Advantages and Disadvantages of an Open-Source CRM in real estate

CRM is a term that has been used for many years now in real estate businesses. It is an abbreviation for Customer Relationship Management, and the concept behind it is that by using a CRM system, you can track all your sales, customers, leads, and even opportunities. CRM helps to keep all this data in one place and allows the user to have easy access to it when needed. There are several real estate solution providers in the market who are recommending SharePoint document management platform to be used as CRM because of its efficiency in enhancing the productivity of your work.  

What is open-source CRM?

Open-source CRM (customer relationship management) software is free to use and includes all of the features of a commercial package. However, it is not developed or supported by a company that is trying to make money from the product. Instead, it is developed by independent developers who have no financial interest in the product, and provide their services for free. Most open-source CRM packages are built on a web application framework called Ruby on Rails. SharePoint development companies are providing the best real estate solutions in shape of SharePoint CRM for real estate agencies.

In this writing, we are going to talk about some of the advantages and disadvantages of open-source CRM softwares.

Advantages of an open source real estate CRM.

Being open source programs, their use by the real estate agency does not require any economic investment. Its licenses are free, you just have to install these programs, configure them and start using them.

Of course, to use an open source real estate CRM, a minimum degree of training is required or other option is to contact a SharePoint development firm such as Al Rafay Consulting.

• A real estate CRM based on open code benefits from the latest technologies on the market, without encountering limitations in its updates or when expanding its functionalities. Updates to open source software are generally available for all areas of open source: operating systems, databases, programming languages, and so on.
• The Open Source community is a source of knowledge in constant evolution, and the real estate agency will be able to benefit from it, both to optimize the functionalities of its real estate CRM, and to get the most out of it. The Open Source community is responsible for the program “evolving”, and the real estate company will not depend on the restrictions imposed by a paid real estate CRM. 
• The Open Source community is very active and is always in a constant process of improvement; This allows the real estate company to carry out functional updates, solve problems at a practical level, access profuse documentation and also receive training in the use of its real estate CRM.
• A CRM based on an open source program, not being linked by contract with a specific provider, allows for higher levels of configuration and customization. The foregoing makes it extremely easy to adapt the real estate CRM to the specific needs of the real estate agency. Without neglecting what it represents for the real estate agency to be able to access the source code of the implemented management program.
• Open source programs does not mean that each and every one is free, because an Open Source program does not necessarily mean that it is free. However, we must bear in mind that there are a large number of open source programs on the market that are completely free, and in them the real estate agency will have the opportunity to implement its real estate CRM at no cost. In any case, the investment required to implement an open source real estate CRM is minimal, and its functionalities are generally 100% tested.

Disadvantages of an open source real estate CRM.

• A real estate CRM based on free and open source does not offer guarantees; Precisely, since it is free, no one is responsible for its malfunction. If the program is not used correctly, it is the full responsibility of the real estate agency, and the configuration and customization of the same will be at your own expense.
• The real estate agency will not always find all the solutions in a single option, because one of the characteristics of free software is that there are usually always many options. The solutions according to the specific needs of each real estate agency may eventually be in different options, hence the importance of first analyzing the limitations of each organization. However, it is worth saying that if the real estate company needs specific solutions, they are usually found through open source programs.
• Some options that the real estate agency will find in open source programs, to implement their real estate CRM, are being developed at an almost dizzying pace. In fact, some open source real estate management tools are growing so fast that they seem to be in a constant Beta phase, especially when compared to their paid counterparts. Therefore, the real estate agency must assess whether to start with a slightly inferior real estate CRM in terms of functionalities and usability, although with greater development projection, or with a superior real estate management program, although with less development projection.
• There are few open source options specifically oriented to the real estate sector, while in comparison the paid real estate CRM options on the market are quite large. The competition at the commercial level of the CRM for the paid real estate agency is very great, and of course there is always the possibility that the real estate agency does not find what it needs or adjusts to its specific needs in open source programs. A paid real estate CRM has the advantage that it also includes minimal training in its use and specialized technical support. SharePoint development firms are expert in using SharePoint as CRM for better productivity of you work.

Once the advantages and disadvantages for the real estate agency of using an open source real estate CRM have been assessed, and based specifically on the implications linked to a functional level, a priori it is presented as an excellent option.

However, I understand it is appropriate to insist that everything will depend on the specific needs of each real estate agency, and above all on its functional limitations at a technological level, as well as the deficiencies it presents at the level of technological training in its organization.

Also Read About: Why choose our SharePoint consultancy services for your business?

Final words:SharePoint being used as CRM is a part of real estate solutions provided by SharePoint development firms. Al Rafay Consulting is proving real estate solution on the digital platform SharePoint for the maximum productivity and customized setting according to the workability of your work.