Real Estate (Agent)
A practical guide to configuring Daylite for real estate agents — covering contacts, buyer and seller pipelines, transaction management, calendar, and automation, all in one place.
Why Daylite for Real Estate Agents
Real estate agents live in a paradox: you need to maintain hundreds of relationships simultaneously, but every transaction is deeply personal and demands individual attention. A buyer you met at an open house two years ago may be ready to move next month. A past seller may have a referral sitting on the tip of their tongue. Without a system, those moments are lost.
Daylite solves this by keeping your contacts, their history, their relationships to each other, and their transaction history all in one linked record. You can see at a glance that Sarah referred John who referred the Garcias — and you can thank the right people at the right time. That referral chain is visible, searchable, and actionable.
The sales and delivery sides of real estate are also fundamentally different workflows. Finding a buyer or seller (prospecting, nurturing, winning the listing or buyer agreement) is a sales motion. Then serving them through a transaction (offers, conditions, closing, possession) is a delivery motion. Daylite's Opportunities (sales pipeline) and Projects (transaction pipeline) handle each phase cleanly, so your board reflects where every client actually is.
Similar industries
Mortgage Brokers — the same prospecting-to-close pipeline and referral network model applies directly; the product differs but the client lifecycle from warm lead to funded deal is nearly identical.
Commercial Real Estate Agents — the same opportunity and project pipeline applies, though the deal cycle is longer, Companies take precedence over People, and lease management adds a third pipeline.
Property Managers — a heavy contact-management load with recurring touchpoints, maintenance coordination, and owner-tenant relationships that fit Daylite's linking model well.
Real Estate Lawyers — work closely with agents at every closing; the Projects and contact model used here maps cleanly to matter management, with People representing clients and Companies representing the other party's firm.
Business Brokers — very similar pipeline: a buyer/seller qualification phase, a deal/opportunity phase, and a transaction delivery phase with strict confidentiality requirements.
Home Stagers and Interior Designers — property-by-property project management with the same referral-partner relationship structure used here.
People vs. Companies — Know the Difference
This is the most important concept to understand before setting anything else up, even before importing your contacts. Daylite treats People and Companies as entirely separate objects, each with their own categories, keywords, roles, and history. Getting this right is the foundation of a clean, usable database.
The Core Mental Model
People: These are the individuals you actually talk to — buyers, sellers, investors, referral partners, lawyers, mortgage brokers, inspectors. In residential real estate, the person is the relationship. Their preferences, their transaction history, their referrals — everything attaches directly to the Person record.
Companies: These are the organizations behind those people — brokerages, law firms, financial institutions, builders. A Company record gives a Person's employer context and holds the institutional relationship. If a mortgage broker moves firms, their history stays on their Person record, not lost with the old Company.
Which Record Type to Use
Individual buyer or seller
Person
—
Standalone Person record
Married couple / partners
Person (both)
—
Link as "Partner of" in Relationships
Investor buying personally
Person
—
Person record; add Investor keyword
Mortgage broker (individual)
Person
Company (their brokerage)
Role: Mortgage Broker
Real estate law firm
Company
Person (each lawyer)
Role: Closing Lawyer
Property management company
Company
Person (property manager)
Role: Primary Contact
Builder / developer
Company
Person (sales rep)
Role: Sales Representative
Corporate relocation client
Person
Company (their employer)
Role: Employee
Home inspector / stager / photographer
Person
—
Person record for individual service providers
Key distinction: Always create a Person record for the individual you actually talk to. A Company record exists to give that person's employer context — it's the institutional backdrop, not your primary relationship. In residential real estate, you are almost always working with People first.
Setting Up People
People in Daylite represent everyone in your world: buyers, sellers, investors, referral partners, lawyers, mortgage brokers, inspectors, and professional connections. Setting up the right categories, keywords, and roles before importing will make every search and filter far more useful from day one.
Before importing contacts, follow the setup steps below to ensure you have the right structure in place. Importing without categories and keywords defined means cleaning up data after the fact.
People Categories
Categories are mutually exclusive — each contact has one at a time. Use category to reflect where this person stands in your business right now. It will change as the relationship evolves.
