Database Upload Week: Getting Your Contact List Battle-Ready in 7 Days

Your database is a mess.

Contacts scattered across your phone, old spreadsheets, business cards in a drawer, and leads from three different websites.

This week, we fix it.

The Database Problem

You can't work a database you can't access.

Your best leads from 2024 are buried in an old Excel file. Past clients are in your phone but not tagged. Website leads live in one system. Zillow leads in another.

You're losing money every day and this stays broken.

The One-Week Solution

Pick one week. Make it a database upload week.

Seven days from now, every contact lives in one place. Every lead is tagged. Every past client is categorized.

Then you can work your database instead of wondering who's in it.

Choosing Your CRM

You need a CRM that works for real estate.

Look for these features:

• Imports contacts from multiple sources
• Tags and categorizes contacts
• Tracks every conversation
• Schedules follow-ups
• Integrates with lead sources
• Sends automated campaigns

Most real estate CRMs offer these basics. Pick one and commit to it.

The Seven-Day Upload Plan

Each day focuses on one data source.

Day 1: Export everything Day 2: Clean the data Day 3: Upload past clients Day 4: Upload active leads Day 5: Upload sphere and database Day 6: Set up tags and categories Day 7: Test and verify

One focused week solves a problem that's been costing you deals for months.

Day 1: The Export Day

Monday is export day. Pull data from everywhere.

Export from:

• Your phone contacts
• Old CRM or spreadsheets
• Email contacts
• Lead sources (Zillow, Realtor.com, your website)
• Social media connections you've done business with
• Business cards sitting in drawers

Get it all into CSV files. Don't organize yet. Just export everything.

Day 2: The Cleaning Day

Tuesday is data cleaning day.

Open your CSV files. Remove:

• Duplicate entries
• Old phone numbers you know are wrong
• People who asked to be removed
• Business contacts not related to real estate
• Spam entries

Fix formatting:

• Standardize phone numbers
• Fix email addresses
• Correct obvious spelling errors
• Fill in missing information where you can

Clean data uploads correctly. Dirty data creates problems.

Day 3: Past Client Upload

Wednesday focus: Past clients only.

These are your most valuable contacts. They deserve special attention.

Create a spreadsheet with these columns:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Email
• Phone
• Address
• Close Date
• Property Address
• Transaction Type (buyer/seller/both)

Upload this file to your CRM. Tag everyone as "Past Client."

This group gets different treatment than cold leads.

Day 4: Active Leads Upload

Thursday focus: Anyone currently in your pipeline.

Active leads include:

• People you've talked to in last 90 days
• Scheduled appointments
• Under contract
• Pending closings
• Hot prospects

Tag these as "Active" so you don't lose track of them during the upload process.

Day 5: Sphere and Database Upload

Friday focus: Everyone else.

Your sphere:

• Friends and family
• Professional connections
• Networking contacts
• Community relationships

Your broader database:

• Old leads (over 90 days)
• People who said "someday"
• Referrals you never closed
• Open house attendees

Get everyone into the system.

Day 6: Tagging and Categories

Saturday (or your catch-up day): Organization.

Set up your tag system:

Timeline tags:

• Ready Now
• 3-6 Months
• 6-12 Months
• Future (1+ years)

Source tags:

• Past Client
• Sphere
• Zillow Lead
• Website Lead
• Referral
• Open House

Property type tags:

• First-Time Buyer
• Move-Up Buyer
• Downsizing
• Investment
• Luxury

Apply tags to everyone. This makes your database searchable and workable.

Day 7: Testing and Verification

Sunday (or your final day): Make sure everything works.

Test these functions:

• Search for people by tag
• Pull up past clients
• Find everyone ready now
• Check that phone numbers work
• Verify email addresses
• Run a sample campaign

If anything's broken, fix it before Monday.

The Import Process

Most CRMs make imports simple:

1. Go to Settings or Import section
2. Upload your CSV file
3. Map your columns to their fields
4. Review the preview
5. Click import

Takes 10 minutes per file once you know the process.

The Duplicate Handling

Good CRMs catch duplicates automatically.

