Using a CRM But Still Struggling? Here’s Why It’s Failing You
If you’re already using a CRM and still facing problems like missed follow-ups, unclear reports, and frustrated sales teams, you’re not alone.
Thousands of real estate builders and brokers across India have adopted CRM tools over the past few years — but many still find themselves managing chaos instead of closing deals.
The problem? It’s not that CRMs don’t work.
It’s that the wrong CRM for your business workflow does more harm than good.
In this blog, we’ll explore:
- Why real estate teams still struggle despite using a CRM
- How to spot whether your current CRM is holding you back
- What a real estate-specific CRM should actually help you do
- How teams like yours are regaining control, visibility, and sales performance
Why Real Estate Professionals Struggle Despite Having a CRM
Let’s be clear: CRM systems are meant to simplify your business. If they’re causing friction, something’s off.
Here are the most common complaints we hear from brokers and developers in India:
1. “We use a CRM… but leads still slip through the cracks.”
If your team is still relying on sticky notes, WhatsApp, or follow-up diaries — despite having a CRM — that’s a red flag.
The core job of a CRM is to ensure every lead is:
- Captured instantly (especially from 99acres, MagicBricks, Google Ads, etc.)
- Assigned to the right team member
- Followed up with on time
- Updated through each sales stage
If that’s not happening, your CRM is likely too generic or not integrated with real estate lead sources.
📖 According to research by Freshsales, sales teams lose up to 27% of leads due to poor CRM lead assignment practices.
Source: https://www.freshworks.com/freshsales-crm/sales-report/
2. “The team finds it too complicated to use.”
If your sales team isn’t updating the CRM regularly, you lose visibility.
Common reasons for poor adoption:
- The interface is not mobile-friendly
- It takes too many clicks to do basic tasks
- It feels like “extra work” rather than a helpful assistant
And if your CRM isn’t designed for the way real estate teams actually work — it becomes a burden.
3. “We don’t get the insights we need.”
Generic CRMs might give you reports like:
- Number of leads added
- Status of deals
- Follow-up reminders
But that’s not enough for real estate businesses.
Builders and brokers need:
- Project-wise sales and inventory reports
- Team performance by source, region, or project
- Conversion trends by lead channel
- Unit availability tracking
If you can’t view your entire sales funnel in one dashboard, you’re running blind.
4. “There’s no proper way to manage documents or unit bookings.”
Most generic CRMs don’t support:
- Unit holds or booking logic
- Payment plan tracking
- Document generation (quotes, receipts, allotment letters)
So builders and brokers end up juggling:
- CRM for leads
- Excel for inventory
- Word for quotes
- WhatsApp for approvals
This fragmented workflow leads to errors, missed opportunities, and internal confusion.
🛠️ An ideal CRM should replace 4–5 tools, not require more workarounds.
5. “It was working in the beginning… but now feels like a mess.”
This is common with CRMs that are not tailored for real estate.
As your lead volume, team size, and project count grow — your CRM should scale too.
If it can’t:
- Automate repetitive tasks
- Manage multi-project workflows
- Offer customizations for team roles
…it ends up being a glorified spreadsheet.
How to Know If Your Current CRM Is Failing You
Ask yourself:
- Is my team updating the CRM daily without reminders?
- Can I track my project’s sales health in 3 clicks?
- Are lead sources like MagicBricks, 99acres, Meta integrated into my CRM?
- Do I still use Excel or WhatsApp for inventory or follow-ups?
- Am I able to generate project-specific documents inside the system?
If you answered “no” to more than 2 of these, your CRM isn’t delivering what it should.
What the Right Real Estate CRM Should Actually Do
The CRM that truly works for Indian real estate must handle both the people and the projects.
Key capabilities to look for:
| Feature | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Auto-lead capture from portals & ads | Saves time, avoids manual entry |
| Project-wise unit tracking | Know real-time inventory |
| Mobile-first design | Helps sales teams update from site or field |
| Follow-up automation | No lead goes cold |
| Lead scoring & stage tracking | Prioritize hot leads |
| Document automation | Generate quotes & allotment letters instantly |
| Payment milestone tracking | Align with your payment plans |
| Custom role-based access | Control who sees what |
You should feel like the CRM is your virtual sales assistant, not a data-entry tool.
Real-World Example
Let’s say you’re a broker managing 200+ leads a month across 3 localities in Ahmedabad.
With your current CRM:
- You manually assign leads to team members
- Your site visit schedules are updated in Google Sheets
- Your follow-ups are tracked on phone reminders
You’re “using” a CRM — but still spending hours chasing updates and wondering why deals are stalling.
Now imagine:
- Leads from Housing.com and your website auto-flow into your CRM
- They’re assigned based on region/team load
- You see a color-coded lead score and know exactly who needs a call today
- Your sales guy logs the site visit from his phone right after it ends
- You generate and send a quote to the lead within 2 minutes
That’s the difference the right CRM makes.
What to Do If Your CRM Isn’t Working
If your CRM is:
- Too generic
- Too complex
- Not used actively
- Can’t track units or bookings
- Doesn’t fit the real estate workflow
…it’s time to stop trying to “fix” it.
Instead, switch to one that’s built from the ground up for your industry, Makanify Real Estate CRM.
Want to See What a Real Estate CRM Should Really Feel Like?
You don’t need to abandon your data or retrain your whole team. With a real estate-specific platform like Makanify CRM, you get:
- Seamless lead capture
- Project-level visibility
- Document automation
- Smart follow-ups
- And a setup that feels built for you, not a software company
👉 Book a free demo today and let’s get your sales back on track — with a CRM that actually works.
FAQs
1. What’s the biggest sign my current CRM isn’t working?
If your team doesn’t use it consistently or if you’re still relying on external tools like Excel or WhatsApp, it’s not doing its job.
2. Will switching CRM cause data loss?
No. Most modern CRMs (like Makanify) offer data import tools and onboarding support to migrate safely.
3. Can I use a CRM just for one project or team?
Yes. You can start with a single project or sub-team and scale as needed.
4. Is there a steep learning curve in switching CRMs?
Not if you choose a real estate-specific CRM — onboarding is often completed within a few days with guided training.
5. Why not just build our own custom CRM?
Unless you have a full in-house tech team, building your own CRM is costly, slow, and hard to maintain. It’s better to use a specialized platform that evolves with your needs.