All Forum Posts by: Michael Lathrop

@Jay Hinrichs - if you are using Property Radar then you are getting the same sorts of lead types that propstream/ repropfinder offers. With Propstream you can build a marketing list from the various lead types and then market to it. Pre-Foreclosure, Tax Liens, Judgments, Absentee Owners, No-owner occupied, Divorce, etc.... I think one of the better feature is the ability to use the filter to build your list and filter the list by how much "estimated" equity the property has. For $99/mo you get like 3500 records a month , so for some investors they would save money by not needed to go to a list provider for those lead types. I still use list providers for more niche lists like code violations, inheritance lists, etc... but the all-in-one package does help with controlling costs. But again its mostly a marketing tool, something to build marketing lists with, evaluate properties and automate and track some form of marketing (Direct Mail & RVMs) they have an email service but it's not something I recommend at all.

@Thomas Good 

@Melanie Hartmann Based on my experience compared to Realeflow, Flipster is way better for lead gen and deal analysis by far. But Realefow is a more dedicated CRM , I personally think they compliment each other. Have one All-In-One real estate lead gen software and then having a dedicated CRM with a follow up system in place is what personally makes sense to me and my team. To be honest, I have spent alot more time using PropStream and it does all the same things as Flipster on a macro level such as the lead gen and the deal analysis and I have been satisfied with PropStreams performance overall. I have used PropStream/Repropfinder's skip tracing service (60% success rate) and I reach home owners and buyers on the phone with regularity. About 0.60 per skip I believe. With that said, having a seperate CRM IMO for the lead management makes a difference especially if you are deligating and assinging leads and want to track a project from start to finish and cross collaborate through notes and shared documents. 

I do not work for/ nor have i ever worked for or with any of these companies. 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: I am looking at this from a wholesalers perspective exclusively.

What I use: Used Propstream (Now Repropfinder), Used/Still Use Realeflow

Considering: InvestorFuse 2.0 CRM (considerably more expensive than competition but could be worth it, idk)

Considering: Flipster (attracted to the fact that it has many of the same features as repropfinder/propstream but "claims" to include skiptraced content like phone numbers and emails at no extra charge)

Distant 3rd, Considering: REIAutomator (some of the guru trainers or whatever advertise this , I see it as a clone of repropfinder/propstream and have not read anything new that is significant enough to truly seperate themselves)

REI Pro: Never used it, I have seen this one a bunch, but for me I just have not really seen how this seperates itself in any major way from Repropfinder or REIAutomator. But I have not used it, I have only watched youtube videos of it being used and seen screenshots and the layout is 97% the same as Reprofinder and REIAutomator...There are few features that look different like "Rehab Workflow System" but I am not sure if 1 or 2 features is enough to really say its better than one vs the other, IMHO.

IMHO between Propfinder, REIAutomator and REIPro there is no major difference and you will succeed with either of these as they really cover all the same key data points. 

Propstream is now called "Repropfinder", I would not really call it a CRM, It fits in that All-In-One REI tool category. It has nationwide MLS access, It provides leads, lets you send out mail automatically, skip trace, extra complicated but rock solid BLUEHAMMER (localized) rehab calculator, Solid Comps in most markets, Good ARV estimator tool, etc....But it does not really manage the flow of interactions like a CRM would, the system is not really built to track notes with multiple conversation points, IMHO. It is a good source of leads " a deal finder", I have contracted and closed pre-foreclosure deals based on their data exclusively so its legit in that aspect. But when it come down to managing the work flow, and having multiple properties to you are looking to wholesale, managing the follow up, you would have to do all those things in system like Realeflow.

Realeflow in a dedicated CRM with some additional benefits that are similar to the all-in-one systems such as repropfinder. Features like pulling MLS comps (Reprofinder does it better #facts), provides some leads (as part of the base service), gives you an automated ARV estimate (not very good) , lets you send out mail from the system at the press of a button, also Realeflow offers more leads types you can "pay extra for" that would otherwise be included in Realeflow or Flipster or REIAutomator for no extra charge.

One thing that I have found great use of is Realeflow's power matching feature, it lets you match your deals with other uses buyers that have the corresponding buying criteria or VICE VERSA. This has created some exceptional collaborative relationships with other investors that have lead to deals being closed.

What i do not like about Realeflow has been mentioned by other users, it nice but it slow to move around, you have to go in an manually delete alot of content to keep the system clean, and moving between the different systems/tabs/features will NOT be fun for someone who likes to work very fast, IMHO its a decent "starter CRM". Just moving around updating notes from my properties to my contact is very very very slow. But most of all it lacks any sort of follow up system or follow up automation and we all know the "fortune is in the follow up". So for me it has never really done what I hoped it would. I desire to move faster and get more done through technology and automation, I do not want just a pretty dressed up version of GOOLGE SHEETS that requires to me go in and manually tweak every single bit of content. This is why I am going to switch from Realeflow. My needs exceed that of a Starter CRM.

