The number one reason loan officers stay with a CRM they hate? Fear of the switch. And honestly, I get it. You've got years of contacts in there. Automations that took weeks to build. Notes on hundreds of borrowers. The thought of moving all of that — or worse, losing it — keeps people stuck in tools that are actively hurting their business.
But here's the truth: a bad CRM migration takes 2-3 weeks of pain. A bad CRM costs you deals every single month. The math isn't close. Let's walk through how to do this right.
Before You Start: What to Export
Every CRM lets you export data — some make it easy, some make it deliberately painful (looking at you, platforms that only export in proprietary formats). Here's your checklist:
- Contacts — every lead, borrower, past client, and referral partner with all custom fields
- Deal/pipeline data — loan amounts, stages, close dates, loan types
- Communication history — at minimum, notes and tags. Full email/text history if possible
- Campaign data — which contacts are in which automations and where they are in the sequence
- Source tags — where each contact originally came from
- Documents — any stored files, pre-approval letters, or templates
Export Everything, Even If You Think You Don't Need It
Export your data before canceling your old CRM subscription. Many platforms cut off data access immediately upon cancellation. Export first, verify the files open correctly, then cancel. Keep the exports for at least 90 days as backup.
The Migration Playbook
Week 1: Preparation
Day 1-2: Clean your data before you move it. This is the step everyone skips and then regrets. Go through your contacts and:
- Delete obvious junk — test contacts, spam, duplicates
- Tag contacts by type — active lead, past client, referral partner, realtor
- Make sure every contact has a source tag
- Verify email addresses and phone numbers are in the right fields
Moving dirty data into a new CRM just gives you a shiny new system full of garbage. Clean it now.
Day 3-5: Set up your new CRM. Before importing anything, configure:
- Pipeline stages (keep it simple — 6-8 stages max)
- Custom fields that match your old system
- Core automations — speed-to-lead response, post-close nurture, birthday campaigns
- Email/text templates you use regularly
- Integrations with your LOS, lead sources, and communication tools
Week 2: Import and Verify
Day 6-8: Import contacts in batches. Don't dump everything in at once. Import by segment:
- Active pipeline deals first — these are time-sensitive
- Past clients second — your most valuable long-term asset
- Referral partners third
- Leads and prospects last
After each batch, spot-check 10-15 records. Make sure fields mapped correctly, phone numbers are formatted right, and tags carried over.
Day 9-10: Rebuild critical automations. You won't recreate everything from your old CRM — and you shouldn't. Focus on the automations that directly impact revenue:
- Speed-to-lead response for new inquiries
- Long-term nurture for leads not yet ready to buy
- Post-close follow-up (30/90/365 day touches)
- Rate alert triggers for your past client database
- Birthday and home anniversary campaigns
Week 3: Go Live
Day 11-12: Run both systems in parallel. For at least two days, keep your old CRM accessible (read-only) while working in the new one. This catches anything you missed in migration.
Day 13-14: Cut over completely. Update your lead sources to point to the new CRM. Switch your phone number and email integrations. Inform your team (if applicable). Stop checking the old system.
"The biggest mistake in CRM migration isn't losing data — it's running two systems for too long. Parallel operation should last days, not months. Pick a cutover date and commit."
What You'll Lose (And Why It's Okay)
Let's be honest — you won't get a perfect 1:1 migration. Here's what typically doesn't transfer cleanly:
- Full communication logs — some CRMs don't export email/text threads. Export what you can; accept that some history lives in your old system
- Complex automation sequences — you'll rebuild these, which is actually an opportunity to simplify and improve them
- Campaign analytics — open rates, click rates from old campaigns. Screenshot the important reports before you cancel
None of these are deal-breakers. Your contacts, pipeline, and core automations transfer. That's what matters.
Red Flags in Your New CRM
If any of these are true after migration, the new CRM might not be the right fit either:
- CSV import fails or scrambles your data
- No support for custom field mapping during import
- Setting up basic automations takes more than a few hours
- The onboarding team can't answer mortgage-specific questions
- No mobile app or the mobile experience is unusable
A CRM that makes migration painful is telling you something about how it'll treat you as a customer. Pay attention. If you're evaluating options, our 2026 CRM guide breaks down what to look for.
The Bottom Line
CRM migration is a two-week project, not a two-month saga. Clean your data, set up the new system properly, import in batches, rebuild your revenue-critical automations, and cut over. The temporary disruption is nothing compared to the monthly cost of staying on a tool that doesn't work.
If you're considering a switch, talk to our team. We've migrated thousands of LOs from other platforms and can walk you through exactly what the process looks like with Empower LO.