Real Estate Lead Generation

Is Buying Real Estate Leads Worth It?

By Lindsay Goebel Last Updated April 5, 2023 3 min read

Whether you’re a new real estate agent or a seasoned veteran, generating leads remains essential to growing your business. 

There are several ways to generate seller and buyer leads. Digital marketing and content creation are great options for organic lead generation

On the other hand, buying real estate leads is an easy, hands-off solution. Whether or not your purchased real estate list produces valuable leads depends largely on the lead generation company and the current real estate market.

Keep reading to learn more about paid real estate leads and whether they’re worth buying. 

What are paid real estate leads?

Paid real estate leads are typically potential buyers or sellers pulled from a database and compiled into a comprehensive contact list. You can purchase a real estate lead list online from a lead generation company

Researching the company before buying a lead list is important, as each lead generation company has pros and cons. For example, some real estate lead list companies send the same leads to several agents, while others offer exclusive contacts to one agent. 

How much are real estate leads?

The cost of real estate leads ranges drastically from less than $1 to over $1,000 per lead

Many real estate lead list companies charge a monthly fee on top of the cost per lead. For example, you may pay $250 monthly to use their platform and around $3 per lead generated. 

If you’re paying for real estate leads, you must ensure it’s worth your time and money. Keep track of your results and set a monthly or quarterly lead list budget. 

Is buying real estate leads worth it?

Buying real estate leads is a good option if you see a lull in your business activity

Purchased leads are also usually worth it if they result in at least one real estate transaction. If you spend around $1,000 on a lead list and gain one client who closes on a house, your earnings will be 5x that or more.

That said, scraping through a lengthy lead list, making cold calls, and dealing with more dead-end leads than not takes patience and a lot of work

You’ll have to decide if your sanity, energy, and time are worth the cost of securing a valuable lead from a real estate list. 

Pros of buying real estate leads

When an agent buys a lead list, it alleviates the work of finding buyer and seller contacts.

Even if a connection doesn’t become a client immediately, having a solid list of potential buyers and sellers is a nice fallback in slower seasons.

Cons of buying real estate leads

When you purchase a lead list, several other agents in your farm area may also have those contacts. That’s right; your bought leads aren’t always exclusive to you. Buying two to three times recycled leads adds more stress and work for you. 

Another con of buying real estate leads is the risk of spending money on contacts that offer no value. You can blow your entire sales budget on lead lists only to walk away empty-handed. 

Generate valuable real estate leads with Virtuance

Buying real estate leads can help grow your business, but it’s only one way to secure clients. Top agents know that real estate marketing and professional real estate photography are two necessary ways to generate valuable leads. Virtuance helps real estate agents with lead generation through photography and marketing enhancements

Agents who partner with Virtuance for real estate photoshoots see their listings bring more traffic, close faster, and for more money. Virtuance also provides lead generation tools like the Marketing Suite, single listing websites, and beautiful listing brochures

FAQ

You can find real estate leads in a few different ways. You can generate leads organically through social media, content creation, gated content, and lead gen forms on your website.

You can also purchase real estate lead lists. Both new and seasoned real estate agents should experiment with generating leads effectively—organically or through purchased lists.

Paying for real estate leads is worth it if your business is slower than usual or you’re a newer agent trying to build your network. A purchased lead is also worth it if they become a client and complete real estate transactions.