Lee & Associates, the largest commercial real estate (CRE) firm owned by real estate professionals, recently transitioned its Cincinnati office to using ClientLook, the CRM platform for the LightBox suite of technology solutions for brokers.
We connected with Kandi Jaeger, part of the leadership team in Cincinnati office with 38 years of CRE experience, to learn how the LightBox CRM solution has transformed their operations. This customer success story highlights the benefits, functionality, and seamless transition to ClientLook, providing a detailed view of how this technology has bolstered their efficiency and growth.
Multifunctional Usage Across Teams
LightBox ClientLook has proven to be a versatile platform used collectively by Lee & Associates Cincinnati operations, marketing, and brokerage teams. Jaeger noted, “ClientLook stands out as a multifunctional platform that significantly boosts our efficiency in managing contacts, tracking sales/lease comps, and maintaining our investor database. The recently launched property integration tool has simplified the process of adding new properties, and the virtual assistant for data entry made the transition to this platform effortless.”
The CRM platform’s customization for the CRE industry allows it to house an extensive investor database and maintain a comprehensive property database for comps, which has been “invaluable for the team” according to Jaeger. By centralizing these critical functions, the various Cincinnati teams at Lee & Associates can easily access and leverage the information they need for accelerated growth and success in the CRE industry.
Streamlined Property Integration
One of the standout features for Jaeger and her team has been the new property integration, which connects with the comprehensive mapping and research platform, LightBox Vision (formerly LandVision). By accessing this feature, they can effortlessly add properties from the LightBox national database, enhancing their comp database’s accuracy and utility. Jaeger explained, “Using the new property integration where you can simply add a LightBox property has been very helpful in building our comp database out with continuous and real-time updates. We can pull in all the particulars, giving our comp database more actionable data for our brokers and staff.”
This integration ensures that all relevant property details along with property ownership, transaction history and demographics etc. are readily available, allowing the team to provide precise and comprehensive information to their clients. The streamlined process has significantly reduced the time and effort required to maintain and update property records.
Smooth Transition and Data Entry Efficiency
Transitioning to LightBox ClientLook was a crucial step for the Cincinnati office of Lee & Associates and its 25 agents with 36 staff in Property Management, Property Accounting and Marketing. Jaeger recalls, “The transition was much smoother than I anticipated, especially compared to our previous software, which was quite challenging.
The seamless transition was facilitated by ClientLook’s virtual support, which handled the bulk of the data entry. This feature has been particularly beneficial, as Jaeger highlighted, “Being able to just one off, send something to the VA (virtual assistant), and get it put in properly has saved me a lot of time.”
Not only has the platform’s Back-Office Assistance team helped in the transition, but also in the day-to-day tasks for Jaeger. “It has been a time saver for me, allowing me to do higher-level things and have the VA be my data entry person. This real-time case scenario where the virtual assistant is doing the heavy lift for data entry saves me time and allows me to focus on more strategic tasks.”
Enhancing Collaboration and Communication
ClientLook has also enhanced internal communication and collaboration within the Cincinnati office. The CRM platform’s ability to export data to Excel and categorize it for various purposes has streamlined the process of reaching out to potential investors and clients. Jaeger shared, “For our comps database, having all that information in one spot and being able to attach documents to the property record is invaluable.”
This capability allows agents to track the development history of properties, providing detailed records that support ongoing transactions and future deals. The centralized database acts as a document portal and transaction portal, making it easier for agents, brokers, and the marketing team to access and utilize critical information.
Lee & Associates Cincinnati’s adoption of the LightBox CRM platform has revolutionized their approach to managing data, enhancing efficiency, and supporting team collaboration. With features like the property integration tool and the virtual assistant, ClientLook has become an essential component of their operations, driving success and growth in the competitive CRE industry.
