From Rolodex to Holodex

Is this the CRM of the future?

February 06, 2024

All too common question in all the real estate Facebook Groups: What CRM should I use?

There have been threads and long discussions on this topic from real estate agents ever since I’ve been in real estate, and every CRM has its pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages.

My answer to the question is always this: The best CRM is the one you actually use.

Currently, CRM providers are racing to build some AI functionality into their programs; for example, Hubspot has plugged AI into its email writer.

But these CRMs don’t have AI at the core; they are plugging AI into existing functionality.

I expect - similar to the post I wrote about real estate portal Jitty.ai who is busy reimagining a real estate marketplace with AI at the core - we will now start to see new-age CRMs pop up - reimagined with AI at the core.

One of these is a tool I’ve been playing with called Clay.

Tool of the day: Clay.Earth

For a tool so modern, it is super interesting that on Clay’s About page, they tell the story of David Rockefellers' infamous manual card system.

“By the time he passed away in 2017, David had spent over 50 years collecting 200,000 notes on over 100,000 people, all written on standard index cards. He later ascribed his success in business and in life to the system that valued serving others before himself.”

One of the cards for former President Richard Nixon in David Rockefeller’s Rolodex.

Side note: Mr Rockefeller’s will required that the cards and the rest of his papers remain hidden from public view for 10 years after his death. So that means 2027 could be an exciting year…

Rockefeller’s card system looked like this:

image

Clay has, I think, attempted to recreate this personal card ‘magic’ but has taken it one step further by creating an AI-based search engine at the core.

But they have not stopped there, they’ve also built the tool with support for spatial computing - specifically with the Apple Vision Pro in mind.

This has given rise to a new term, “Holodex”, where you can interact and explore your relationships in 3D.

So I signed up for a paid plan on Clay, and here is my initial take:

If you haven’t had a chance to dive into the Vision Pro’s capabilities, this video is pretty wild (navigating with your eyes, anyone?)

Obviously, Apple Vision Pro and its successors will change the game for a lot of industries.

Whether it’s an ‘iPod moment’ or not remains to be seen because it’s such early days.

If you’re keen on knowing more about how other peeps in real estate are thinking about real estate and the Apple Vision Pro, there’s more on Elite Agent here. 

I can’t wait to see how this stuff evolves.

Happy Hunting 🚀

Reply

or to participate.