Having a sense of which of your contacts might want to list their homes soon is one thing; clinching appointments with these prospective sellers is another.

  • Some argue that agents don't focus enough on tapping existing contacts or past clients for new business.
  • First is one of a number a new products geared toward helping professionals market more effectively to their sphere of influence.

Having a sense of which of your contacts might want to list their homes soon is one thing; clinching appointments with these prospective sellers is another.

First — a startup that predicts who in an agent’s “sphere of influence” is most likely to transact in the coming months — is now offering to take this work off an agent’s hands.

Not only does the company flag likely sellers in an agent’s network, the startup’s new “First Appointments” service will also try to set up meetings with these people on an agent’s behalf.

Some online marketing experts argue that agents focus too much on lead generation and not enough on tapping existing contacts or past clients for new business. First is one of a number a new products geared toward helping professionals market more effectively to their sphere of influence.

“We light up an agent’s network or sphere to spot the people most likely to sell, then book appointments — a call, a coffee, a drop-in — so our agents proactively connect with their most important contacts,” First CEO Mike Schneider said in a statement.

First uses predictive analytics to link people’s attributes, such as their property and demographic data, and people’s actions, such as childbirths or job changes, to a high likelihood of transacting.

After agents upload their contacts to First’s system, the startup collects, monitors and analyzes such data to maintain a running list of the top 20 percent of their contacts who are most likely to move in the next year.

The startup’s “First Appointments” service will continually reach out to the people on this list so its agent clients don’t have to.

After agents set their scheduling preferences, First will recommend meetings with high-value contacts.

If an agent approves a recommended meeting, the company will try to book an appointment for agents during their specified time windows. Agents can also choose to reach out to the contact themselves rather than have First take care of the work.

First prioritizes recommended meetings based on how likely its algorithms determine that contacts are to transact, their price point and the type of relationship an agent has with contacts.

“Some agents handle the actual calls themselves, and others hand that off to us entirely — largely dependent on the audience they are targeting and level of relationship,” Schneider told Inman.

Email Teke Wiggin.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×