From agency to software guru: meet MRI Software’s new Agency Solutions expert

MRI Software’s newest Agency Solutions expert, Michael Connolly, made the leap from working on the front line of an estate agent to helping other agents transform their processes using MRI’s Sales & Lettings.

We talk to Michael about his experience so far as the latest member of the MRI team, and how it’s given him a new perspective on the industry.

Where did you work before joining MRI Software, and how did you come into your new role?

I joined the MRI Software team in September. Prior to that, I worked first as a lettings negotiator, and then for a recruitment company that recruited into the property industry, so I’ve always been in property. I love working in the industry – the focus on relationships and networking is a perfect fit for me.

In my recruitment role, I’d had a few meetings with MRI. Getting to know them as a company, I thought “I have to work here eventually!”, so it became my plan to impress them as much as possible. When the vacancy for an Agency Solutions expert came up, my eyes lit up and I just couldn’t let it go! I spoke to the team at MRI and put in an application, and was absolutely delighted to be offered the role.

Tell us about your role at MRI Software

My job as an Agency Solutions expert is focussed on the MRI Sales & Lettings software, a CRM designed specifically for estate agents, so I’m speaking with companies very similar to where I worked in my previous role as a lettings negotiator.

My role is to showcase and demo the CRM system as well as MRI Engage, our tenant portal, so I’ve spent my first few months getting to grips with the system and beginning to go out and understand what estate agents are struggling with and where their pain points are.

How did you find the process of getting to know the sales and lettings software?

In my previous role in lettings, I used a CRM system for over two years, so I was familiar with the concept. I’m not the most tech-savvy person in the world, though, so I have a lot in common with many of the clients I’m speaking to! What I loved about MRI Sales & Lettings was how quickly I was able to pick up the system - if I can do it, anyone can!

It’s easy for me to showcase the benefits of MRI software because I can see first-hand how it solves problems I experienced in my previous role.

What do you see as the biggest benefits of MRI Sales & Lettings to agencies?

Fundamentally, MRI Sales & Lettings give agencies the tools to stand out and attract more business.

Features like the Task Hub show you exactly what you need to do and who you need to chase each day, so there should never be a reason to miss important tasks, like following up with a landlord. These are the sorts of things that really impact the relationships you build as an agent – the little things that build up and reflect on the entire company brand over the long term.

The open API’s and vast integrations are also a huge benefit. When I worked in recruitment, PropTech was a huge buzzword and everybody was talking about the latest software. With so many different platforms out there, integration is a must – you don’t want to have different pieces of software working against each other, or force clients to add data to multiple systems and repeat themselves.

Our open and connected approach overcomes this. MRI Sales & Lettings offers over 50 integrations at the moment, and part of my role is reaching out to potential partners to continue to expand. This is a huge benefit to clients, and to me, as it means whatever software they’re already using I can say “yes, we can integrate with that”!

How have you found working for MRI Software as a company?

The main thing that stood out to me in my first few months at MRI are the people. There are so many experts on the team who are able to help out! I’m not an expert on the development and implementation side of the software, but there are many people with decades of experience to help me understand what’s possible for my clients.

Another thing I’ve really enjoyed about MRI is that we’re always working on new features. We look to release five software updates annually at a minimum, so if there’s something a client really wants that the software doesn’t do, I can pass it to the development team to suggest it for future roadmaps. This makes it possible for me to really advocate for my clients, and have a say in the development of the product itself. The future of MRI Sales & Lettings is really exciting and I’d love to be more involved in driving this as part of my future progression. It’s also worth mentioning that these updates are always released on a Sunday to minimise any disruption to your business.

What advice would you give to agents who are considering a change of CRM software?

I know from my past how stressful moving systems can be. Previously I would’ve been apprehensive if my manager had told me we were changing systems, and I often speak to clients who’ve been using their current system for ten years plus and know it’s limiting them, but who are too afraid to take that step.

With MRI, you have access to a product specialist to walk you through the process and train the team. Our professional services team are there to guide you through the implementation, support you with data migration, and get you up and running. It’s never going to be 100% stress-free, but we can make it as easy as possible with an expert team who’ve done it many times before.

Taking the plunge with a new system leads to huge long-term benefits. Enabling agents to bring in more landlords, more tenants and ultimately more revenue.

Property is a very competitive industry and the agents who stand out are the ones who won’t rest, but keep pushing to be better.

*Michael Connolly is an Agency Solutions expert at MRI Software