My Cold Leads
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My Cold Leads

Free Tool

Portal vs digital: the real numbers

An honest side-by-side comparison with all costs included. Set your portal budget and see how the numbers stack up against digital lead generation - management fees, ad spend, everything on the table.

All costs included No hidden fees Real data

Set your portal numbers

£500
£100 £3,000
5
1 40
Your portal cost per lead £100

Adjust the sliders - the comparison below updates live.

Side-by-side comparison

The full picture, nothing hidden

Both columns show every cost. Digital includes agency management fees and ad spend. Portal includes your current spend and the leads you told us you get.

Property portals

Monthly cost £500/mo
Leads per month 5
Cost per lead £100
Lead data quality Name + phone
Competition Shared with other agents
Scalability Pay more = better placement
Follow-up required Yes - your team calls leads
Full cost shown

Digital lead generation

Monthly cost £1,500 - £2,000/mo

Agency management: £500 - £1,000/mo

Ad spend: from £1,000/mo

Leads per month Significantly more
All-in cost per lead £15 - £25
Includes avg £600 management fee + ad spend
Lead data quality Name, phone, property details
Competition Exclusive to your agency
Scalability Increase spend = more leads
Follow-up required Yes - your team calls leads

What stays the same

Your team still follows up every lead by phone. Digital does not replace your negotiators - it gives them more conversations to have. The agents who win are the ones who call within 5 minutes.

What changes

Volume goes up significantly. You get richer data on each lead - property details, selling timeline, contact preferences. And the leads are exclusive to you, not shared with five other agents on the same portal.

How cost per lead changes at scale

The more you spend on digital, the cheaper each lead gets

Portal CPL stays flat no matter what you spend. With digital, the management fee spreads over more leads as ad spend increases - so your CPL drops.

Your portal CPL
Digital CPL (incl. management fee)

How it works

See the comparison in seconds

1

Set your portal spend

Use the sliders to enter what you currently pay for property portals and how many leads you get each month. Be honest - the comparison only works with real numbers.

2

See the real comparison

The table updates live as you move the sliders. Everything is shown - digital costs include the management fee and ad spend. No asterisks, no small print.

3

Talk to us about switching

If the numbers make sense for your agency, book a call and we'll explain how the service works in detail. We handle the ads, landing pages, and lead delivery - your team focuses on winning instructions.

Frequently asked questions

Should I cancel my portals and go fully digital?
Not necessarily. Most agencies we work with run digital alongside portals. Portals are good for buyer leads and market presence. Digital is better for generating seller valuation leads at scale. They serve different purposes. Start digital as an additional channel and see how the numbers compare in your area before making any changes to your portal spend.
Why is the management fee £500-£1,000/month?
That covers campaign setup, ad creative, landing page design, A/B testing, lead delivery, and ongoing optimisation. Running high-converting ads requires daily monitoring and regular adjustments. The fee is for the expertise and time it takes to keep your cost per lead low and your lead quality high.
What quality are digital leads compared to portal leads?
Different, not necessarily better or worse. Portal leads are usually homeowners browsing properties - they may be sellers but they came to look at listings. Digital leads come from targeted ads asking homeowners directly if they want a valuation. Digital leads tend to be earlier in the journey but they have declared their interest in selling. Both need quick, professional follow-up to convert.
How long before I see results from digital?
Leads typically start coming in within the first week. The campaigns need 2-4 weeks to optimise and find the best audiences. By month two you should have a clear picture of your cost per lead and lead quality. We recommend committing to at least 3 months to get meaningful data.
What if my portal CPL is already low?
If you are getting portal leads under £20, you are doing well. Digital probably will not save you money per lead at this price point. Where it adds value is in volume and lead type - digital generates seller valuation leads specifically, while portals tend to produce buyer enquiries. If you want more valuation appointments, digital is worth testing alongside your current portal spend.

Like the numbers?

Let's talk about what digital could do for your agency

We'll discuss your situation, explain how the service works, and help you decide if it's a good fit. No commitment, no hard sell - just a conversation.

Get in touch Book a call