RE/MAX Launches First App To Help Agents Find New Listings

Since its introduction as a RE / MAX app in 2020, RE / MAX’s artificial intelligence-based First app has led to over 33,000 additional agent entries, according to the company.

One and a half years after the takeover of the tech startup First, RE / MAX released the first update on the results of this takeover: the aptly named First app. First app released in February 2020 uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to help agents identify the best time to turn their sphere of influence into a listing.

“Initial data shows that, on average, agents miss 70 percent of deals within their existing network,” said Nick Bailey, RE / MAX’s chief customer officer, in a prepared statement. “This tool not only helps agents miss out on business in their own space, it also helps to open up new opportunities within their contacts that might not have existed without it.”

Nick Bailey | Credit: RE / MAX

“Right now we are seeing historically low inventory levels and agents who are successful in this environment are the ones who are best placed to generate new quotations,” added Bailey. “This one tool – exclusive to RE / MAX – helps agents do just that.”

To gain insights, agents need to sync their phone and email contacts with the First app. From there, the app links the contacts with public property data and social media profiles on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Using machine learning and artificial intelligence, First uses the data to rate all of an agent’s contacts from one star (that is, this year with the lowest likelihood of sales) to three stars (that is, this year with the highest likelihood of selling).

The app prompts agents to review their contacts’ information and when contacting them, add them to the incoming list or hotlist dedicated to contacts who are ready to sell.

Bailey said RE / MAX agents were able to identify more than 33,000 potential entries from the app and increased their productivity by 9 percent year-over-year. On average, RE / MAX agents using the app gained eight entries in the first three months of use. They were also 50 percent more productive than their colleagues who didn’t use First.

Texas RE / MAX 1st Class agent Brandy Liss told Inman that the First app has become a staple of her everyday life and has helped her unleash the power of her sphere, including contacts she hasn’t spoken to in years .

Schnapps Liss

“I think especially new agents entering the business think that their sphere of influence is somehow limited. But they don’t know that all of those phone numbers on their phones are someone they’ve had a relationship with at some point, who they got their phone number with, ”she said. “It could be the roofer, your dentist, or your gardener. Everyone needs a place to live and the app is a great extension of that sphere of influence. “

Liss said she uses the app like a game, pushing herself to reach as many contacts as possible per day. Some conversations, she said, “end in victories” or “end in losses”. Although the losses are harsh, Liss said she will seek feedback to understand what, if anything, she can do better next time.

“If I’ve had any losses, I’ll do some research and find out why or what was going on,” she said. “Could I have done something differently or prevented it?”

Deborah Maisterrena

“Either way, the app has really helped me grow my business, stay on track and stay connected with all of my people,” she added.

RE / MAX Compass agent Deborah Maisterrena repeated Liss’s experience: “The First app is very simple and very easy to use. Regardless of what level of computer literacy your communication skills are, you can adapt to that. That is why it is so powerful to use. “

The First app is just part of RE / MAX’s revamped technology strategy, which includes the franchise’s Booj platform and newly formed data company G73. During a conference call on the first quarter of May, RE / MAX CEO Adam Contos said that technological innovation will continue to be at the heart of the company’s growth strategy, especially in a low-inventory market.

“That says a lot about the quality of our franchisees, the quality of the agents they hire, the quality of our tools and services, and most importantly, the quality of the customer experience that you can expect from REMAX around the world,” said Contos.

Email to Marian McPherson