Personalization - Real Estate | Step by step - Zoho CRM (2023)

Module customization requirements for Zylker Real Estate

Zylker Real Estate needs a CRM system to manage various activities such as residential and commercial property maintenance, dealing with vendors and owner details, sending property notifications to buyers, etc.

While Zoho CRM's default sales settings will not meet your requirements in this case, it can be extensively customized to suit your needs. Let's take a look at the Zylker Real Estate requirements and see how Zoho CRM can meet them.

Requirement: Create custom module

Zylker Real Estate does not use modules like leads, contacts, accounts, and deals like they are in real estate transactions.

Solution:

Zylker could create custom modules in Zoho CRM to fit your context. For example, Properties, Owners or Sellers.

Let's see how you can create a custom module in the steps below:

• 1. CliquePreferences > Configuration > Personalization > Modules and Fields.
• 2. On the Module List page, clickCreate new module.
• 3. On the next page of the Layout Editor, enter the name of the module: Property.
• 4. From the New Fields tray on the left, drag and drop the required field types and sections onto the layout. (Each field used in this tutorial and the field type are listed in the following table) Edit the properties of a field if necessary.
• 5. Set the module permission and click Save. Select the user profiles that can access the module. Other excluded profiles will have restricted access to this module.

Details of fields and sections in the Properties module:

Requirement: add multiple layouts

We have now created a module called Property for Zylker Real Estate; however, property management is done based on property type. For example, the property type information required by residential property applicants varies from that of commercial property applicants. Similarly, providers will have variable information on their property listing forms. Having these different details in the same module creates a lot of confusion.

Also, the activities involved with property finders, the automated emails sent to them, the reports obtained will be different depending on whether the buyer wants a residential or commercial property. So how can Zylker handle different types of requests in the same module? The solution is to create multiple layouts in the properties module.

Solution:

Each module can be subdivided into layouts. For example, the Properties module can have the following layouts inside:

• residential properties
• commercial properties
• lords of the earth
• Suppliers

Note that although layouts can be kept separate and different people can be assigned to each layout, they all belong to the same module,Properties.This makes it easy for Zylker to manage multiple divisions in the same CRM system.

Each new layout in the module can share common fields or have different fields specific to that layout.

For example, the Property Type field will be different for the two layouts. If you look at this field in Residential Properties, you have options such as Apartments, Houses, Individual Houses or Villas.

When changing the layout to Commercial Property, the same field will have options such as New Release, Office Space, Hotel/Resorts, or Agricultural Land. The custom field you consumed is only one, but it can have different options in different layouts.

Let's see how you can add multiple layouts in one module in the steps below:

• 1. CliquePreferences > Configuration > Personalization > Modules and Fields.
• 2. In the list of modules, selectproperties
• 3. CliqueCreate new design.

  Note that the default layout will be cloned and you will be able to make any necessary modifications to the new layout.

• 4. Create new fields suitable for theresidential propertydesign and save it. The fields are mentioned below.

Now that we have two layouts: Residential and Commercial. You can select the design when creating a record and filling in the details.

How to work with different designs?

Once the property information has been classified into different layouts, Zylker can organize further activities and processes based on the layouts.

For example, a buyer who wants to buy an apartment should receive a contract soon after the negotiation ends. The automated emails sent for the above two activities are different even though they belong to the same module. You can achieve this by setting the layout as a criteria in the workflow rules.

Similarly, here are some more features in CRM that can be achieved based on layouts:

• Assignment and design permission.
• Design-based workflows.
• Layout-based reports.
• Layout-based custom views.
• Generate records in CRM from import, web forms and API based on layouts.

Design-Based Workflow Rules:Automate email alerts to buyers based on design

This workflow rule will automatically send different emails to residential and commercial property buyers each time the workflow rule is triggered.

Layout-based reports:Reports created with "Layout" as part of the filters will create specific reports for residential and commercial properties.

Design-Based Custom Views:Similarly, you can perform features in CRM based on layouts simply by inserting them as part of criteria sections. This can be advanced filters.

Design Assignment for CRM Users:You can have different people associated with each design, in this case residential and commercial designs. Design owners of residential properties do not need to see the division details of commercial properties and vice versa. To manage this efficiently, you can assign each layout to specific user profiles in the CRM. If you want to restrict a profile's access to a layout, simply remove that profile from the Layout Permission section.

