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The "Exclusive Lead" Problem
If you've ever bought leads, you've probably heard the word ‘exclusive’ more times than you can count. It's one of the most overused terms in the lead generation industry.
Exclusive should simply mean that each new lead is sent to only one contractor, but it often doesn’t work that way.
At HomeBuddy, we have regular conversations with contractors who discovered the ‘exclusive’ leads they were buying were sold to three or four other companies as well!
We think you should get what you pay for - so this article highlights exactly what you should look for when evaluating lead gen partners AND how to be sure a lead is actually ‘exclusive’.
Shared Leads: Annoying For Homeowners And A Waste Of Money For Contractors
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How to Spot a Fake “Exclusive” Lead
There are lead-gen companies that make big promises about ‘exclusivity’ but underdeliver (to put it mildly). But if you know the right questions to ask, you can make sure you’re spending your money on real, exclusive leads that give you a better opportunity to convert more prospects into clients.
Here are some questions that will separate the real from the fake:
How many contractors receive each lead? → Correct answer: One. If they hesitate or say “it depends,” walk away.
Are your leads ever resold, recycled, or shared? → Ask for specifics. Some companies resell “aged” leads. If they admit this, it’s not exclusive, because it was probably already sold to another company, even if it was in the past.
Where do your leads come from? → You should know what landing pages, forms, or platforms generate these leads. You are looking for leads where the homeowner is coming in with eyes wide open and wants a contractor to contact them. Some lead-gen companies aren’t upfront with prospects.
What information is included with each lead and are leads TCPA compliant? → Look for full name, phone, email, location, service requested and submission timestamp and make sure they follow TCPA guidelines to protect your company against potential legal issues and fines.
How quickly are leads delivered? → Leads should be delivered instantly upon homeowner form submission, not in batches. This way they are ‘fresh’ and homeowners are interested in learning more about the project ‘now’.
Real Results: Set Rates Up To 3X Higher
Robert Helm, Marketing Director at American WeatherTechs, saw a huge difference after switching to exclusive leads with HomeBuddy.
“We noticed set rates go up about 2-3 times higher compared to shared leads,” Robert said. “Our reps spend less time chasing homeowners and more time closing deals.”
He mentioned that this not only reduced their cost per appointment but also improved efficiency across their sales process.
The homeowner experience got better too, as leads weren’t being contacted by multiple companies at once. Because they could focus on prospects who were ready to speak about their project in a positive frame of mind, American WeatherTechs saw major improvement in their results with HomeBuddy’s exclusive leads.
Want to see the full impact of exclusive leads?
Read the full case study
Why Contractors Choose HomeBuddy
At HomeBuddy, we’re upfront about our model. We focus on high-quality, ‘ready-to-talk’ exclusive homeowner leads. Each of our leads goes to a single contractor. That’s the key difference when you work with us: no hidden competition or bait and switch.
If you're spending time chasing leads that feel recycled or overworked, give HomeBuddy a call. Our sole focus is helping you in the long term through a transparent and legitimate approach to delivering exclusive homeowner leads.
