CRM migration moves your brokerage’s client and loan records into a replacement CRM through a supported export, field map and checked import. You can transfer supported data, but staff must rebuild any workflows the import does not carry. The main risk is accepting records that have lost their client links or next actions.
This process fits Australian mortgage brokers who have already chosen their replacement. If you are still comparing systems, start with choosing a mortgage broker CRM. Plan the move around the records your chosen systems can exchange, then prove that staff can continue each open application.
Decide What Your CRM Migration Must Preserve
Set acceptance conditions before booking the move. Every loan must remain linked to the right clients, and every open application needs an accountable broker. Staff must be able to retrieve consent evidence and see the correct review dates.
Separate data transfer from process setup. Importing a settlement date does not prove that an annual review reminder exists. Test file access separately through the assigned broker’s login.
Keep the current CRM in use if an urgent settlement depends on a file you cannot yet retrieve in the replacement. Delay cutover when the test import breaks applicant relationships or the source export omits records still needed for active applications. Record the failed condition and resolve it before rescheduling.
Set the timetable after your migration contact confirms the export format, import process and repair work. A supported spreadsheet import and a legacy database extraction involve different preparation. Neither supplies a reliable universal migration time.
Inventory Records and Map the Transfer
Build a transfer matrix that tells the person importing each record where it belongs and what requires separate work. Keep source identifiers beside destination identifiers so you can trace a problem back to its original record.
The matrix below is a planning template for your chosen systems. A named destination field is a place to map the data, not a promise that a particular vendor imports it. Confirm the supported method for each row before using the full client book.
| Record | Source to inventory | Destination field or record | Supported method to confirm | Manual action or retained evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Contact export and source contact ID | Contact ID, name and contact details | Contact import template or supported migration service | Resolve duplicates and retain the old-to-new ID map |
| Joint applicants | Applicant relationship records | Separate applicant records linked to the loan | Relationship import supported by both systems | Recreate missing links and inspect each applicant |
| Loans | Loan or application export | Loan ID, amount, stage and broker | Loan/deal import template | Map stage names and assign missing owners |
| Lender references | Lender and account/application reference fields | Lender name and reference number | Supported loan import fields | Preserve leading zeroes and resolve ambiguous references |
| Documents | Attachments and document index | File attachment or restricted document store | Vendor-supported document transfer | Retain originals and rebuild file links where required |
| Notes | Dated file notes with author details | Notes or linked file history | Supported notes import | Preserve full text and author history in the retained file if omitted |
| Consent | Consent record, scope and supporting document | Consent fields plus retrievable evidence | Supported evidence transfer | Preserve the original scope and record any new authorisation needed |
| Tasks | Open task list with owner and due date | Task, assignee and due date | Supported task import | Recreate outstanding tasks and verify completion states |
| Review dates | Contact and loan review fields | Review date and reminder schedule | Supported date field import | Rebuild reminder rules and resolve conflicting dates |
| Integrations | Connection settings and record matching rules | Authorised connection and destination record mapping | Supported reconnection process | Reauthorise access and test record matching |
A Documented Podium to BrokerEngine Example
BrokerEngine’s Podium export instructions use separate reports for contacts, applications and securities. They specify CSV with UTF-8 encoding and separate sheets in the deal-data template. The instructions then send that template to BrokerEngine support for cleanup, merging and review before import.
For this path, follow the report bases in the guide and check that each report’s filters include the intended records. Retain the application IDs used to connect application and security data. Use the vendor’s agreed transfer channel for personal information.
BrokerEngine’s import-field reference lists contact details, broker ownership and next review dates. Its deal fields include loan stage, lender reference and settlement date, plus primary and co-applicant details. These are supported fields, not a complete copy of the source CRM.
That reference excludes fixed-rate and interest-only expiry dates. It suggests a next review date 60 days before expiry. Retain the actual expiry in your evidence and deliberately schedule its review. For documents, notes, consent evidence and tasks, arrange a separate supported transfer or retain accessible originals. Rebuild the working process before staff depend on it.
A legacy on-premise CRM may need an authorised administrator to extract tables and attachments from its installed database. A cloud CRM may provide reports or an export service. Both require a field map and relationship checks. Moving to the cloud does not itself make missing fields transferable.
Keep commission statements and historical reconciliation evidence in their commission or accounting records. Preserve the loan-reference crosswalk to the new CRM, but do not treat a migrated deal as proof that its commission was paid.
Clean the Data and Protect the Source
Save a dated, untouched original export and clean a separate working copy. Record which source reports produced it, the filter settings and the person authorised to export. Restrict both copies to the people doing the transfer.
Give one person responsibility for the mapping and another responsibility for accepting the result. Record who may export or import personal records. Agree which system owns each field after cutover, who can view it and how long the source evidence must remain accessible under your obligations.
