Real estate agents are handling more complexity than ever—multiple lead sources, clients expecting instant responses, and a growing list of compliance rules. No wonder the majority of agencies now use CRM software for estate agents to keep everything organised. The real challenge isn’t deciding whether to invest in a CRM; it’s choosing the one that actually supports your business in 2025.
In this guide, we’ll compare the best CRMs for real estate agents, weighing up their strengths, pricing, and potential pitfalls. We’ll also share practical ways to customise Zoho CRM so it fits around your day-to-day sales and lettings workflows, rather than forcing you to adapt to the software.
Why Real Estate Businesses Need a Specialised CRM
Real estate is unlike most industries because it mixes long sales cycles with highly emotional transactions. Clients aren’t just buying or renting a property, they’re making a major life decision.
That means your CRM has to do more than generic contact management, it needs to handle property data, fast communication, and detailed workflows.
Here are some reasons why a dedicated real estate CRM software makes all the difference:
- Property management in one place
Instead of shuffling through spreadsheets or cloud folders, you can store property listings, descriptions, floor plans, and documents inside your CRM. Some platforms even allow you to link listings directly to property portals like Rightmove Agent Hub so data flows automatically. - Faster response times
Clients expect quick answers. With CRM integrations (like WhatsApp, email, or phone logs), you’ll never lose track of an enquiry—and speed matters, since studies show response times under five minutes can triple conversion rates. - Lead capture from multiple sources
Real estate leads don’t come from one channel. They show up via websites, property portals such as Zoopla, social media ads, and referrals. A CRM can capture them automatically and assign them to the right agent, reducing the risk of missed opportunities. - Structured pipelines
Every deal follows a process: initial enquiry, viewing, negotiation, offer, contract. A CRM keeps it all organised so you know exactly where each client stands. For estate agents managing dozens of listings, visualising this pipeline prevents leads from stalling or going cold. - Reports that matter
Forget generic metrics. With the right CRM, you’ll see which properties get the most enquiries, how quickly leads convert, and which agents close the most deals. Platforms like Zoho CRM let you create dashboards specifically tailored to property performance.
In short, the right CRM frees up time, reduces admin work, and helps your agency or property management firm grow with less stress. More importantly, it makes client interactions smoother—something that’s crucial in a market where trust and timing often decide the sale.
Top CRMs for Real Estate in 2025
These aren’t just bold names. I dug into how real agencies use them, what you really pay (not just the pitch), and where they shine or suck in practice. Use this to compare what fits your size, budget, and workflow.
Zoho CRM – Best for Flexibility and Cost Control
Zoho CRM is one of the most versatile platforms on the market, and that flexibility makes it a strong fit for estate agents. It offers a wide range of features without forcing you into expensive enterprise contracts from day one.
Pricing: Pricing: Plans start from around £10 per user per month (Standard), moving up to £35–£40 for Professional/Enterprise tiers. Prices are billed annually, and VAT applies.
For agencies thinking beyond just cost and looking at efficiency gains, it helps to see how a trusted CRM system can increase productivity across the whole business.
Compared to Salesforce or Propertybase, this is affordable enough for smaller agencies, yet powerful enough for larger ones if customised well.
Strengths for real estate agencies:
- Lead capture: Zoho can automatically pull enquiries from email, web forms, and even property portals if integrated.
- Custom pipelines: You can design deal stages for sales and lettings separately—useful if you manage both.
- Automation: Tasks like sending a follow-up after a valuation request can be set once and run on autopilot.
- Reporting: Out-of-the-box dashboards help you see how many valuations converted to instructions, or which negotiators are closing the most deals.
Drawbacks:
The main issue with Zoho is the learning curve. It’s not plug-and-play in the same way Pipedrive is. If you want it tailored for property management, it needs configuration. That said, once customised, it’s hard to beat on value.
Best for: Small to mid-sized agencies that want a low-cost system with room to grow. Also great for larger firms that can invest a bit of time in setting up custom automations.
HubSpot CRM – Best for Marketing-Heavy Agencies
HubSpot has always been more of a marketing machine than a sales-first CRM, and that shows in its design. If your agency leans heavily on inbound marketing—think blog posts, social campaigns, and lead magnets—HubSpot can be a powerful tool.
