How SGP created smart systems and sustainable growth

At a glance

By automating trust accounting and standardising its core workflows, MRI Eagle CRM has helped this emerging agency slash administrative hours and maintain audit compliance, creating a scalable platform for continued growth.

About SGP

SGP is a startup real estate agency founded by husband and wife team, Bill and Melonie Fox in early 2024. The agency offers residential property sales and project marketing services in Brisbane and southeast Queensland, and has expanded recently into northern NSW.

The team bring complementary strengths to the family business: Melonie Fox handles sales while Bill manages administration and finances between regular shiftwork at beverage factory. Their son is building on his real estate studies by gaining hands-on experience in the business.

Early success is helping the family build momentum toward its ultimate goal: expanding the business so Bill can transition to work full-time in real estate alongside Melonie Fox.

Challenges: Conquering the learning curve and managing time constraints

While Melonie Fox had prior real estate experience, Bill was new to the industry and had to quickly familiarise himself with real estate practices and compliance requirements.

“At the start, the learning curve is quite steep,” Bill says. “So if there’s a program that can guide you somewhat intuitively, that’s a massive help. I guess a lot of the worry initially is, are you doing things correctly and legally, especially with the trust accounting.”

Like many owners of growing businesses, Bill quickly realised that spreadsheets weren’t up to the task of managing an expanding operation. Beyond the inefficiencies, this manual approach meant that important data, dates and details could easily fall through the cracks.

“The system was becoming unmanageable. Having purpose-built software that understands the industry better than I do, and can guide and track everything correctly, is far more effective than trying to wrangle endless spreadsheets,” he says.

Solution: Switching to smarter systems

Having used Eagle CRM in a previous role, Melonie Fox was familiar with its capabilities. When their auditor independently recommended the system and they evaluated a few alternatives, it stood out as the clear choice – offering the right mix of functionality and value for their growing business.

Bill shared how Eagle CRM has allowed SGP to avoid the trap of an overly complicated tech stack. “Eagle gives us everything we need in one place – from live forms to contract tracking and inquiry management. It’s a one-stop shop that lets us run our agency from a single platform, which makes everything more efficient and organised.”

“My role involves a lot of data entry, so efficiency is crucial,” Bill adds. “By entering quality data upfront in Eagle CRM, we get the benefit of auto-populated contracts and streamlined workflows. It saves valuable time, letting us focus on growing the business rather than drowning in administrative tasks.”

By switching from spreadsheets to Eagle CRM, Melonie Fox and Bill have achieved a dramatic improvement in efficiency. “What used to take five hours in spreadsheets now takes just one hour in Eagle CRM,” says Bill.

This time savings has proven invaluable, allowing SGP to focus on strategic growth. “Instead of being scattered across multiple activities, we’re using those extra hours to focus on lead generation and identifying our most profitable channels. We’re getting smarter about where we invest our energy for maximum returns.”

Benefits: Providing the building blocks for agency growth

Starting from scratch in real estate means getting the fundamentals right. For SGP, Eagle CRM has delivered the essential building blocks for a sustainable business, while it provides a platform to scale. Specific benefits have included:

• Ready-made workflows: Start using proven processes immediately.
• Value for money: From appraisals to contracts and reviews, comprehensive functionality in one system has reduced technology costs and complexity.
• Industry-ready automation: Use pre-built templates and workflows from day one.
• Simplified data management: Intuitive management of leads, listings and legal requirements reduces errors and uncertainty.
• Time-saving features: Streamlined admin lets the team focus on growth while balancing other commitments.
• Trust accounting confidence: Built-in compliance features ensure legal obligations are met, promoting good governance and peace of mind.
• Local support: An Australian-based team provides reliable telephone assistance when needed.

Set your agency up for sustainable success

Industry data shows that many real estate startups fail in their early years, making robust business systems essential for long-term success. To learn more about how Eagle CRM can help build strong foundations for your agency’s growth, contact us now.