Prospect
Orange
Someone who has expressed interest but you haven't committed to working together yet
Active Buyer
Blue
Signed buyer representation agreement; actively searching
Active Seller
Purple
Signed listing agreement; property on market
Under Contract
Yellow
Their transaction is in progress; conditions pending or closing approaching
Past Client
Green
Transaction completed; maintain for referrals and repeat business
Referral Partner
Teal
Mortgage brokers, lawyers, inspectors, stagers — not transactional clients
Cold Lead
Grey
Showed interest in the past; gone quiet; not yet written off
Sphere
No colour
Friends, family, acquaintances — relationship maintained, no active transaction
People Keywords
Keywords are non-exclusive and can stack. Use them to capture attributes that don't change as the relationship progresses and for facts you want to filter by later.
Client Profile:
Buyer
Seller
Buyer + Seller (simultaneous transaction)
Investor
First-Time Buyer
Downsizer
Upsizer
Relocation
Vacation / Cottage Buyer
Lead Source:
Lead Source: Referral
Lead Source: Open House
Lead Source: Website
Lead Source: Social Media
Lead Source: Sign Call
Lead Source: Sphere of Influence
Lead Source: Past Client
Lead Source: Farming / Direct Mail
Lead Source: Realtor.ca / MLS
Lead Source: Builder Referral
Lead Source: Corporate / Relocation
Market & Area Preferences:
Area: Downtown
Area: East End
Area: West End
Area: Suburbs
Area: Rural
Area: Waterfront
Area: Cottage Country
Property Type Preferences:
Type: Detached
Type: Semi-Detached
Type: Townhouse
Type: Condo
Type: Multiplex
Type: Commercial
Type: Vacant Land
Referral Partner Type:
Partner: Mortgage Broker
Partner: Real Estate Lawyer
Partner: Home Inspector
Partner: Home Stager
Partner: Photographer
Partner: Contractor / Renovator
Partner: Property Manager
Partner: Financial Advisor
Roles
Roles describe what a person means to your business — not their job title. Use roles consistently so Smart Lists based on Role actually work.
Buyer
Linked to an Opportunity or Project as the purchasing party
Seller
Linked to an Opportunity or Project as the selling party
Co-Buyer
Linked as the second buyer in a joint purchase
Co-Seller
Linked as the second seller in a joint sale
Referrer
Linked to an Opportunity as the person who made the introduction
Listing Agent (Other Side)
The agent representing the other party in a transaction
Buyer Agent (Other Side)
The agent representing the other party
Lawyer
Linked to a Project as the closing lawyer
Mortgage Broker
Linked to a Project; arranged financing
Home Inspector
Linked to a Project; conducted inspection
Stager
Linked to a Project; staging the listing
Photographer
Linked to a Project; listing photos/video
Role vs. job title: "John is the Decision Maker on Project Maple Ave" is a Role. "John is a VP at TD Bank" is a job title — that goes in the Title field. Use Role for filtering and Smart Lists (it's a consistent dropdown); use Title for context only.
Relationships
Use Daylite's Relationships feature — not keywords — to capture person-to-person connections. These build a visible, navigable referral network.
Referred by / Referred to — track your full referral chain. When a new client comes from a past client, link them with "Referred by". This is how you identify your best referrers and thank them properly.
Partner of — couples and business partners buying together
Colleague of — agent-to-agent relationships (co-listing partners, referral agents in other markets)
Related to — family members who are also clients or prospects
Works with — link a buyer to their preferred mortgage broker, or a seller to their lawyer
Referral tracking tip: Never use a keyword for referral source — use the Relationships feature. A "Referred by / Referred to" link shows you the specific person-to-person connection, not just a tag, and lets you trace the full referral chain on every contact record.
Setting Up Companies
While most of your primary relationships are People, Companies provide important context — especially for referral partners with their own firms. A law firm, mortgage brokerage, or builder that sends you consistent business deserves a Company record so the relationship survives individual staff turnover.
Company Categories
Brokerage
Real estate brokerages (yours and others you work with)
Law Firm
Real estate lawyers and their firms
Financial Institution
Banks, credit unions, mortgage companies
Service Provider
Home inspection firms, staging companies, photography studios, contractors
Builder / Developer
New construction companies
Corporate Client
Employers sending relocating employees
Property Management
Property management companies
Company Keywords
Builder Type:
Builder: Freehold
Builder: Condo
Builder: Custom
Referral Volume:
Referral Volume: High
Referral Volume: Medium
Referral Volume: Low
Area:
Area: [neighbourhood or city]
Company Types
Use Daylite's built-in Type field for broad classification:
Real Estate
Legal
Financial Services
Home Services
Construction / Development
Corporate
Company Industries
Real Estate & Property
Legal Services
Banking & Mortgage
Construction & Trades
Relocation Services
Roles on Companies
Primary Contact
The person you deal with most at this company
Referral Contact
The specific individual who sends you business
Closing Lawyer
Lawyer at this firm handling your transactions
Lending Officer
Mortgage specialist at this institution
Sales Representative
Builder or developer sales rep
Company Relationships
Affiliated with / Affiliated with — link competing brokerages or partner firms
Refers to / Referred by — capture inter-company referral agreements
Winning the Listing or Buyer Agreement (Opportunities)
An Opportunity in real estate represents the period from first meaningful engagement through to a signed agreement — either a listing agreement or a buyer representation agreement. It covers your prospecting and conversion work, before the property transaction itself begins.
