Are you a "lead"?
In this day and age, buying and selling your contact info happens more than you can imagine. And it often happens from sites that suggest they are "matching" you with qualified real estate agents and sites that say you can get a free market value for your house. These sites are hardly more than form redirects. They get your inquiry and sell it.
You are being treated like some sort of nameless, mindless commodity. Your privacy is not being respected, nor is your time, because if an agent pays for your contact info, they are going to do anything to get you to buy/sell so they aren’t out the money.
These sites market to agents saying they can provide us with X number of leads a month. Some want a flat fee for your info, others want a percentage of the commission. Some charge by zip code. Those that want flat fees are generally willing to sell your contact info multiple times to make the most profit.
Think about that for a moment… You fill out one form on one of these sites and you might have just been sold to 3-15 agents!
So here you are thinking you’ve just put in a request for an automated valuation of your house, only to start getting tons of emails and phone calls. All from agents who are desperate to get your business, and with the market being what it is, many agents are faced with the problem of either getting you to sign up or leave the business.
They tell agents that you are a "certified" or "qualified" lead.
They tell you that the agents are "certified" or "qualified" too.
Which only means that you have a legitimate phone number and email address and that the agents pay their fees…
Why people support this practice is beyond me. I refuse to be a "lead" and you should too!
Charissa Pemper, Boston REALTOR®
Charissa Pemper
Lic. MA Real Estate Broker, REALTOR®
Charissa@HomesInBoston.com
