[en] The localization of the repeating fast radio burst (FRB), FRB 121102, suggests that it is associated with a persistent radio-luminous compact source in the FRB host galaxy. Using the FIRST radio catalog, I present a search for luminous persistent sources in nearby galaxies, with radio luminosities $><!--\; >\; -->10\mathrm{\%<!--\; \%\; -->}$ of the FRB 121102 persistent source luminosity. The galaxy sample contains about 30% of the total galaxy g-band luminosity within $<<!--\; <\; -->108$ Mpc, in a footprint of 10,600 deg². After rejecting sources likely due to active galactic nuclei activity or background sources, I am left with 11 candidates that are presumably associated with galactic disks or star-formation regions. At least some of these candidates are likely to be due to chance alignment. In addition, I find 85 sources within $1^{\mathrm{\prime <!--\; ???\; -->}\mathrm{\prime <!--\; ???\; -->}}$ of galactic nuclei. Assuming that the radio persistent sources are not related to galactic nuclei and that they follow the galaxy g-band light, the 11 sources imply a 95% confidence upper limit on the space density of luminous persistent sources of $\lesssim <!--\; ???\; -->5\times <!--\; ??\; -->{10}^{-<!--\; ???\; -->5}$ Mpc⁻³, and that at any given time only a small fraction of galaxies host a radio-luminous persistent source ($\lesssim <!--\; ???\; -->{10}^{-<!--\; ???\; -->3}$ $L_{\ast <!--\; ???\; -->}^{-<!--\; ???\; -->1}$). Assuming a persistent source lifetime of 100 years, this implies a birth rate of $\lesssim <!--\; ???\; -->5\times <!--\; ??\; -->{10}^{-<!--\; ???\; -->7}$ yr⁻¹ Mpc⁻³. Given the FRB volumetric rate, and assuming that all FRBs repeat and are associated with persistent radio sources, this sets a lower limit on the rate of FRB events per persistent source of $\gtrsim <!--\; ???\; -->0.8$ yr⁻¹. I argue that these 11 candidates are good targets for FRB searches and I estimate the FRB event rate from these candidates.