Pricing: The base CRM is technically free, which looks great on paper. But to get the features that actually matter for property businesses (automation, advanced reporting, integrations), you’ll need to step into the Starter tier at around £18 per user/month, or more realistically the Professional tier at £700+ per month for teams. Agencies should budget carefully, because the “free” promise evaporates quickly once you add workflows or reporting.
Strengths for real estate agencies:
- Built-in marketing tools: Email campaigns, landing pages, and social scheduling are all bundled in.
- User-friendly interface: Negotiators and admin staff usually adapt quickly compared to more complex systems.
- Integrations: Connects with many tools and portals, though property-specific integrations may need third parties.
- Lead nurturing: HubSpot excels at drip campaigns for long-lead buyers, investors, or landlords who aren’t ready to move yet.
Drawbacks:
The price can spiral. A five-person agency with automation needs will find themselves spending four figures a year, fast. Also, while HubSpot shines for marketing, its property-management features are virtually non-existent without add-ons.
Best for: Agencies that rely on content, digital ads, and nurturing long-term leads. If most of your business comes from cold calls or walk-ins, this might feel like overkill.
Salesforce CRM – Best for Large, Multi-Branch Agencies
Salesforce is the most powerful CRM on this list, and also the most intimidating. It’s a platform designed for enterprise-level sales teams, but with the right configuration it can be bent into shape for real estate. For multi-branch agencies with hundreds of negotiators, Salesforce offers unrivalled scalability.
Pricing: The Sales Cloud Professional plan starts around £60 per user per month, and Enterprise climbs past £120 per user per month. Add-ons, integrations, and implementation costs push the true figure much higher—often five figures annually. For most independent agencies, this is far more than they need.
Strengths for real estate agencies:
- Unlimited customisation: Almost every field, workflow, and dashboard can be tailored.
- Advanced analytics: Forecasting, reporting, and AI-driven insights help directors manage big teams.
- Integrations: Salesforce can link to portals, accounting systems, and marketing platforms—but usually through third-party apps or paid connectors.
- Multi-office support: Ideal for managing performance across several branches with layered reporting.
Drawbacks:
Salesforce is complex. Training costs money, setup takes months, and without expert help it can feel like you’ve bought a spaceship when you just needed a car. Smaller agencies will drown in features they’ll never use.
Best for: National chains or large regional agencies that need enterprise-grade control and have the budget (and patience) to configure it properly.
Pipedrive CRM – Best for Simplicity and Speed
Pipedrive is the opposite of Salesforce—it’s lean, simple, and designed to get teams moving fast. For solo agents or small agencies that don’t want to wrestle with complicated software, Pipedrive offers just enough functionality to keep deals organised without the noise.
Pricing: Pricing starts at around £14 per user per month for the Essential plan, moving up to £50 for the Advanced and Professional tiers. Even at the higher end, it’s still cheaper than most alternatives. VAT applies, and annual contracts save a bit compared to monthly.
Strengths for real estate agencies:
- Ease of use: Agents can learn it in a day—no steep onboarding.
- Pipeline view: Visual deal stages make it easy to track sales and lettings at a glance.
- Mobile app: Negotiators can update viewings and offers straight from their phone.
- Affordability: A good entry point for agencies not ready to invest in Zoho or HubSpot.
Drawbacks:
Pipedrive lacks depth. It doesn’t have strong reporting, property-specific features, or marketing automation without bolting on extra tools. Growing agencies may outgrow it quickly and need to migrate.
Best for: Solo agents or boutique firms that need a simple, affordable CRM to replace messy spreadsheets.
Propertybase CRM – Best for Out-of-the-Box Real Estate Features
Unlike most CRMs that need heavy customisation to work for property, Propertybase was built specifically for real estate agencies. It combines CRM functions with website management, marketing, and even MLS/portal connectivity. For agencies that want something “ready-made” without weeks of tweaking, this is the closest option.
Pricing: Propertybase typically starts around US$69 per user per month (roughly £55–£60). Exact pricing depends on the reseller or partner you work with, and it usually ends up at the higher end once implementation costs are factored in. It’s a premium product compared to Zoho or Pipedrive.
Strengths for real estate agencies:
- Real estate focus: Comes with property listing management and website tools out of the box.
- Portal integrations: Built to connect with listing portals, saving the hassle of third-party connectors.
- Marketing features: Includes email campaigns and lead capture tools aimed at buyers and sellers.
