How much do Realtor.com leads cost?

It varies a lot by market and whether the leads are exclusive to you. In busier areas, exclusive leads run much higher than shared ones. Ask for the exact price in your zip code and the contract length before you sign, since these often lock you in for several months.

Are Realtor.com leads better than Zillow leads?

They're different, not clearly better or worse. Realtor.com often costs less and can send leads by text without a live phone connect. Zillow tends to send more volume. Either one only pays off if your follow-up is fast and consistent.

Why do so many agents say portal leads are a waste?

Usually because they bought leads and skipped the system. A portal lead is cold and shopping around. Without quick replies and steady follow-up, those leads forget you and book with someone else. The lead isn't the problem, the follow-up is.

Should a newer agent buy Realtor.com leads?

Only if you can answer fast and stick with a follow-up plan for months. If your time is better spent becoming known in your area through content and referrals, start there. Buying leads on top of a brand works better than buying leads instead of one.

Are Realtor.com Leads Worth It in 2026?

A Realtor.com rep promises exclusive buyers in your zip code. Whether that check pays off comes down to one thing most agents skip. Here is when portal leads are worth it and when they burn your cash.

Every few months a Realtor.com rep calls with a pitch. Exclusive leads in your zip code, ready to buy. Should you write the check? Depends on what you do after the lead comes in. Let me break it down.

What you're actually buying

Realtor.com sells you leads from people browsing homes on their site. You can get them by email or text, and you can buy exclusive leads that only come to you instead of being blasted to five agents at once. The pricing swings a lot by market. Clever's breakdown of Realtor.com lead costs puts it at roughly $200 a month on the low end and over $1,000 a month for exclusive leads in busy markets. So this isn't a small bet.

The honest catch

A portal lead is cold. They clicked a house. They don't know you. They're probably looking at three other agents in the same hour. This is the same question agents ask about Zillow leads, and the answer rhymes. The lead is only as good as your follow-up.

Buy leads, dial them once, give up when they don't answer... that's the old way, and it's where most of the money gets wasted.

What makes portal leads actually pay off

Two things separate agents who profit from portal leads from agents who light cash on fire.

First, speed. You text or call in minutes, not hours. A cold portal lead goes ice cold fast, so speed to lead decides most of it before skill even matters.

Second, a real follow-up system. Most of these leads aren't ready for months. If you don't have a lead conversion system catching them with steady, useful touches, they forget you by the time they're ready. Krista lays out the automated side of this in her real estate automated follow up strategies, and it's the part most agents skip.

The piece nobody mentions

Portal leads convert far better when the person has already seen you somewhere. If they clicked your listing, then later saw your face in a market video, then got your text, you're not a stranger anymore. You're familiar. That's why buying leads works best layered on top of your own marketing, not instead of it.

The agents who treat portal leads as their whole plan stay stuck. The ones who use them as one source among many, feeding a real brand and system, do fine. Portal leads are one of several sources that actually work, not the magic button the rep makes them sound like.

So, are they worth it?

If you have fast follow-up and a system to nurture slow leads, Realtor.com leads can be worth it. If you're going to buy them and wing the follow-up, save your money and put it into becoming the known agent in your market instead. Want a plan that doesn't depend on renting leads from anyone? Start with real estate lead generation.