Shared Leads
Leads a lead-gen platform sells to several businesses at once, forcing a speed-and-price race — the opposite of exclusive leads sold to one buyer.
Shared leads are sold by aggregators to multiple businesses simultaneously, so the same homeowner gets calls from several contractors within minutes. They are cheaper per lead than exclusive leads, but the buyer who responds first usually wins, which turns shared-lead channels into a speed-to-lead contest.
The economics only work with fast, automated first contact and a realistic close rate, since a chunk of the spend goes to leads competitors close first. Many service businesses treat shared leads as a supplement to owned channels like their Google Business Profile and referrals rather than a primary source, precisely because the margins are thinner and the competition is built in.
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