How to Organize Contacts Effectively

A well-organized contact database is the backbone of successful real estate management. How you organize your contacts determines how quickly you find the right people, how effectively you communicate, and ultimately how many deals you close.

This guide provides practical, immediately applicable strategies that top-performing agents use to keep their contact databases under control.

Why Segmentation is Essential

Segmentation allows you to:

• Send targeted communication to the right groups
• Prioritize high-value contacts
• Propose personalized properties based on interests
• Execute effective marketing campaigns

Primary Segmentation Dimensions

1. Contact Type:

• Buyers: Actively searching for properties
• Sellers: Want to sell their property
• Buyers & Sellers: Buying and selling simultaneously
• Investors: Focus on ROI and portfolio growth
• Landlords: Property owners looking for tenants
• Tenants: Looking for rental properties

2. Lead Status/Temperature:

• Hot (Red): Ready now, active interest, timeline <30 days
• Warm (Orange): Interested, timeline 1-3 months
• Cold (Blue): Future interest, timeline >3 months
• Nurture (Green): Periodic updates, no immediate timeline

3. Property Preferences:

• Price range (€0-200K, €200-400K, €400-600K, €600K+)
• Location preferences (beach, city center, suburbs, rural)
• Property type (apartment, villa, townhouse, commercial)
• Bedrooms/bathrooms requirements
• Special features (pool, garden, parking, views)

4. Lead Source:

• Website inquiry
• Referral (track referrer)
• Open house
• Social media
• Third-party portals (Idealista, Fotocasa)
• Walk-in
• Past client re-engagement

Why Consistent Naming Matters

Inconsistent naming leads to:

• Duplicates ("John Smith" vs "Smith, John" vs "J. Smith")
• Difficult searching and filtering
• Unprofessional communication
• Team frustration

Naming Standards

Contact names:

• Format: First Name | Last Name (separate fields)
• First Name: "Carlos" (niet "Mr. Carlos" or "carlos")
• Last Name: "García" (properly accented)
• Display Name: Auto-generated as "Carlos García"

Company/Organization names:

• Full official name: "Inmobiliaria López S.L."
• Use abbreviations only if official: "IBM" niet "I.B.M."
• No generics: "XYZ Real Estate" niet "real estate company"

Email addresses:

• Always lowercase: "[email protected]" niet "[email protected]"
• Validate format before saving
• Primary email in main field, alternatives in custom fields

Phone numbers:

• International format: +34 600 123 456
• Consistent use of spaces (no dots/dashes)
• Country code always included for international clients

Tag Naming Standards

• Title Case: "Hot Lead" niet "hot lead" or "HOT LEAD"
• Max 3 words: "First Time Buyer" niet "First Time Home Buyer Looking For Property"
• Specific, niet generic: "Luxury Buyer" niet "High End"
• No synonyms: Choose "VIP Client" OR "Premium Client", niet both

Tag-Based Organizing vs Traditional Folders

Tesoro uses a tag-based system instead of traditional folders. This is more powerful because:

• A contact can have multiple tags (can be buyer AND investor)
• Tags are easier to filter and combine
• No "where should I save this?" decisions
• Dynamic smart lists based on tag combinations

Recommended Tag Hierarchy

Tier 1: Contact Type (Primary classification)

• Buyer
• Seller
• Investor
• Landlord
• Tenant

Tier 2: Status/Priority (Urgency)

• Hot Lead
• Warm Lead
• Cold Lead
• VIP Client
• Past Client

Tier 3: Property Interest (Preferences)

• Luxury Segment
• First Time Buyer
• Beach Property
• City Center
• Investment Property

Tier 4: Source (Marketing attribution)

• Website
• Referral
• Open House
• Social Media
• Portal

Tier 5: Action Items (Workflow)

• Needs Follow-up
• Viewing Scheduled
• Documents Pending
• Offer Submitted

Smart List Examples

Combine tags for powerful filters:

• "Hot Luxury Buyers": Tags: Buyer + Hot Lead + Luxury Segment
• "Website Leads Needing Follow-up": Tags: Website + Needs Follow-up
• "VIP Investors from Referrals": Tags: Investor + VIP Client + Referral
• "Past Clients for Re-engagement": Tags: Past Client + (No activity last 6 months)