When your remit grows from shared ownership sales into market rent, leasehold and home ownership, a single-purpose sales CRM stops being enough. That’s the position Gecko Homes found itself in — and why the Manchester-based team has selected Alto, the UK’s most popular all-in-one estate agent software and letting agent software platform, to bring the whole operation together.
Who are Gecko Homes?
Gecko Homes is the commercial sales and management arm of Southway Housing Trust, a housing association that owns and manages social housing across south Manchester. Gecko Homes sells shared ownership properties, manages market rent and leasehold homes, and supports shared owners after they’ve moved in.
As that role expanded, the team went looking for estate agency software that could do it all — a true property management CRM covering sales, lettings and home ownership in one system, rather than separate tools for each.
“We’ve had a CRM for shared ownership sales for a long time, but as our remit expanded we needed something that worked for the whole business,” said Christina Tattersall, Head of Sales, Home Ownership & Rental Properties at Gecko Homes. “We wanted everything brought together in one place, so the team can always find the latest notes and history, whatever a customer is asking about.”
Finding the best CRM for estate agents in the UK — and housing associations too
Choosing a CRM for estate agents is one thing; finding real estate software that also works for a housing association competing commercially is another. Gecko Homes increasingly goes head-to-head with much larger shared ownership providers, so the team needed estate agency CRM functionality that could match anything the big players use.
The search included an evaluation of Reapit (see how Alto compares), after a colleague’s earlier experience prompted an initial call.
“Alto was streets ahead of Reapit,” Tattersall said. “From what we saw, Alto was ahead on every level.”
The decision also reflected a wider dynamic across the housing sector.
“A lot of housing associations and local authorities will have similar setups to us, but we’re competing with big players who are also selling shared ownership,” Tattersall said. “They’re geared up commercially, and we want to stand up to that.”
What stood out in the demo
Several features set Alto apart from other estate agent CRM options: viewing properties visually within the system, sending a single bulk communication to an entire scheme, and seeing a full history of contact with a customer in one place.
“The functionality to send a bulk email to a whole scheme in one go was a big one for us,” Tattersall said. “On so many levels, it was just easier, and the reporting for the sales side means we can see exactly where our leads are coming from and which sources are performing best.”
Better value than a standalone sales CRM
Value for money mattered too, given the procurement guidelines Gecko Homes operates under as part of a housing association. The team had previously used ContactBuilder, a CRM built for shared ownership sales, for its sales function alone — and the CRM migration to Alto made the maths simple.
“The cost we were paying for just our sales CRM was difficult to justify, especially when Alto also covers market rent, leasehold and home ownership,” Tattersall said. “We’ve saved money, we’re becoming more efficient, and we’ve got far greater functionality. It was a no-brainer.”
Compliance, AI and what comes next
Compliance is a particular priority across Gecko Homes’ market rent portfolio, and the team is now rolling out Alto’s automated compliance tools — a core strength of Alto’s property management software — alongside its AI features to support lead generation and customer communications.
“Being able to track compliance properly on our market rent portfolio is going to be huge for us,” Tattersall said. “Using AI to help the team refine tone before messages go out to customers is going to take the way we work to the next level.”
“Once everything’s live, the whole team will start their day in Alto,” Tattersall added. “Sales will be following up leads, home ownership will be responding to enquiries, and market rent will be chasing leads, and it’s all from one system. It’s going to be better for customers and help us work more efficiently and smarter.”
Nick Shaw, Chief Revenue Officer at Alto, said: “Gecko Homes is a great example of a housing association-backed sales and management team taking on the commercial demands of shared ownership head-on. They’re competing against larger, well-resourced players, and wanted a platform that would let them operate as commercially as any independent agency.
“We’re delighted to be supporting Christina and the team as they bring their sales, lettings and leasehold operations together in one place and set Gecko Homes up for its next stage of growth.”
One platform for estate agents, letting agents and housing associations
Whether you’re an independent agency looking for the best CRM for estate agents, a letting agency software user tired of juggling systems, or a housing association that needs sales, lettings and property management in one place, Alto brings it all together. Explore more customer stories or see why switching CRMs is simpler than you think.
For more information on how Alto supports housing associations and councils, visit altosoftware.co.uk or book a demo.
Frequently asked questions
What CRM do housing associations use for shared ownership sales?
Gecko Homes, the commercial sales and management arm of Southway Housing Trust, uses Alto as its estate agency CRM — covering shared ownership sales, market rent, leasehold and home ownership in one system, replacing a standalone sales-only CRM.
Can housing associations use estate agent software like Alto?
Yes. Alto brings sales, lettings and property management together in one platform, with bulk communications to whole schemes, sales reporting and automated compliance tracking — helping housing teams operate as commercially as any independent agency.
Does moving from a standalone sales CRM to an all-in-one CRM save money?
Gecko Homes found the cost of a sales-only CRM difficult to justify when Alto also covers market rent, leasehold and home ownership. In the team’s words: “We’ve saved money, we’re becoming more efficient, and we’ve got far greater functionality.”
