We’re proud to share that Fello Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Tom Schrader has been named a 2026 HousingWire Tech Trendsetter, marking his second consecutive year on the list.
HousingWire selected 75 technology leaders whose innovation, leadership and execution are moving the housing industry forward. This year’s honorees represent brokerages, MLSs, lenders and proptech companies across the country.
In 2025, HousingWire recognized Tom’s vision for using AI and automation to help real estate teams uncover opportunities already in their databases. This year’s recognition reflects how that vision has grown into a connected AI system that keeps contact data current, creates engagement, qualifies intent and brings in an agent when the time is right.
At the center of that system is Felix, Fello’s AI teammate. Felix works alongside Fello’s Living Database and Nurture capabilities to follow up with buyers and sellers across calls, texts and email, then hands qualified opportunities to agents with the context they need to act.
From Vision to Results
Unlike awards that recognize companies, the HousingWire Tech Trendsetters program honors the people behind the technology, the executives, product leaders and technologists who turn ideas into solutions for the housing industry.
Tom’s approach is grounded in firsthand experience solving sales and follow-up problems. Before co-founding Fello, he worked in automotive sales, finance and technology and founded a SaaS CRM to address the broken follow-up systems he saw across the industry.
That experience shaped one of Fello’s core beliefs: a real estate team’s next opportunity is often already in its database. The challenge is keeping that data current, recognizing when someone may be ready to move and following up consistently.
Fello finds it. Felix works it. Your team closes it.
Fello finds it. The Living Database keeps contact and property information current, while Nurture creates relevant engagement and helps reveal which buyers and sellers may be warming up.
Felix works it. Felix follows up across calls, texts and email, using everything Fello knows about each person to qualify their interest and timing.
Your team closes it. When someone is ready, Felix hands the opportunity to an agent with the conversation history, property context and recommended next step.
Each part strengthens the next: current data makes outreach more relevant, engagement helps Felix focus on the right contacts and Felix gives agents the context to have better conversations.
The Results Behind the Recognition
Since Felix launched, that connected approach has helped generate:
- More than 175,000 two-way conversations without agents or ISAs handling the initial outreach
- More than 75,000 handoffs across nearly 500 Felix accounts
- More than 2,000 influenced transactions, representing $1 billion in volume
Fello now serves 2,800 accounts and 35,000 users, including nearly 1,000 RealTrends teams.
What Comes Next
Tom’s second consecutive recognition reflects how his product vision has continued to grow, from helping teams uncover opportunities in their databases to building a connected system that helps them act on those opportunities.
The Fello team is continuing to extend that vision across more of the lead lifecycle, with more to share soon.
See the Vision in Action
Discover how Fello and Felix can help your team uncover opportunities, follow up consistently and connect agents with buyers and sellers who are ready to talk.
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