What CRM and Technology Options Does eXp Realty Offer?

When I joined eXp, one of the things I appreciated pretty quickly was that the brokerage did not require me to build my entire business around one piece of software.

That's more important to me than getting a long list of "free tools."

I've been in real estate long enough to know that the software somebody else loves may drive me absolutely crazy. A CRM can have 200 features, but if I hate using it and stop logging into it after three weeks, those features aren't worth much.

As of August 2026, eXp takes an approach it calls CRM of Choice. Instead of assigning every U.S. agent the same CRM, agents can select from three included platforms: BoldTrail, Lofty, or Cloze. The selected platform is included in eXp's standard monthly brokerage fee.

And importantly, those aren't necessarily your only choices.

Salt & Soil Realty Group is a real estate brokerage, not a financial advisor, tax preparer, or eXp corporate office. Carroll Harrod is affiliated with eXp Realty and may be eligible to receive sponsorship-related benefits when an agent joins eXp through him. Program terms, fees, and eligibility can change. This series is educational and is not financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. Review current eXp agreements before changing brokerages.

See eXp training and support, independent agents and teams, and what eXp is like for agents.

Carroll Harrod leads Salt & Soil Realty Group in Jacksonville, NC and writes this series from firsthand experience as an eXp agent and team leader.

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The Three Included CRM Options Are Pretty Different

I actually like that eXp didn't just give agents three versions of basically the same thing.

BoldTrail

BoldTrail is the platform formerly associated with kvCORE, although eXp describes the current version as substantially rebuilt.

It leans heavily toward lead generation and conversion. It includes automation, lead scoring, and IDX website capabilities, so it makes sense for an agent who wants the CRM and consumer-facing home-search website working together.

Lofty

Lofty takes a similar all-in-one approach but is particularly strong around lead routing, marketing campaigns, IDX websites, and higher-volume lead management.

That may make it attractive to a team that has leads coming from multiple sources and needs to get those opportunities to the right people quickly.

Cloze

Cloze approaches the problem differently.

It is more relationship-focused and is designed around keeping track of the people you already know and the communications happening around those relationships.

For an agent whose business comes heavily from sphere, repeat clients, and referrals, that may be more useful than having the most elaborate lead-generation machine possible.

I don't think there is a universally "best" choice among the three.

The best CRM is the one that fits how you actually get business.

You Don't Have to Use One Just Because It's Included

This is where the flexibility becomes more interesting to me.

I use Follow Up Boss in my own business, and I cover that expense out of my own pocket.

That means I have access to eXp's CRM options and still choose to use another system as part of the technology stack I've built.

And that's allowed.

In fact, current eXp Solutions material specifically discusses eXp agents using BoldTrail, Lofty, Cloze or Follow Up Boss alongside other marketing tools.

Obviously, if you choose an outside CRM, you need to consider the cost yourself. "eXp lets me use it" and "eXp pays for it" are two very different statements.

But I would rather have that choice.

If you've spent five years building workflows, automations, integrations, and a database inside a CRM you love, I don't see much value in forcing you to rebuild everything just because you changed brokerages.

What About Websites?

BoldTrail and Lofty both include website and IDX capabilities as part of their eXp CRM offerings.

That can be a perfectly good option for an agent who needs a website and doesn't already have something established.

But again, it isn't the only way to build an online presence.

An established agent or team may already own a website, domain, SEO content, landing pages, or lead-generation system. In that case, I would evaluate whether moving everything into a brokerage-provided website actually improves the business before doing it.

"Included" does not automatically mean "better than what I already have."

That principle applies to most real estate technology.

eXp Has Marketing Tools Too

CRM is only one piece of the stack.

eXp currently provides agents with a Canva toolkit containing customizable marketing templates for things like social media, presentations, and print materials. That does not mean every possible Canva product or subscription tier is automatically included; but rather eXp provides marketing assets designed to work within Canva.

Through eXp Solutions, agents can also find third-party and affiliated providers for additional services.

For example, Constant Contact is currently an eXp Solutions Trusted Provider and integrates with Canva and several CRM platforms.

Then there are paid options.

eXp's Making It Rain program, for example, is specifically described as a paid lead-generation program. Current offerings include Google-driven home-search leads and other digital advertising products, with leads capable of flowing into supported CRM systems.

That's an important distinction.

I would never tell an agent, "All your technology and lead generation is included at eXp."

It isn't.

Some tools are included. Some have brokerage-specific integrations or benefits. Some are optional paid services. And some technology you may want to use has nothing to do with eXp at all.

What About Transaction Management?

Not every piece of software in a real estate business should live inside the CRM.

eXp maintains separate transaction-support systems and training. As of August 2026, its current training calendar includes SkySlope Transaction Management, SkySlope Forms, and DigiSign by SkySlope, alongside eXp's transaction-support resources.

That separation makes sense to me.

A CRM's job is primarily to help me manage relationships and opportunities.

A transaction-management system has a different job: helping manage the documents, compliance, compensation, and closing process once those opportunities turn into contracts.

Trying to make one platform do absolutely everything usually creates compromises somewhere. I appreciate that eXp doesn't try to make one system to rule them all - but rather contracts with purpose-built tools to provide some top tier options at extremely competitive pricing.

eXp Solutions Gives You More Options—Not More Requirements

The eXp Solutions directory is another piece of the technology ecosystem.

It includes providers in marketing, business services, lead generation, client services, and other categories. Current listings include companies such as Constant Contact, MyOutDesk, Making It Rain, and numerous other specialized providers.

I look at that more like a vendor marketplace than a mandatory technology stack.

If something in there solves a problem for my business, I'll look at it.

If I already have a better solution, I don't need to replace it just because eXp has a preferred provider.

That's the way I think technology should work.

Start With the Problem, Not the Software

Real estate agents have a bad habit of buying software because another successful agent tells us it changed their life.

Then six months later we're paying for seven different platforms that all do some version of the same thing - or worse, seven different solutions to a problem we never had.

I would start with the problem.

Are leads slipping through the cracks?

Are you failing to follow up consistently?

Do you need an IDX website?

Are your past clients disappearing into a database that you never communicate with?

Does your team need better lead routing?

Are transactions taking too much administrative time?

Once you know the problem, choosing the tool gets much easier.

That is ultimately what I like about eXp's approach to technology. The brokerage gives me useful options without requiring every agent to build the exact same business.

If you are considering eXp and already have a technology stack you don't want to lose, contact me through Salt & Soil Realty Group. I'm happy to go through what you're currently using and help figure out what could stay, what eXp could replace, and where you may still have an outside expense.

You do not have to join Salt & Soil Realty Group to have that conversation or to explore eXp with me.

And that leads directly into the next question: If you build your business using these systems, what actually belongs to you if you someday leave eXp?

That's what we'll tackle next.