Requirement: Define field dependency with conditional layouts

We now have new modules, with multiple layouts in each of them. Also, Zylker has a third requirement. In the property type form, there are many required fields based on a previous choice.

For example, fields like "Choose Lease Period" will only display when the buyer selects the "Lease" field under "Select if property is for lease or rental." Otherwise, the field is irrelevant.

There are several of these fields in each layout, which may or may not be relevant, depending on a previous field value. The presence of all the fields at all times really confuses the layout and often leaves the CRM user confused.

Solution:

Conditional layouts offer a solution to exactly this requirement. Using layout rules, a layout can be made dynamic, that is, Zylker can control how the layout appears, based on the input value of a field. Thus, if someone selects "Lease" for "Do you want the property to be leased or leased?", another field appears asking for more details, otherwise the latter is hidden.

Similarly, the entire layout can be made dynamic by framing layout rules to show/hide fields and sections and make the fields required.

Example -The detail of the lease is required only when the buyer chooses to rent the property; otherwise, the lease details field is not relevant.

Solution -Show the lease details field only if "Owned For" is Lease.

Let's see how you can set the field dependency in the steps below:

• 1. CliquePreferences > Configuration > Personalization > Modules and Fields.
• 2. Under Design Rules, click New Design Rule and set up the rules as shown in the images.

Section:rental details

Requirement: Add multiple line items using subforms.

We created a custom "Properties" module for Zylker Real Estate, added different layouts to manage different divisions, and also organized the layouts allowing for field and layout dependencies. Now let's learn how you can add additional information such as "Storage Units" or "Preferred Interior Design" etc. directly on the customer form. You can easily achieve this by adding subforms.

Example -A residential property buyer is interested in purchasing a country home and would like to specify some interior design preferences in the application. These details can be added along with other related information within a subform.

Solution -Subforms offer the solution to keep your main form uncluttered by allowing you to add multiple line items within a subform. While these are important details mentioned by the buyer, they can easily be captured in a subform called "Interior Design Details." You can enter the additional line items in a subform and store the relevant information. While the main form will still be about the buyer's details, the sub-form will contain the additional details about previous employment and academic studies.

Let's see how you can add a subform to a layout in the steps below:

• 1. CliquePreferences > Configuration > Personalization > Modules and Fields.
• 2. In the Module List, select Residential Property.
• 3. In the Layout Editor, drag and drop theSubformularioblock in the New Fields section on the left.
• 4. Name the subform - "Interior Design Details".

Section:interior design details

Requirement: Ensure data accuracy by configuring validation rules.

Your form now has many fields to capture details and there may be chances that the buyer will enter an amount that is not in accordance with the Zylker Real Estate terms and conditions.

For example, the number of rooms selected for a certain property type is incorrect, or the zip code entered by the buyer is less than 5 characters. The system must recognize the error and issue an alert each time the bidder enters invalid data.

Solution:

Creating validation rules will help you detect invalid data while it is being entered into Zoho CRM. In this case, creating a validation rule for the Residential Property layout will allow you to define the number of rooms for a property type. Also, you can configure the system to raise an alert if the zip code entered is more or less than 5 characters.

Example -The client has chosen the number of rooms as 2 BHK and the property type is Serviced Apartment. But the serviced apartment is only available for 4 BHK.

Solution -Create a validation rule that says that if the property type is serviced apartment, the number of rooms cannot be less than 4 BHK.

Let's see how you can set up validation rules for fields in the steps below:

• 1. GonnaSettings > Personalization > Modules and Fields.
• 2. Select the Property module > click the Validation Rules tab.
• 3. Clique+ Create validation rule.
• 4. Choose theresidential propertylayout, to which the field you want to validate belongs
• 5. In the Create Validation Rule pop-up, do the following:.
  • Choose the field and define the main condition to start the rule.
  • Choose serviced apartment from residential property type, and if you want to validate the serviced apartment field, your main condition will be "Number of rooms = 4 BHK".

You have successfully customized your real estate CRM account. With that, we conclude the customization tutorial.