I was initially attracted to InvestorFuse because of the "claims" that it has some tools built in for follow up (Never used it). I have also heard that it links with Podio (another tool i have never used). From what I have heard about Podio it is a highly customizable system that is focused on follow up but has a steep learning curve.

My search for a Real Estate CRM with a strong follow up system built in for AMs to between track their follow up continues...hopefully this helps your comparison.

Regardless of my eventual CRM choice,  I anticipate that I will continue to maintain a seperate All-in-One system to find and analyze my deals. 

FYI: I do not work for any of these companies. I say what I want, because I am signed to me.

Cheers.

@Kelly Atkinson

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO THE SPEED READERS: I am looking at this from a wholesalers perspective exclusively.

What I use: Used Propstream (Now Repropfinder), Used/Still Use Realeflow 

Considering: InvestorFuse 2.0 CRM (considerably more expensive than competition but could be worth it, idk)

Considering: Flipster (attracted to the fact that is has many of the same features as repropfinder/propstream but "claims" to include skiptraced content like phone numbers and emails at no extra charge)

Distant 3rd, Considering: REIAutomator (some of the guru trainers or whatever advertise this , I see it as a clone of repropfinder/propstream and have not read anything new that is significant enough to truly seperate themselves)

REI Pro: Never used it, I have seen this one a bunch, but for me I just have not really seen how this seperates itself in any major way from Repropfinder or REIAutomator. But I have not used it, I have only watched youtube videos of it being used and seen screenshots and the layout is 97% the same as Reprofinder and REIAutomator...There are few features that look different like "Rehab Workflow System" but I am not sure if 1 or 2 features is enough to really say its better than one vs the other, IMHO.

IMHO between Propfinder, REIAutomator and REIPro  there is no major difference and you will succeed with either of these but in my Book these are not CRMs. 

Regarding the topic of CRMs for RE Wholesalers/Investors. 

Propstream is now called "Repropfinder", I would not really call it a CRM at all. It does provide leads, lets you send out mail automatically, skip trace, extra complicated but rock solid BLUEHAMMER (localized) rehab calculator, Solid Comps in most markets, Good ARV estimator tool, etc....But it does not really manage the flow of interactions like a CRM would, the system is not really built to track notes with multiple conversation points, IMHO. It is a good source of leads and I have contracted and closed pre-foreclosure deals based on their data exclusively so its legit in that aspect. But when it come down to managing the work flow, and having multiple properties to you are looking to wholesale, managing the follow up, you would have to do all those things in system like Realeflow.

Realeflow in a dedicated CRM with some additional benefits does some of the things that repropfinder does like you can pull comps (Reprofinder does it better #facts), gives you an automated ARV estimate (not very good) , lets you send out mail from the system at the press of a button, also Realeflow offers more leads types you can "pay extra for" that would otherwise be included in Realeflow or Flipster or REIAutomator for no extra charge.

One thing that I have found great use of is Realeflow's power matching feature, it lets you match your deals with other uses buyers that have the corresponding buying criteria or VICE VERSA. This has created some exceptional collaborative relationships with other investors that have lead to deals being closed. 

What i do not like about Realeflow has been mentioned by other users, it nice but it slow to move around, you have to go in an manually delete alot of content to keep the system clean, and moving between the different systems/tabs/features will NOT be fun for someone who likes to work very fast, IMHO its a decent "starter CRM".  Just moving around updating notes from my properties to my contact is very very very slow. But most of all it lacks any sort of follow up system or follow up automation and we all know the "fortune is in the follow up". So for me it has never really done what I hoped it would. I desire to move faster and get more done through technology and automation, I do not want just a pretty dressed up version of GOOLGE SHEETS that requires to me go in and manually tweak every single bit of content. This is why I am going to switch from Realeflow. My needs exceed that of a Starter CRM. 

I was initially attracted to InvestorFuse because of the "claims" that it has some tools built in for follow up (Never used it). I have also heard that it links with Podio (another tool i have never used). From what I have heard about Podio it is a highly customizable system that is focused on follow up but has a steep learning curve. 

My search for a Real Estate CRM with a strong follow up system built in for AMs to between track their follow up continues...hopefully this helps your comparison. 

FYI: I do not work for any of these companies. I say what I want, because I am signed to me.

Cheers.