Contactually belongs to the relationship-CRM category: software built to help you stay in touch with the people in your network. If you're comparing it with Keystone, the useful question is about approach rather than a checklist. I haven't verified Contactually's current plans, pricing or feature list for this page, so I won't quote any. For those, go to their site.
Here's what I can say about Keystone. It's a follow-up layer for residential agents, not a full CRM and not a transaction manager. You get a Today list each morning, and every message on it is already written with the person's details filled in. Sequences run across email, text, call prompts, printed letters and handwritten cards. Replies pause the sequence for that person and move to the top of your list.
The category difference is where the choice usually lands. Relationship CRMs tend to organize your contacts and nudge you to reach out. Keystone starts from the other end: the sequences exist already, so the question each morning isn't who to contact or what to say, only whether to send as is or edit.
Neither approach is right for everybody. If you like deciding each touch yourself and want one place that holds your relationships, a CRM may suit you. If you know follow-up matters and keep losing it between showings, a ready-made sequence is worth testing. This page helps you work out which describes you, and it points out where you'd want to check Contactually's own site rather than trust a summary from a competitor.
A reminder list helps, but each reminder still asks you to decide what to say. On a busy day, a reminder with no message attached is easy to snooze.
A few dozen contacts you can handle from memory. A few hundred need rules about who hears from you, how often and through which channel.
A message that could have gone to anyone reads that way. The contacts who matter most to your business deserve something with their details in it.
Some people answer email, some answer a text, and some only respond to a call or a handwritten card. Following up in one channel leaves the others unused.
Keystone doesn't ask you to build anything. Pick a sequence for a contact and the drafts exist from day one, ready to edit or send as is. A call step gives you talking points because Keystone doesn't place calls. Letters and handwritten cards wait for your approval, and you see the exact piece and its cost before it ships.
Contacts come in as a spreadsheet, so moving from any tool is an export and an import. Free for 100 contacts, then $49 to $189 a month. Annual billing is 20% off. Extra letters are $1.75 each and handwritten cards are $4.90 per send. There's no live sync with other tools.
Stay with a relationship CRM if you want one place to hold notes, history and a broad view of your network, and you're happy to write your own touches. Keystone makes more sense if the missing piece is the follow-up itself. Because it's a free plan up to 100 contacts, you can test it on a slice of your list without changing anything else.
Suggested sequence: Sphere of Influence Check-In
6 steps over 90 days. Each one lands on your Today list as a draft you can edit or send.
Hi Lena, it's been a few months and I wanted to check in. How's the new job settling in?...
Hi Lena, it's Marcus. Saw your post about the garden. It looks great. Anything I can do for you?...
Talking points: ask about the new job, mention the market, ask who she knows thinking about moving....
Hi Lena, a quick look at recent sales in your area, in case you or a friend are curious about values....
Lena, thanks for being part of my network. If a friend ever needs a real estate agent, I'd be grateful for the intro....
Hi Lena, I wanted to say thanks for staying in touch. If anyone you know is buying or selling, I'm here....
+ more steps in the full sequence
| Feature | Keystone | Contactually |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Daily Today list with every message pre-written | Relationship CRM category; check their site for how it works today |
| Channels | Email, text, call prompts, printed letters and handwritten cards | Check their site |
| Price | Free for 100 contacts, then $49 to $189 a month | Check their site |
Start on the Free plan. Every message comes drafted for you.