Create an Opportunity as soon as you have someone who is genuinely considering buying or selling and you are actively trying to win their business. If it's just a name in your database with no active conversation, that's a Contact with a keyword — not yet an Opportunity.
When to create an Opportunity:
A prospect books a listing consultation or buyer consultation
You respond to an inbound inquiry and they engage meaningfully
A referral comes in with an active intent to buy or sell
An open house visitor follows up with genuine interest
Opportunity Categories
Buyer Lead
A prospective purchasing client
Seller Lead
A prospective listing client
Investor Lead
An investor buying or selling income property
Referral Out
A lead you're referring to another agent (track for reciprocity)
Opportunity Keywords
Pre-Approved
Timeline: 0–3 Months
Timeline: 3–6 Months
Timeline: 6–12 Months
Needs to Sell First
Multiple Decision Makers
High Priority
Opportunity Types
Opportunity Type captures how the deal came to you — not where you met the person (that's a keyword on the Contact).
New Business
Repeat Client
Referral — Past Client
Referral — Referral Partner
Referral — Agent
Sphere of Influence
Open House Walk-In
Online Lead
Sign Call / Drive-By
Cold Outreach
Won and Loss Reasons
Won (Listing signed / Buyer rep signed):
Strong CMA / Pricing Strategy
Relationship / Trust
Marketing Plan
Referral Confidence
Responsiveness
Fee Competitiveness
Lost:
Chose Another Agent
Decided Not to Move
Overpriced / Unrealistic Expectations
Went with a Friend or Family Member
Fee / Commission
Timing Not Right
No Response
Listing (Seller) Pipeline
New Lead
First contact made; initial qualification underway
Nurturing
Ongoing relationship; not yet ready to list
Consultation Booked
Listing presentation appointment confirmed
Consultation Complete
Listing presentation done; decision pending
Proposal Sent
CMA / pricing strategy delivered; waiting on decision
Agreement Signed
Listing agreement executed — convert to Project
Buyer Pipeline
New Lead
Initial inquiry received; qualification underway
Nurturing
Not yet ready to buy; keeping warm
Buyer Consult Booked
First meeting or call confirmed
Buyer Consult Complete
Needs and criteria understood; pre-approval discussed
Pre-Approval Confirmed
Financing pre-approval in hand; ready to search
Active Search
Viewing properties; close to writing offers
Agreement Signed
Buyer Representation Agreement signed — convert to Project
Two pipelines, one board view at a time. Daylite's Opportunities Board shows one pipeline at a time. Keep your Listing Pipeline and Buyer Pipeline distinct — each has its own stage logic and should never be mixed on one pipeline.
Transaction Management (Projects)
When an Opportunity is Won — listing agreement signed or buyer rep signed — convert it to a Project. The Project tracks everything from that point through to possession day and beyond.
For sellers, the Project begins at listing live. For buyers, it begins when they're under contract on a property. The Project is your transaction management workspace: it holds the property address, all linked contacts (buyer, seller, lawyers, mortgage broker, inspector), every appointment, task, note, and email associated with that deal.
Project Categories
Buyer Transaction
A purchase you're facilitating
Seller Transaction
A listing you're managing
Dual Agency
You represent both sides (where permitted)
Referral Out
A deal you handed off to another agent
Lease
A rental transaction
Project Keywords
Property Type: Detached
Property Type: Semi-Detached
Property Type: Townhouse
Property Type: Condo
Property Type: Multiplex
Property Type: Vacant Land
Freehold
Condominium
New Construction
Resale
Investment Property
Multiple Offers Situation
Probate / Estate Sale
Power of Sale
Listing (Seller) Transaction Pipeline
Listing Prep
Staging, photography, cleaning, sign install, MLS data entry
Active Listing
Property on market; showings underway
Offer Received
One or more offers in; negotiation in progress
Conditional
Accepted offer with conditions (inspection, financing, etc.)
