Why Real Estate Agents Need a Personal CRM (Not Just Your Brokerage's)

Last updated: December 2025

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You Didn't Choose Your CRM. Your Brokerage Did.

You signed with Keller Williams. They gave you Command.

Or eXp. They gave you kvCORE.

Or RE/MAX. They gave you BoomTown (or Contactually, or whatever your region uses).

You didn't shop for a CRM. You got assigned one.

And now:

Here's the thing: Your brokerage CRM is built for your brokerage, not for you.

It's built to track leads they give you. To measure your activity. To keep you reporting. To own your data.

It's not built to help you remember Sarah's son made varsity. It's not built to remind you about the Johnsons' 2-year home anniversary. It's not built for YOUR sphere - it's built for THEIR pipeline.

Table of Contents

The Problem with Brokerage-Imposed CRMs

Let's be honest about how this works:

You Didn't Choose It

How you got your brokerage CRM:

  1. Signed with brokerage
  2. Went to onboarding
  3. "Here's your login to [System]"
  4. "Watch these 6 training videos"
  5. Spent 3 hours trying to understand it

How you'd choose a CRM if it were up to you:

  1. "What do I actually need?"
  2. Try 2-3 options
  3. Pick the simplest one
  4. Start using it in 10 minutes

The difference: You're using software chosen by someone whose goals aren't the same as yours.

It's Built for the Brokerage, Not for You

What your brokerage wants to track:

What you actually need:

These are not the same goals.

Your brokerage CRM is built for reporting and accountability (to them).

What you need is context and relationships (for you).

You Don't Own Your Data

The scary truth:

When you leave your brokerage (and statistically, you will - average agent switches every 3-7 years), you lose access to:

You built the relationships. They own the data.

Some brokerages let you export a CSV. Many don't. Even if they do, you lose:

You can change brokerages, but your relationships can't.

Unless you have your own system.

It's Usually Too Complex (Because It Does Everything for Everyone)

Brokerage CRMs are built for:

You are:

But you're paying for 100% of the complexity.

The Big Three Brokerage CRMs (And What Agents Really Think)

Keller Williams Command

What KW says about it: "The #1 real estate platform. Powerful CRM, marketing tools, lead generation."

What agents actually experience:

✅ The good:

❌ The bad:

Agent quote: "Command is great if you're on a team and work KW leads. If you're solo and sphere-focused like me, it's overkill. I pay for it because I have to, but I barely use half the features."

eXp's kvCORE

What eXp says about it: "Smart CRM with AI. Lead generation, behavioral tracking, automated follow-up."

What agents actually experience:

✅ The good:

❌ The bad:

Agent quote: "kvCORE is part of my eXp fees whether I use it or not. I tried to use it for 3 months and it's just... clunky. The mobile app especially. I went back to my phone contacts and a notebook."

RE/MAX BoomTown (or Contactually, varies by region)

What RE/MAX says about it: "Integrated lead management and CRM for your RE/MAX business."

What agents actually experience:

✅ The good:

❌ The bad:

Agent quote: "I'm at RE/MAX and technically have access to BoomTown but honestly forgot my login. I close 15-20 deals a year from referrals. BoomTown is built for agents doing 50+ deals from internet leads. That's not me."

The Common Thread

What all brokerage CRMs have in common:

  1. You didn't choose them (assigned, not selected)
  2. Built for brokerage's goals (lead tracking, activity reporting)
  3. Too complex for sphere agents (designed for high-volume lead processing)
  4. Data portability issues (locked in their ecosystem)
  5. You pay whether you use them or not (part of fees/cap)

What You Actually Need (That Your Brokerage CRM Doesn't Give You)

Let's talk about what you ACTUALLY do every day:

Morning Coffee: "Who Should I Reach Out To Today?"

Your brokerage CRM:

What you need:

Red Light: "I Should Remember This About Wade"

Your brokerage CRM:

What you need:

Client Meeting: "Remind Me What I Know About Them"

Your brokerage CRM:

What you need:

Year-End: "I'm Switching Brokerages"

Your brokerage CRM:

What you need:

The Two-System Strategy: Use Both (Each for Different Jobs)

Here's the thing: You don't have to choose.

Most successful agents use TWO systems:

  1. Brokerage CRM (because you have to)
  2. Personal CRM (because you want to)

Use Your Brokerage CRM For:

✅ Brokerage-provided leads

✅ Transaction tracking (if required)

✅ Team coordination (if applicable)

✅ Whatever your broker requires for compliance

Time commitment: 5-10 minutes/day for compliance

Use Your Personal CRM (MEMO) For:

✅ Your sphere (past clients, COI, referral sources)

✅ Quick capture (thoughts at red lights)

✅ Daily "who to reach out to"

✅ Data ownership

Time commitment: 5 minutes/day (Short List) + 10 seconds per thought capture

The Math Works

Total time with one system (brokerage CRM):

Total time with two systems:

You save time AND get better results.

