Exclusive vs. shared leads
A shared lead is sold to several contractors at once, so you race them to the call and the price. An exclusive lead goes to one contractor. Here's how they compare, and when each makes sense.
Side by side
- Who else gets the homeowner
- Shared lead sitesSeveral contractors at once
- Your own adsNobody, once they fill in your form
- Lead Pair IQNobody. Sold to you alone.
- What you pay for
- Shared lead sitesEach lead, shared with the others who bought it
- Your own adsClicks and ad spend, whether or not anyone asks for a quote
- Lead Pair IQEach lead delivered, never above the limits you set
- How you pay
- Shared lead sitesOn some sites, credits, points or bundles, so a lead's real price is hard to pin down
- Your own adsAd spend; you work out the cost per lead yourself
- Lead Pair IQDollars in a wallet. Every lead shows exactly what it cost.
- The first call
- Shared lead sitesA race against the other buyers
- Your own adsYours, if the ad and landing page bring them in
- Lead Pair IQYours. Call within minutes while they're expecting it.
- Lead checks
- Shared lead sitesVaries by site
- Your own adsNone unless you build them
- Lead Pair IQQuality controlled, phone and email verified, TCPA and Do Not Call scrubbed
- Bad leads
- Shared lead sitesDepends on the site's policy
- Your own adsYou pay for them
- Lead Pair IQReport within 48 hours for wallet credit
- Your time
- Shared lead sitesFast follow-up to beat the others
- Your own adsCampaigns, landing pages and budgets to manage
- Lead Pair IQPick services, zip codes and a weekly budget
- Commitment
- Shared lead sitesVaries; some charge membership fees
- Your own adsAd accounts, and often an agency retainer
- Lead Pair IQNone. No setup fee, no contract, pause any time.
| Shared lead sites | Your own ads | Lead Pair IQ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who else gets the homeowner | Several contractors at once | Nobody, once they fill in your form | Nobody. Sold to you alone. |
| What you pay for | Each lead, shared with the others who bought it | Clicks and ad spend, whether or not anyone asks for a quote | Each lead delivered, never above the limits you set |
| How you pay | On some sites, credits, points or bundles, so a lead's real price is hard to pin down | Ad spend; you work out the cost per lead yourself | Dollars in a wallet. Every lead shows exactly what it cost. |
| The first call | A race against the other buyers | Yours, if the ad and landing page bring them in | Yours. Call within minutes while they're expecting it. |
| Lead checks | Varies by site | None unless you build them | Quality controlled, phone and email verified, TCPA and Do Not Call scrubbed |
| Bad leads | Depends on the site's policy | You pay for them | Report within 48 hours for wallet credit |
| Your time | Fast follow-up to beat the others | Campaigns, landing pages and budgets to manage | Pick services, zip codes and a weekly budget |
| Commitment | Varies; some charge membership fees | Ad accounts, and often an agency retainer | None. No setup fee, no contract, pause any time. |
Plain dollars. No credit bundles.
Some lead services sell credits, points or prepaid bundles, so it's hard to tell what one lead really cost you. We don't. You always see the price of every lead you buy.
- A wallet in dollarsYou add money with your card. Your balance is dollars, not credits or points to convert.
- Each lead's real priceEvery lead is charged what it actually cost, never above the limits you set, and the price is shown on the lead itself.
- Every charge on recordDeposits, lead charges and bad-lead credits are all in your wallet history, and your leads export includes each lead's price.
- Nothing to prepay in bulkNo bundles, no packages, no setup fee. Fund a week of budget and top up when you choose.
What the higher price buys
No race to the phone
With a shared lead, the homeowner gets several calls in a few minutes and often picks whoever reached them first. With an exclusive lead, yours is the call they're waiting for.
No race on price
When three crews quote the same job, the quotes get pushed down. When you're the only one quoting, you can price the job properly.
A homeowner who still wants to talk
One contractor calling is a conversation. Five calling is a flood, and plenty of homeowners stop answering. Exclusive keeps the first conversation good.
When each one makes sense
Shared leads aren't wrong for everyone. Here's an honest way to decide.
Shared can make sense when
- You have a call team that dials every lead within seconds, all day
- Jobs are small and quick, so volume matters more than each close
- You're fine winning on speed or price against other crews
Exclusive makes sense when
- Jobs are big enough that one close pays for many leads: roofs, remodels, system replacements
- The owner or a small team calls back between jobs
- You'd rather quote the job properly than underbid to win it
Questions
What is a shared lead?
A homeowner's request sold to several contractors at once. Everyone who bought it calls the same person, so the first to reach them, or the lowest quote, usually wins.
What is an exclusive lead?
A homeowner's request sold to one contractor. Nobody else gets their details, so you're not racing anyone to the phone or underbidding to win.
Are Lead Pair IQ leads ever resold?
No. Each lead is sold to one business, and it isn't sold again.
Why does an exclusive lead cost more than a shared one?
A shared lead's price is split across everyone who buys it. An exclusive lead is priced for one buyer, and you get the whole conversation with the homeowner.
Do I have to buy credits or a lead bundle?
No. You fund a wallet in dollars, and each lead is charged its actual price, never above the limits you set. The price is on the lead and in your wallet history, so you always know what a lead cost.
Will an exclusive lead close?
Not every one, and we won't promise a rate. Closing depends on your sales team: how fast you call, how you quote and how you follow up. What exclusive changes is that you're the only one quoting.
Can I try it without a contract?
Yes. No contract, no setup fee and no monthly fee. Set a weekly budget, and pause from your dashboard any time.
Set your zips.
Go live today.
Exclusive · Checked · Pause any time