Lender Contributions to Media Buys

If you are a lender and reading this page it is likely that you already know an agent or team who is using our service. We do not offer services to lenders without an existing agent relationship. It is far more cost effective to bid on keywords related to real estate vs mortgage given current bid prices.

Everyone wants to be on the first page of Google or Microsoft, but not every agent or lender can find the right audiences to capitalize on the data. Google now uses over 200 signals in their algorithm for scoring. Last year they made over 540 quality improvements to their search algorithm alone.

Please keep in mind lenders or other affiliates that would like to contribute to a media buy with us are adding budget to an existing account we are NOT building different campaigns or sending clicks / leads to separate websites or sales funnels. Since the IDX platforms we support have lender integration it is very simple to see the leads in real time. Agents and Lenders use our service as a way to grow their production through lead generation on Google and Microsoft Search Advertising.

Supported Platforms

Ad Budget Available

Target local or relocating home buyers in your area. Tie directly into the agents CRM / IDX solution and we'll bill you directly for RESPA compliance.

Starting at $250/mo

We've Been Through Compliance Many Times...

Please make sure to read the expectations and details prior to starting the process.

How Many Leads Should We Expect?

Nationwide the average cost per lead we see in most markets is $18.00 USD.

$2,500 Total Ad Budget / approx. 138 leads

Overall we are NOT purporting to have the lowest cost per lead in the industry. In fact, many agents who hired us have seen their cost per lead go UP dramatically. We are firmly focused on revenue, probability, and most importantly NET ROI...not on lowering cost per lead.

Very few if any other media buyers in this space can match our average ROI which is above 1,000%. This does NOT include the lenders earnings on loans.

Keep in mind costs on ad networks change dramatically in each market and over time. There are MANY forces which impact cost per lead, most of which we have no control over. EG: if the agent turns off their opt-in form that can increase costs by several hundred percent, we control some specific functions inside the ad networks and audiences we do not have full control over sites or other third party services.

How Long is the Agreement, How Easy is it to Cancel

Rolling 30 day agreement with a mental agreement of 12 months. Meaning you should NOT be contributing to a media buy in an industry with a 6-18 month sales cycle if you need a fast return on spend.

To our knowledge a fast return on spend does not exist via paid ads in real estate.

What Expectations Are Set Up Between You (the Media Buyer) and the Agent

Great question. The minimum existing monthly revenue for the agent should be $15,000 and they should expect to spend at least 10% of what they want to earn in commission from these leads (in a 12 month window) on their ad budget.

EG: If their current earnings in the past 12 months were $200,000 and they want to earn an additional $250,000 through our leads then we expect them to have an ad budget of $25,000 for the year. This would break down to about $2,000 a month from the agent (solo) or $1,000 each from the agent and lender. Our budget targets and advice do NOT change simply because they have a lender contributing.

How Much Can a Lender Contribute Toward a Media Buy

Generally if we are targeting a total ad budget of $2,000 we would break that down to $1,000 for the agent and $1,000 for the lender. We assume a 50-50 break down of ad budget in most cases, but if you need your agreement to be a different ratio like 65% agent 35% lender we can draft that as well. Ideally we are targeting ad budget in blocks of $250.

Who's Website / CRM is Used for the Media Buy

The Agents IDX / CRM website will be used for the Media Buy. We are NOT sending the traffic to the mortgage company website or generating mortgage applications. Lenders are contributing to an EXISTING media buy that is targeting residential real estate in the agents local area, we are NOT targeting commercial, vacant land, rentals, or business opportunities. Lenders obtain access to the leads via the agents CRM integration, if the lender would like to send the leads to their own CRM like Purple Dot etc. that is okay as long as the agent agrees. Our service does NOT include integrating multiple CRMs.

Are the Leads Re-Sold to Other Agents / Lenders

No, our service is a media buy where we are using our audience networks and advertisements to send traffic directly to the client, we do NOT have an intermediary site or re-sell the leads.

Our Mortgage Compliance Officer Would Like Receipts from All Parties

That's fine. We can program additional emails into our payments processor so the loan officer or compliance officer can get receipts which verify agent spend or vice versa. Simply let us know the additional emails you want to get receipts.

Can We Start with a Smaller Budget and Scale Up Later

Yes, this is common. Ad budget is always a rolling 30 day target, to scale up simply let us know your new target and we'll adjust on the next billing cycle. Keep in mind we must have confirmation from BOTH parties (agent and lender) that they want to adjust budgets. Same thing for scaling down, some teams spend significantly more money in Spring and Summer vs Winter, we can adjust budget and lead flow to fit the team size and sales earnings goals.

Is this Fair Housing Compliant

Yes, we follow all Fair Housing Rules. Our targeting methodology is about the THING the person wants not WHO the person is. EG: we are targeting homes on acreage because that is a feature that makes sense for lead generation we are NOT targeting a specific religion or gender. Our keywords are based on the property parameters like: zip code, city, subdivision, etc.

What Percentage of These Leads Buy with Cash vs Obtain a Loan

Prior to the extreme low inventory situation we face in 2022 it was common to hear that 65% of our leads purchased homes with a loan vs cash. Unfortunately for our lenders that number is going down quickly. It is VERY important for lenders to understand that the typical flow of approving someone before they see homes with an agent has been superseded with the buyer paying cash THEN refinancing out after closing. Many sellers in this market will NOT accept offers that are contingent on financing but that does NOT mean a lender can't provide financing to these parties, it simply changes the order and sequence.

Can the Lender Request Leads in a Market Area Outside the Agents Target Market

No.

Here's an example: the agent serves Dallas Texas and the lender has an office there as well as Houston Texas. The lender wants to get leads that are in Dallas as well Houston. This is NOT possible given the site, data feeds, and targeting options. If the lender wants to find another agent in Houston we can launch campaigns there but it would not be under the same agreement as the client in Dallas.

How "Good" Are the Leads...are They "Scrubbed" and Ready to Talk to Someone

Most clients will close (sell houses to) 1-2% of the leads. So by that metric they are horrible. Very few leads will answer the phone when the agent calls or reaches out to them to get help.

In fact, most leads do not want ANY contact from an agent. Keep in mind in most markets a 1% close rate will get the agent to 1,000% ROI so don't be fooled by the numbers, this can be very profitable even with low close rates. We do NOT scrub the leads or promise any specific range of contact validity. Remember you are contributing to a media buy which is purchasing CLICKS.

There are no guarantees for a specific number of leads or closings. Some clients are earning 2,500% ROI in the exact same market where another client is earning 500% ROI. The difference is largely in the sales skills and efforts of the agent or team not in the audiences or leads in the CRM.

We Need to See "Our Ads" to Get Them Approved Before Running Them

We are NOT running ads about the lender or mortgages, so there is nothing to approve.

If you (the lender) wants to be featured on the agents site in the footer or a custom page you need to work directly with the agent on that, we do not build sites or pages or do graphics for lenders. Keep in mind the above, lenders are contributing to a media buy for residential real estate this is not an offer to promote your local office or get mortgage rate leads or long form fills.

Can You Send Us a Blank Sample Agreement

Sure, just get in touch via our contact page, we can updated an agreement for you as needed for your specific situation.

Will You Create Another Campaign to Send Traffic and Leads to Our Mortgage Site

No. We do NOT currently offer mortgage application leads. No traffic or clicks will be sent to the lenders site.

Is This Agreement RESPA Compliant

Yes, our understanding is that lenders should not contribution more than 50% of the expenses. It is up to you and your compliance department to further evaluate your specific situation and state laws.