What is the best CRM for deal flow?

searcher profile

February 12, 2025

by a searcher from New York University in New York, NY, USA

Any recommended CRM for deal flow out there
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Reply by a searcher
from Universidad del Norte in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
After trying several CRMs, I decided to create my own system tailored specifically for ETA. Using ClickUp, I built a comprehensive template that includes everything you need for deal flow management:

- Separate funnels for proprietary and brokered deals
- A CRM for managing contacts (brokers, investors, lenders, etc.)
- Budget tracker
- Intern management tools (onboarding, learning plans, and progress tracking) - Scorecard, KPIs, and dashboards
- Internal team chat (my husband and I are searching with 3 interns)
- Due diligence checklist
- A centralized hub for templates and resources


This setup has been a game-changer for our search process, keeping everything organized and efficient. Other searchers have started using the template as well and shared great feedback about how it’s helped them.

I’d be happy to tell you more about it or walk you through how it works! I do charge a small fee for access to the template because of the time and effort I’ve put into creating it, but it’s designed to save you countless hours and headaches during your search. Let me know if you’d like to set up a call to see it in action!
commentor profile
Reply by an member
from University of Miami in Miami, FL, USA
It’s interesting to see both perspectives—one advocating for lightweight, customizable solutions like Google Sheets and Airtable, while the other highlights HubSpot’s out-of-the-box functionality and integration capabilities. From my experience, the best CRM for deal flow really depends on the scale, complexity, and collaboration needs of the firm. If the deal volume is relatively low and customization is a priority, Airtable with automation or a well-structured Notion workspace can work wonders. However, as the pipeline grows, tools like HubSpot, Pipedrive, or Affinity (which is built specifically for relationship-driven deal-making) can provide better tracking, email sync, and analytics.
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