Define what the team must do the next day
A migration is not complete simply because the contact count matches. An agent needs to retrieve the conversation, property of interest, owner and agreed next step. Write down these workflows before exporting. Define which active records move, which information remains available for reference and what is excluded. Assign each decision to someone on the team rather than letting the import tool determine the scope by default.
Preserve identifiers and relationships
Keep a stable source reference for contacts, properties and opportunities alongside their new identifiers. One person can be interested in several properties, and a property can have several related contacts. Check these relationships explicitly. HubSpot’s import documentation illustrates the importance of unique identifiers and field formats; your CRM’s specific options may differ. Do not rely on a person’s name alone to decide whether records match.
Map fields and statuses
For every source field, record its destination, type, transformation rule and treatment when blank. Review dates, telephone numbers, owners, stages and notes. A status called “contacted” can mean different things to different teams. Document the meaning you intend to retain. Preserve existing communication preferences and check that migration does not accidentally trigger campaigns, notifications or property publication.
Test a complete workflow on a sample
Fictional example: a contact is interested in two properties, has a viewing pending and a call scheduled for tomorrow. After importing, the agent must find both relationships, the dated viewing and the task assigned to the correct person. Add a duplicate contact, a former employee and a withdrawn property to the sample. Check what the importer rejects and how those records are corrected before repeating the load.
Plan the cutover and last-minute changes
Agree when editing stops in the previous system and how to bring across changes made after the first export. Leaving both systems open without a rule can cause divergence before rollout begins. Prepare a recovery copy and decide who can return the team to the old system if a critical check fails. Do not erase the source after the first load; retain reference access according to the agreed policy.
Accept the migration on evidence
Review counts by type and status, broken relationships, tasks without owners and a sample of histories with the agents. Check that importing the same sample again updates records or stops as intended without creating duplicates. Track issues and owners until the review is closed. CADT can help prepare the data map and acceptance checks for a CRM change that preserves continuity in day-to-day sales work.