Summary: Learn how REI BlackBook's new deal management system transitions you from simple contact management to a powerful, three-dimensional view of your business. This guide covers the philosophy behind the change, how to navigate your new pipeline, and what the default stages mean for your workflow.
1. The Shift: From Contacts to Deals
As your real estate business grows, managing transactions solely through contact records creates chaos. In the past, if a single contact was a buyer on one property, a lender on another, and perhaps a tenant elsewhere, your data became messy and difficult to report on.
The new Pipelines feature solves this by moving from a one-dimensional contact view to a three-dimensional data architecture:
- The Contact: Who they are (Identity & Relationship).
- The Property: The asset details (Address, Beds, Baths).
- The Deal: The transaction itself (Status, Price, Offers, Contract Dates).
This separation allows one contact to be associated with multiple deals without duplicating their contact record, keeping your database clean and your reporting accurate.
2. Navigating Your Pipeline View
Your new workspace is visual and interactive, designed to let you work deals without constantly switching screens.
- Visual Board: Deals are displayed as cards moving from left to right through various stages. You can drag and drop deals between stages to update their status instantly.
- The "Drawer" View: You don't need to leave the pipeline to see deal details. Clicking on a deal card opens a "drawer" on the side of your screen.
- Activity & Communication: See past calls, texts, and notes specifically for that deal.
- Quick Actions: You can call the contact, add notes, or trigger workflows directly from this drawer.
- List vs. Board View: You can toggle between a visual board (Pipeline) and a detailed list view (Deals) depending on your preference.
3. Understanding Default Stages
REI BlackBook comes with pre-built pipelines for common strategies like Wholesale, Fix & Flip, and Rental. The most critical starting point is the Seller Leads Pipeline, designed to manage incoming leads before you know their final exit strategy.
Common Seller Lead Stages:
- New Lead: An incoming lead from your website, marketing, or manual entry.
- Contact Attempted: You are trying to reach them but haven't connected yet.
- Conversation Started: You've made contact and are qualifying the lead.
- Nurture / Follow Up: The lead isn't ready now; they need long-term follow-up.
- Analysis & Estimating: You are running comps and determining your offer price.
- Offer Made / Negotiation: Active offers are out, and you are negotiating terms.
- Under Contract: You have a verbally accepted offer or signed agreement (depending on your process).
4. "Rotting" Deals
To help you prioritize, the pipeline features a "Rotting" visual cue. If selected and a deal sits in a stage (like "New Lead") longer than a set period (e.g., 24 hours), the card will turn colors. This acts as an immediate visual alarm that a lead is stagnating and needs attention.