Custom Real Estate Database Case Study: Cresa

Ascendix: What functions were lacking in the original Salesforce CRM that you decided to use AscendixRE?

Robert: We wanted to be able to own our data. We have some corporate protocols where data, that is untouched for a certain period, gets unassigned from you. We wanted to have a database where our personal items did not disappear. That is why we went out and got AscendixRE.

Ascendix: How long have you been using Ascendix products?

Robert: We are using AscendixRE for around four years and I am pretty sure we rolled out Ascendix Search when it first came out.

One of my partners uses it more efficiently and on a more consistent basis than I do. But we have been using it from the start, and we found that extremely helpful.

Ascendix: Why did you choose Ascendix Technologies among companies?

Robert: It was really the team. They were really hands-on. At that stage, Wes and Chris were really involved, and they were just very helpful. They helped us move things from Excel spreadsheets and CSV files. We felt comfortable that Ascendix would not disappear when we needed the help. They really worked with us to get everything over as consistently as we possibly could.

What is one of the ways Ascendix impressed you?

Robert: In one of our early conversations, we discussed that the world is becoming a “big data world” and those who do the best job of collecting, organizing, and utilizing data will achieve the highest levels of success.

Ascendix made it clear that with their solution I could build a database that would help advance my career and give me a competitive advantage.

Smooth Data Importation

Robert: I remember I was thinking that we would probably have 50% success with our data imports, but we got it to 85-95%, so everything is converted over.

And it was really because of the Ascendix team and that is why we decided to go with it. We just felt like they were very hands-on and if we needed something, we could just pick up the phone and call them.

On one of our first calls, Wes Snow stated that we should shoot for a much higher rate than that if we follow a methodical process, perhaps approaching 100% accuracy.

My first thought based on previous experience was this not going to happen. Then Wes said, “we can definitely do better than 75%.”  In the end, we achieved much closer to 95% data accuracy.

To give you some insight on what we imported, I imported every property in my market over 100,000 square feet, over 2,500 lease comps, another 1,000 accounts & associated contacts. Overall it was about 8,000 records.

Ascendix set clear expectations for the capabilities of xRE Foundations the on-boarding process and it was extraordinary from the beginning.  They carried me through all the way to the back-end. They have a process that made it pretty easy.

During the process, I thought I can’t believe I’m going back to review excel sheets again, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t that difficult as they did a great job of communicating the benefit to be gained in the end which served as ample motivation.  And even better, xRE Foundations was exactly what I wanted it to look like and everything was where it was supposed to be.

I can’t stress enough the importance of taking time to prepare the data to assure the usability of the tool for you and your future team. This investment of time was key if I wanted to build the best database in my market. I truly believe a database that is highly organized with my market intelligence will lead to more deals.

If you want to have a quality dataset that is better than the competition it is something that you have to spend your personal time on upfront, then your data will be streamlined in the future.

A quick tip to expedite the process; create a master spreadsheet to organize all of your data into one source file giving you the ability to not only identify duplicates faster but to establish links between record types such as companies and leases.

Can you give your review of our AscendixRE Foundations solution built on Salesforce.com?

Robert: I was reviewing your competitors’ solutions, but what I like most about Ascendix was the relational aspect of the data and the high touch of their team throughout the process.

It is easy to use and getting the information in was made easy by your team. I liked that you were upfront about the data migration process.

Ascendix told me that they would help me through the process, but if I put in a little work on my side making sure the data was clean and complete I would benefit even more, and I have.

The support team was great from start to finish. For example, I had a few basic questions one evening and I called the Ascendix client success team. I didn’t even leave a voicemail because I thought it could wait till the next day.

The rep I had been working with saw that she missed my call and immediately called back and said, “I’m in the car and I’m on my way home, but I saw I just missed your call and wanted to see how I could help.” On that call, she was able to quickly walk me though a few minor details.  It was nice that she was so attentive to something that could have waited till the next day.

The whole team has gone above and beyond to make sure the system is working for me.  Especially during the first 2 weeks in making sure that everything looked the way I wanted and, more importantly, functioned the way I wanted.

Ascendix: How does Ascendix Search differentiate from a General Salesforce Search? What was lacking at that time for you in General Salesforce Search?

Robert: I think you had just customized it a little bit better. And again, it was more specific to what we were doing on a commercial real estate level than Salesforce. Our problem with Salesforce was that it was an off-the-shelf version.
And there were so many features like convolution and the Ascendix Search feature seemed easier to use. We were able to pull the information that we wanted to see quicker and easier.

Ascendix: What is the most useful feature in Ascendix Search app for you?

Robert: The save search features for me because usually, we build a list of prospects at a certain period. And we want to reach out to them on a consistent basis by building that save search feature to just go right back into that.

The Payoff

3 Hours a Week are Saved

Robert: In the short time of me using AscendixRE Foundations it has been a big time saver. It’s also easy to run reports and especially to pull my comps.

I’m quickly learning that in the click of a few buttons I can get everything I need for a meeting, then get it over to my team to prep for the presentation.

I can now focus on preparing for the deal instead of wasting time combining excel sheets and creating reports from scratch.

In addition to making more informed decisions with the organization of the data, I would guess I’m saving about 3 hours a week and a lot can get done in 3 hours!

Ascendix: Did Ascendix Search help to make your work more productive?

Robert: I think the more you use it, the easier it becomes. At first, it can be a little bit overwhelming, but it is about just spending time on technology and learning it. I still feel like I can know it a lot better.

Ascendix: Considering your experience with the data readjustment, are you going to continue with further digital optimization in your company?

Robert: Yeah, many features come out, and even whether it is Salesforce as a whole or AscendixRE or Ascendix Search, we will add additional features as we see fit. It is a matter of not trying to overcomplicate it. I do not see why we would not look to add features that will be more beneficial to business development efforts.

Cresa’s Expert Advice

Ascendix: What would you advise people who are searching for an advanced search app for Salesforce, what should they pay their attention to?

Robert: They should look for a company that has good customer support because most likely you’re going to have questions and need help and you want to be able to get answers quickly.

Regardless of whether they are a help desk or individuals, you may need to pick up the phone and call them and walk through something.

It is something that you should consider because unless you are super tech-savvy, you are going to have questions.

And you do not have to have a half-hour or an hour of frustration trying to figure something out.

Key Takeaway

The lesson that can be learned from this customer story, that ready-made CRM solutions can be a good option but not for all companies. To scale up your business and to stick to your business values your organization may require custom-made and industry-oriented software.

The right choice of the CRM customization provider can help you to:

• adapt your CRM exactly to your company needs,
• gain absolute control over your database,
• admin it seamlessly,
• automate it to the full extent.