Exclusive leads vs shared leads: what NZ tradies need to know before paying for either
Short answer. A shared lead is one enquiry sold to several tradies at once, so you compete on price and speed with everyone else who bought it. An exclusive lead goes to one business only. Shared leads look cheap per lead but close far less often; exclusive leads cost more per lead and close at a rate that makes the maths work. For urgent trade work, exclusive is the only model where the homeowner isn't fielding five calls.
How shared leads actually work
A homeowner fills in a form on a directory or marketplace: "need a plumber, blocked drain, Hornby". The platform sells that one form to three, four or five plumbers. Each pays. All five ring the homeowner inside ten minutes. The homeowner picks the cheapest or the first, and four plumbers paid for nothing.
That's not a lead. That's an auction, and you're the product.
How exclusive leads work
The homeowner searches, sees one ad, lands on one page, and rings one number. That number forwards to one plumber. There's no form to sell on, because the lead is a phone call. Nobody else gets it. The plumber isn't competing on price because the homeowner hasn't spoken to anyone else.
Exclusive leads cost more per lead because the business generating them can only sell each one once. They also close at two to four times the rate of shared leads, in our experience, because the homeowner is talking to one tradie, not five.
The maths most tradies skip
Say shared leads cost $40 each and you close one in five. That's $200 per job. Say exclusive leads work out at $75 each and you close one in two. That's $150 per job, with far less quoting, fewer wasted calls and no racing the next guy to the phone. Cheaper per lead is not cheaper per job.
Questions to ask any lead company
- Does anyone else in my trade in my area receive the same lead? (Only "no" is acceptable.)
- Is the lead a phone call or a form? (Calls close. Forms get shopped.)
- Can I hear the calls? (If they won't let you listen, assume the worst.)
- What counts as a lead? (Parts enquiries and wrong numbers shouldn't.)
- What's the minimum term and the notice period?
- Who owns the landing page and the phone number when I leave?
How LeadHive does it
One tradie per trade per area. The tracking number forwards only to you, every call is recorded, and you get the same log I do. Dud calls are taken off your monthly tally. If the month falls short of what was promised, the month gets extended. The landing page is yours while you're a partner and the spot can't be sold to a competitor behind your back.
Questions people ask
Are shared leads worth it for tradies?
Occasionally, for planned work where the homeowner expects multiple quotes. For urgent repair work they rarely stack up, because the job goes to whoever rings first and cheapest.
What does an exclusive lead cost in NZ?
Depends on trade and city. LeadHive doesn't charge per lead: Starter is $1,500 a month with ad spend included for 15 to 25 leads, which works out between $60 and $100 per exclusive enquiry.
One tradie per trade per area. Check whether yours is still open.
