A useful starting set lets a colleague find an active listing, understand a buyer’s requirements and continue the agreed work. Every old note does not need to belong to that first set. Separate everyday working records from historical material, preserve the source files and list uncertainties to resolve. Agree the transfer method separately: a tidy spreadsheet does not by itself mean that automatic import is available.
Preparation worksheet: what to organize before entry
Create a working copy of your records. Keep a reference for each record so you can find its source row and related files. The table below is a preparation aid, not a prescribed Program Nek import format.
| Record group | Prepare separately | Check before entry |
|---|---|---|
| Property | Source reference, category, sale or rental, city, location, area, price and currency. | Whether the listing is still active and when its details were last confirmed. |
| Buyer or tenant | Name or company, phone, email, contact type and current stage. | Whether similar rows actually describe the same person or company. |
| Contact requirements | Category, city, location, budget with currency, area and required features. | Which requirements are essential and whether they changed in the latest conversation. |
| Next step | Responsible agent, agreed action and next contact date. | Whether the date and note reflect the current agreement. |
| Photos and documents | Files grouped by the reference of the property, contact or contract they belong to. | Whether each file belongs to the right record and has a clear purpose. |
| Other records | Contracts and payments, EOP and AML kept separate from the CRM contact working list. | Who is responsible for checking and entering each register. |
Tick off completed checks and print the guide for your team discussion. The checklist helps you prepare; your answers are not submitted.
1. Define the starting set and preserve your sources
List the spreadsheets, exports from your old application and folders your team currently uses. For each source, record what it contains, who maintains it and when it was last checked. Work on a copy so the original remains available to resolve a missing detail or check a later correction.
Choose active listings and contacts with ongoing work for the first working set. Set historical records aside for a separate review. Follow your agency’s existing rules for their storage and access; leaving them out of the starting set is not an instruction to delete them.
2. Separate information by record type
A row in an old spreadsheet may mix a property, its owner and a buyer who viewed it. In the working copy, identify which details belong to the listing, the contact, and a particular conversation or contract. Include a currency for prices and budgets, a unit for area, and use one agreed date format. Do not turn an unknown value into zero.
In Program Nek, a property record and a CRM contact serve different purposes. A buyer or tenant profile holds requirements, an assigned agent and the next follow-up date. Contracts and payments, EOP and AML have separate entry workflows, so prepare a separate review and responsible person for those records.
How property records are organized3. Review duplicates and conflicting details
First flag possible duplicates using phone numbers, email addresses or existing property references. Then review them manually. A phone number may be shared by members of a household, and the same name may refer to different clients. Combine information only after confirming that it belongs to the same record.
If a price, listing status or budget differs between sources, ask the responsible colleague which detail has been confirmed. Record the decision and its source in the working copy. Keep older information that explains a client conversation as historical context instead of overwriting a current requirement with it.
4. Prepare files and public listing text
Group photos, floorplans and documents under the reference of the record they belong to. Check that the files open and choose the intended cover photo. Separate the listing description from internal notes about the owner, agreements or negotiations.
In Program Nek, save the property before adding photos and documents. The first photo in its gallery is the cover. For a connected website, check Show on website, archive status and any delayed publication date. Review the description itself too: information you place in public listing text can become visible to visitors.
How publishing to a connected website works5. Agree the transfer method and check a small sample
Ask support how the data can be transferred, which formats they can review and what will need manual completion. Use fictional information when discussing the structure. Include an ordinary listing, a listing with a missing field and a contact with conversation history so differences become clear before a larger entry task.
After agreeing the procedure, check a small working sample in the application against its source. Open each sample record and compare its reference, price and currency, location, photos, contact requirements, agent and next step. Record discrepancies and correct the procedure before continuing. A matching record count alone does not show that every field is in the right place.
Check subscription pricing and preparation costs6. Agree where the team records new changes
Assign someone to review listings, someone to review contacts and someone to check attachments. Agree the date from which new calls, price changes and follow-ups will be recorded in the new system. If old records change during the transition, keep a list of those changes and check that they have been carried over before completing the move.
Ask an agent to use their own permissions to find a contact, open a suitable property, record an activity and set the next follow-up. In Program Nek, that date drives an internal reminder. This short check shows whether the colleague can continue work using the prepared records.
CRM contact requirements, activities and remindersPUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE
Example: one buyer in a spreadsheet and a later message
Fictional example: a spreadsheet says a buyer wants a 50–65 m² apartment in Novi Beograd for up to EUR 150,000. In a later message, the buyer confirms a budget of up to EUR 160,000 and asks the agent to follow up after a viewing.
In the prepared contact, keep one confirmed identity and record the current EUR 160,000 budget with the other confirmed requirements. Record the budget discussion as an activity, assign the responsible agent and enter the agreed follow-up date. The property the buyer viewed remains a separate property record. A colleague can then see both the current requirements and the reason for the change.
GOOD TO KNOW
Questions about preparing data for a CRM
Does this checklist mean automatic Excel import is available?
No. It helps you prepare and check records. Before transferring them, confirm the procedure for your sources, accepted formats and manual entry work with support. Do not treat this guide’s worksheet as an import template.
Do we need to transfer every old record immediately?
First define the set needed for current work. Review historical records separately and agree their future storage and availability under your agency’s rules. Preserve the source files while checking the prepared data.
What if two contacts share a phone number?
That is a reason to check, not proof of a duplicate. Compare the name, email, conversation history and information held by the responsible agent. More than one person may use the same number.
How do we know preparation is finished?
You should know where the data came from, who resolved uncertainties and how it will be entered; then check a sample in the application. A colleague should be able to find a contact and listing and continue the agreed next step. Record any outstanding items and give each one an owner.
Prepare records a colleague can actually use
The result is a clear working set, a way to trace records back to their sources, a list of open questions and an agreed entry procedure. If you are still choosing software, use the same prepared examples in a demonstration to check how they fit your agency’s daily work.
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