Demand a written lead definition
Ask what must be true before an inquiry is counted. At minimum, look for service match, territory match, reachable contact information, requester authority, a timely need, spam screening, duplicate screening, and evidence from a qualifying call or completed form.
Terms such as qualified, verified, or exclusive should point to operational rules, not remain sales adjectives.
Understand routing and availability
Clarify whether the inquiry is shared, sequentially routed, or reserved for one provider. Ask what happens when the provider is at capacity, misses contact, loses eligibility, or stops paying.
A market appearing on a website does not prove that the territory is available, ranked, producing inquiries, or ready for activation. Current status should be checked separately.
Model the economics
- Monthly base and included accepted leads
- Overage price and the point at which it begins
- Credit rules and dispute timing
- Contact, estimate, close, and average gross-profit rates
- Staff time required to answer and follow up
- Cancellation, renewal, and refund boundaries
Run a controlled proof period
A proof sample should let both sides inspect lead evidence and operational fit before paid activation. Keep proof leads separate from a paid month's allowance so the evaluation is understandable.
Track every result. A small sample cannot prove future volume, but it can reveal mismatched services, unclear territory boundaries, unreachable consumers, slow contractor response, and weak documentation.