Wise Agent vs Follow Up Boss: Which CRM is Best for Real Estate Agents in 2025?
Choosing the right Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is one of the most critical decisions a real estate agent can make. Your CRM is the central hub of your business, managing contacts, tracking deals, and automating follow-up. In the crowded market of real estate CRMs, the debate over Wise Agent vs Follow Up Boss is a common one, as both platforms offer powerful tools but cater to slightly different needs. This comprehensive comparison will break down their features, pricing, user experience, and ideal user profiles to help you decide which system is the right engine for your business growth.
Both platforms aim to solve the same core problem: helping you close more deals by staying organized and maintaining consistent communication with your sphere of influence. However, they approach this goal from different angles. Wise Agent positions itself as an affordable, all-in-one command center for your entire business, while Follow Up Boss focuses intensely on being the absolute best at lead conversion and sales pipeline management, integrating with other tools to fill any gaps.
Quick Summary
- Wise Agent is best for: Solo agents, small teams, and agents on a budget who want a comprehensive, all-in-one platform that includes transaction management, marketing tools, and contact management in a single subscription.
- Follow Up Boss is best for: High-producing agents and growing teams who prioritize speed, powerful lead routing, and deep integrations with other best-in-class real estate tools. Its strength is in sales-focused automation and pipeline management.
- Core Difference: Wise Agent aims to be the only tool you need by providing a wide array of built-in features. Follow Up Boss aims to be the central hub of your tech stack, excelling at communication and follow-up while connecting seamlessly with other specialized software.
- Pricing Philosophy: Wise Agent offers a simple, flat-rate pricing model that is highly affordable. Follow Up Boss uses a tiered pricing structure that scales with features and the number of users, making it a more significant investment for teams.
Wise Agent vs. Follow Up Boss: At a Glance
To give you a quick overview, here’s a side-by-side look at how these two popular real estate CRMs stack up on key features.
| Feature | Wise Agent | Follow Up Boss |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | All-in-one business management | Lead conversion & sales pipeline |
| Contact Management | Comprehensive with categories & call lists | Advanced with Smart Lists & lead lifecycle tracking |
| Transaction Management | Built-in checklists & date tracking | Relies on integrations (e.g., Dotloop) |
| Marketing Tools | Built-in landing pages, newsletters, drip campaigns | Action Plans (drip campaigns), relies on integrations for advanced marketing |
| Lead Routing | Basic routing capabilities | Advanced, customizable routing for teams |
| User Interface | Functional, traditional design | Modern, clean, and intuitive |
| Integrations | Good selection of key integrations | Extensive library of deep integrations |
| Mobile App | Yes, full-featured | Yes, highly rated for on-the-go use |
| Customer Support | 24/7 phone, chat, and email support | Business hours phone, chat, and email support |
| Pricing Model | Simple, flat monthly/annual fee | Tiered, per-user pricing |
An Introduction to Wise Agent
Wise Agent has been a staple in the real estate CRM space for years, building a reputation as the “do-it-all” platform for agents who want simplicity and value. Founded by a former real estate agent, the software was designed from the ground up to address the specific, day-to-day needs of running a real estate business. Its core philosophy is to provide a comprehensive suite of tools under one roof, eliminating the need for agents to subscribe to multiple different services for marketing, transaction coordination, and contact management.
This all-in-one approach is its biggest selling point. With Wise Agent, you get a robust contact database, detailed transaction checklists, marketing automation, landing page creators, and even tools for tracking commission and goals. It’s designed to be the central command center where an agent can start and end their day, managing everything from new leads to closed deals without ever leaving the platform.
Because of its extensive feature set and highly competitive price point, Wise Agent is often the first CRM for new agents or a popular choice for experienced solo practitioners who don't want the complexity or cost of managing a large tech stack. The inclusion of 24/7 customer support is a significant benefit, ensuring agents can get help whenever they need it, whether it's a weekend or late at night.
An Introduction to Follow Up Boss
Follow Up Boss entered the market with a different philosophy: do one thing, and do it better than anyone else. That one thing is lead follow-up and conversion. It is not trying to be an all-in-one solution for every aspect of a real estate business. Instead, it focuses on being the most powerful and efficient system for managing your sales pipeline, from the moment a lead comes in to the moment you set an appointment.