Firm
All conditions waived; deal is firm
Pre-Closing
Final walk-through, transfer of title, moving arrangements
Closed
Keys handed over; transaction complete
Post-Closing Follow-Up
Thank you gift sent, review requested, client moved to Past Client
Buyer Transaction Pipeline
Active Search
Properties shortlisted; showings booked
Offer Stage
Writing or negotiating on a property
Conditional
Offer accepted with conditions; inspection, financing underway
Firm
All conditions waived; deal is firm
Pre-Closing
Mortgage final approval, lawyer prep, moving arrangements
Closed
Keys received; transaction complete
Post-Closing Follow-Up
Thank you, review request, housewarming follow-up
Calendar Categories
Colour-code your calendar so you can see your week at a glance — showings, negotiations, open houses, and admin should all be visually distinct.
Listing Appointment
Purple
Pre-listing consultation or listing presentation
Showing
Blue
Buyer showing appointments
Open House
Orange
Public or agent open houses
Offer Presentation
Red
Presenting or receiving offers
Inspection
Yellow
Home inspection appointments
Closing / Possession
Green
Key handover, title transfer dates
Client Meeting
Teal
General buyer or seller meetings
Networking / Event
Grey
Industry events, community events
Admin
Light grey
MLS entry, paperwork, office tasks
Personal
No colour
Out of office, personal commitments
Activity Sets
Activity Sets automate your repeatable task sequences. In real estate, the same checklist fires for every listing, every buyer activation, and every closing. Build them once, apply them to every relevant Project or Opportunity with one click.
Timing note: Every item in an Activity Set uses one of two anchors — After start (N days after the record's start date) or Before end (N days before the record's due date). Set the Project's start date to the relevant trigger event (e.g. listing agreement date, condition date, possession date) so the timing works correctly.
New Listing Activity Set
Apply this when: A listing agreement is signed. Set the Project start date to the agreement signing date.
0
After start
Task
Order professional photography
0
After start
Task
Schedule staging consultation
0
After start
Task
Collect all property documents (survey, tax bill, utility bills, status certificate if condo)
1
After start
Task
Draft MLS listing copy for seller review
2
After start
Task
Confirm photography date with seller
3
After start
Task
Review and approve listing copy with seller
5
After start
Task
Upload photos, enter MLS data, set go-live date
5
After start
Task
Order For Sale sign installation
5
After start
Task
Set up showing instructions and lockbox
7
After start
Task
Send "Your listing is live" email to seller with MLS link
7
After start
Task
Share listing on social media
14
After start
Task
Send showing activity update to seller
21
After start
Task
Schedule market feedback call if no offers yet
Active Buyer Activation Activity Set
Apply this when: A Buyer Representation Agreement is signed. Set the Project start date to the BRA signing date.
0
After start
Task
Confirm pre-approval letter received and on file
0
After start
Task
Set up MLS auto-search with agreed criteria
0
After start
Task
Send buyer welcome email with process overview
1
After start
Appointment
Schedule first showing tour
7
After start
Task
Check in: any listings from auto-search catching their eye?
14
After start
Task
Review search criteria if no suitable properties found
21
After start
Task
Market update call: price range, competition, timing
Conditional Period Activity Set
Apply this when: An offer goes conditional. Set the Project start date to the condition date and the due date to the condition expiry date. This activity set uses both anchors.
0
After start
Task
Send conditional acceptance confirmation to client
0
After start
Appointment
Book home inspection (if inspection condition)
1
After start
Task
Confirm buyer has submitted mortgage application
2
After start
Task
Follow up with mortgage broker on approval timeline
3
After start
Task
Receive and review inspection report
3
After start
Task
Negotiate any inspection issues if needed
2
Before end
Task
Confirm financing approval received
1
Before end
Task
Prepare waiver of conditions documents
0
Before end
Task
Execute waiver; confirm firm deal with all parties
Post-Closing Activity Set
Apply this when: Possession day occurs. Set the Project start date to the possession date to anchor follow-up touchpoints.
0
After start
Task
Drop off or send congratulations gift
7
After start
Task
Check-in call: how's the move going?
30
After start
Task
Send Google / RateMyAgent review request
90
After start
Task
Touch base: any tradespeople needed? Seasonal checklist?
365
After start
Task
Home anniversary message with approximate value update
Forms & Custom Fields
Use Forms and Custom Fields to standardize the information you capture across clients and transactions.