Cleaning data before CRM migration starts with identity. Review likely duplicate contacts against source IDs and loan relationships. Two applicants sharing an email address are not automatically one person. Merge only when the records identify the same person, and retain a record of that decision.
Check lender references as text so spreadsheet software does not remove leading zeroes. Match a disputed reference to the underlying loan file before changing it. Keep separate identifiers for different facilities belonging to the same client.
Before scheduling the move, confirm export access, notice requirements and the period of continued source access. Establish how staff will retrieve attachments after cancellation. If the move accompanies an aggregator change, use the aggregator switching guide for the contract and trail-entitlement decisions.
Test a Small Import Before Moving the Book
Test the mapping in an authorised non-production destination before importing the full client book. Use synthetic records or a specifically authorised test set with access controls appropriate to its data.
- Select records covering a single applicant, joint applicants and a client with multiple loans. Include an open application and a settled loan due for review.
- Record source counts separately for contacts, loans and attachments. List the expected relationships and due dates for those same records.
- Import through the destination’s supported process. Keep the batch identifier and rejected-row report so you can account for every submitted record.
- Compare the destination with the expected results. Inspect applicant links, date values and complete notes, then open the attachments through an ordinary staff login.
- Correct rejected rows, truncated text or unsupported values in the working copy or mapping. Repeat the affected test before approving the full import.
A matching total does not prove the relationships survived. Five imported loans could include a duplicate while another source loan is missing. Reconcile each loan’s identity as well as the count.
Record the reason for every rejected row. An unsupported stage needs a documented destination stage, while a missing applicant link needs a relationship repair. Keep the original value in the mapping record so the correction remains traceable.
Move Records and Rebuild the Working Process
Use one agreed cutover time so staff know which CRM contains the working record. Nominate the person who can pause the move when a check fails.
- Pause conflicting source edits and scheduled client messages at the agreed time. Give staff a controlled change log for urgent work that cannot wait.
- Export the latest records and retain another untouched copy. Reconcile it with the tested working copy so later additions and changes are included.
- Import in the destination’s supported order. Where the vendor performs the import, use the agreed batch and review process. Record accepted rows and resolve rejected ones.
- Assign staff logins and permissions, then map application stages to the team’s actual process. Give every open application a broker and next task.
- Recreate review reminders and reconnect email and integrations. Keep client-facing automations paused until their recipients and record matching pass validation.
- Complete the acceptance checks before staff resume routine work. Record the person who accepts the migration and the location of its reconciliation evidence.
Coordinate notifications across both CRMs. Leave one system responsible for each client message so a review reminder does not send twice. Test message rules with controlled recipients before enabling real client delivery.
Check the old subscription’s billing and cancellation conditions before ending it. Keep the source access needed for validation and evidence retrieval. Cancellation belongs after acceptance, with a documented way to access retained records.
Verify Open Loans and Client Reviews
Accept the migration only when the destination supports the work staff need to do. Use the original test set for close inspection, then reconcile the full import by record type.
Consider this illustrative acceptance example. Five source loans have distinct source IDs and lender references. The destination must contain five identifiable loans, each with the correct applicant links and no duplicate reference for those five distinct facilities. Keep the source-to-destination ID map as the evidence.
If the destination contains five rows but two share one source reference, acceptance fails. Find the duplicate and the missing loan before continuing. For real books with lender references shared across split facilities, preserve the facility identifiers needed to distinguish them.
Inspect every open application for its expected stage, assigned broker and next task. Compare each planned annual review with the source review date. An imported date alone is insufficient: trigger a controlled reminder and confirm that it reaches the expected staff member or test recipient.
Have a broker and a support staff member retrieve a representative file through their usual permissions. They must be able to open the required attachments and consent evidence. Confirm that unrelated restricted files remain inaccessible.
Run an authorised integration test against a controlled record. Confirm that the update reaches the intended destination record once, without creating a duplicate. After review dates and reminders pass, resume your annual home loan review process.
Recover From a Failed Transfer
Stop the move if a required record is missing, an applicant links to the wrong loan or staff cannot retrieve evidence with their ordinary permissions. Keep destination notifications paused while the migration team investigates.
Send support the batch identifier, source and destination record IDs, expected result and actual result. Include the relevant mapping and rejected-row messages. Share personal data only through the authorised channel, using the smallest set needed to reproduce the fault.
Keep source access and the untouched export until validation is complete. Log work performed after that export with the source record ID, staff member, change time and action taken. Before retrying or delaying cutover, reconcile that log so urgent application work is preserved.
Agree the repair method with the migration team before importing again. A controlled re-import must specify how it matches existing records and avoids duplicates. Where matching cannot safely repair a record, use a documented manual correction and repeat the failed acceptance check.
Use a vendor-supported rollback process when that option is part of your agreed migration. Otherwise, continue from the retained source while the team repairs the destination and replays logged changes. Resume work in the replacement only after the missing-record, relationship and access checks pass.
