agency guide

Questions

Can I text leads from my CRM?

The FCC bans autodialed texts to mobile phones without prior consent (written consent for commercial texts), and people may opt out in any reasonable manner. Check how your CRM records consent.

What does CAN-SPAM require for email?

Per the FTC’s guide: accurate header information, non-deceptive subject lines, identifying the message as an ad, a valid postal address, and a clear opt-out honored within 10 business days.

Why do some CRMs have no ease-of-use score?

Vendor pages cannot show it and we have not used every product, so that criterion stays pending and the score uses the remaining weight.

What does the CRM score measure?

Features, pricing, ease of use, integrations, support, verified reviews and traction. A number out of 10, not a recommendation.

Regulatory and legal points summarize the linked primary sources as read on 2026-10-21. Rules vary by state and change over time; this guide is general information, not legal or financial advice.

Sources

FCC, Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts (consumer guide, reviewed Feb 27, 2026) · accessed 2026-10-20
FTC, CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business · accessed 2026-10-20

Last verified 2026-10-21. Figures were re-read from the linked sources that day.

View changelog

2026-10-21 Guide published.