Step 1: Build a Lead Source Tracker

Every agent should have a simple spreadsheet or dashboard that lists:

This report auto-calculates:

• Cost per lead

• Cost per closing

• ROI per source

• Percentage of total business each source produces

This one sheet changes everything.

Step 2: Stop Cutting Muscle in the Winter

Every January and February I see the same mistake.

Sales slow. Bank accounts get tight. Agents start cutting expenses.

The problem?
They cut growth activities, not fat.

They cancel:

• Lead sources

• Coaching

• Marketing

• Systems that built the business in the first place

Instead of trimming what isn’t working, they slash what is working — simply because it hasn’t paid off in the last 60 days.

Real estate is a 12-month business, not a 30-day business.

In most markets, 60–70% of annual production happens May through August. Winter is not the time to stop investing — it’s the time to refine.

Step 3: Conversion Beats New Lead Sources Every Time

Before you add a single new lead source, ask:

“Are we converting the leads we already have?”

I coached an agent recently who went on 222 listing appointments and converted only 130.

That’s not a lead generation problem.
That’s a conversion problem.

Fix conversion and you don’t need more leads — you need better skills.

This is why so many agents say:

• “Online leads are terrible.”

• “Zillow doesn’t work.”

• “Facebook leads are weak.”

No — the follow-up is weak.

Realistic Conversion Benchmarks

Conversion is a long game. Over time, your numbers normalize — just like flipping a coin hundreds of times.

Step 4: Play the “Move the Money” Game

Here’s a simple strategy that instantly increases ROI.

1. List your top 20 lead sources.

2. Identify your bottom 3 performers.

3. Take their budget and move it to your top 3 producers.

4. Repeat every quarter.

As long as a source stays in the top 3, keep feeding it.

When it drops? Move the money.

That’s how you scale intelligently — not emotionally.

Step 5: Track Leads at the Accounting Level

Most CRMs only track inbound activity — not profit.

Instead, use QuickBooks Class Tracking:

• Assign each lead source as a class

• Run class reports monthly

• See revenue, expenses, marketing costs, and net income per source

Now you know exactly where your business is profitable.

Step 6: Audit Your Own Follow-Up

One of the most powerful coaching tools I use is simple:

I become the lead.

I fill out my client’s website form with a burner number.

Then I document:

• How long it takes for someone to call

• Whether I get a text

• Whether the email is useful or generic

Most agents think they’re great at follow-up — until they experience it themselves.