Task guide

Set up CRM and learn the daily workflow

Understand CRM entitlement, the record model, first-run configuration, navigation, role scope, and the daily operating rhythm.

25 to 35 minutes for first setup, then 10 to 20 minutes per daily reviewFor Every teammate who uses CREBuilder CRMBeginnerLast verified September 11, 2026

Outcome

Your CRM starts with the appropriate pipeline, scripts, rules, and Mail prerequisites, and you can move from new activity to a documented next action without duplicate people.

Navigation path

CRM > Today

Access

Active CREBuilder subscription with CRM entitlement

On this page

Before you start

Data, sources, and access to prepare

  • An active CREBuilder subscription with CRM access
  • A decision about whether the company handles property deals, business sales, or both

Start with the CRM record model

CRM workspace with Today, Leads, Contacts, Pipelines, Tasks, Outreach, and Reports navigation.
Orient the team to the CRM record model, access boundaries, navigation, and first-run configuration before importing data.

CREBuilder keeps one canonical person per normalized email address. Leads is an activity inbox over those people, not a separate database that needs conversion.

How activity becomes follow-up

Captured engagement resolves to one person, appears in Leads, and can then drive requirements, tasks, or pipeline work.

  • Inquiry, NDA, room, manual entry, or importCanonical personresolve
  • Canonical personLead activitysurface
  • Lead activityRequirement, task, or pipeline recordqualify

Add Lead does not create a second person

Add Contact and Add Lead use the same form. Add Lead adds a lead activity marker to the canonical person, so there is no conversion button or duplicate lead object.

Complete first-run configuration

Show the first-run choice that changes CRM setup without widening access.
The setup choice and its scope explanation are visible.
Complete first-run configuration
Setup choiceWho can use itEffect
Review capture and Add LeadAll customer CRM rolesExplains how inbound activity and manual entry resolve to canonical People.
Add Business SalesEligible pipeline administratorsAdds a pipeline beside Property. It never replaces a pipeline or moves existing Deals.
Install starter Email ScriptsAuthorized team script managersAdds reusable team content without sending anything.
Install suggested task rulesEach user for their own accountCreates personal rules limited to that user’s owned, active contacts.
Prepare CREBuilder MailCompany members subject to access and agreement gatesEnables hosted automation email and NDA invitations only after all readiness checks pass.
  1. 1

    Confirm CRM access

    Main navigation > CRM

    Open CRM.

    Expected result: Today or the first-run setup experience loads for the current company and role.

    If this does not happen: If entitlement is blocked, verify the subscription and company membership before importing or configuring records.

  2. 2

    Review capture and canonical People

    CRM setup > Capture

    Review the automatic inquiry, NDA, room, manual-entry, and CSV-import examples.

    Expected result: The team understands that Leads is activity over People, not a separate database.

    If this does not happen: If identity policy is unclear, review the record-model diagram before adding or importing contacts.

  3. 3

    Keep the Property pipeline

    CRM setup > Pipelines

    Keep Property as the standard pipeline.

    Expected result: The Property Deal pipeline remains available and existing Deals remain where they are.

    If this does not happen: If Property is missing, ask an eligible pipeline administrator to review the company pipeline configuration.

  4. 4

    Add the optional Business Sales pipeline

    CRM setup > Pipelines

    If the company handles business transactions and the control is authorized, select Add Business Sales.

    Expected result: Business Sales appears as a separate Deal pipeline without moving existing Deals.

    If this does not happen: If Business Sales is unavailable, ask an eligible pipeline administrator. Do not create misleading substitute stages.

  5. 5

    Review starter content

    CRM setup > Email Scripts and Automations

    Compare each starter script and task recipe with the intended workflow.

    Expected result: The useful items are identified without creating duplicates.

    If this does not happen: If similar content already exists, retain the version that matches current policy.

  6. 6

    Install useful starter content

    CRM setup > Email Scripts and Automations

    Select Install for each identified starter item.