Forms vs. Custom Fields — which to use:
Form
You need a named group of related fields that only apply to some records — e.g. a buyer intake checklist on an Opportunity, or a property details form on a Project
Custom Field
You need a single field that should appear on every record of that type — e.g. Property Address on every Project
Forms are created in Settings > Forms. After defining a form, you manually attach an instance to a record when it's relevant — a record can have multiple forms attached.
Form: Buyer Intake (Opportunity)
Apply this form during the Buyer Consult Complete stage to capture all search criteria in one structured place before you start sending listings.
Full Legal Names
Text
As they'll appear on title
Current Address
Text
Pre-Approval Status
Popup Options
In Progress / Approved / Not Started
Lender Name
Text
Who issued the pre-approval
Maximum Budget (Approved)
Text
Full pre-approval amount
Comfortable Budget
Text
What they actually want to spend
Preferred Possession Date
Date
Must-have or flexible?
Bedrooms (Min)
Text
Bathrooms (Min)
Text
Must-Have Features
Text
Garage, yard, home office, etc.
Nice-to-Have Features
Text
Deal-Breakers
Text
Busy street, basement apartment, etc.
Areas of Interest
Text
Neighbourhoods / communities
Have They Worked with Another Agent?
Popup Options
Yes / No
Form: Seller Intake (Opportunity)
Apply this form during the Consultation Complete stage to capture all listing information before the agreement is signed.
Full Legal Names
Text
As they appear on title
Property Address
Text
Estimated Mortgage Balance
Text
For net proceeds discussion
Reason for Moving
Text
Target List Date
Date
Target Possession / Closing Date
Date
Known Defects / Disclosure Items
Text
Recent Renovations
Text
What was done and approximate year
Included Items
Text
Appliances, fixtures to be included
Excluded Items
Text
Items being taken
Have They Spoken with Other Agents?
Popup Options
Yes / No
Custom Fields
Custom fields appear on every record of their type and are configured in Settings > Custom Fields by renaming the built-in Extra fields. Each object supports up to 12 string fields (Extra 1–12) and 4 date fields (Extra Date 1–4). Field types are limited to string (free text) and date — for richer types like dropdown or checkbox, use a Form instead.
On Project — suggested label assignments:
Extra 1
Property Address
Text
Extra 2
MLS Number
Text
Extra 3
List Price
Text
Extra 4
Sale Price
Text
Extra 5
Conditional On
Text
Extra Date 1
Condition Expiry Date
Date
Extra Date 2
Possession Date
Date
Note: List Price and Sale Price are stored as free text — custom fields have no currency formatting. For detailed financial breakdowns (commissions, net proceeds), use a Form. The custom fields serve as quick-reference labels visible at a glance on the Project record.
Letter & Email Templates
Set up reusable templates for the messages you send at every stage of a transaction. Daylite's Letter Templates use merge codes so you can personalize at scale without rewriting from scratch.
Use <$cnt.firstname$> for the contact's first name, <$me.firstname$> or <$me.fullname$> for your name, and {{placeholder}} for context-specific details you fill in at send time.
Template: Buyer Welcome Email
Used for: After a Buyer Representation Agreement is signed — send same day.
Hi <$cnt.firstname$>,
Welcome — I'm excited to start this search with you. Now that we have our agreement in place, here's what to expect over the coming weeks.
Your auto-search is set up. You'll start receiving listings that match your criteria directly to your inbox. When something catches your eye, just reply and we'll book a showing — I can typically get you in within 24–48 hours.
I'm watching the market for you. Beyond the auto-search, I'm actively monitoring for pocket listings and properties that come up before they hit MLS. If I see something worth your attention, I'll reach out directly.
Here's what I need from you: Reply with any updates to your must-haves, nice-to-haves, or areas. The more honest you are about what you actually want (vs. what you think you should want), the better I can filter.
The current market conditions in {{area}} are {{brief summary — e.g. "competitive, with most desirable homes receiving multiple offers within the first week"}}. Based on your budget of {{budget range}}, we're well-positioned — but I'd recommend being ready to move quickly when the right one comes up.
Any questions before we dive in, just ask.
Talk soon, <$me.firstname$>
Template: Seller Welcome Email
Used for: After a listing agreement is signed — send same day.
Hi <$cnt.firstname$>,
The agreement is signed — let's get your home sold.
Here's what happens over the next few days:
Photography: I've booked {{photographer name}} for {{date}}. Please have the home show-ready by {{time}}.
