10.1 Understanding Workflows: Automating Follow-Up & Tasks

The Core Idea: "If This Happens (Trigger), Then Do That (Actions)... Automatically"

Workflows operate on a simple yet powerful trigger-and-action system:

  • Trigger: This is the specific event that initiates the automated sequence for a particular Contact or Opportunity. Think of it as the starting gun. Examples relevant to real estate include:
    • A buyer lead fills out your "Buyer Inquiry" Form.
    • A seller lead's Opportunity stage is changed to "Listing Appointment Set" in your Pipeline.
    • An Appointment for a property showing is confirmed via your Calendar.
    • A Tag like "Hot Lead" is added to a Contact.
    • A contact clicks a specific Trigger Link in your email newsletter promoting a new listing.
  • Actions: These are the series of steps you define within the workflow that Close Master performs automatically in sequence after the Trigger event occurs for that specific contact/deal. The possibilities are vast, but common actions include:
    • Sending personalized Emails or SMS Text messages.
    • Waiting for a specific amount of time (minutes, hours, days) before proceeding.
    • Adding or removing organizational Tags from the contact record.
    • Creating follow-up Tasks and assigning them to specific agents or team members.
    • Updating Custom Fields on the contact record (e.g., changing a custom Lead Status field from "New" to "Contacted").
    • Moving an Opportunity card automatically to the next Stage in your sales Pipeline.
    • Notifying team members internally via email or SMS about important events (e.g., a new hot lead assigned).
    • Using If/Else conditional logic to perform different actions based on specific criteria (e.g., send different email sequences to buyers vs. sellers, or assign leads differently based on zip code).

Why Workflows are Absolutely Essential for Real Estate Agencies:

  • Speed to Lead (CRITICAL): Instantly engage new online inquiries (from website forms, Zillow/Realtor.com integrations, Facebook Lead Ads) with an automated text or email within minutes, 24/7. This dramatically increases your chance of making contact and setting an appointment before competitors do.
  • Consistent & Persistent Follow-Up: Ensure every single lead receives your defined follow-up sequence (e.g., Day 1: SMS + Email, Day 3: Email, Day 5: Task for Agent to Call, Day 10: Email) without relying solely on busy agents remembering to do it manually. This prevents valuable leads from falling through the cracks and maximizes conversion potential over time.
  • Task Automation & Accountability: Automatically create and assign tasks to agents or transaction coordinators at key milestones in the client lifecycle or transaction process (e.g., Task: "Prepare CMA for Seller Lead" when appointment set, Task: "Schedule Showing" when buyer requests, Task: "Order Appraisal" when deal goes under contract, Task: "Send Closing Gift" after closing). Ensures crucial steps are not missed and assigns responsibility.
  • Streamlined Appointment Management: Send automated appointment confirmations and reminders (via SMS and/or Email) for consultations, showings, listing appointments, and inspections, significantly reducing costly no-shows. Trigger different follow-up sequences based on whether the appointment status is updated to 'Showed' or 'No Show'.
  • Long-Term Nurturing & Relationship Building: Stay top-of-mind with your valuable past clients and sphere of influence (SOI). Set up automated "drip" campaigns that send out birthday or home anniversary messages, relevant local market updates, or periodic check-in emails over months or even years, fostering loyalty and generating repeat business and referrals over time.
  • Process Standardization: Implement consistent processes for onboarding new clients, managing active listings (e.g., sending seller updates automatically), or handling the steps involved in a transaction from contract to close. Ensures a uniform quality of service.
  • Efficient Data Management: Automatically apply relevant Tags to leads based on their source or expressed interests, update Custom Field statuses as they move through sequences, or move Opportunity cards through Pipeline stages based on completed actions or time elapsed. Keeps your CRM data clean and up-to-date.

Important Note: Workflows are the modern, more flexible, and powerful automation tool in Close Master. They effectively replace older, separate features sometimes referred to as "Campaigns" and "Triggers" found in earlier versions of similar platforms. For all new automations, you should be using the Workflows builder.