- Salesforce backbone: Propertybase is built on Salesforce, so it inherits much of its power—without the same level of setup.
Drawbacks:
That Salesforce backbone also means complexity and cost. Smaller agencies may find it too heavy, and support can feel geared toward the US market. Plus, flexibility is limited compared to Zoho—what you see is mostly what you get.
Best for: Mid to large agencies that want a CRM designed for property from day one and are willing to pay for convenience.
Zoho Customisation Tips for Estate Agents
Zoho is flexible enough to fit almost any industry, but real estate workflows have quirks that generic CRMs don’t handle well out of the box. With the right customisation, Zoho can turn into a proper estate agent’s hub rather than just a glorified contact book.
- Custom Modules for Properties
Instead of cramming property details into a standard “Deals” module, create a dedicated Property module. Add fields like number of bedrooms, square footage, EPC rating, or landlord details. This keeps your pipeline tidy and makes it easy to filter by property type. - Automate Lead Capture from Portals
Zoho integrates with email parsers and APIs that can scoop up leads directly from portals like Rightmove or Zoopla. Instead of manually copying enquiries, set rules to assign them to negotiators, create follow-up tasks, and trigger auto-replies. - Create Pipelines for Sales and Lettings
Sales and lettings follow different journeys. Custom pipelines let you map stages separately—for example, “Viewing booked → Offer received → Solicitor instructed” for sales, versus “Tenant referencing → Contract sent → Keys handed over” for lettings. - Use Blueprints for Compliance
UK property is regulation-heavy. Zoho’s Blueprints can enforce mandatory steps (like ID verification or deposit protection) before deals can progress, keeping your team compliant without endless reminders. - Build Reports That Actually Matter
Forget generic dashboards. Set up reports showing average time to sell, average rent achieved versus asking price, or negotiator performance by branch. These numbers make board meetings smoother and give directors clarity at a glance. - Connect Zoho with Everyday Tools
Tie in Outlook or Gmail for email sync, and link Zoho with DocuSign for digital contracts. For lettings, integrate with accounting software like Xero or QuickBooks to keep rent flows transparent.
FAQs about Real Estate CRMs
What is the best CRM for estate agents?
There’s no single “best” CRM—it depends on your agency’s size and style. Smaller firms usually find Zoho or Pipedrive the most cost-effective. Marketing-heavy agencies lean toward HubSpot. Larger, multi-branch operations often invest in Salesforce or Propertybase.
Can Zoho integrate with Rightmove and Zoopla?
Yes. While Zoho doesn’t offer a direct native integration, you can set up an email parser to automatically capture portal leads. With additional customisation, Zoho can sync property data from Rightmove or Zoopla through middleware tools or API workarounds.
How much should an estate agency budget for a CRM?
Expect to spend anywhere from £10 to £60 per user, per month on the licence itself. Add-on costs for integrations, training, and setup can double that in the first year—especially if you go with enterprise tools like Salesforce.
Do CRMs help with lettings compliance?
Yes. With the right configuration, CRMs like Zoho can enforce mandatory checks (ID verification, deposit registration, gas safety certificates) before deals can move forward. This reduces compliance risks and admin headaches.
Is HubSpot really free?
The base CRM is free, but most useful real estate features—automation, reporting, advanced marketing—sit behind paid tiers. For a small team, you might get by on the free version, but professional agencies usually end up paying £700+ a month for the tools they actually need.
What’s the fastest CRM to get started with?
Pipedrive is usually the quickest for beginners thanks to its simple pipeline view and easy setup. Zoho takes more effort to configure but becomes far more powerful once tailored to property workflows.
Getting Started with the Right CRM
Choosing a CRM is only half the battle. The real value comes from shaping it to match how your agency actually works. That’s where many estate agents get stuck—out-of-the-box systems rarely line up with the reality of property sales and lettings. In fact, broader digital transformation benefits often come when the technology is tailored properly, rather than just switched on.
At Digital Socius, we specialise in helping estate agencies customise Zoho CRM for real estate workflows. From building dedicated property modules and automating portal leads, to compliance blueprints and reporting dashboards, we’ll make sure your CRM is an asset, not a distraction.
Ready to make Zoho work for your agency?
Contact Digital Socius today to discuss your setup and start turning your CRM into a competitive advantage.