Staging: {{Staging consultation booked for [date] / I'll send you a prep checklist to maximize your home's presentation.}}
Go-live date: We're targeting {{date}} for your listing to hit MLS and all major platforms.
What I need from you:
Confirm any items that are included or excluded in the sale (appliances, fixtures, etc.)
Let me know your preferred showing instructions — are you comfortable with short-notice showings, or do you need 24 hours?
Any disclosure items we haven't discussed? Better to know now.
I'll keep you updated on showing activity weekly — you'll never be left wondering what's happening with your listing.
Let's get this done.
<$me.firstname$>
Template: Conditional Acceptance Confirmation
Used for: After an offer is accepted with conditions — send to buyer and seller as appropriate.
Hi <$cnt.firstname$>,
Great news — the offer has been accepted. Here's where things stand:
Accepted price: {{$X,XXX,XXX}} Conditions: {{e.g. Financing (5 business days) and Home Inspection (5 business days)}} Condition expiry: {{date}} Possession date: {{date}}
Your next steps:
{{Buyer: Contact your lender today to get your formal mortgage application submitted. / Seller: Your lawyer will be in touch to begin the title search.}}
{{Buyer: I'll book the home inspection — I'll confirm the date and inspector details with you shortly.}}
Keep your schedule clear around {{condition expiry date}} — I'll need to be in close contact as we approach the deadline.
We're not firm yet, but this is a significant step. I'll be in touch daily until conditions are waived.
<$me.firstname$>
Template: Congratulations — Possession Day
Used for: On possession day — send a personal message or pair with a gift drop-off.
Hi <$cnt.firstname$>,
Today's the day — the keys are yours!
It's been a pleasure working with you through this process, and I'm genuinely excited for you. {{Property address}} is a great home{{/great fit for what you were looking for}}.
A few things to take care of in the first week:
Make sure the utilities are transferred into your name today if you haven't already
Take a walk through and note anything that needs attention — I'm happy to connect you with tradespeople for anything that comes up
Keep the previous owners' contact info handy for the first few weeks in case questions about the house come up
I'll check in next week to see how the move is going. In the meantime — congratulations, and enjoy your first night in your new home.
<$me.firstname$>
Template: Home Anniversary
Used for: One year after possession — annual check-in.
Hi <$cnt.firstname$>,
Hard to believe it's already been a year since you got the keys to {{property address}}!
I hope you've settled in and the home has been everything you were hoping for. I wanted to reach out for a few reasons:
First — the market in {{area}} has {{brief update — e.g. "continued to be active, with values up approximately X% over the past year"}}. Based on comparable sales, your home is worth approximately {{estimated current value range}} today. Happy to put together a full CMA if you're curious or thinking ahead.
Second — if you know anyone thinking about buying or selling, I'd love the introduction. Referrals from past clients are the backbone of my business, and I take every one seriously.
Hope you're well — feel free to reach out anytime, even just to catch up.
<$me.firstname$>
Additional templates to build: Use the same voice and structure for the remaining touchpoints in your cycle — showing confirmation, showing feedback request, weekly seller update, offer received notification, waiver confirmation, closing reminder, review request, referral thank-you, market update, and open house follow-up. Once you've written each one and saved it in Daylite, you'll rarely need to write a client email from scratch again.
Smart Lists
Smart Lists are saved filters that live in Daylite's sidebar and update automatically. Every time a record changes — a new lead comes in, a deal moves to a new stage, a condition deadline approaches — your Smart Lists reflect it instantly. Design them around the questions you ask yourself every morning.
How Smart Lists Work
Each Smart List is a saved filter set with a Match All (every condition must be true) or Match Any (at least one must be true) rule. Sub-filters with Do Not Match All let you build exclusions. A Smart List on People with "Category = Active Buyer" and "Keyword = Type: Condo" instantly shows you every active buyer looking for a condo — no searching required.
