Now that you've made the decision to use a Lead Generation service for Real Estate Leads, how do you pick? There are so many options! And more than a few companies to choose from. How do you know which one is right for you?

What should a the right Real Estate Lead Generation Service include?

Fresh Leads

The most important thing is to ensure the leads you receive are fresh. Research shows that a lead starts getting "old" as quickly as 5 minutes after it's generated! After two hours, the lead conversion rate drops dramatically, and if the lead is older than a day cross your fingers. The older a lead is the more difficult can be to reach them.

Therefore, make sure that your lead generation service sends leads to you the moment they're generated. LeadToRealty screens leads and sends them in real time to both your email and also your cell phone, so you're able to contact them ASAP for the best results.

Leads have Pro-Actively requested a RE Agent

Different companies will use varying tactics to attract leads. You don't want a lead who has filled out a form because they were promised a $5 off coupon for lunch. You want leads interested in working with a Real Estate Agent.

The best companies offer real estate related services and information that draws traffic to the site. People who are genuinely interested in buying or selling a home are specifically targeted. These potential clients, like 80% of people who buy or sell a home have turned to the internet as a resource. Maybe they're searching for home listings or for tips on how to sell a home.

Truly interested leads pro-actively choose to fill out a form because they genuinely want real estate help and require the assistance of an agent. The landing pages should clearly state that by filling out the online form they will be contacted by a qualified real estate agent and will be receiving a call.

Lead Screening

It's also important that a real estate Lead Generation Service screens leads. If a lead pro-actively fills out a form requesting help from a real estate agent, normally they should provide the correct contact information. However, when dealing with humans that's not always the case. Maybe they want to be contacted by phone and not email or vice versa and don't provide a real phone number.

That's why it's highly beneficial to work with a Lead Generation Service that screens leads. Not all do, though. Some companies just send you the raw information that came from the forms. It's pretty frustrating to pay for a lead with a phone number that is listed as 111-111-1111.

In the case of LeadToRealty we use various lead-screening tactics. Some leads can be automatically verified by our systems and those leads whose contact information seems shady are actually called by a member of our Validation Team. Correct contact information is hugely important: our #1 priority is to get you in touch with the lead so that you have a chance to offer your services to an interested prospect.

Number of Leads and Payment Plan

How many leads do you want to receive each month? And how do you want to pay for those leads?

There are a couple different models. One is a Pay Per Lead program, which is what LeadToRealty offers. Basically, you choose how many leads you want to receive each month and then as soon as we generate a lead for you, we send that lead in real time and charge your credit card. You'll only pay for what you receive. When you close a deal, you keep 100% of your commissions.

Other companies work with monthly fees for a certain number of leads, or you pay to join a database where you can access lead lists. Just remember that with this option you'll need to check in often because the older a lead is, the lower the chances for a conversion.

Or you might choose a referral program, where you pay for leads only after you close a deal. Do be aware, though, that while you only have to pay after you close a deal, you normally end up spending much more than you would with a flat Pay Per Lead pricing plan. You might end up paying 35% of your commissions for a lead. If a Pay Per Lead program has a conversion rate of about 10%, the price for 10 leads to result in a sale is almost guaranteed to be less than 35% of your commission. A Pay Per Lead model always offers a higher ROI.

All of these are very viable options: pay per lead, a monthly plan or a referral program. You just have to determine what model you prefer personally.

Contracts, Fees & Additional Charges

Is there a sign-up fee? A referral fee? A monthly fee? A cancellation fee? Do you have to sign a contract? Get the scoop on additional charges. For any service, these hidden charges can add up quick.

LeadToRealty has no contract you need to sign, no monthly fees, no service fees and no cancellation fees. We charge $25 to set up your account which is then added as a credit towards your first lead. We prefer to have the service be simple and transparent to make life easy for you.

Location, location, location

When shopping for a real estate Lead Generation company you'll need to do a little bit of customization to make sure a service fits your needs. For example, can you choose your area? LeadToRealty lets you pick where you want leads to come from: by city, county or zip code. The larger the area you choose, the more leads you'll receive. A good idea is to start with your core area and then if you aren't getting as many leads as you would like, expand it slowly so you don't get inundated with a large number of leads too quickly.

Guarantees

What happens if you call a lead for 10 days and are not able to reach them? Sometimes it does take some effort to contact a lead, but there are cases when they are simply not reachable (again, Lead Generation deals with a “human element” that’s hard to control). If you're never able to offer your services to a lead, then you have not received the product you purchased. That's what you're buying with lead generation: a connection.

Ask your lead service provider about their guarantees. LeadToRealty does everything we can to put you in contact with a lead, but if you're unable to reach them LeadToRealty provides you with a lead replacement. That way you get a second opportunity with a new fresh lead.

Do keep in mind, though, that not every lead will result in a sale so don't expect a warranty or replacement for every lead that doesn't convert. While a lead generation company can send you leads who have requested your help don't expect that every one of them will end up working with you.

A reasonable expectation is that about 1 in 10 leads will convert: and when you do the math that's still a great return on your investment. However, I don't want that disclaimer to be discouraging, either. Some agents see much higher numbers, especially after working with a Lead Generation program for an extended period of time. Also, don't discount leads that become part of your "pipeline" and might not convert immediately but could be potential customers for the future.

Testimonials

What do past customers have to say about the company? LeadToRealty has an entire page dedicated to customer testimonials. Other leading, reputable companies will absolutely offer you this information as well.

Customer Service

Just like when purchasing any business service, pay attention to how a Lead Generation Service treats you as a potential customer. Make sure you'll be able to reach the company easily and that they respond to your questions and emails promptly.

At LeadToRealty in addition to a dedicated customer service team every agent also receives secure access to our intranet where they can modify their personal preferences, update billing information and send us notes about leads.

Extras

What else do you get with the package? Maybe the company will offer you additional training, or tools to increase your success. At LeadToRealty, for example, we provide a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool for all of our agents that helps you track your success with leads.

These are just a couple tips to help you choose a provider. LeadToRealty has an excellent Lead Generation program, and I encourage you to give us a try. Want more information? Ready to get started? Click click: www.leadtorealty.com or call us at 1-800-311-7789, x2.