Shared vs Exclusive Roofing Leads: The Real Difference

"Five other roofers called him before I did." If you have bought leads, you know that feeling. It comes from one detail in the contract: shared or exclusive.

Shared leads

A shared lead is sold to several contractors at once. The homeowner fills in one form and gets calls from three, four or five companies.

What that does to you:

• It becomes a race. The first caller usually wins the visit.
• It becomes a price fight. The homeowner is collecting quotes, so the lowest number gets attention.
• It annoys the homeowner. Their phone rings all afternoon. You are one of the people who annoyed them.

Exclusive leads

An exclusive lead goes to one contractor. Nobody else from that source is calling.

What that does to you:

• You have time to do a proper inspection.
• You can sell on quality, warranty and trust.
• The homeowner remembers one company, not five.

"Exclusive" does not always mean exclusive

Read the terms. Some companies call a lead exclusive but resell it after 30 days, or sell the same homeowner under a different service category. Ask directly:

• Is this homeowner sent to anyone else, ever?
• Do you resell old leads?
• How many roofers do you work with in my area?

A lesson from the big marketplaces

In 2023 the FTC finalized an order against HomeAdvisor over claims it made to contractors about the quality and source of its leads, with a $7.2 million settlement (Wood Floor Business). The takeaway for roofers is simple: get the promises in writing.

What to pay

Exclusive costs more per lead. It should. Judge it on cost per sold job, not cost per lead. If exclusive leads close at twice the rate, a price twice as high costs you the same per job, with less wasted time.

Questions roofers ask