    Expected result: Team scripts and your personal rules appear in their normal CRM pages.

    If this does not happen: Remove an accidental duplicate before enabling it.

  7. 7

    Review hosted Mail readiness

    CRM setup > CREBuilder Mail

    Open Email sending settings when automation email or NDA invitations are required.

    Expected result: Settings names the exact access, agreement, business-address, sender, or capacity action still needed.

    If this does not happen: Keep hosted email rules disabled until Settings reports ready. Task rules can be configured independently.

  8. 8

    Finish and open Today

    CRM setup > Finish

    Select Finish.

    Expected result: First-run setup closes and the daily workbench opens.

    If this does not happen: If a browser completion flag hides the wizard later, use Pipelines, Email Scripts, Automations, and Email sending settings directly.

Set ownership and scope expectations before data entry

Show choosing Mine or Whole Team while preserving the user's actual permission boundary.
Both scope choices and the current selection are visible.
Orient users to role, ownership, Mine, and Whole Team controls without implying wider access.
The scope control and current ownership context are visible.

Role scope sets the ceiling

Setup choices, filters, and saved views can organize permitted records but cannot expand authorization.

  • Customer CRM roleCompany-wide or own scopesets ceiling
  • Company-wide or own scopePipeline, filters, and saved viewslimits
  • Pipeline, filters, and saved viewsVisible and mutable recordsnarrows

Before adding real data

  • Name a responsible owner for every imported or manual contact.
  • Decide who manages company pipelines and team scripts.
  • Explain that automation rules belong to their creator.
  • Confirm company address and Mail agreement before hosted outreach.
  • Use fictional contacts for the first rule test.

Run the daily sequence

Show the Today workbench after priority records have documented next actions.
Priority work and completed or scheduled next actions are visible.
Show the filtered workspace after a permitted scope choice is applied.
The selected scope and resulting records are visible together.

A reliable daily review

  1. 1

    Set Today scope

    Main navigation > CRM > Today > scope

    Select your permitted scope.

    Expected result: The queues reflect Mine or Whole team as selected.

    If this does not happen: If the page fails, select Retry. Do not treat an error panel as an empty queue.

  2. 2

    Set the Deal pipeline

    CRM > Today > Deal pipeline

    Select the applicable Deal pipeline when more than one exists.

    Expected result: Deal totals show the chosen pipeline.

    If this does not happen: Confirm the company pipeline configuration if an expected choice is absent.

  3. 3

    Open an urgent task

    Today > Overdue tasks or Tasks today

    Open the next task that requires review.

    Expected result: The task context and due state are visible.

    If this does not happen: If a teammate is missing from assignment choices, confirm your role and company membership.

  4. 4

    Complete finished work

    Open task > Complete

    Select Complete only when the task work is finished.

    Expected result: The item leaves the active group.

    If this does not happen: Reopen or recreate the task according to policy if it was completed accidentally.

  5. 5

    Reschedule unfinished work

    Open task > due date

    Enter a new due date when follow-up remains.

    Expected result: The unfinished task has a clear owner and due time.

    If this does not happen: Do not mark unfinished work complete solely to clear Today.

  6. 6

    Open new activity

    Today > New leads or Unread inquiries

    Open the source event.

    Expected result: The source, property context, and canonical person are visible.

    If this does not happen: If the same person appears twice, stop and use duplicate merge instead of updating both records.

  7. 7

    Confirm the person

    Lead or inquiry activity

    Compare the person identity with the source event.

    Expected result: The activity is tied to the correct canonical contact.

    If this does not happen: Correct or escalate an identity mismatch before adding follow-up.

  8. 8

    Add qualification context

    Contact workspace

    Add useful tags or requirements.

    Expected result: The contact records the relevant interests and qualification context.

    If this does not happen: Remove an accidental or unsupported tag before continuing.

