We speak to hundreds of estate planners every month. Different regions, different approaches — but the same complaint keeps coming up:

“We’ve tried buying leads... and it just didn’t work.”

On paper, buying leads seems like an easy win. A quick, low-cost way to fill your diary with potential clients. But when you dig deeper, the reality looks very different.

Here are three big reasons why buying leads is not the shortcut it seems, and why it could be holding your business back.

1. Bought Leads Cost You More in the Long Run

Let’s look at the numbers.

When you buy leads, you’re usually promised volume at a low price. For example, 100 leads at £10 to £15 each. Sounds like a bargain.

The problem is, these leads tend to convert poorly.

They don’t know who you are. They haven’t seen your business before. You’re calling a stranger who clicked on something vague two days ago and probably doesn’t even remember doing it.

Based on feedback from estate planners we speak to, you’d be lucky to sit 10 to 20 appointments out of every 100 bought leads.

So if we do the maths:

• 100 leads at £15 = £1,500

• 15 appointments = around £100 per appointment

• That doesn’t include the time wasted chasing people who never answer the phone

Now compare that to warm leads generated using your own brand. When the lead comes through your business, the person is already familiar with you and more likely to book in.

We typically see 50 to 60 appointments booked from every 100 branded, warmed-up leads.

Even if those leads cost more, say £20-25 each:100 leads at £23 = £2,300

55 appointments = around £41 per appointment

That’s a lower cost per appointment and a higher chance of conversion. Whether you need 20 leads or 200, the numbers still work in your favour.

2. Buying Leads Can Force You to Drop Your Prices

Another issue with bought leads is competition.

The same lead is often sold to multiple estate planners. You’re not the only one calling. In most cases, four or five businesses are trying to contact that same person.

Even if you’re the first to get through, you know others are calling right behind you. So how do you try to stand out?

Most of the time, it comes down to price.

Everyone is offering the same services. Wills, LPAs, Trusts. The only thing that separates you is what you charge.

This pushes prices down. Fast.

You end up lowering your fees just to win the work. And when margins are thin, it becomes harder to grow your business in a sustainable way.

But when a lead comes through your own brand, you're not just another voice on the phone. You're the business they’ve already seen, already trust, and are actively choosing to speak to. That trust gives you confidence to charge what you're actually worth.

3. Bought Leads Invite Competitors into the Conversation

When you generate leads under your own name, you’re doing more than filling your diary. You’re building brand awareness.

That means people start to recognise your name. They see your content, hear your voice, and understand the value you offer.

Even if they’re not ready to buy right away, they know who to come back to when they are. This is how long-term pipelines are built.

But when you buy a lead, the person has never heard of you. If they say they’re “just looking” or don’t answer the call, that opportunity is gone. You don’t have a second chance.

Bought leads are transactional. You get one shot to sell.

Branded leads are relational. You’re creating a connection that could lead to business now or later.

Which one sounds more like the foundation of a real business?

Final Thought...

Buying leads might feel like a shortcut, but in most cases, it’s a false economy.

You spend more time and money for fewer results. You risk lowering your fees and damaging your brand. Worst of all, you lose the chance to build a warm pipeline of future clients who actually want to hear from you.

The estate planners seeing the most success are the ones who invest in generating leads through their own business. They show up consistently, build trust with their audience, and turn that trust into appointments that convert.

If you’re ready to do the same, we’d love to show you how

Book a call with SHED Social today to learn how we can help you turn leads into loyal customers.