People Smart Lists
🏠 Active Buyers
Category = Active Buyer
All
Everyone currently searching
📋 Active Sellers
Category = Active Seller
All
All current listings
🤝 Hot Referral Partners
Category = Referral Partner, Priority = High
All
Partners who send consistent business
❄️ Gone Cold (90 days)
Category = Prospect, Activity: last activity more than 90 days ago
All
Prospects who've gone quiet — time to re-engage
🎂 Birthdays This Month
Birthday = this month
All
Never miss a birthday call
🏡 Past Clients — No Contact in 12 Months
Category = Past Client, Activity: last activity more than 365 days ago
All
Past clients due for a check-in
🔁 Referral Network
Relationship = Referred by (any)
All
Everyone in your referral chain
👋 Added This Month
Create Date = this month
All
New contacts — make sure they're properly categorised
Companies Smart Lists
🏦 Top Lenders
Category = Financial Institution, Keywords = Referral Volume: High
All
Your highest-volume mortgage sources
⚖️ Preferred Lawyers
Category = Law Firm
All
Your go-to real estate lawyers
🔨 Service Providers
Category = Service Provider
All
Inspectors, stagers, photographers, tradespeople
🏗️ Builders & Developers
Category = Builder / Developer
All
New construction relationships
Opportunities Smart Lists
🟠 All Open Leads
State = Open
All
Everything active in the pipeline
📅 Consultations Booked
State = Open, Pipeline & Stage = Listing Pipeline: Consultation Booked
All
Upcoming listing presentations
🔴 Stalled Leads (30+ days)
State = Open, Modify Date more than 30 days ago
All
Opportunities with no recent activity
🏆 Closing This Month
State = Open, Forecasted Close Date = this month
All
Deals expected to close this month
💰 High-Value Pipeline
State = Open, Total Amount > [your threshold]
All
Opportunities above a dollar threshold
🔁 Referral Leads
State = Open, Type = Referral — Past Client
All
Leads that came from your past clients
Projects Smart Lists
🔥 Active Transactions
Status = In Progress
All
All deals currently in progress
⚠️ Conditional This Week
Pipeline & Stage = Conditional, Due Date = this week
All
Conditions expiring soon — needs immediate attention
🗝️ Closing This Month
Pipeline & Stage = Firm, Extra Date 2 (Possession) = this month
All
Possessions coming up
📸 Listing Prep Underway
Pipeline & Stage = Listing Prep
All
Listings being prepared to go to market
✅ Closed This Quarter
Status = Done, End Date = this quarter
All
Review your closed volume
Tasks Smart Lists
🚨 Overdue
Status = Not Done, Due Date < today
All
Everything you're behind on
📋 Today
Status = Not Done, Due Date = today
All
Today's full task list
📞 Calls Due This Week
Status = Not Done, Type = Call, Due Date = this week
All
All scheduled calls
🔗 Condition Follow-Ups
Status = Not Done, Title contains "condition"
All
Condition-related tasks across all deals
🏠 Open House Prep
Status = Not Done, Title contains "open house"
All
Prep tasks for upcoming open houses
Appointments Smart Lists
🏠 Showings This Week
Category = Showing, Start Date = this week
All
All showings scheduled this week
📣 Open Houses
Category = Open House
All
All upcoming open houses
🤝 Listing Appointments
Category = Listing Appointment
All
Upcoming listing consultations
🗓️ Closings This Month
Category = Closing / Possession, Start Date = this month
All
All possession appointments
Pro Tips for Smart Lists
Pin your daily drivers. Add "Overdue", "Today", "Active Transactions", and "Stalled Leads" as Favourites so they're one click away each morning.
Combine Category + Activity on People to find past clients who haven't heard from you in over a year — this is one of your highest-ROI lists.
Use the Relationship filter to pull your full referral network and send a quarterly thank-you touch. Never let your referrers forget you exist.
The "Stalled Leads" list is a weekly discipline. If an Opportunity hasn't been modified in 30 days, something needs to happen — even if that's marking it Lost so your board stays clean.
Organise Smart Lists into folders (e.g. People, Opportunities, Projects, Tasks) so your sidebar stays navigable as your list grows.
Making It Your Own
Everything in this guide is a starting point, not a rulebook. Daylite is highly configurable, and the best setup is the one that matches how you actually work — and that will evolve as your business evolves.
Once you've been using Daylite for a few weeks, you'll have a feel for what's working and what's creating friction. That's the right time to adjust. Some things to consider revisiting:
Categories and keywords — if you're not using a category or keyword, remove it. A short, clean list beats a comprehensive one you ignore.
Pipeline stages — if a stage is always empty, or you always skip it, simplify. Fewer stages that reflect your actual process are more useful than a detailed model that doesn't match reality. Real estate moves fast — your pipeline should too.
Activity Sets — the first version is an educated guess. After a few listings and a few closings, you'll know exactly what to add, remove, or reorder.
Smart Lists — pin the ones you check every day, remove the ones you never open. Your sidebar should feel like a control panel, not a filing cabinet.
