Custom CRMs built around your workflow.
Off-the-shelf CRMs make agents adapt to software. I build software that adapts to you. Custom pipelines, lead routing logic, automated nurture flows, MLS integration, document handling, versioned event contracts — owned outright like the rest of the stack.
Follow Up Boss is great for the median agent. Not for you.
Follow Up Boss, kvCORE, Chime, Top Producer — these are excellent off-the-shelf CRMs designed for the median real-estate agent. The price is low ($30–$100/mo per seat), the feature set is comprehensive, the integrations are deep. If you're a solo agent doing 8 deals a year, one of these is probably the right answer.
But once your business actually has shape — a specific seller flow you've refined over a decade, an unusual brokerage commission structure, a team where leads route by school district instead of by territory, transaction milestones tied to specific document signatures, integration with vendors that have no Zapier connector — you start bending an off-the-shelf CRM to your workflow. Custom field after custom field. Workarounds inside workarounds. Eventually the CRM owns your process instead of supporting it.
A custom CRM, built from scratch around your actual workflow, often costs less per month than 5 seats of kvCORE — and it does the things kvCORE can't. Same database as your IDX site, no syncing or webhook fragility. Built by the same person who built the site, supported the same way.
Discovery, contract, build, launch, evolve.
Step 1 — discovery (2-3 weeks, fixed-fee): I shadow your current workflow. Sit in on lead intake, review your spreadsheets, watch your team's actual flow. Write a versioned event contract: every meaningful business action that happens during a deal, typed and documented. This artifact alone is worth the discovery fee — it forces your process into a clear shape.
Step 2 — build (4-8 weeks): Postgres schema, Next.js admin app, role-based auth, automated workflows, integrations into the systems you actually use (MLS, e-signature, document storage, Calendly, your phone system). Weekly demos with your team. You see real progress every week.
Step 3 — launch + evolve: deploy, migrate your existing data, train your team in person or via screen-share. After launch, ongoing care via a monthly retainer or à la carte feature work — your call. The CRM evolves with your business because the person who built it is still on the line.
Capabilities every custom CRM includes.
- Versioned event contract
- Every meaningful action (lead_captured, listing_viewed, showing_requested, offer_made) typed and documented. Self-monitoring synthetic canaries catch silent breakage before your team notices.
- Multi-agent role-based access
- Granular permissions: agents see their own leads, team leads see the whole team, brokers see the brokerage. Audit log of who touched what, when, and why.
- Lead routing logic
- Round-robin, geographic, school-district, listing-type, custom JavaScript expressions — pick the routing model that fits your team. Re-route on bounce or no-answer.
- Automated nurture flows
- Email sequences, SMS drips, milestone-based check-ins. Triggered by events from the CRM itself or from your IDX site (visitor behavior). Conditional logic, A/B variants, full open/click tracking.
- MLS + transaction integration
- Listings, status changes, photo updates pulled directly from the MLS into your CRM. Document signatures pulled from DocuSign / Dotloop. Calendar bookings from Calendly. No syncing fragility.
- Same Postgres as your IDX site
- Both apps share one database — no webhook contract to maintain, no eventual consistency, no duplicate-record problems. Your IDX site fires events; your CRM reads them in real time.
Project-based, not subscription. Plus a maintenance option.
Custom CRMs are scoped per-business — the build cost depends on the complexity of your workflow, the number of integrations, and the team size. Below is a rough sizing guide. Discovery (free 60-min call) gets you a fixed-price quote within a week.
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Solo CRM
$15K – $25K · 6–8 weeks · solo agent with custom workflow
- Single-user admin app + buyer/seller portal
- Custom lead intake + qualification logic
- Email nurture sequences + SMS drip
- MLS feed integration, document storage
- Hosted on your infra, owned by you
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Team CRM
$25K – $50K · 8–12 weeks · team of 3–8 agents
- Multi-agent role-based dashboards
- Lead routing rules (round-robin, geographic, custom logic)
- Transaction milestone tracking + commissions ledger
- Synthetic canary monitoring + uptime watchdog
- Integrations into your existing vendor stack
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Brokerage CRM
$50K+ · 12–20 weeks · boutique brokerage 10–30 agents
- Brokerage-level admin + per-agent admin
- Multi-tier permissions, audit trail, compliance reporting
- Recruiting funnel + commission split engine
- White-label per-agent client portal
- Care subscription after launch ($799 – $1,995/mo)
Custom CRM real-estate questions.
How is this different from kvCORE or Follow Up Boss with custom fields?
FUB and kvCORE are excellent CRMs designed for the median agent — they're built to work for everyone, which means they work pretty well for most and exactly right for nobody. A custom CRM is built around your specific process, your specific integrations, your specific team structure. The big difference: when you need a new feature, you talk to me and it ships in a week, not when it bubbles up the FUB roadmap.
Why does it cost so much more upfront than a subscription CRM?
Because you're paying for the build, not the ongoing service. A $20K custom CRM with no monthly fee breaks even against $200/mo kvCORE in 8 years — but the math gets way better when you factor in (a) the productivity gain from a tool that fits, (b) avoiding the per-seat tax as your team grows, (c) the brokerage commission impact of better lead handling. Most clients report payback in 12-18 months from operational lift alone.
Can it migrate from my existing CRM?
Yes. Discovery includes a data audit of your current system (FUB, kvCORE, Chime, whatever). Migration is included in the build — we map every field, run a parallel test month, cutover when you're confident. Your historical lead data, deal history, communication logs all come with you.
What if I need it to do something that's not in scope?
After launch you have two options: (1) à la carte feature work billed at $150-200/hr, no minimum, or (2) a care subscription ($799-$1,995/mo depending on tier) that includes 8-20 hours of monthly feature work plus ongoing maintenance. Most clients start à la carte and move to a care subscription once they realize they want continuous evolution.
How do you handle data security and compliance?
Postgres hosted on Supabase / Neon / Cloudflare D1 (your choice) with TLS in transit, encryption at rest, full audit logs. Compliance posture depends on your brokerage requirements — happy to engage your compliance team during discovery. Sharon Fronk's system handles 3,000+ active listings and lead PII; same security posture applies.
Will the CRM integrate with my IDX site?
Yes, deeply — if you've also built your IDX site with Reach Refine, they literally share one Postgres database, so there's no integration to maintain. If your IDX site is on a different stack (Sierra, kvCORE, etc.), we integrate via their APIs and webhooks, same way any third-party CRM would.
Build software that fits your workflow.
Free 60-minute discovery call. We walk through your current process, identify the workarounds you've built, and I'll tell you honestly whether a custom CRM makes sense or if a smarter use of FUB/kvCORE is the right answer. Either way, you leave with clarity.
Book a CRM discovery