Why Most Buyer Leads on Portals Are a Waste of Time
Property portals promise the world: endless exposure, thousands of inquiries, and a steady stream of “ready buyers.” But ask any agent who has been in the trenches, and they’ll tell you the truth—most buyer leads on portals are a waste of time.
Between fake numbers, tire-kickers, and people who just wanted to “see the price,” conversion rates are painfully low. If agencies keep chasing these mirages, they’ll keep bleeding money and time.
1. Fake Leads and Ghost Numbers
The first frustration agents face is simple: many “leads” aren’t even real.
- Numbers that don’t exist.
- Emails that bounce.
- People who never pick up, no matter how many calls you make.
Portals are incentivized to show “activity,” not conversions. So the quantity looks impressive, but the quality is rotten.
2. Tire-Kickers Disguised as Buyers
Even when the numbers connect, most “leads” aren’t serious buyers. They’re:
- Casual browsers checking prices.
- Curious owners benchmarking their own units.
- Investors fishing for market info with no intent to buy.
Agents spend hours chasing ghosts that never translate into viewings, let alone offers.
3. The Brutal Conversion Reality
Most agencies don’t want to say it out loud, but here’s the truth: conversion from portal leads is abysmally low.
Industry whispers put the number at below 1–2% actual deals closed per 100 leads. That means 98% of your time is spent on dead ends.
Worse still, when you calculate cost-per-deal from portal subscriptions, it often exceeds the commission agents earn—especially in slower markets.
4. Facebook & Instagram Ads: More Control, Same Problems
Some agencies think the solution is to simply “shift everything to Facebook and Instagram Ads.” While these platforms give you control over targeting and budget, they’re not free from the same headaches:
- Fake phone numbers — buyers submit incomplete or misleading info just to see details.
- Low-intent leads — clicking on an ad is easy; committing to a purchase isn’t.
- High follow-up burden — agents must call quickly and consistently, or leads go cold within hours.
The difference? Unlike portals, at least you can track, test, and refine campaigns over time. Smart targeting, better ad copy, and strong landing pages separate agencies that drown in junk leads from those that consistently close deals.
5. Smarter Alternatives That Actually Work
Instead of relying only on portals—or blindly boosting ads—agencies should rethink how they generate buyers:
- Structured Facebook & Instagram Ads → Use proper funnels with qualifying questions (budget, loan eligibility, preferred area) to filter serious buyers.
- Google Ads → Capture people actively searching for property, usually higher intent than casual scrollers.
- Co-broking networks → Work with agents who share verified listings and genuine buyers.
- Database nurturing → Past clients and referrals are often the most reliable, cheapest repeat source of buyers.
The Hard Truth
Portals look like a flood of opportunity but are really a flood of wasted time. Facebook and Instagram ads can fall into the same trap—if you run them without strategy.
The agencies that thrive are the ones that move away from vanity numbers and focus on quality control, lead qualification, and systems that reward follow-up discipline.
👉 Portals sell attention. Facebook and Google sell opportunities. But only a system like ListingMine ERP—with its lead scoring, automated follow-up, and deal pipeline—can turn that opportunity into signed deals. Stop chasing ghosts and start building a conversion machine.