Its interface is modern, fast, and built for action. The entire system is organized around communication—calling, texting, and emailing leads. Features like Smart Lists dynamically organize your contacts based on their activity, ensuring you always know who to call next. Its Action Plans are highly customizable drip campaigns designed to nurture leads automatically, while its team features, like advanced lead routing and reporting, are considered among the best in the industry.
Follow Up Boss operates on the principle that agents should use the best tool for each job. Therefore, it has built an extensive ecosystem of integrations. It connects seamlessly with hundreds of other real estate tools, from lead generation sources like Zillow and Realtor.com to transaction management platforms like Dotloop and SkySlope. This makes it the ideal central hub for agents and teams who already have a preferred set of tools and need a powerful engine to tie them all together.
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Key Features of Wise Agent: The All-in-One Command Center
Wise Agent's feature set is broad, designed to cover nearly every task a real estate agent handles. This comprehensive approach is what makes it so appealing to agents who want to consolidate their software subscriptions and simplify their workflow.
Contact Management
At its core, Wise Agent provides a detailed contact management system. You can categorize contacts, add notes, track conversations, and link family members. The platform includes a call list feature that helps you organize your daily outreach, ensuring you stay on track with your prospecting and relationship-building efforts. Each contact record serves as a complete history of your interactions.
Transaction Management
This is a major differentiator in the wise agent vs follow up debate. Wise Agent includes a full-featured transaction management system. You can create customizable checklists for buyers and sellers, track critical dates, store documents, and manage all parties involved in a deal. This built-in functionality means you don't necessarily need a separate subscription to a tool like Dotloop or SkySlope, representing significant cost savings.
Marketing Automation Suite
Wise Agent comes equipped with a powerful suite of marketing tools. You can create and send monthly newsletters, set up automated email and text drip campaigns, and even create single-property landing pages to capture leads. The platform provides a library of templates for emails and letters, making it easy to launch marketing initiatives quickly. This integrated marketing capability helps agents nurture leads and stay top-of-mind with their sphere of influence without leaving their CRM.
Time Management and Goal Setting
Beyond contacts and transactions, Wise Agent helps you manage your day. It includes a detailed calendar that syncs with Google Calendar, a task list, and a goal tracker for commissions. This allows you to plan your activities, set priorities, and monitor your progress toward your income goals, all within the same system where you manage your clients.
Key Features of Follow Up Boss: The Lead Conversion Machine
Follow Up Boss focuses its features on a singular goal: converting leads into clients. Every tool within the platform is designed to make follow-up faster, smarter, and more effective. This laser focus results in a highly optimized workflow for sales-oriented agents and teams.
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Centralized Lead Inbox and Smart Lists
Follow Up Boss automatically pulls in leads from over 200 sources into a single, unified inbox. This ensures no lead ever falls through the cracks. The true power lies in its Smart Lists, which are dynamic, saved filters that automatically segment your contacts. You can create lists for "New Leads Today," "People to Call," or "Leads Who Visited My Website Recently." This feature tells you exactly who to contact and why, every single day.
Action Plans and Automation
Action Plans are Follow Up Boss's version of drip campaigns, but they are far more flexible. You can create multi-step plans that include automated emails, text messages, and tasks for the agent. For example, a new Zillow lead could trigger an Action Plan that sends an instant text, followed by an email an hour later, and then creates a task for the agent to call the next day. This level of automation ensures immediate and persistent follow-up.
Integrated Communication Tools
Follow Up Boss includes a built-in dialer and texting functionality (including group texting) directly within the platform. This allows agents to make calls and send texts with a single click, and every communication is automatically logged in the contact's record. For teams, the platform offers a shared inbox and the ability to transfer conversations between agents, creating a seamless experience for the client.
Advanced Team Features and Reporting
For team leaders, this is where Follow Up Boss truly shines. It offers sophisticated lead routing rules that can distribute leads based on source, price point, zip code, or round-robin. The reporting dashboard provides deep insights into agent performance, lead source ROI, and the overall health of the sales pipeline. This data is invaluable for coaching agents and making informed business decisions.
Pricing: A Tale of Two Models
Pricing is one of the most significant factors in any wise agent comparison, and the two platforms could not be more different in their approach.
Wise Agent Pricing
Wise Agent is known for its simple and affordable pricing. It typically offers a single plan that includes all features for one flat fee, with options to pay monthly or annually for a discount. This plan usually covers up to five users, making it an incredible value for solo agents and small teams.
