Buying leads

Questions to ask any lead seller before you pay — including us

Leads are sold with confident language and little evidence. Six questions that separate a source worth testing from one worth skipping, and the answers you should expect.

October 8, 2026 · 2 min read

Where did the seller’s contact come from?

A real answer names the list type and the method: public records, outreach by text, inbound from a website. A vague answer — “our proprietary sources” — usually means a purchased list resold under a new name. You are entitled to know how the person on the other end of the lead came to be there, because you are about to contact him or her.

What did the seller actually say?

The difference between a list and a lead is a response. Ask whether you get the seller’s own words, and if so, all of them or a summary. A source that cannot show you the conversation is asking you to trust its interpretation. Reading the thread yourself takes a minute and tells you more than any grade.

How old is it, and who else has it?

Ask when the seller last responded and how many other buyers receive the same lead. Both answers are allowed to be imperfect — leads age and some sources share — but a source that will not say is a source that would rather you did not ask. Exclusive and fresh costs more; shared and stale should cost much less.

What happens when a lead is bad?

Wrong numbers, deceased owners, properties already sold: every source has them. The question is what the policy is, whether it is written down, and whether anyone you can talk to applies it. A replacement policy you can read beats a promise you heard on a sales call.

How were the lists screened?

Ask about litigator scrubs and opt-out handling. A source whose own outreach ignores the rules is handing you leads with a problem attached, whatever its sales page says. The compliance post on this blog covers why that is your problem once the number is in your hands.

Can I test a small batch?

The only honest evaluation is a batch you worked yourself, with the conversation and appointment rates counted. A source that insists on a large commitment before you have seen a single lead is asking you to buy on faith. Buy a few, work them properly, count, and then decide. That is how we would want to be judged too.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between a lead and a list?

A response. A list is people who can be asked; a lead is someone who answered. Ask any source whether you get the seller’s own words.

Are exclusive motivated seller leads worth more?

Usually, if the exclusivity is real. Ask how many buyers receive the same lead and how old it is; a source that will not say is telling you something.

How do I test a lead source without a big commitment?

Buy a small batch, work every lead properly, count conversations and appointments, and decide from the rates. A source that demands volume before you have seen a lead is asking for faith.