Custom fields — if you find yourself writing the same thing in notes on every transaction (condo corporation name, possession instructions, lockbox code), that's a signal it should be a custom field on the Project.
Tip for teams: Individual users can personalise certain settings — default views, Smart List favourites, task display preferences — without affecting anyone else's experience. Encourage your team to make Daylite feel like their own tool, not a shared spreadsheet.
Using Daylite as a Team
If you run a real estate team — or plan to grow from a solo practice — establishing clear conventions before you add a second person to Daylite is the most important setup decision you'll make. A shared database only works if everyone enters data the same way.
Establish clear ownership conventions. Every record in Daylite — contacts, opportunities, projects, tasks — has an Owner. For real estate teams, the most common model is: the agent who brings in the lead owns the Opportunity; once it converts to a Project, the lead agent or a transaction coordinator takes ownership. Decide this upfront. The Opportunities and Projects Boards filter by Owner, so clean ownership means each person sees their own pipeline without noise from everyone else's work.
Set a shared visibility policy. By default, records are visible to all users. For most real estate teams this is exactly right — everyone should be able to see every client and transaction. Visibility enables hand-offs; hidden records create information silos. Keep permissions open unless there is a specific reason to restrict access (e.g. a surprise referral).
Use delegation for task handoffs. When a transaction coordinator needs to handle a task, delegate it to them rather than mentioning it in a group chat. Delegated tasks appear in the recipient's task list and remain visible to the assigning agent — so nothing falls through the cracks and you don't need to chase people for updates.
Create shared Smart Lists for team dashboards. Build a core set of Smart Lists that everyone on the team uses as shared ground:
🔥 Active Transactions
Everyone
What's open right now across all agents?
⚠️ Conditional This Week
Transaction coordinator
Which deals need condition management today?
🟠 Stalled Leads
Team lead
Which opportunities haven't moved in 30+ days?
🚨 Overdue Tasks
Everyone
Who has tasks past due?
🏡 Past Clients — No Contact
Team lead
Who haven't we touched in over a year?
Agree on naming and data entry conventions. Opportunity naming, keyword choices, and pipeline stage transitions only work if everyone uses them consistently. Before onboarding a second person, document your conventions in a shared note — what the categories mean, how to name an opportunity (e.g. [Client Last Name] – [Address or Search Area] – [Month Year]), which keywords to apply on intake. A one-page cheat sheet prevents the database from fragmenting.
Assign Activity Set tasks deliberately. When you apply an Activity Set to a project, each task is assigned to a specific user. Configure your Activity Sets upfront so that tasks land with the right person — listing prep tasks to the listing coordinator, condition follow-ups to the lead agent, possession-day tasks to the admin.
Tips for Day-to-Day Use
Start every morning with your Boards and Smart Lists, not your inbox. Scan the Opportunities Board for gaps at the top of funnel, stuck leads, and overdue forecasted close dates. Check the Projects Board for active transactions, approaching condition deadlines, and upcoming possessions. Open your key Smart Lists before touching email. This keeps you proactive rather than reactive — the single most important discipline in real estate.
Link every email to the relevant contact and deal. Use Daylite Mail Assistant to attach inbound and outbound emails to the corresponding Person and Project. A complete email thread attached to a transaction record is your protection if a dispute arises over what was communicated and when. Build this habit from day one.
Add a brief note after every call, showing, or meeting. Three sentences is enough: what was discussed, what the next step is, and anything the client told you that matters. Over time, this builds a record that makes every future interaction feel personal and prepared — and protects you if anything is ever disputed.
Use the Referral relationship, not a keyword. When a past client refers someone to you, link the new contact to the referrer with "Referred by" in Daylite's Relationships panel. Then pull your referral network as a Smart List, see who your top referrers are, and thank them specifically and often. Keywords can't show you the chain — Relationships can.
Keep your Opportunities board clean. If a lead has gone cold and you've genuinely given up on it, mark it Lost with a reason. An Opportunity board cluttered with zombie leads makes it impossible to forecast accurately or focus on real deals. Clean data is as important as comprehensive data.
Trigger Activity Sets the moment a deal stage changes. When a listing goes live, apply the New Listing Activity Set immediately. When an offer goes conditional, apply the Conditional Period Activity Set. Don't wait until you remember what needs to happen — let Daylite tell you.
Quick-Start Checklist
People Setup
Companies Setup
Opportunities
Projects
Calendar
Activity Sets
Forms & Custom Fields
Letter & Email Templates
Smart Lists
Data Migration
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