LEAD ALLOCATION IN REAL ESTATE APPLICATIONS USING INCOMING CLIENT'S GEOGRAPHIC POSITION

• US 20110184874A1
• Filed: 02/14/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ZipRealty Incorporated (Realogy Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: ZipRealty Incorporated (Realogy Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wilson, James, Davis, Michael, McNeill, Jeffrey, Douglass, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US13/027,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20110184874A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a lead allocation methodology that relates to a scenario where a client is best served by being assigned to an agent located in close geographic proximity to the client'"'"'s current geographic position. In order to best cater such interests, the real estate service may perform the lead allocation by identifying current the geographic position of the client, and then comparing that position against current geographic positions of agents in geographic proximity to the client. In some instances, the real estate service identifies a certain number of most proximate agents and relays the client'"'"'s request to such agents. When one of the agents responds to the request, that agent is assigned to the client. In some instances, the service then informs the client about the assignment, and also, in some instances, indicates an expected arrival time of the agent at the client'"'"'s present location.

Claims

1. A method for assigning a client to one of a plurality of real estate agents associated with a real estate service, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a client to get assigned to one of the plurality of real estate agents associated with the real estate service;

identifying the client'"'"'s current geographic position;

identifying a given real estate agent of the plurality of real estate agents that is proximate in distance to the client'"'"'s geographic position; and

assigning the given real estate agent to the client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the client'"'"'s current geographic position further comprises identifying geographic coordinate information associated with the client'"'"'s mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the given real estate agent further comprises:

identifying geographic coordinate information associated with at least a subset of the plurality of real estate agents;

calculating a distance between the geographic coordinate information associated with each of the plurality of real estate agents and a geographic coordinate information associated with the client the client;

identifying a particular real estate agent with the least calculated distance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of assigning the given real estate agent to the client further comprises:

transmitting the request from the client to one or more real estate agents determined to be proximate in distance to the client'"'"'s current geographic position;

receiving an indication of acceptance of request from a first real estate agent of the one or more proximate real estate agents;

transmitting the indication of acceptance to the client.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

matching the client'"'"'s current location with a specific MLS-listed property located at or near the client'"'"'s current geographic position;

transmitting information associated with the specific MLS-listed property to the first real estate agent subsequent to receiving the indication of acceptance of request from the first real estate agent.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, in addition to the request to get assigned to an agent, a tour-request for immediate showing of a property located at or near the client'"'"'s current geographic position;

matching the client'"'"'s current location with a specific MLS-listed property located at or near the client'"'"'s current geographic position;

transmitting information associated with the specific MLS-listed property to the given real estate agent.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

computing, based on the given real estate agent'"'"'s current geographic position, an approximate time of travel between the given real agent'"'"'s current geographic position and the client'"'"'s geographic position;

transmitting, to the client, information associated with the approximate time of travel for the given real estate agent to arrive at the client'"'"'s geographic position.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

periodically identifying an updated geographic position of the given real estate agent;

periodically transmitting, to the client, an updated approximate time of travel for the given real estate agent to arrive at the client'"'"'s geographic position.

9. A method for assigning a client to one of a plurality of real estate agents associated with a real estate service, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a client to tour a property associated with the client'"'"'s current geographic position by one of the plurality of real estate agents associated with the real estate service;

identifying the client'"'"'s current geographic position based on geographic coordinates associated with the client'"'"'s mobile device;

matching the client'"'"'s current location with a specific MLS-listed property located at or near the client'"'"'s current geographic position;

transmitting information associated with the client'"'"'s current location and/or the specific MLS-property to a subset of the plurality of real estate agents that are determined to be located within a predetermined distance relative to the client'"'"'s current geographic position;

receiving an acceptance from a first real estate agent of the subset of the plurality of real estate agents;

assigning the first real estate agent to the client; and

transmitting a confirmation message and information associated with the first real estate agent to the client.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

computing, based on the first real estate agent'"'"'s current geographic position, an approximate time of travel between the first real agent'"'"'s current geographic position and the client'"'"'s geographic position;

transmitting, to the client, information associated with the approximate time of travel for the first real estate agent to arrive at the client'"'"'s geographic position.

11. A system for tracking a real estate agent'"'"'s property visits, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory configured to store a set of instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the system to perform a method, the method including;

receiving a request from a client to get assigned to one of the plurality of real estate agents associated with the real estate service;

identifying the client'"'"'s current geographic position;

identifying a given real estate agent of the plurality of real estate agents that is proximate in distance to the client'"'"'s geographic position; and

assigning the given real estate agent to the client.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein identifying the client'"'"'s current geographic position further comprises identifying geographic coordinate information associated with the client'"'"'s mobile device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the step of identifying the given real estate agent further comprises:

identifying geographic coordinate information associated with at least a subset of the plurality of real estate agents;

calculating a distance between the geographic coordinate information associated with each of the plurality of real estate agents and a geographic coordinate information associated with the client the client;

identifying a particular real estate agent with the least calculated distance.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the step of assigning the given real estate agent to the client further comprises:

transmitting the request from the client to one or more real estate agents determined to be proximate in distance to the client'"'"'s current geographic position;

receiving an indication of acceptance of request from a first real estate agent of the one or more proximate real estate agents;

transmitting the indication of acceptance to the client.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

matching the client'"'"'s current location with a specific MLS-listed property located at or near the client'"'"'s current geographic position;

transmitting information associated with the specific MLS-listed property to the first real estate agent subsequent to receiving the indication of acceptance of request from the first real estate agent.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, in addition to the request to get assigned to an agent, a tour-request for immediate showing of a property located at or near the client'"'"'s current geographic position;

matching the client'"'"'s current location with a specific MLS-listed property located at or near the client'"'"'s current geographic position;

transmitting information associated with the specific MLS-listed property to the given real estate agent.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

computing, based on the given real estate agent'"'"'s current geographic position, an approximate time of travel between the given real agent'"'"'s current geographic position and the client'"'"'s geographic position;

transmitting, to the client, information associated with the approximate time of travel for the given real estate agent to arrive at the client'"'"'s geographic position.