Facts last reviewed 13 October 2026
The study everyone cites
In 2011 Harvard Business Review published “The Short Life of Online Sales Leads” by James Oldroyd, Kristina McElheran and David Elkington. They audited 2,241 US companies and looked at 1.25 million sales leads.
Firms that tried to contact a lead within an hour of the enquiry were nearly seven times as likely to qualify that lead as firms that tried even an hour later, and more than 60 times as likely as firms that waited a day or longer.
What it does not tell you
- It is a US study across many industries, not Dubai property.
- “Qualify” meant having a meaningful conversation with a decision maker. It is not a closing rate.
- The “21 times more likely in five minutes” figure that fills vendor blogs is not from this article. If you see it, ask for the source.
The direction of the finding is hard to argue with, though. Interest fades quickly, and the agent who calls first frames the conversation.
A first-hour routine
- Decide in advance who owns new leads at each hour of the day, including evenings and Fridays.
- Call once. If there is no answer, send one short message that names their enquiry and offers two times to talk.
- Check the country of residence before you dial. An investor in London at 7am their time will not thank you.
- Log the attempt. Leads go cold in the gap between “I thought you called them” and “I thought you did”.
- Try again the same day at a different time, then the next morning. Most answered calls are not first attempts.
Stay inside the rules while you move fast. UAE telemarketing regulations limit calling hours and require company-registered numbers. Speed is not a defence.