  9. 9

    Record the next action

    Contact workspace > Updates or Tasks

    Create one appropriate next action.

    Expected result: The canonical contact timeline contains a useful next step.

    If this does not happen: Use a note instead of a pipeline record when the activity is not qualified.

  10. 10

    Advance a real pipeline milestone

    CRM > Pipelines

    Move a Deal, Assignment, or Listing only when the real-world milestone occurred.

    Expected result: The stage and stage age match the actual opportunity.

    If this does not happen: To resume a terminal opportunity or listing, choose an active stage and confirm Reopen.

  11. 11

    Add the pipeline next action

    Pipeline record > Next action

    Enter the immediate next action.

    Expected result: The record’s next-action indicator reflects the intended follow-up.

    If this does not happen: Create a task when the action also needs an owner and due date.

  12. 12

    Send the external email

    Approved external mail client

    Send the verified message.

    Expected result: The mail client reports its own send outcome.

    If this does not happen: Do not mark a draft or copied message as sent.

  13. 13

    Return to the contact

    CRM > Contact workspace > Email > Use your email app

    Open the same contact’s email activity.

    Expected result: The Mark as sent control is available for confirmation.

    If this does not happen: Compare the recipient before recording the activity.

  14. 14

    Record the sent email

    Contact Email modal > Mark as sent

    Select Mark as sent.

    Expected result: An email-sent activity appears only after you confirm the real send.

    If this does not happen: Close without marking if delivery did not occur.

Respect role scope and recover safely

Show a filtered-empty CRM state separately from a true-empty workspace.
Active filters and the empty result state are visible together.
Show CRM records returning after the limiting filter or scope is corrected.
Records are visible and the corrected scope is apparent.
Show an empty or unavailable scope state without describing it as a permission grant.
The selected scope and empty or unavailable state are visible.
Show records returning after a valid scope correction within existing access.
Records return while the actual permission boundary remains unchanged.
Respect role scope and recover safely
Role groupNormal CRM scopeImportant limits
Brokerage Admin, Single Agent, AdminCompany-wide data with Mine and Whole team choices where offeredInternal-only administration is excluded from public workflows.
Coordinator, Regular UserOwned records and permitted linked recordsWhole-team requests are forced back to own scope. Reading a linked contact does not grant mutation rights.

Common orientation problems

A queue or report looks empty

Likely cause: The selected scope, pipeline, or filter may exclude the expected record.

  1. Confirm Mine versus Whole team.
  2. Confirm the selected Deal pipeline.
  3. Open the destination page and clear filters.
  4. If an error is shown, use Retry before concluding that no records exist.
You can open a record but cannot edit it

Likely cause: Own-scoped users can sometimes read a contact through an owned deal without owning the contact.

  1. Check the displayed owner.
  2. Ask an authorized teammate to transfer ownership or make the change.
  3. Do not create a duplicate to bypass the permission.
Business Sales is not offered during setup

Likely cause: The current user lacks pipeline administration authority, or the pipeline already exists.

  1. Check the Deal pipeline selector.
  2. Ask an eligible pipeline administrator.
  3. A lone active Regular User can have a narrow exception, while Coordinators cannot administer pipelines.
A starter email rule cannot run

Likely cause: Hosted contact-email actions require approved CREBuilder Mail, the current agreement, a complete company address, and all send gates.

  1. Open Settings > Email sending.
  2. Complete the displayed readiness actions.
  3. Re-enable the rule only after Mail is ready.

Final verification

  • Pipeline record > Next action: The record’s next-action indicator reflects the intended follow-up.
  • Approved external mail client: The mail client reports its own send outcome.
  • CRM > Contact workspace > Email > Use your email app: The Mark as sent control is available for confirmation.
  • Contact Email modal > Mark as sent: An email-sent activity appears only after you confirm the real send.
  • No blocking warning, failed status, or unresolved validation message remains in the completed workflow.

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