From kvCORE to Sierra Interactive: The Journey of Next Door Real Estate Team

Success Spotlight

• Small but mighty team
• Market coverage in Des Moines, Iowa
• $70 MM in volume

Navigating the seas of real estate technology, and specifically real estate CRM solutions, can be a daunting task, even for seasoned professionals. For the Next Door Real Estate Team, their voyage took them from Sierra Interactive to kvCORE and back to Sierra Interactive. In this success story, we’ll explore why they made these transitions and how they ultimately found their ideal platform. This guide will share insights directly from Joanne May, Team Lead of Next Door Real Estate Team, RE/MAX Precision, to help real estate teams understand the importance of choosing the right tools for their business.

Next Door Real Estate Team’s Background

The Next Door Real Estate Team, led by Joanne May, has been making waves in the real estate market for over four years. Comprised of three talented women, the team operates primarily out of Des Moines, Iowa, serving a diverse array of clients from first-time homebuyers to seasoned investors. Their commitment to providing exceptional customer service and tailored real estate solutions has set them apart in a competitive industry.

Initial Choice of Sierra Interactive

When Joanne first started in real estate, Sierra Interactive was her go-to platform. She found it user-friendly and packed with features that streamlined her team’s workflow. Joanne appreciated Sierra’s ability to track leads, record phone calls and automate many of the repetitive tasks that bog down real estate professionals. When she decided to start her own team, Sierra Interactive was her first choice, and her new team members were just as enthusiastic, having previously used it.

The Move to kvCORE

At an industry event, Joanne learned that RE/MAX was adopting kvCORE, a real estate platform that promised similar functionalities to Sierra Interactive but at no additional cost. Enticed by the potential savings, Joanne decided to give kvCORE a try. However, this decision soon led to frustration and inefficiency.

Joanne and her team experienced significant challenges with kvCORE from the get-go. “It literally took a month to get my people uploaded correctly,” Joanne recalls. They faced repeated issues with assigning clients to the right agents, setting up searches and utilizing key features like squeeze pages. The user experience was far from seamless, making it difficult for the team to perform even basic tasks efficiently.

The Return to Sierra Interactive

After months of grappling with kvCORE, Joanne decided it was time to return to Sierra Interactive. The transition back was swift and smooth, with Sierra’s customer support team stepping in to ensure everything was set up correctly. “…The team [was] Johnny-on-the-spot, fixing a lot of things for us,” Joanne notes.

With Sierra Interactive, the Next Door Real Estate Team was able to quickly get back to their high level of productivity. The platform’s intuitive design and robust feature set allowed them to focus on what they do best—serving their clients.

Effective Customer Support and Client Relationships

For small teams like the Next Door Real Estate Team, effective customer support is crucial. Joanne emphasizes the importance of quick and reliable assistance, which she found lacking in kvCORE but readily available with Sierra Interactive. “You had an answer that day, sometimes within an hour,” she says.

Maintaining client relationships is another area where Sierra Interactive excels. The platform’s automation features ensure that clients are consistently engaged, whether through personalized email campaigns or timely follow-ups. “Sierra’s system does the work for you if you utilize it,” Joanne adds.

Sierra Automations allow you to save time, dial in your systems and help ensure your team operates at peak performance with automated personalized messaging for effective lead nurturing. Simply choose one or more triggers to start an automation. The following triggers can kickstart a Sierra Automation: 

Tags

You can select one or more tags applied to a lead.

Lead Data

You can select an update to a lead’s status. The options include: 

• Lead Status (Buyer, Seller, Buyer or Seller) 
• Email Status Changed to [X] 
• Phone Status Changed to [X] 

Behavioral

You can select a lead’s (potentially high-intent) behavior. This includes when a lead:

• Schedules a Showing Request
• Returns to Site After [X] or More Days
• Requests More Information about a Property
• Saves a Property
• Clicks [X] Consecutive Listing Alerts
• Views a Single Property [X] or More Times
• Incoming Communication from Lead – Email, Text Message, Phone Call 
• Lead Unsubscribes/ Resubscribes to a Communication Preference (Marketing Emails, Text Messages, E-Alerts/ Market Updates, Property Notifications) 

Calendar Date

You can select a calendar date. This includes:

• Lead Has Birthday in [X] Days
• Lead Has Home Anniversary in [X] Days
• Date Registered 
• Specific Calendar Date
• Contact Delay Ends in [X] Days

Action Plans

You can select triggers related to action plans. These include:

• Traditional Action Plan [X] Is Applied 
• Fully Automated Action Plan [X] Is Applied 
• Traditional Action Plan [X] Completed without Lead Response 
• Fully Automated Action Plan [X] Completed without Lead Response 

Agent Communications

These are triggers based on your agent communications to leads. These include:  

• Agent Call Outcome (Outbound Calls) 

Lead Assignment

You can select a lead’s assignment to an agent, collaboration, lender or pond. This includes:

• Lead Assigned to Agent
• Lead Assigned to Lender
• Lead Assigned to Collaborator 
• Lead Assigned to Pond

Integrations

These are triggers related to such Sierra integrations as Revaluate. These include:  

• When a Lead’s Revaluate Score Increases into a Range Between [X] and [Y] 
• When a Lead’s Revaluate Score Decreases into a Range Between [X] and [Y] 

Success Strategies for Real Estate Teams

The Next Door Real Estate Team employs several strategies that have contributed to their success:

Consistent Client Engagement:

 Sierra Interactive’s automated drip campaigns help the team stay top of mind with their clients. Joanne mentions that they use custom campaigns to touch base with clients at various intervals, ensuring they feel valued and remembered.

Leveraging Data for Better Decisions:

 The team uses Sierra’s robust data analytics to track lead sources, monitor campaign performance and make informed decisions about where to focus their efforts.

Personal Touches:

 Beyond digital engagement, the team also invests in personal touches like pop-by gifts and handwritten notes. These small gestures go a long way in building strong, lasting relationships with their clients.

Conclusion

The story of the Next Door Real Estate Team is a testament to the importance of choosing the right real estate platform. Their journey from Sierra Interactive to kvCORE and back highlights the impact that technology and effective customer support can have on a team’s efficiency and success.

For real estate teams looking to enhance their operations, the key takeaway is clear: don’t underestimate the power of a reliable, user-friendly platform. Sierra Interactive not only offers a robust set of features but also provides unparalleled customer support, making it an invaluable asset for any team.

Ready to take your real estate business to the next level? Consider experiencing the benefits of Sierra Interactive firsthand. It’s not just about the technology—it’s about finding a partner in your success. Schedule a demo today!