EstateFlow : Real Estate CRM
Summary
EstateFlow is a real estate CRM platform built for Palmcrest Realty, a UAE brokerage with approximately 60 agents across 3 branches. Leads came in from portals, campaigns and walk-ins, and follow-ups were handled on spreadsheets and WhatsApp threads. Listings, viewings, deals and commissions all lived in different places, managers could not see the full pipeline, and finance was not confident in the numbers.
About EstateFlow
Generic CRMs are designed for basic sales teams, not property brokerages. EstateFlow follows the natural process of a UAE brokerage, from permit tracking and listing approvals to viewings, reservations and commission sign-off, and brings it all together in one fast workspace.
Markeltree designed and built the entire system, including the lead inbox, listings module, viewing scheduler, deal pipeline, commission workflow and reports panel. It is a React and Node.js app that performs well on desktop, tablet and mobile browsers, so agents can use it between viewings.
The Challenges
Every project starts with real problems. Here are the core challenges we tackled for this engagement.
Leads Arrived Everywhere at Once: Enquiries from portals, ads and walk-ins arrived alongside personal WhatsApp conversations, and the same buyer was sometimes listed with different agents. The brokerage needed one place where every lead was captured and de-duplicated by phone and email.
Slow Responses Cost Deals: Nobody knew how long leads had been waiting for a first response, follow-ups were neglected, and the quickest agent always won. The brokerage needed response-time tracking and early alerts before leads went cold.
Listings Lacked Control: Listings were not created under proper authority, and listing dates and permit expiry dates were recorded manually. Too many people could see owner details. Listings needed an approval workflow, expiry tracking and owner data privacy.
Viewings Clashed and Follow-Ups Vanished: Viewings were double-booked, and a typical visit left no reminder to follow up. Scheduling had to be conflict-free, and every viewing had to trigger a clear next step.
Commissions Were Disputed: Commission figures were calculated in spreadsheets and approved over chat, and they often did not update when the deal value changed. Finance needed a secure, consistent approval chain that stays valid when transactions are modified.
Everyone Saw Too Much, or Too Little: Agents, team leaders, branch managers, owners and finance all needed different views. Deal and client information had to be protected without slowing anyone down, which required strict role-based access and a full audit trail.
Core Features Implemented
A breakdown of the core components built and delivered for EstateFlow.
Secure Login & Role-Based Access
One workspace for everyone, where each person sees only what they should.
Capabilities include:
- Six user roles: Super Admin, Company Owner, Branch Manager, Team Leader, Agent and Finance
- Role checks and record-level checks on every request
- Secure sessions with hashed passwords and httpOnly cookies
- Agents see their own clients, team leaders their team, branch managers their branch
- Instant session revocation when someone leaves the company
- Audit log of sign-ins, changes, approvals and exports
Records outside a user's scope simply don't exist for them.
Lead Inbox & Assignment
Every enquiry in one place, routed to the right agent.
Capabilities include:
- Leads from portals, campaigns, walk-ins and CSV
- Priority score on every lead
- De-duplication on mobile number and email
- Round-robin, workload-based or manual assignment
- Lead merge with full history preserved
- First-response SLA clock on every new lead
Agents respond first, and managers see exactly which leads are still waiting.
Listings with Approvals
A controlled, compliant property inventory.
Capabilities include:
- Draft, pending approval and active statuses
- Permit tracking with expiry date notifications
- Private owner records with restricted access
- Automatic matching of listings to buyer briefs
- Document attachments for each listing
- Listing activity history
Only approved listings go live, and expired listings are never marketed.
Conflict-Free Viewings
Smooth in-person and virtual visits.
Capabilities include:
- In-person and virtual viewing options
- Double-booking detection for agents and properties
- Agent and team calendars
- Viewing outcome logging
- Follow-up tasks created automatically after each visit
- Matching listings suggested for each lead
Buyers are never double-booked, and no viewing ends without a next step.
Deal Pipeline
Full visibility from offer to signing.
Capabilities include:
- Kanban board across Offer, Reserved, Signing and Won stages
- Counter-offer tracking
- Reservation details and deal values
- Stage rules that keep the data accurate
- Deal timeline of every action
- Total pipeline value by agent, team and branch
Managers have instant access to every deal and what it is worth.
Commission Workflow
Transparent, finance-approved payouts.
Capabilities include:
- Pending, approved and paid statuses
- Commission released for approval once a deal is signed
- Automatic approval reset when the deal value changes
- Agent commission statements by period
- Full approval history
- CSV export for accounting
Finance trusts the numbers, and agents know exactly where their commission stands.
Dashboards & Reports
Answers, not spreadsheets.
Capabilities include:
- Role-specific morning dashboard for every user
- Funnel and first-response SLA reports for management
- Source ROI tracking and agent leaderboard
- Viewing and inventory reports
- Sales forecast and commission reports
- One-click CSV export
The weekly spreadsheet routine was replaced with live reporting.
Documents, Import & Audit Trail
Safe data, safe migration, complete accountability.
Capabilities include:
- Versioned uploads for contracts and IDs
- Approval status and expiry dates marked on documents
- Document access tied to the parent record
- CSV import with a dry run that shows every error before committing
- Timeline of every action taken on each record
- Searchable audit log for managers and owners
Existing data comes in safely, and every change can be traced.
How We Built EstateFlow
Discovery & Process Mapping
We started by mapping how deals actually moved through the brokerage, from the first enquiry to the commission payout. We spent time with agents, team leaders, branch managers and finance, and reviewed their spreadsheets, WhatsApp workflows and approval processes. This showed us clearly where leads were being lost, where approvals were delayed, and what needed to be built first.
Design & Core Development
We designed the interface in Figma and shared prototypes with managers and agents before writing any code. We then built the platform with React and Node.js, starting with secure login, the six roles and record-level permissions. Next came the lead inbox and listings module, so real data could be imported for testing early.
Workflow & Automation Features
Next, we built the workflows that saved the most time. Leads were auto-assigned with an SLA clock, viewings were linked to follow-up tasks, and deals were linked to the commission workflow. We then added reports, documents and the dry-run CSV import. Each module was demoed to the Palmcrest team and refined before moving on to the next.
Testing, Migration & Rollout
The final phase focused on accuracy, security and a smooth launch. We tested every permission and audit log entry, and ran commissions in parallel with the old process to validate each figure. Existing leads and listings were migrated with the dry-run importer, and the platform was rolled out branch by branch with short training sessions and quick guides. We stayed on hand through the first commission cycles.
Key Results and Effects
First response time dropped from hours to minutes
Duplicate leads are flagged the moment they are saved
Viewing double-bookings were eliminated
Every viewing now generates a follow-up task
Commission approval is about 60 percent faster
All deals, listings and commissions have a complete audit trail
Live reports replaced the weekly spreadsheet routine
The platform can grow with new branches, teams and agents
Our agents respond to leads much faster, I can see the entire pipeline in one place, and finance finally trusts the commission numbers. The team picked it up quickly, and it works really well on their phones.
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