Editorial draft for approval. Proposed domain, to be confirmed.
You want a partner who can support conversations with potential sellers, not simply deliver a report full of form submissions. As a solo real estate broker, you also need a service that fits your ability to respond and makes clear what work remains yours.
Before comparing fees, compare what you are actually buying. An advertising campaign, a contact list and a service that checks incoming inquiries are different purchases. The following approach helps you compare proposals without assuming how many inquiries or signed brokerage contracts they will produce.
Define the stages, not a promised outcome
Ask each provider to define three terms in its proposal.
An inquiry is a recorded contact request. It may be relevant, incomplete, duplicated or unrelated to an immediate sale. A qualified inquiry meets agreed criteria that have actually been checked. A signed seller brokerage contract is a signed agreement, not a form submission or an appointment.
Qualification might address the property area, the nature of the project and the owner's intended timing. Ask what comes from the form and what has been confirmed in a conversation. A completed field is not independent verification.
These distinctions are a proposed buying method. They are not a regulatory standard or a promise that an inquiry will become a client.
Compare three possible service scopes
Advertising management might cover strategy, ads and campaign adjustments while leaving you responsible for the landing page and incoming inquiries. An integrated acquisition service might add pages, CRM connections and reporting. A service with human qualification might also include an agreed initial contact process.
None is automatically better. If you want to handle the first conversation yourself, paying for telephone qualification may not help. If you already struggle to respond, buying more advertising without addressing that capacity may compound the issue.
Request a written breakdown of deliverables, responsibilities, agreed frequency, inclusions and exclusions. Who writes the copy and creates the visuals? Who approves them? Who investigates an apparently incorrect inquiry? Four services listed on a website do not necessarily mean four services included in one fee.
Separate management fees from media spending
The advertised monthly amount is not enough. Ask for separate figures for management, spending paid to advertising platforms, initial setup and any separately billed tools or services. Clarify taxes and variable charges as well.
Compare proposals over the same period, including startup costs and minimum commitments. Lower management fees may require more content work from you or exclude maintenance of the page used by the campaign.
Confirm who authorizes budget changes and how you can see spending. An approved spending ceiling is not permission for automatic increases. There is no recommended standard budget here: that would require your actual scope, resources and available data.
Check where inquiries come from and whether they are shared
Ask whether contacts originate from campaigns run for you, a shared platform or another clearly described source. If the provider promises exclusivity, ask what it covers: the inquiry, the territory, the period or a particular channel.
Clarify the handling of duplicates, invalid contact details and requests outside your area. Is there a documented dispute process? Who reviews a disputed inquiry and on what evidence? Even a commercial replacement policy does not turn an inquiry into a seller ready to sign.
Collection and use of personal information need review before activation. This article does not validate any provider or solicitation method and does not replace legal review suited to your project in Quebec.
Ask for reporting that separates activity from progress
Google Analytics recommends generate_lead for form or information submissions and distinguishes qualify_lead for leads marked as qualified [1]. These events require configuration. They do not independently establish commercial quality.
Ask for reporting that connects spending with distinct inquiries, actual conversations and attended appointments when those stages are known. Signed contracts remain a separate stage. Reports should explain missing data and attribution methods rather than crediting every sale to the campaign.
Cost per inquiry and cost per qualified inquiry answer different questions. Ask for the numerator, denominator and reporting period. When too few files have progressed to support a conclusion, the report should acknowledge that limitation rather than present a certain return.
Test the proposal against your actual working week
Fictional example: two proposals include campaign management. One forwards each form submission. The other checks inquiries against agreed criteria but excludes appointment booking. If you assume the second service fills your calendar, you are comparing an imagined service with the actual proposal.
For each offer, ask what happens during showings, holidays and busy periods. Who receives alerts? Who handles transmission failures? Which actions need your approval? Whatever CRM you use, the handoff between provider and broker should be demonstrable before launch.
Read the exit terms before signing
Clarify the commitment period, renewal, notice requirements and what happens if advertising is paused. Check account access, rights to creative work and arrangements for retrieving data and pages under the agreed rights.
You should be able to summarize your decision simply: I know what will be delivered, what I will pay, what I must do and what I keep when the service ends. If those answers are unclear, request a revised proposal before committing.
Next step: request a monthly seller acquisition proposal that separates service fees, media budget, qualification and your responsibilities. Share your actual territory and follow-up capacity so the scope fits your situation.
Note interne, ne pas publier : [Formulaire relié au CRM de Roy Marketing]
Source and limitations
[1] Google Analytics, Recommended events, French source used for the original. Official page opened and read on November 8, 2026 (Toronto time). It describes recommended events and validation, not agency contract terms or guaranteed business outcomes.
The purchasing criteria, contractual distinctions and scenarios are proposed methods, not official Google requirements. No competing offer, campaign data or local demand figures were verified. Actual terms must be confirmed in an approved proposal. This adaptation retains the Quebec market scope and the original's limitations; it makes no guarantee of leads, contracts or rankings.