Changing only the number of leads? Total cost and commission grow together, so the ROI percentage stays the same. Change cost per lead, conversion rate, sale price or commission to see the percentage change.
Step 1 of 3 · Understand online leads
Get to know online leads.
Many people start with a quick search. They may need time, helpful updates and a few conversations before they are ready to move.
Playbook benchmark: 1-3% conversion
Explore what your lead investment could return.
Try your own costs and goals. A small conversion rate can still make a meaningful difference.
2 closings cover your lead spend.
One-year scenario. Before other business costs and taxes. Referrals and extra seller deals are not included. Estimates are not guaranteed.
What to expect
A home search often starts before a move.
1 of 100
At 1% conversion, 1 of 100 leads do not become a closing in this scenario.
A helpful conversation today can build a relationship for later.
Orange = a closing in this example. Gray = other leads.
Another opportunity
20%
Buyer leads may need to sell, too.
The playbook says 1 in 5 buyer leads is also a seller lead.
100
possible seller leads in your example
500 buyer leads × 20% = 100 possible seller leads.
Ask whether they have a home to sell, too. These possible seller leads are not added to the ROI above.
Your follow-up builds tomorrow's pipeline.
The playbook's example adds 500 leads each year. Later closings and referrals add to the result.
Playbook illustration, not a forecast. These fixed numbers are separate from your editable ROI example.
See the playbook example
| Year | New leads | Database | New-lead deals | Database deals | Total deals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500 | 500 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 2 | 500 | 1,000 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| 3 | 500 | 1,500 | 5 | 15 | 20 |
Database deals include long-term conversions and referrals. Reproduced from the supplied playbook, printed page 03.
Source: Real Geeks Real Estate Playbook, supplied 2023 edition, printed pages 02-03. The 1-3% and 20% figures are playbook benchmarks, not verified current market statistics. Cost per lead, sale price, commission and split are editable examples.