How do you get lead data into your CRM? Email parsing or API? These methods aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, many CRMs use both, with the lead email notification triggering the API calls. If you’re wondering about the differences between these two methods, read on…we’ll explain.
Getting Lead Data into Your CRM
Getting lead data to your CRM (customer relationship management) is an important step in tracking your leads and nurturing conversions of those leads.
How and how much of that lead data reaches your CRM depends on the type of integration between your CRM and the data sources. IDX Broker is no exception and many CRMs employ a variety of methods to bring in your lead data.
Email Parsing
Email parsing is very common and is an easy way to quickly get lead contact information to your CRM (customer relationship management) software. Direct your lead notification emails to a specific email address provided by your CRM and any information contained in the email can be parsed out by the CRM. This provides contact information like name, email, phone, etc. Your CRM will programmatically read the email to extract the lead contact data.
API Integration
API integration uses an Application Programmers Interface to bring in even more data. You still get the same data available via the email parsing method. Beyond that, you get richer data on your leads, like their saved searches, saved properties, and even traffic data. All of this is available via the API.
Many CRMs offer an API ready to process and analyze lead data. To pull this kind of data via the IDX Broker API, the CRM will want to develop on our RESTful API. This gives the CRM control of which data to call for, refresh rates, and will help with handling future data opportunities from the IDX Broker API.
If you are unsure about which kind of integration your CRM is using let us know. We would be happy to advise on the current state of integration or even toward a deeper integration with your CRM.
How does your CRM pull in lead data? Let us know in the comments below!