There are no hidden fees or tiered feature sets. What you see is what you get, which includes 24/7 support, all marketing tools, transaction management, and more. This straightforward model makes budgeting easy and provides access to enterprise-level features for a fraction of the cost of many competitors.
Disclaimer: Pricing is subject to change. Please visit the official Wise Agent website for the most current pricing information.
Follow Up Boss Pricing
Follow Up Boss uses a tiered, per-user pricing model. Its plans typically include:
- Grow: An entry-level plan for solo agents or small teams, offering core CRM features and Action Plans.
- Pro: The most popular plan, designed for growing teams. It adds the team inbox, advanced lead routing, and the dialer.
- Platform: The top-tier plan for large teams and brokerages, offering priority support, advanced API access, and other high-level features.
This structure means the cost can add up quickly, especially for larger teams. However, the value is in the specialized, high-performance tools you receive. The investment is often justified by the increased efficiency and conversion rates that the platform enables. It's a premium product with a premium price tag, designed for those who will use its advanced sales features to generate a significant return.
Disclaimer: Pricing is subject to change. Please visit the official Follow Up Boss website for the most current pricing information.
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User Interface and Experience (UI/UX)
The day-to-day usability of a CRM is crucial. If it's clunky or confusing, you won't use it. Here, the differences between the two platforms are immediately apparent.
Wise Agent's interface is highly functional but can feel a bit dated to some users. It uses a more traditional dashboard layout with menus and sub-menus. While it's packed with information, it can present a steeper learning curve for new users trying to find everything. However, once you learn your way around, the workflow is logical, and everything you need is accessible.
It prioritizes function over form.
Follow Up Boss, on the other hand, is widely praised for its clean, modern, and intuitive user interface. The design is minimalist and action-oriented. The layout is designed to reduce clicks and present the most important information upfront. This focus on user experience means agents can get up and running quickly with minimal training, which is a huge advantage for busy teams.
Pro Tip: The best CRM is the one you'll actually use every day. Before committing, take advantage of the free trials offered by both platforms. Spend a week working in each system to see which workflow feels more natural to you. Your personal preference for UI can make a huge difference in adoption.
Integrations and Compatibility
How a CRM connects with the other tools you use is a critical consideration. This is another area where the two platforms have fundamentally different strategies.
Wise Agent offers a solid number of direct integrations with key real estate software, including Google Calendar, Mailchimp, and some transaction management platforms. It also connects to thousands of other apps through Zapier. For most agents, its native integrations are sufficient to run their business effectively from within the Wise Agent ecosystem.
Follow Up Boss has made integrations a cornerstone of its platform. It boasts deep, two-way integrations with hundreds of real estate applications. This includes nearly every lead source imaginable, marketing platforms, website providers, and transaction coordinators. This "best-in-class" approach means you can build a customized tech stack with your favorite tools, and Follow Up Boss will serve as the powerful central nervous system that makes them all work together.
If you rely heavily on a variety of third-party tools, Follow Up Boss's integration capabilities are hard to beat.
Who is Wise Agent For?
Wise Agent is the ideal choice for specific types of real estate professionals:
- Solo Agents: If you're running your business on your own, the all-in-one nature of Wise Agent simplifies your tech stack and keeps costs low.
- New Agents: The affordable price point and comprehensive feature set provide everything a new agent needs to get organized and start building their business without a massive upfront investment.
- Agents on a Budget: You get an incredible amount of functionality for the price, including features that cost extra on other platforms.
- Those Who Value Simplicity: If you prefer having one tool that does everything reasonably well over juggling multiple specialized applications, Wise Agent's model will appeal to you.
Who is Follow Up Boss For?
Follow Up Boss is built for a different segment of the market:
- High-Producing Agents and Teams: If your business generates a high volume of leads from multiple sources, Follow Up Boss's speed and automation will help you convert more of them.
- Team Leaders and Brokers: The advanced lead routing, agent accountability tools, and in-depth reporting are essential for managing and growing a successful team.
- Tech-Savvy Agents: If you already have a set of tools you love (like a specific website provider or marketing platform), Follow Up Boss will integrate with them seamlessly.
- Those Focused on Speed-to-Lead: The entire platform is optimized for responding to new inquiries instantly and following up persistently, which is proven to increase conversion rates.
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Customer Support and Resources
Both companies offer strong support, but with a key difference.
Wise Agent is famous for its 24/7, US-based customer support. You can call, email, or live chat with a real person anytime, day or night. This is a massive advantage for agents who work unconventional hours and need immediate assistance. They also offer extensive training through webinars and a detailed knowledge base.
