As a new agent, I am being bombarded with offers to help me generate leads. Some programs are as little as $3/month. Others are up to $700 for a small zip code. Can others share their experience and recommend the good, bad, and ugly?

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Beth Spradley
Long & Foster Realty
(202) 546-3849

Beth, I have been looking into this myself. I have found several sites that require a small fee only for those leads that you accept. They don't guarantee, however, that they are good leads. A person(prospective lead) has to enter many field of info when asking for a response. I have been told by the web sites that they feel this is enough to discourage false leads. This has not been the case. In a one week pweriod i accepted two leads that turned out to be false. They credit your account but you are still billed for it i.e. you have an in-house credit but you credit card gets billed. I guess this is the chance you take. I'm a little skeptical about accepting more leads at this time but haven't given up completely. I actually get more responses from my web site than the leads web sites.

I hope this has helped. PLease let me know if you have any more questions

Scott B www.scottblackhomes.com

Thanks ScottB for sharing your experience with these lead generator websites.

I'm in the middle of considering a few myself. I can live with some bad leads, just as long as a few of them pan out. What I'd like to know is what kind of conversions are people getting from some of these lead generators.

Good luck to all!

When you are looking for leads, just remember that not all leads are good. I have several I have signed up for and they are all free. If you go to a search engine and ask for real estate leads, you will have to sift through many, but some will come your way.

The best way to get valuable leads is to build a team. Start with your mortgage banker, home inspector, or other people that you do business with on a continual basis. These groups meet once a week or every other week for breakfast or lunch. You must make sure that only one mortgage person or one inspector belongs. This is know as a tips club. There is also a group known as Business International that you can join on a weekly basis. It also teaches each of you how to network with everyone you meet.

Let me know how this turns out for you and good luck on your referrals.


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maryb@knolgoy.net

Yes, indeed, not all leads are good. But just as long as some filter through as good leads, they can make up for the bad leads.

You know how in real life you get a lot of "looky loos" who are not really interested in buying a house but like to take up your time? Well, I think this phenomenon is magnified on the Internet.

Really funny, but I've had some people request homes in Beverly Hills for like $100k and they want multiple bedrooms. Maybe they're sincere, but maybe they're also joking around. I get quite a few.

But,as with anything, this is all a numbers game anyway. You gotta go through the numbers of the bad to get to the good. I can live with that!

Just my .02.

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Ruperto Elpusan Jr.
Banker's Realty
e-mail: Ruperto@FineHomesInLA.com
Beverly Hills-Malibu-Palos Verdes Real Estate
Torrance/South Bay Real Estate

So true! It is a numbers game.

Might I suggest you asking your Office Manager where most of the office leads are coming from. Then spend your money there.
In our office most of our leads come from our site and "The Real Estate Book". If you are going to invest money make the bucks count.

Also, take a top producer in your area to lunch. Find out what they do that helps generate their business. You might find some very inexpensive ways to invest your money.

The main key is not to try to do everything, but do one thing very well.

Let us all know what happens.

Well, I thought that I would give you guys an update. I have moved to Florida and am completely rebuilding my business. I am using Housevalues.com and have three zip codes. I am waiting for three months before I really make a judgement. I have 20 leads so far and expect to list 3 of those in January. I am also using Warnock's By Owner. I love, love, love it. If anyone wants me to be really detailed, you can always email or call me, as long as you use me as a referral .

Beth Kimber

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Beth Kimber
Venta Realty
727-517-0602
http://www.tampa-bay-property.com

Hello new agents and seasoned professsionals.

My blood is boiling over this topic of bad leads from websites that charge for the lead and then give ONLY a credit ??? Insider tip. We are a new dot.com company in California focusing on direct referals to agents from clients looking to a real estate professional. Listen up everyone, anytime you pay by credit card on the internet, you have up to one year to ask for your money back from your credit card company if you feel you got a bogus deal (bad lead). This is called a "charge back" to the dot.com company in those who deal in e-commerce. We, as dot.com company's, try to avoid charge backs, but if you have been sold a bad set of goods, you have the right to ask for and receive your money back now. DO not accept a credit allowance.

I feel bad for agents who are taken advantage of like this.

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Good luck and don't let anyone take advantage of you

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