What Agents Really Think About Brokerage CRMs

kvCORE (eXp)

"Horrible. You keep getting passed from one customer service person to the next and get nowhere." — Verified kvCORE user review

BoomTown (RE/MAX, varies by region)

"The whole app is slow, the UX is very much 10 years ago." — Verified BoomTown user review

Command (Keller Williams)

Multiple agents report that Command is "overwhelming if you're solo" and "built for teams" rather than independent agents who work their own sphere.

The Common Thread

What agents consistently say about brokerage CRMs:

The two-system reality: Many successful agents use their brokerage CRM for compliance (because they have to) and a personal system for their actual sphere relationships (because they want to).

How to Use Both Systems (Practical Workflow)

Setup (Week 1)

Step 1: Keep using your brokerage CRM for what you must

Step 2: Import YOUR sphere into MEMO

Step 3: Set boundaries

Daily Workflow (Ongoing)

8:00 AM: Open MEMO

9:00 AM: Open Brokerage CRM

Throughout the day: Capture thoughts in MEMO

Evening: Daily Deal (optional)

Total time: 15-20 minutes/day across both systems

Long-term: Data Ownership

Scenario: You switch brokerages

Your brokerage CRM:

Your MEMO:

You import your sphere data into NEW brokerage's CRM if needed. But MEMO is your source of truth.

FAQ: Using a Personal CRM Alongside Your Brokerage's

"Won't my broker be mad if I don't use their CRM?"

No - as long as you do the minimum they require.

Most brokers care about:

Most brokers DON'T care about:

Do the compliance minimum in their system. Use MEMO for everything else.

If your broker asks, the answer is: "I use [Command/kvCORE/BoomTown] for leads and transactions. I use MEMO for my personal sphere. It helps me stay on top of relationships."

That's a perfectly reasonable answer.

"Isn't using two systems more work?"

Counterintuitively, no.

Trying to use one system (brokerage CRM) for everything:

Using two systems (each for its purpose):

Why it's less work:

"What if I want to put EVERYTHING in one system?"

Then you want a full CRM like Follow Up Boss or LionDesk.

MEMO is not trying to be an all-in-one CRM. We're not trying to replace your brokerage's system entirely.

MEMO is a relationship manager for YOUR sphere.

If you need:

You need a full CRM. That's not us.

But if you:

MEMO is the personal system that complements your brokerage's CRM.

"My brokerage CRM has a mobile app. Can't I just use that?"

You can. The question is: Do you?

Most brokerage CRM mobile apps are "desktop crammed into a phone."

They CAN do everything. But they're not optimized for:

MEMO is mobile-first. Purpose-built for the phone.

Try both. See which one you actually open daily.

"Can I import contacts FROM my brokerage CRM to MEMO?"

Usually yes, via CSV export.

Most brokerage CRMs let you export contacts as CSV.

Then:

  1. Export CSV from brokerage CRM
  2. Import CSV into MEMO
  3. Map fields (name → name, phone → phone, etc.)
  4. Done

What transfers:

What usually doesn't transfer:

Solution: Start fresh in MEMO. Use Daily Deal to enrich over time. In 2-3 months, MEMO will have more useful context than your brokerage CRM ever did.

"What happens when I switch brokerages?"

This is the whole point of having your own system.

Without a personal CRM:

  1. Leave Brokerage A
  2. Lose access to their CRM
  3. Join Brokerage B
  4. Start over in their CRM
  5. Lost: All your notes, context, relationship history

With MEMO as your personal CRM:

  1. Leave Brokerage A
  2. Still have MEMO (nothing changes)
  3. Join Brokerage B
  4. Use their CRM for new leads
  5. Continue using MEMO for your sphere
  6. Lost: Nothing. Your relationships came with you.

Your relationships are portable. Your data is yours.

"Does MEMO integrate with Command/kvCORE/BoomTown?"

No. And that's intentional.

Integration would mean:

MEMO is independent by design.

You can:

Independence = ownership.

"How much does MEMO cost on top of what I'm already paying my brokerage?"

MEMO: $49/month ($588/year)

Your brokerage CRM: Already paying (via fees/cap/add-ons)

Total additional cost: $49/month

Is it worth it?

Ask yourself:

If MEMO helps you get one extra referral per year, it pays for itself 20x over.

Plus: When you switch brokerages, you keep your data. That's priceless.

The Bottom Line: Your Relationships Should Be Yours

Your brokerage gives you a CRM. You didn't choose it. It's built for them, not you.

You can:

  1. Fight it (try to make their CRM work for your sphere) → Frustration
  2. Ignore it (go back to spreadsheets/nothing) → Lost referrals
  3. Complement it (use theirs for compliance, MEMO for relationships) → Best of both worlds

Most successful agents choose option 3.

They use their brokerage's CRM because they have to.

They use MEMO because it actually works.

15 minutes/day across both systems. Better results. Data you own.

When you switch brokerages (and statistically, you will), your relationships come with you.

Because MEMO is yours. Forever.

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If you're tired of fighting your brokerage's CRM and want a personal system that's actually yours, MEMO is built for you.

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