IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LIBERTAS GROUP

By Tim & Julie Harris · October 29, 2025

✨ Amazing evening, {{first_name| agents}}! Today’s topic exposes one of the biggest money leaks in our industry — buying leads.

Every day, agents hand over up to 40% of their commission to lead-selling companies. They call it “marketing.” We call it paying to stay broke.

In 2025, the data is clear: 78–82% of all transactions still come from repeat and referral business (NAR 2025), yet agents collectively spend over $16 billion a year on paid leads and advertising (HousingWire + RealTrends).

The agents who thrive aren’t the ones buying business — they’re the ones building it.

Let’s break down how to stop renting your pipeline and start owning it. 👇

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Lead companies promise “hot prospects,” but most deliver names, not relationships.

Paying 30–40 % of your commission for each closing is like working for someone else — without benefits.

Example: On a $10 K commission, that’s $4,000 gone instantly.

Action Step: Pull your last 12 months of closings and calculate how many came from paid sources. Then total what you paid in referral or lead fees. You’ll see exactly who’s getting rich — and it isn’t you.

You don’t need more leads. You need more relationships.

When you buy leads, you eat for a day. When you learn proactive lead generation, you eat for a lifetime. Building your own pipeline means control, consistency, and confidence.

Action Step: Schedule two hours daily for proactive lead generation. Use the same system top producers follow in Premier Coaching — your Daily Minimum Standards.

Every contact you make without paying for it is a dollar you keep.

According to NAR 2025, 81 % of sellers and 86 % of buyers say they would use or recommend their agent again — yet most agents never follow up. Referrals convert at 4× the rate of paid leads and cost nothing but consistency.

Action Step: Reconnect with five people daily from your database. Ask questions using the F-O-R-D framework (Family, Occupation, Recreation, Dreams). Keep notes and follow up quarterly.

In 2025, relationship-driven business generated an estimated $82 billion in U.S. commissions, compared to less than $18 billion from advertising and paid lead sources (NAR + RealTrends).

Action Step: Track the ROI on every dollar you spend. If one open-house lead converts each month — that’s a deal with 0 % referral fee. If one expired appointment turns into your next listing — again, 0 % referral fee.

Compare that to any paid lead source where you’re giving up 30–40 % per closing. Focus on net profit, not ego metrics.

Money earned through relationships is money kept.

Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are tools to reinforce real connections, not replace them. Agents who treat social media as a networking amplifier — not a lead trap — win every time.

Action Step: Post one story or reel each day that showcases client success, community highlights, or market expertise. End with:

Social media works best when it supports your real-world conversations.

You don’t need more followers — you need more follow-through. Agents who speak with their database daily earn 10× more repeat business (ListReports 2025).

Action Step: Commit to five real conversations before noon every workday. Use your CRM to track touchpoints, birthdays, and anniversaries.

Every “How are you?” call plants the seed for your next commission check.

88 % of buyers and 84 % of sellers say they’d work with their agent again (NAR 2025). But only 12 % actually do — because their agent disappears after closing. Don’t ghost your clients — wow them.

Action Step: Create a Post-Closing Care Plan. Drop off a handwritten thank-you card, send a “one-month check-in” video, and ask:

Consistency turns one deal into five.

Visibility beats advertising. Client-appreciation events, neighborhood coffee meetups, and holiday gatherings build trust faster than any Facebook ad.

Action Step: Plan one in-person event per quarter. It doesn’t have to be fancy — donuts at your office, pumpkin-patch day, or coffee at a local shop. Record short clips and repurpose them on social media for reach and credibility.

The more people see you in person, the less you’ll ever need to buy leads.

Paid leads often recycle the same contacts dozens of times. You’re not buying exclusivity — you’re buying competition.

True professionals don’t rent attention; they earn it.

Action Step: Cancel one low-ROI paid lead source this month and replace it with one proactive system — open-house campaigns, expireds, or circle prospecting.

The only “subscription” that guarantees ROI is your daily discipline.

Repeat and referral clients cost less, close faster, and are easier to serve. They also refer more people who are just like them.

Action Step: Identify your top 25 past clients and create a VIP Relationship Plan — quarterly check-ins, handwritten notes, and personalized property updates.

Building a relationship-driven business isn’t the fast way — it’s the forever way.

If you consistently contact your sphere and database daily — just five real conversations per workday — that’s about 100 meaningful contacts per month.

Even at conservative conversion rates: 2 repeat or referral transactions per month = 24 per year

At an average commission of $10,000, that’s $240,000 GCI annually

No lead fees. No marketing splits. No 40 % cut to someone else. Just relationship-based income you own 100 %.

Multiply that by the compound effect of those 24 people referring others next year and your referral snowball becomes unstoppable.

Action Step: Model your own referral math:** “How many conversations per day → how many appointments → how many closings → how much net income?”

What feels like slow work today is actually the fastest, most profitable path to long-term freedom.

Buying leads might feel like shortcut success, but it’s a commission trap. Every dollar you hand over to a lead company is a dollar you’ll never see again — and a relationship you’ll never build.

When you generate your own business, you control your future, your schedule, and your income.

Stop renting your leads. Start owning your pipeline. Be the hunter, not the hunted. Teach yourself to fish — and keep every dollar you earn.

🎯 HarrisMasterMind.com
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In a shifting market, the agents who adapt fast are the ones who win.
The Exclusive Mastermind Webinar with Tim and Julie Harris is where that happens — and it’s 100% FREE.

In one power-packed session, you’ll learn:

No fluff. No theory. Just proven tactics you can use the same day.

Spots are free — but once they’re gone, they’re gone.

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When you partner with eXp Realty + the Libertas Group, you unlock over $35,000 in tools, coaching, and support — at no cost to you.

Here’s just a glimpse of what’s included:

Plus: referral networks, masterminds, concierge onboarding, relocation & luxury divisions, live events, and more.

🔥 All-in, it’s a $35,000+ value — FREE when you join Libertas.

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