Guide
How to choose an estate agent CRM in 2026: a checklist for independents
29 October 2026 ยท 2 min read
Choosing a CRM is one of the few decisions an agency makes that is expensive to reverse. Here are the questions worth asking any supplier, including us, before you commit.
1. Is it built for estate agents? A general sales CRM can be bent to fit, but properties with vendors, applicants, viewings, offers and chains do not map onto a sales pipeline. Ask to see a property with an accepted offer and a chain behind it, and how the system tells you what is missing.
“Ask every supplier, including us, what leaving looks like. The answer tells you how they expect to keep you.”
2. Does it handle lettings under the current law? From 1 May 2026, new tenancies in England are periodic, section 21 has gone and rent increases go through section 13. A lettings module still built around fixed terms, renewals and break clauses is tracking things that no longer exist. Ask how it records a periodic tenancy, checks the deposit cap and handles a rent increase.
3. Are sales and lettings in one database? Most independents do both. If they are in two systems, the landlord who wants to sell is a stranger to your sales team.
4. Can you use it properly on a phone? Agents work in cars, on doorsteps and in hallways. Ask to book a viewing, check a key and log a call from a phone during the demo, not afterwards.
5. Does it bring in new business? A CRM that only records what you have does nothing for next month. Ask whether it includes a valuation tool, applicant registration and lead capture for your website, and whether those leads land in the CRM by themselves.
6. Does it feed the portals from the property record? If an address is typed into the CRM, again into the portal and again into the brochure, three things can disagree. Ask how a listing gets to Rightmove.
7. What does it cost, all in? Ask for setup fees, training fees, per-branch and per-user pricing, portal feed charges and the length of the contract. A low monthly figure on a three-year contract with a setup fee is not a low price.
8. How long does setup take, and who moves your data? Ask whether they import your contacts, properties and tenancies, or hand you a template.
9. What happens when you leave? Ask for an export of everything, in a format another system can read, without notice and without a fee. The answer tells you how they expect to keep you.
How Foundation answers these. It is built only for UK estate and letting agents, with sales and lettings in one system and lettings set up for the Renters' Rights Act. It runs on the web and on iPhone and iPad. Every plan includes an instant valuation tool, calculators and a buyer and tenant register that feed the CRM. Pricing is per agency, month to month, with no setup fee, and you can export your data as CSV at any time. We import your data for you when you move.
Whatever you choose, ask all nine.