The Data Conundrum facing Estate Agents

At this point, it probably makes sense to highlight the elephant in the room. That being, the subject of data and data transfer when estate agents look to change CRM systems.

Having been on both sides of the fence in terms of working within a client seeking to change software systems, working with incumbent systems where data is being transferred, and incoming systems where data is being pulled in, there are undoubtedly inherent issues in making sure that the transition is as seamless as possible.

I am way too long in the tooth to try to sell the dream that data can simply be transferred at the click of a button, or the flick of a switch. However, in recent years it has become easier to both extract data from both antiquated systems with fairly limited table structures, as well as more modern products.

Experience is key

I believe this is where people’s experience and expertise come into the equation. MRI Software does have the advantage of several solution acquisitions over the years, and the expertise in moving between solutions has invariably been drawn from those acquisitions, making it easier for us help clients in making the change.

One of the key factors which helps enormously is having a sponsor or owner of the project on the client side. It always helps if that person has been through the process before. But as long as they have a good knowledge of the existing system and the way in which the data is held within that system, it becomes a lot easier to then work with them to migrate data to new solution.

The outcome is always improved if you have ownership of the entire process within the business. This can invariably be someone who has been seconded into the role from within the business and it’s therefore not their day job, but it is important to ensure that the correct amount of time is afforded to the process within the business to make the transition between systems as smooth as possible.

In addition, it’s worth pointing out that invariably in the case of tenancies, the data transfer would not be accurately able to draw in historic financial transactions. Ideally, the tenancies should be established in the new system using the closing balance from the old system to give an effective clean break from one system to the next.

Adopting data standards

At MRI Software, we’re serious about our data management projects, which is why we’re the first PropTech provider to go all-in on data standards. By adopting OSCRE data standards and practices, it directly supports faster, easier, and less costly systems integration projects. Standardising the approach to sharing and migrating data is something we’re committed to doing across all our clients. The task can be daunting and worse, off-putting altogether, but when managed with the right buy-in and expertise, it can pay huge dividends.