Chapter 12: Communities (Team Collaboration or Client Groups)

Close Master includes an engaging Communities feature, allowing your real estate agency to create private, interactive online groups directly within the Client Portal environment (the secure login area described in Chapter 13). Think of this as creating your own branded alternative to a private Facebook Group, hosted directly within your agency's ecosystem. This feature provides a powerful way to foster connection, discussion, knowledge sharing, and support among specific groups.

Potential Uses for Real Estate Agencies:

  • Internal Team Hub: Create a central, private group exclusively for your agents and administrative staff. Use it for:
    • Sharing important agency announcements and updates.
    • Discussing market trends, sales strategies, and best practices.
    • Asking and answering questions about using Close Master tools.
    • Celebrating team wins and successes.
    • Providing easy access to internal training resources, scripts, or document templates via the linked Learning tab (See 12.5).
  • Exclusive Client Groups (Value-Add): Offer dedicated groups as a premium service for your active buyer or seller clients. Use them to:
    • Provide updates on the transaction process and next steps.
    • Host live Q&A sessions with agents or preferred partners (like lenders or inspectors).
    • Share relevant market insights, checklists, or moving tips.
    • (Optional) Allow clients undergoing similar processes to connect and share experiences (manage expectations carefully).
  • Niche/Interest Groups: Build specialized communities around specific real estate topics, potentially as part of a paid coaching program or information product:
    • Local Real Estate Investing Club.
    • First-Time Home Buyer Workshop Group.
    • Luxury Property Market Discussion Forum.
    • Agent Productivity Mastermind Group.

Accessing Communities:

  • Admin Management: You set up, configure, and administer your community groups primarily via Memberships → Communities tab → Groups sub-tab (or potentially accessed via Sites → Client Portal → Communities → Groups).
  • Member Access: Your members (agents, clients) access the specific groups they have been granted permission to join by logging into the main Client Portal (See Chapter 13).

Sections in this Chapter: