Exclusive, Fresh, Matched and Scrubbed Home Buyer Leads!
We’ve talked directly with hundreds of agents who have used our program for 1 or 7 years or so (since our inception in June, 2002), and we can tell you, indisputably, that we have Real Estate agents — our clients (individual agents or teams) — who have made many sales with this program. One we spoke to recently told me she sold 53 homes with our program last year. She admittedly is atypical, and she is a superb sales professional, blending technical expertise with strong communication skills and considerable charm. She nonetheless shows what a committed professional can do within the context of our program.
We charge a “flat fee” up front, for a six-month “licensing agreement” where we guarantee a specified number of leads. If we exceed that number of leads, as we often do, we don’t charge a penny more. Perhaps the strongest testament to the fact that our program works is the simple fact that many, many agents renew their contracts with us. Typically one sale readily pays for our entire program, sometimes for years.
Perhaps 20% of our leads are junk. Perhaps 20% are “golden”. And perhaps 60% are of varying quality. Our leads stem from people who have searched the web for terms such as “moving to Phoenix” or “relocation Reno”. Our site gets clicked on, and they are taken to one of our 600 or so community/city sites, or our national site, where they can choose to receive a relocation package. Then they fill our complete contact information, which passes through our software and is distributed to the inbox of the sponsoring or anchoring Realtor (our client). S/he replies to the prospect. The most successful ALWAYS call the prospect within a few days of getting the lead.
One of the reasons ERP charges a six-month licensing fee up front is that the very nature of relocation leads from this method of acquiring them is that the person/family is relocating, often, 2 or 3 or 5 or more months away. So it takes patience to put the leads in your drip system and follow-up. Yet, once, let’s say, 5 months into the program, you’re getting not only the new leads to contact, but you’re now following up on leads that came in 2 to 5 months ago. The pipeline gets full. But if the agent “tried” the program for 2 or 3 months, the low or nonexistent conversion rate at that time likely would cause many agents to drop out. Those who actually work the leads and do so for the 6 months invariably want to renew, at a very high renewal rate.
If we took a percentage of the total sales made (and how to assuredly know what sales have been made without going into a logistical nightmare?) we would indeed make more money. But that’s not our business. We provide, not sell, the leads. It’s up to the agent to convert the lead into a prospect and then into a sale. We make a fair, not exorbitant profit with our program. And, when the agent does his/her follow-up, everybody wins. I don’t doubt at all that other programs — our competitors — are working. From what I’ve heard, some of them are superb. And, of course, all this depends upon to whom you speak!
This post is NOT a sales pitch: it is an attempt to partially explain a program some real estate pros misunderstand. And, no doubt, there are a few people out there unhappy with us. And who, regardless of his/her level of skill and integrity, has not somewhere encountered some client or prospect not happy with what s/he’s doing?
Since our inception, we have maintained the highest rating with the Better Business Bureau, and currently have approximately 800 Real Estate Broker/Agent licensees reflecting all 50 states.
