Build multiple lead channels
Start with channels you can maintain consistently: agents, local investor relationships, referrals, publicly advertised listings, and respectful direct outreach. Explain your buy box clearly. A contact is more likely to remember “small houses needing cosmetic work” than “send me anything.”
Compare channels by qualified opportunities and completed transactions, not raw leads. Record the source, cost, time spent, seller permission, property details, and next action. A cheap lead that never fits your criteria can consume more time than a paid channel producing useful conversations.
Public records and data services are starting points. Ownership, debt balances, occupancy, and estimated equity may be incomplete or outdated. Verify before forming an offer. Do not assume that a vacant-looking home is abandoned or that an owner is ready to sell.
Channel A produces 100 records and two suitable properties. Channel B produces ten referrals and three suitable properties. Evaluate cost per qualified opportunity, including your time, before increasing spending.
Decision checklist
- Choose two channels you can work consistently.
- Record source, cost, time, suitability, and outcome.
- Verify ownership and property information before making an offer.
Check your understanding
Which is the better lead metric: record count or qualified opportunities?
Show the answer
Qualified opportunities, evaluated alongside cost and time. More records do not necessarily produce more workable deals.
Your next action
Choose two lead channels. Define a qualified lead and track both channels using the same fields.
Original teaching framework and hypothetical example. Source directory and editorial approach →