Start with who receives the inquiry.
Before comparing prices, ask what happens after someone requests help. Does the provider send the request to one business, several businesses, or an intermediary that can distribute it again? That answer matters more than the adjective in the sales pitch.
In this guide, an exclusive lead means the seller routes the covered inquiry to one buyer. A shared lead means the seller distributes the same request to more than one business. Those definitions describe delivery, not a promise that the person will hire anyone.
A lead can be exclusive and billed individually, or exclusive within a monthly arrangement. Shared distribution can also have different billing rules. Ask both questions; do not infer one from the other.
Compare the arrangement, not the label.
| Question | Exclusive distribution | Shared distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Who receives it? | One buyer under the agreed scope. | More than one buyer can receive the same request. |
| Can the customer seek other quotes? | Yes. They can contact businesses independently. | Yes. They may also hear from other recipients. |
| What needs defining? | The property, service, territory, and any exceptions. | The number of recipients, routing process, and any resale. |
| Is a job guaranteed? | No. A genuine inquiry may not turn into a sale. | No. Delivery to multiple businesses does not establish buying intent. |
| Which price is better? | Depends on fit, costs, and completed work. | Depends on the same factors, including follow-up effort. |
The useful question is not simply “Which is cheaper?” It is “What am I receiving, and what happens when I work these inquiries?” A price can look attractive while the services, travel distance, or scheduling requirements do not fit your business.
Exclusivity does not establish quality.
One business receiving a wrong number still has a wrong number. Likewise, a homeowner can make a real request, compare estimates, and decide not to proceed. Do not confuse exclusive distribution, service fit, and sales outcome.
Review the request date, the service requested, the geographic match, and how the customer entered the process. Ask whether the provider can substantiate any statements about people being ready to hire.
This is not an abstract concern. In 2023, the FTC finalized a HomeAdvisor consent order settling allegations involving misleading claims about lead quality, source, and conversion into jobs. That case supports asking for evidence; it does not establish that every shared-lead service has the same problems.
Source: FTC: final HomeAdvisor order and the claims it addressed
Measure the cost of useful work.
Keep separate counts for delivered inquiries, in-scope inquiries, estimates, and completed paid jobs. Then calculate costs using the same period and definitions. Include the acquisition spending attached to that channel, not just the most visible subscription fee.
Suppose Channel A costs $600 and produces 30 inquiries, with 3 completed jobs. Channel B costs $600 and produces 12 inquiries, with 4 completed jobs. A has the lower cost per inquiry ($20 versus $50), but B has the lower acquisition cost per completed job ($150 versus $200). This example does not assign either result to exclusive or shared leads.
Even that comparison is incomplete without job contribution and staff time. Four low-margin jobs may not beat three well-priced jobs. Use your actual records rather than assuming that a billing model predicts the result.
Use the lead-cost calculator to test a proposed arrangement with your own assumptions.
Ask these questions before committing.
- Who receives the same inquiry? Ask about every distribution step, not only the final handoff.
- What services and locations count? Put the important boundaries beside the offer.
- How recent is the request? An old record and a new request should not be presented as equivalent.
- What makes it chargeable or included? Agree on duplicates, spam, wrong-service requests, and review procedures.
- Which results are measured? Ask for the dates and definitions behind any booking claim.
Also review billing commitments and cancellation terms. A low unit price does not tell you whether there is a minimum spend, a notice period, or a limit on credits.
How WebmPros uses “exclusive.”
Our proposed monthly model concerns a defined WebmPros-owned property, service, and territory. We do not distribute the same covered inquiry from that arrangement to competing partners. The service business handles estimates, scheduling, and the work.
That is not a promise that the customer will avoid other providers or accept your quote. Nor does a preview card mean the property has established lead history. Check the current market status and review the process before deciding whether an arrangement fits.