<aside> <img src="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/84481b74-30a0-4e90-bc3f-e87a0ede22cf/a92bb1a0-9193-436c-b3b9-99ebb668b31e/icon-tldr.svg" alt="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/84481b74-30a0-4e90-bc3f-e87a0ede22cf/a92bb1a0-9193-436c-b3b9-99ebb668b31e/icon-tldr.svg" width="40px" /> Opcity uses a proprietary algorithm to connect agents with free qualified leads
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Opcity was quickly disrupting the real estate industry. Instead of selling leads to real estate agents as our competitors were doing (leads that may actually lead nowhere), Opcity connected agents with new leads for free ****- and only expected payout once the agent made money by closing on a property. We did this by using our team of CSRs to validate new leads, and then dispatched those inquiries directly to the mobile devices of agents who were deemed the best match by our proprietary algorithm. The first agent to claim the referral would be instantly connected via a live phone connection with the client.
<aside> <img src="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/84481b74-30a0-4e90-bc3f-e87a0ede22cf/a92bb1a0-9193-436c-b3b9-99ebb668b31e/icon-tldr.svg" alt="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/84481b74-30a0-4e90-bc3f-e87a0ede22cf/a92bb1a0-9193-436c-b3b9-99ebb668b31e/icon-tldr.svg" width="40px" /> Agents didn’t understand what behaviors influenced the algorithm and were disappointed when their behaviors resulted in low-quality referrals.
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Opcity's sophisticated algorithm matched clients with agents based on several behaviors tracked within the Opcity app (how responsive they were, how often they updated us on the transaction's status, how quickly they met with their clients, how many transactions they closed, etc.). Unfortunately, agents were unaware of what behaviors were influencing the algorithm and therefore were disappointed when their behaviors resulted in low-quality referrals. This disappointment caused many users to abandon the program before they had a chance to prove their qualifications, or increased dissatisfaction and less user engagement over time for those who stayed with the program.
<aside> <img src="/icons/flag-swallowtail_gray.svg" alt="/icons/flag-swallowtail_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Side note: The existing environment was an entirely web-based app designed by the engineering team at the time of the build. This was the first feature in the app to be designed by designers and needed to both work with the existing framework and also be consistent with the look and feel of the rest of the app until other areas could be updated. It’s also worth noting that this was going to be the first feature to be built natively into the app, which provided its own unique set of challenges.
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<aside> 🎯 We wanted to create a feature that would motivate agents to improve the behaviors that were important to their success by showing how they compared to other agents across key performance metrics.
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When we started, we didn't yet know what specific feature we needed to build. However, we knew we needed to provide more insight into our algorithm and keep users engaged in the product by encouraging good behavior that would provide more leads. Using insights gained from past surveys and user interviews, we held multiple brainstorming sessions to think through possible solutions. We didn't limit ourselves and opened our minds to exploring changes to each part of the app, including areas that didn't yet exist.
We worked through several rounds of whiteboarding, sketching, and wireframing to find the best solution.
