Not All Real Estate Leads Are Created Equally: What Jacksonville Agents Should Ask Before Signing On

Sep 1

Opening question:
If a brokerage promises leads, how do you know whether those leads are actually worth your time?

Snippet answer:
Many brokerages claim to offer leads, but what they’re really handing you could be years-old contacts, expired listings, or third-party data they bought on the cheap. Before you join, ask where the leads come from, how they convert, and whether they affect your commission split.

🚩 The Lead Promise Most Agents Fall For

One of the most overused recruiting hooks in real estate is: “We provide leads.” But what does that actually mean?

In many cases, those “leads” are:

Old contacts sitting in a CRM from five years ago
Expired listings and FSBOs scraped off public sites
Purchased bulk lists with no qualification
Leads multiple agents are already working
Used as leverage to lower your commission split

It sounds appealing—until you realize you’re chasing cold, recycled, or shared contacts with a higher cost to your business.

🔎 Questions You Should Ask About Any Lead Program

Before accepting leads from any brokerage, ask these five things:

Where do the leads come from?
Are they generated through platforms like Zillow, Realtor.com, Google PPC, or just pulled from a dusty database?
How fresh are they?
Are these new inquiries—or names that have been sitting untouched for months?
What’s the average conversion rate?
Real opportunities close. Ask for stats: How many are turning into clients and closings?
How many leads can I expect?
Don’t just ask if leads are available—ask how many you’ll actually receive per month.
Do I have to take a lower split to get them?
Leads often come with strings. Will your split drop? Will the brokerage take a cut of your closings on those deals?

✅ What Makes a Lead Program Legit

A quality lead program should be:

Transparent – You know exactly where the leads come from and what you’ll get.
Proven – You can see real results from agents already working those leads.
Predictable – You have a clear idea of lead flow and volume.
Optional – You’re not forced into a lower split just to access leads.

Anything less is just a gimmick.

🏡 How CrossView Realty Does It Differently

At CrossView Realty, we offer real, high-quality leads from sources like:

Zillow Flex – You only pay when you close. No upfront cost, and we track performance.
Realtor.com – Fresh, exclusive buyer inquiries tied to live listings.
Facebook & Google Ads – Custom-targeted ads that reach motivated local buyers and sellers.
Inbound Calls & Local Referrals – High-intent prospects ready to move forward.

And here’s the key: We’re upfront about how many leads you can expect, what they typically convert at, and whether they affect your split.

🎯 Final Takeaway

Every brokerage loves to say they “provide leads.” But unless you ask the right questions, you could end up wasting time—and losing money—on stale contacts that go nowhere.

At CrossView Realty, we believe leads should be real, valuable, and worth your time. If you're ready to grow your business with transparency and smart strategy, let’s talk.

🤝 Let’s Build Your Pipeline the Right Way

I'm Jennifer Hendry, Broker at CrossView Realty. If you're serious about working real leads—not recycled names and empty promises—request a meeting to learn more about the leads we offer. I’ll show you exactly how we help agents in Jacksonville turn opportunity into income.

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