As Mimi Foster would say, "RUN FOREST, RUN!"

We do not buy leads, we create leads so we control our businesses!!!

DON'T DO IT!!

Thanks, Thomas J. Nelson, Realtor, CRS. You are so right . . . 

RUN, FORREST, RUN!!!

I'll be glad to give you the long version of how it works and why you don't ever want to pay a source like this for leads, but the bottom line is - you will RARELY get a sale from the lead they are selling to multiple agents.

Referrals - that's a different story. Get yourself on board at ActiveRain and get to know people, and it is a great source of referrals whether giving or receiving.

Don't Do It!

In some very rare cases it can be cost effective, in most situations it's a waste of time and marketing capital with the companies you mentioned. Best to focus your energy and capital on other lead generating methods.

I always suggest new agents start with open houses, their sphere of influence, clubs and organizations, floor.  To accurately make internet leads pay, you have to have a good contact management system, and be on the ball immediately for any lead coming in.  Realize those same leads are being sold to multiple agents, and if you cannot respond immediately, someone else will get them. Your time and money is better spent at open houses.

NO, NO, NO, NEVER

Norlyn,

It depends on how much you are willing  to spend.  As a new agent, I would start with your sphere, and then start meeting people, and finding a mentor. A

Not pay for leads. Period, no way.  Hang around ActiveRain & you will get lots of free advice 

I have been down the path of paying for leads and was extremely disappointed. With that said I no longer pay for leads and let my SEO work for me.

    Don't do it!   

Pay for marketing that generates your own leads.

Been there, done that - save your money and call your peeps!  It works!

I paid for a lead source. It was a nightmare, make 900 contact to people who need lots of help but the 25 I sent to get loan officier to get preapproved have credit issues and may possible be a buyer from 6month to 3 years. Time waster because the people call me with their daily problems.

The best place to start is door knocking FSBO, make a list and do it daily.

Internet leads, those purchased from the dominion of evil intent are typically way upstream, That means you need a process to nurture those leads. OR, the prevailing wisdom pushed down from the dark-lord is agents should respond to Internet leads in 8.1 nano-seconds to increase the conversion success by 80%.  Neither of these are good options for a NEW Agent.

A new agent needs to focus on the 90 day market and in the process, fill their pipeline with their upstream folks.

Usually the quickest payday comes in the form of a BUYER. My suggestion is polish your skills of resonating with buyers through open houses. Since you KNOW your open house purpose is to snag a few buyers, set the props accordingly. Talk to your collaborative lender or car dealer and ask "What is the most important thing to a borrower and buyer?" Present a solution to those problems through strategically placed color coded documents. When the buyer has finished the house tour, the color tells you EXACTLY what is on their mind, and you simply need to jump into the conversation they are having with him or herself.

But don't stop there. Open houses are week end stuff (with some expections) so what about Mon-Fri ? That your time to harvest listings.

How do you do that? Paper every house in town with Buying/Selling? call Norlyn postcards. Absolutely NOT!

Do the same thing you did with buyers, do the research and find out what conversation they are having with themselves right now.

Here is one that will work. "ZILLOW has never seen your house and they are telling everyone what it is worth! There is a better way!"

Then you send them to your CIS Score account so they can calculate their house value. And in return you get details regarding no less than 17 aspects of their home from which you apply your expertise and follow up.

Or how about an insurance message? Car, motorcycle, house. This resource gets you in the door with incredilby important and unique resource that will prove meaningful when a consideration of a claim occurs. Lending, insurance, values....all stuff directly related to home onwership.

The CIS Score resourse is an EMPOWERMENT strategy that has been proven incredibly successful by biggies like Rocket Mortgage.

You know what you need to do. You may want to take a look at this to understand what additional action is needed of pursuing listings is in your plans.  PS: Home buyers like the ability to calculate value of homes they visit. Then CIS Score becomes a loyalty tool.

The people who sell leads know that new agents want to get ball rollin thus your question and the answers that follow...The ole baited hook offer

I do not pay for leads. Personally, I tell new agents to use the money they would be spending on purchasing leads to invest in a website they manage, start blogging about a particular niche (i.e. subdivisions, 55+, homes with basements, etc.), and save a budget of $40 a month to promote their site/content via FB ads.

When the results start to come they will be organic and you will have a site that will continue to produce fruit as long as you water it with periodic new content.

Norlyn Figueroa The best leads are the ones you acquire yourself. Start beating the bushes and do some face-to-face networking. The only people who make money buying leads are the companies you sell them.

No.

Do not buy leads, they just do not work. Market yourself where ever you go. Let your friends, family and neighbors know that you are there to help them. You are your best marking tool !!

Norlyn Figueroa - save money! Work by Referral - Buffini & Company way.

RUN RUN RUN!!!!

Buying leads is a bad marketing idea.  It is very very expensive and it is short term.  Market yourself and it lasts for year and years.  I had one call that kept my postcard for 11 years

I have found that the ROI on paying for leads is usually not there.  There are other more effective ways to get business.

I don't and never have.

No, I do not pay for any leads.  If you are looking for leads why don't you sit at the open houses for listing agents in your office?  You can pick up good buyer leads.  Good Luck

I've never paid for leads.... I learned to market and make the phone ring...those are the leads....I created them....

Can you tell how everyone feels about this subject? Lol! -Kasey

May as well just burn the money as it's all going towards zip zero nada. Some of agents wanted to buy leads awhile back and they got nothing from it and were $$$$$ short.  Work your sphere of influence and get involved in local chambers and network groups. That's what worked for us.

I paid for leads with Trulia years ago, not worth it.

No.

If you really want to get rid of your money, send it to me!  Those lead buying services are not worth the water in my toilet bowl.

no

Save your money and build your referral network.

If you want to drain your bank account and spend your time chasing dead leads then paying for them is a great way to accomplish that.  

Invest in yourself. Develop your own leads. Don't work with the devils of real estate.

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO  DON'T DO IT!!!!

Have I made it clear?

DONT, all the leads are sold to many agents and the one who responds first is the winner. Not a game you want to play for the amount of money they charge.

Not a fan of buying leads.  From what I hear they are mostly registrations on a website

Paying for leas is a complete waste of time and money. Most leads are poor, old or shared with too many people

Good leads are not hard to get for free, and most purchased leads are not Good.

Generate your own, much better in so many ways.

bob

Don't do it.

No, I get leads on my own listings.