When it finds a match, it asks what to do:

• Keep existing
• Update with new info
• Create new contact anyway

Usually, updating with new info is the right choice.

The Tag Strategy

Don't create 100 tags. Keep it simple.

Essential tags only:

• Timeline (when they want to move)
• Type (buyer, seller, investor)
• Source (where they came from)
• Temperature (hot, warm, cold)
• Past Client (yes or no)

More tags sound good. Fewer tags actually get used.

The Smart List Setup

After uploading, create smart lists or filters:

"Hot Leads" = Timeline: Ready Now + Temperature: Hot "Past Clients Needing Follow-Up" = Past Client + Last Contact: Over 6 months "Spring Movers" = Timeline: 3-6 Months "Database Gold" = Past Client + Has Given Referral

Smart lists update automatically as contacts change.

The Campaign Connection

Once your database is uploaded, connect automated campaigns:

Past clients: Monthly market updates New leads: Welcome sequence Inactive leads: Re-engagement campaign Sphere: Quarterly check-ins

Campaigns run automatically. Your database works while you sleep.

The Lead Source Integration

Connect your lead sources directly to your CRM:

Zillow leads: Auto-import Website leads: Auto-import
Facebook leads: Auto-import Google leads: Auto-import

New leads flow in automatically. No more manual entry.

The Mobile Access

Download your CRM's mobile app.

Now your entire database lives on your phone:

• Make calls from the app
• Log conversations instantly
• Set follow-up reminders
• Check contact history

Your database becomes portable and accessible.

The Weekly Maintenance

After upload week, maintain your database:

Monday: Review new leads from weekend Wednesday: Update contact statuses Friday: Schedule next week's follow-ups

15 minutes three times per week keeps everything current.

The Common Upload Mistakes

Don't make these errors:

Uploading without cleaning data first (garbage in, garbage out) Creating too many custom fields (keep it simple) Not tagging contacts (untagged = unsearchable) Uploading and never using it (what's the point?) Skipping duplicates check (creates confusion)

The Cost-Benefit Reality

Real estate CRMs: $50-150 per month depending on features

Cost of NOT having organized database:

• Lost follow-ups: 5-10 deals per year
• Missed referrals: 3-5 deals per year
• Forgotten leads: 8-12 deals per year

That's 16-27 lost transactions yearly. At an average $8,000 commission, that's $128,000-$216,000 left on the table.

Monthly CRM cost seems reasonable now.

The Accountability Factor

When everything's in your CRM, you can't hide from your numbers:

How many contacts do you have? When did you last talk to them? How many are ready now? How many need follow-up this week?

The system shows you exactly where you're winning and where you're failing.

The Team Benefit

If you have a team, your CRM becomes your central hub:

Everyone sees the same contact info Notes sync across team members Tasks can be assigned Nothing falls through cracks

One system. One source of truth.

The Migration Reality

Switching CRMs is painful. Do it once and do it right.

If you're already using a different CRM, export everything before canceling.

If you're using spreadsheets or no system, a proper CRM is the upgrade you need.

Make the switch this week. Suffer for seven days. Benefit for years.

Your Upload Week Schedule

Monday morning: Block your calendar. This is database week. Tuesday-Sunday: Follow the seven-day plan above. Next Monday: Start working on your organized database.

By this time next week, you'll have a system that actually works.

The Bottom Line

You can't work in a database you can't access.

Contacts scattered everywhere = money left on the table.

One focused week fixes this permanently.

Stop saying "I need to get organized someday."

Someday is this week. Today is Day 1.

Your homework: Export your first data source today. Tomorrow, export another. By Friday, everything's exported and ready to upload.

Get your database battle-ready. Then go win the battle.

Tiffany Hampton is a seasoned real estate leader and MAPS Coach with over two decades of experience helping agents succeed through leadership, coaching, and innovative strategy. As the founder of AgentGrowth365.com, Tiffany delivers proven systems, tools, and training that empower agents and market center leaders to grow with clarity and purpose. Whether you're looking to hit 24 transactions, streamline your coaching systems, or lead your business with impact, AgentGrowth365 offers a full suite of solutions designed to meet today's challenges and scale tomorrow's success.