Why Most Investors Don’t Need More Leads — They Need Better Conversations

[Jeremy Beland]

A lot of investors think the answer to growing their business is generating more leads.

So they spend more on PPC. More on SEO. More on TV. More on direct mail.

And don’t get me wrong — marketing matters. We spend heavily on marketing ourselves.

But after doing hundreds of off market deals over the years, I’ve realized something most investors completely overlook:

The problem usually isn’t the amount of leads coming in.

It’s what happens after the phone rings.

I’ve seen investors generate tons of inbound opportunities and still struggle to consistently lock up deals. Meanwhile, I’ve watched smaller operators with average marketing close deals every month simply because they handle conversations differently.

That’s usually the separator.

Most motivated sellers don’t sign a contract on the first call.

Especially today.

A lot of inbound leads are coming from people dealing with stressful situations. Inherited houses. Financial pressure. Divorce. Problem tenants. Deferred maintenance. Burnout from owning the property.

They may absolutely want help, but that doesn’t mean they’re emotionally ready to make a decision immediately.

That’s where a lot of investors lose people.

Seller says:

“I need to think about it.”

Investor hears:

“This lead is dead.”

So they either stop following up… or they start pushing harder.

Neither usually works.

The reality is, most sellers are uncertain long before they’re unmotivated.

Sometimes “I need to think about it” really means:

“I’m nervous about making the wrong decision.”

“I still have questions.”

“I don’t fully trust investors yet.”

“I’m overwhelmed.”

Or simply:

“This is a big decision and I need time.”

The investors who consistently win more deals understand that timing matters.

They don’t rush the conversation. They don’t create pressure. And they don’t make every interaction feel transactional.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is investors trying to force certainty too early.

A seller says they’re unsure, and immediately the investor jumps to:

“What if I raise my offer?”

Or:

“What’s stopping you from moving forward today?”

Now the seller feels backed into a corner.

A better approach is slowing things down and understanding what’s actually causing hesitation.

Sometimes a simple response works better than a sales pitch.

“Sounds like there’s still a few things you’re trying to figure out.”

Or:

“What feels uncertain right now?”

That small shift changes the entire tone of the conversation.

Now the seller feels heard instead of handled.

And ironically, that’s usually when trust starts getting built.

One thing we teach heavily is that marketing creates opportunities, but acquisitions is what creates revenue.

You can generate all the inbound leads in the world, but if your conversations feel rushed, scripted, overly aggressive, or too focused on the numbers, sellers pull away.

Especially in today’s market where most sellers have already spoken with multiple investors before you even get on the phone.

The investors standing out right now are usually the ones who communicate better, follow up longer, stay calmer, and focus more on understanding the seller than controlling the outcome.

That’s what creates consistency.

Most investors think they have a lead problem when they really have a conversion problem.

Before spending another few thousand dollars on marketing, it’s worth asking:

“How well am I handling the opportunities already coming in?”

That question alone can completely change a business.  

[Dominic Mazzarella]

Quote from @Jeremy Beland:

A lot of investors think the answer to growing their business is generating more leads.

So they spend more on PPC. More on SEO. More on TV. More on direct mail.

And don’t get me wrong — marketing matters. We spend heavily on marketing ourselves.

But after doing hundreds of off market deals over the years, I’ve realized something most investors completely overlook:

The problem usually isn’t the amount of leads coming in.

It’s what happens after the phone rings.

I’ve seen investors generate tons of inbound opportunities and still struggle to consistently lock up deals. Meanwhile, I’ve watched smaller operators with average marketing close deals every month simply because they handle conversations differently.

That’s usually the separator.

Most motivated sellers don’t sign a contract on the first call.

Especially today.

A lot of inbound leads are coming from people dealing with stressful situations. Inherited houses. Financial pressure. Divorce. Problem tenants. Deferred maintenance. Burnout from owning the property.

They may absolutely want help, but that doesn’t mean they’re emotionally ready to make a decision immediately.

That’s where a lot of investors lose people.

Seller says:

“I need to think about it.”

Investor hears:

“This lead is dead.”

So they either stop following up… or they start pushing harder.

Neither usually works.

The reality is, most sellers are uncertain long before they’re unmotivated.

Sometimes “I need to think about it” really means:

“I’m nervous about making the wrong decision.”

“I still have questions.”

“I don’t fully trust investors yet.”

“I’m overwhelmed.”

Or simply:

“This is a big decision and I need time.”

The investors who consistently win more deals understand that timing matters.

They don’t rush the conversation. They don’t create pressure. And they don’t make every interaction feel transactional.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is investors trying to force certainty too early.

A seller says they’re unsure, and immediately the investor jumps to:

“What if I raise my offer?”

Or:

“What’s stopping you from moving forward today?”

Now the seller feels backed into a corner.

A better approach is slowing things down and understanding what’s actually causing hesitation.

Sometimes a simple response works better than a sales pitch.

“Sounds like there’s still a few things you’re trying to figure out.”

Or:

“What feels uncertain right now?”

That small shift changes the entire tone of the conversation.

Now the seller feels heard instead of handled.

And ironically, that’s usually when trust starts getting built.

One thing we teach heavily is that marketing creates opportunities, but acquisitions is what creates revenue.

You can generate all the inbound leads in the world, but if your conversations feel rushed, scripted, overly aggressive, or too focused on the numbers, sellers pull away.

Especially in today’s market where most sellers have already spoken with multiple investors before you even get on the phone.

The investors standing out right now are usually the ones who communicate better, follow up longer, stay calmer, and focus more on understanding the seller than controlling the outcome.

That’s what creates consistency.

Most investors think they have a lead problem when they really have a conversion problem.

Before spending another few thousand dollars on marketing, it’s worth asking:

“How well am I handling the opportunities already coming in?”

That question alone can completely change a business.  

I agree with most of this.

Bad follow-up kills a lot of deals(I know this from personal experience), but I still think lead quality gets brushed aside too much. If the seller has no real problem, no timeline, no property issue, and no reason to care, you’re going to have a hard time no matter how good you are on the phone.

The best conversations, I believe, usually happen when there’s already some kind of real pressure there. Not always foreclosure or anything dramatic, sometimes it’s just deferred maintenance, tenant issues, violations, inherited property headaches, big capex coming up, etc. But there has to be something.