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Automation & Workflows: Contact Flows vs. Deal Flows

  • Updated

Summary: Automation in REI BlackBook has evolved. This guide explains the critical difference between Contact Flows (automating the relationship) and Deal Flows (automating the transaction), and how to use them together to put your business on autopilot.

1. The Two Engines: Contact Flows vs. Deal Flows

Previously, all automation was run against a contact record. Now, you have two distinct engines:

  • Contact Flows (a/k/a Workflows): These run against the Contact Object. They are perfect for incoming lead generation (e.g., a web form submission or a text keyword) because they focus on the identity of the person.
  • Deal Flows: These run against the Deal Object. They are "three-dimensional" because they can access and merge data from the Contact, the Property, and the Deal simultaneously. This allows for complex transaction management that standard contact workflows cannot handle.

2. Auto-Creating Deals from Incoming Leads

You can now automate the creation of a deal the moment a lead enters your system. This is done by adding a specific module inside a Contact Flow.

How to Set It Up:

  1. Open an existing Contact Flow (e.g., your "Website Lead Form" workflow).
  2. Add the new "Create New Deal" module to the sequence.
  3. Configure the Deal:
    • Pipeline: Select where it goes (e.g., "Seller Leads").
    • Status: Set the starting stage (e.g., "New Lead").
    • Role: Define who the contact is (e.g., "Seller").
  4. Duplicate Protection: Ensure the setting "Don't create a new deal if one already exists" is checked. This prevents a single caller from generating 10 different deal cards if they call you 10 times.

3. Role-Based Messaging (The "Secret Sauce")

The most powerful feature of Deal Flows is the ability to communicate with multiple parties involved in a transaction simultaneously, without getting your wires crossed.

  • Targeting: Unlike standard workflows that only email the contact, a Deal Flow lets you select a specific Target. You can send one email to the Seller, a different email to the Buyer's Agent, and a text to the Title Rep—all from the same trigger.
  • Smart Merging: You can merge data specific to the recipient. For example, the email to the Title Rep can include the contract attachment and property legal description, while the email to the Seller simply says, "Title has been ordered, expect a call from [Title Rep Name]".

4. Triggering Automation via Status Changes

You no longer need to manually start workflows. Automation can now be tied directly to the movement of a deal card.

  • Example: When you drag a deal card to the "Title Ordered" status, the system can automatically trigger a "Title Order Deal Flow." This flow will then be able to handle all the logistics—emailing the title company and notifying the seller—instantly, just because you moved the card.

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