Malta’s real estate boom has not only driven economic growth but also changed the sector’s technology requirements. The latest iteration of Agilis’ customer relationship management (CRM) software, RealtyCRM, has taken a technological leap forward to help real estate agents remain at the top of their industry in the Maltese islands and beyond.
Software developer and RealtyCRM director Anthony Lupi first started working on a bespoke technology solution for estate agents more than 20 years ago. At the time, a leading Maltese agency approached him looking for a tool that would allow them to streamline procedures across different branches. The company needed something better than generic office management software.
Anthony started programming and soon, the first version of RealtyCRM was born. “I developed a basic system for our first client in 2003”, Anthony explains. Quickly, other agents recognised the benefits and bought the software, eventually making it one of the country’s leading CRMs for the property industry.
Since those early days, technology has changed almost beyond recognition. Luckily, flexibility has always been one of RealtyCRM’s trademarks. “Right from the beginning, we have spent time with our clients to hear their feedback and understand their requirements”, says Andrew.
Anthony adds: “Taking client feedback onboard not only helped us develop additional modules our clients needed, but it has also allowed us to remain at the top of our industry in Malta. Plus, we’ve had the chance to become industry experts in this important niche.”
Although regular updates and changes have been par for the course for RealtyCRM, none were more comprehensive than the most recent alterations. “RealtyCRM has effectively had a complete facelift,” explains Andrew. “We followed feedback from agents and took into account bigger economic developments.”
“The pandemic clearly showed the limitations of desktop-based software solutions,” Anthony says. Real estate agents needed access to information on-the-go if they wanted to work with high-value clients and close lucrative deals. They could no longer rely on phoning their office-based colleagues.
As a result, the RealtyCRM mobile app was born. The app not only shows agents details of a property they’re currently showing but also allows them to access information about properties nearby. “If agents are out on a viewing with clients, they can immediately look for other options in the vicinity and take their clients there,” Anthony explains. “There is no need to make time for another appointment.”
Anthony Lupi (left) and Andrew Cutajar (right)
In fact, the convenience of using a powerful tool like Realty starts during the onboarding process of a new property. “When an agent meets with a property owner, they can start onboarding straight away thanks to voice recording technology,” Andrew says. “Agents can record their experience of the property as they walk through it, creating a more accurate description with less effort.”
The app also allows owners to sign any required paperwork online, allowing the listing to be completed faster. In addition, the development team has included functionality to protect agent commissions by keeping track of properties shown to clients.
Fast access to relevant, up-to-date information is one of the key benefits of RealtyCRM, and the software’s well-designed dashboards have made that easy. Andrew explains: “Agents can review their performance, branch managers can access team performance data and senior leadership teams can see how the company is performing as a whole – all within a few clicks.”
Users can see significant key performance indicators (KPIs) at a glance and quickly drill down to analyse more detailed information.
Anthony adds: “The real estate industry runs on sales, and any successful software solution needs to help agents sell.” He believes that the company’s commitment to enhancing RealtyCRM continuously has helped the team stay at the top of the industry.
To retain its position as an industry leader, the Agilis and RealtyCRM team continues to focus on strengthening client relationships. “When we visit some of our long-term clients, it’s almost like visiting an old friend,” says Anthony.
“We want to be more than a supplier for our clients,” Andrew says. “We are their technology partner. Our clients make an investment when they choose our solution, and we continue to invest along the way to build the strongest, most powerful solution possible.”
While the company continues to prioritise its Maltese clients, they are also looking to bring their solution to international markets, initially looking at English-speaking countries with similar real estate industries.
In its current iteration, RealtyCRM is primed to accommodate this kind of growth, including accommodating multiple languages and different sales procedures. The system is fully scalable and built on a solid foundation that can handle any size of client, from a local one-person-company to global franchisees.
Despite being in a strong position, neither Andrew nor Anthony are ready to rest on their laurels. “We’re always looking for ways to adopt and harness new technologies for the benefit of our clients,” Andrew says. RealtyCRM’s development teams are exploring emerging technologies and considering sophisticated approaches to real estate marketing, for example. “The question is how can we new technologies to develop stronger and better tools?”
Over the next five to ten years, the developers of RealtyCRM want to remain leaders in their industry and establish their product in a number of markets beyond the Maltese islands. Thanks to the tool’s solid foundation, scaling and adapting it to international requirements are comparatively easy.
Still, at the end of the day, Andrew believes that developing strong client relationships will be the key to continued growth. “Our long-term clients know that we’re only ever a phone call away,” he says. Continuing to have open conversations with clients and investing in client relationships in Malta and abroad will help spread the word about RealtyCRM and attract new users to the brand.
Main Image:Anthony Lupi (left) and Andrew Cutajar (right)