Follow Up Boss provides excellent support during standard business hours via phone, email, and chat. Their support team is known for being knowledgeable and responsive. They also invest heavily in customer success, with a wealth of training videos, guides, and a proactive onboarding process to help new users get the most out of the platform.
Pros and Cons of Wise Agent
Pros
- Excellent Value: An all-in-one feature set for a low, flat monthly fee.
- Built-in Transaction Management: A huge benefit that saves money on separate software.
- 24/7 Customer Support: Unmatched accessibility for help whenever you need it.
- Comprehensive Marketing Tools: Includes landing pages, newsletters, and drip campaigns at no extra cost.
Cons
- Dated User Interface: The design can feel clunky and less intuitive compared to modern alternatives.
- Steeper Learning Curve: The sheer number of features can be overwhelming for new users.
- Fewer Deep Integrations: While it has key integrations, it doesn't have the vast ecosystem of Follow Up Boss.
Pros and Cons of Follow Up Boss
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Pros
- Modern and Intuitive UI: Easy to learn and a pleasure to use, which increases user adoption.
- Superior Lead Management: Smart Lists and automation are best-in-class for managing a sales pipeline.
- Powerful Team Features: Advanced lead routing and reporting make it ideal for managing teams.
- Extensive Integrations: Connects with almost any other tool you use in your business.
Cons
- Higher Cost: The per-user pricing model can become expensive, especially for larger teams.
- No Built-in Transaction Management: Requires an integration and separate subscription for this functionality.
- Limited Built-in Marketing: Focuses on drip campaigns but relies on integrations for more advanced marketing like newsletters or landing pages.
FAQ: Wise Agent vs Follow Up Boss
Is Wise Agent a good CRM?
Yes, Wise Agent is a very good CRM, especially for its target audience. It offers a comprehensive set of features, including contact management, transaction coordination, and marketing automation, for an extremely competitive price. Its value proposition is one of the best in the industry for solo agents and small teams who want an all-in-one solution.
How much does Wise Agent cost?
Wise Agent's pricing is known for its simplicity. While you should always check their official website for the latest numbers, they typically offer a single plan with a flat monthly or annual fee that includes all features for up to five users. This makes it one of the most affordable full-featured CRMs on the market.
Did Zillow buy Follow Up Boss?
Yes, in late 2023, Zillow Group announced its acquisition of Follow Up Boss. Follow Up Boss continues to operate as an independent brand, and the acquisition was intended to provide it with more resources to continue developing its platform while also allowing for deeper integration with Zillow's Premier Agent program.
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Who owns Follow Up Boss CRM?
As of late 2023, Follow Up Boss is owned by Zillow Group. The original co-founders, Dan Corkill and Tom Markov, continue to lead the company, and it operates as a separate entity within the Zillow ecosystem, serving agents from all brokerages and with leads from all sources.
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Does Wise Agent include a website?
Wise Agent does not provide a full IDX website for property searches. However, it does include a feature that allows you to create and host single-property landing pages, which are excellent for marketing specific listings and capturing leads.
What's the best CRM for realtors?
The "best" CRM is subjective and depends entirely on your business needs, budget, and workflow preferences. For an agent wanting an affordable, all-in-one system, Wise Agent is a top contender. For a team focused on high-volume lead conversion and integration, Follow Up Boss is often considered the industry standard.
Conclusion: Which CRM is Right for You?
In the Wise Agent vs Follow Up Boss showdown, there is no single winner—only the right choice for your specific business. The decision comes down to your priorities, your budget, and how you want to structure your technology stack.
Choose Wise Agent if you are a solo agent, part of a small team, or an agent who values simplicity and affordability. If you want one platform to manage your contacts, transactions, and marketing without breaking the bank, Wise Agent delivers incredible value. Its all-in-one approach simplifies your workflow and its 24/7 support ensures you're never left without help.
Choose Follow Up Boss if you are a high-producing agent or a team leader focused on maximizing lead conversion. If your business relies on speed, sophisticated automation, and seamless integration with other best-in-class tools, Follow Up Boss is worth the investment. Its modern interface and powerful sales-focused features will help you and your team operate at peak efficiency and close more deals from the leads you're already generating.
Ultimately, both are excellent platforms that have helped thousands of agents succeed. The best way to make your final decision is to sign up for a free trial of each, import a few contacts, and see which one feels like home for your business.
