The 30-second fix that eliminates missed calls in Follow Up Boss forever

If you work in real estate, you know how useful Follow Up Boss (FUB) is for keeping your calls, leads, and follow-ups all in one place. It keeps you organized and helps you stay in touch with clients.

But when it comes to incoming calls, things can get tricky.

With open houses, showings, and back-to-back appointments, it’s all too easy to miss a call, which can mean losing a valuable client. Maybe you’re already on a call, or your phone doesn’t ring in time. By the time you hear the voicemail, that lead might have already found someone else.

Here’s the good news: Follow Up Boss has a fast, easy fix that can help you stop missing important calls for good.

The problem: missing calls means missing business

It only takes a few missed calls to make a real impact. In real estate, speed matters. Being the first to answer often wins the client. But you can’t always be by your phone.

Here are the most common reasons calls get missed in Follow Up Boss:

• Calls only go to either your desktop or your mobile, not both.
• Your carrier’s voicemail picks up before Follow Up Boss can finish ringing.
• There’s no backup in place if you or your teammate can’t answer.
• You don’t get notified right away about missed calls.

These little things add up. But the good news is that there’s a quick setting that can fix most of them in less than a minute.

The 30-second fix: turn on dual-ring or call forwarding in Follow Up Boss

This is the fastest, easiest change you can make, and it really does only take about 30 seconds.

Here’s how to do it:

1. In your Follow Up Boss account, go to Settings → Phone.
2. Turn on “Ring my desktop and mobile at the same time.”
3. (Optional) In Team Inbox settings, enable “Forward missed calls” and pick a teammate or backup number, like an AI voice agent.

That’s all there is to it.

Now, whenever someone calls your Follow Up Boss number, both your computer and your phone will ring together. That means you have double the chance to answer before the call goes to voicemail.

If you’re on a team, call forwarding means that if you can’t answer, the call can go to someone else. That way, no leads hit a dead end.

Pro tip:
If calls are still going straight to voicemail, try enabling “Press 1 to Answer” in your Team Inbox settings. This stops your personal voicemail from picking up calls before Follow Up Boss can.

How Upfirst AI makes sure you catch every call you can’t answer

Even with the best setup, you can’t answer every single call. That’s where a little automation goes a long way.

By forwarding missed calls to Upfirst, your 24/7 AI answering service, every caller hears a friendly greeting, even if you’re busy or out of the office.

Here’s how it works:

1. In your Team Inbox, set your missed-call forwarding number to your Upfirst AI line.
2. If no one answers, your Upfirst virtual receptionist answers right away.
3. You customize the greeting, so it greets the caller the way you want, and asks simple questions like:

“Hi, thanks for calling [Agent Name]'s office. Can I get your name and the property you’re calling about?”

1. It collects important details—name, phone number, why they’re calling, and anything else that's important for you to collect—then sends everything straight to your inbox or CRM via Zapier.

You’ll get an instant alert with all the info you need, so you can call back while the lead is still interested.

Example workflow:
Incoming call → Rings desktop & mobile → No answer → Forwards to Upfirst → AI answers → You get a lead summary email

Zapier integration: automate your follow-up after the call

Once Upfirst is handling your missed calls, you can connect it to Follow Up Boss using Zapier. This helps you update your CRM or send immediate follow-ups automatically.

Here are a few easy Zap ideas to get started:

• Missed Call → Create New Contact in Follow Up Boss
  When Upfirst answers a new lead, Zapier adds them to your contacts along with the call details.
• Missed Call → Add to “Hot Leads” Stage
  Tag missed callers as “Hot Leads” in Follow Up Boss so you can follow up quickly.
• Missed Call → Send Instant SMS
  Trigger a text like:

“Hey! Just saw your call. This is [Agent Name]. I’ll get back to you shortly!”

With these automations, no lead ever gets away from you, even when you’re away from your phone.

Bonus: quick checklist to make sure your calls always get through

Here’s a quick checklist to make sure you’re covered:

✅ Dual-ring is turned on (desktop + mobile)
✅ Press-1-to-Answer is enabled for Team Inbox
✅ Missed-call forwarding is set to Upfirst or a teammate
✅ Your carrier’s ring time is set to at least 25–30 seconds
✅ You’re receiving email or push notifications for missed calls
✅ Test your number monthly to make sure everything works right

The takeaway: 30 seconds to stop missing leads for good

That’s it! One quick setting in Follow Up Boss, plus a simple Upfirst setup, and you’re covered.

Now, every call is either answered live or by your AI assistant, and you'll never miss another opportunity or lose another deal.

Try forwarding your missed calls to Upfirst today and see how much easier it is to stay on top of every lead, every time.

FAQ: your questions about fixing missed calls in Follow Up Boss

Q1: Can I use this 30-second fix if I’m a solo agent?
Yes! Even if you don’t use a team inbox, turning on “Ring my desktop and mobile at the same time” means you’ll catch every call. You can also forward missed calls directly to your Upfirst real estate answering service.

Q2: What if my cell phone voicemail still picks up too soon?
This usually means your carrier voicemail is grabbing the call before FUB can finish ringing. Call your carrier (like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) and ask them to extend your ring time to 25–30 seconds.

Q3: Will this work if my team uses different area codes or phone numbers?
Yes! Follow Up Boss rings all selected numbers at the same time, no matter the area code. The first person to answer gets the call.

Q4: How do I forward missed calls to Upfirst?
Go to Team Inbox → Settings → Forward missed calls and enter your Upfirst number, which you get when you sign up. After setup, all unanswered calls will go straight to your AI phone assistant.

Q5: Does Upfirst sync with Follow Up Boss contacts?
Yes, using Zapier integrations. Whenever your AI answers a call, it can create or update a contact in FUB automatically.

Q6: Can I record calls or voicemails automatically?
Yes. Follow Up Boss records calls made through its system, and voicemails show up in your Inbox. Upfirst also sends you AI call summaries with all the key details.