Skip to content This is the buyer vs seller leads reality most agents never see.
Twenty-nine hours.
That’s how long the average real estate agent spends working with each buyer client, according to a comprehensive study using Redfin agent data that tracked agent productivity across thousands of transactions.
Compare that to seller leads: seven hours total from initial contact to closing.
Oh, and it gets even worse. According to the same study… with an average of 2.8% in commissions and an estimated sale price of $400,000, here’s the difference in hourly pay between buyers and sellers agents:
$320 per hour versus $1,456 per hour.
If you compare buyer vs seller leads, it’s obvious which one makes you the most money. But let’s dive deeper into why seller leads are the best option for agents.
Quick Links:
- The Real Cost of Buyer Leads
- Buyer VS Seller Leads: The Conversion Rate Reality
- The Seller Lead Opportunity Hiding in Plain Sight
- Why REDX Seller Leads Outperform Buyer Lead Sources
- Smart Lead Strategy: Moving Beyond Buyer Lead Dependence
- Buyers VS Seller Leads: Why REDX Seller Leads Always Win
The Real Cost of Buyer Leads
Online buyer leads promise easy business but deliver expensive frustration. The average Facebook or Zillow buyer lead converts at 1-3%, meaning you need to contact 100 prospects to work with 1-3 serious buyers.
Even then, buyer leads require massive time investment. The Listing Beast study using Redfin agent productivity data shows buyer transactions demand 29 hours per closed deal while listing work averages just 7 hours.
This time disparity is systemic. Buyer-work involves endless showings, multiple offer rejections, inspection negotiations, and hand-holding through months-long processes.
Compare that to Seller-work that focuses on strategic pricing, marketing, and managing a defined timeline to closing.
Compare this to seller leads: Expired listings relist at a 43% rate. FSBOs convert at 38%.
Why do these lead types convert so much better than buyer leads?
It’s because you’re literally calling people who have already demonstrated they want to sell, not hoping to find someone who might be interested in buying someday.
Online and data base leads based on readily available average data. FRBO, Pre-Foreclosure, FSBO and Expired Leads based on exclusive REDX data
This research makes it clear why experienced agents increasingly avoid buyer-heavy business models. It’s because buyer heavy business just doesn’t generate as much consistent business as seller leaning businesses.
But now lets talk about how much money you make when you compare buyers and sellers per hour.
Buyer VS Seller Leads: The Conversion Rate Reality
When comparing buyer vs seller leads, there’s a massive disparity in both conversion rates and in time investment.
It shows that most agents are chasing low-converting buyer leads while ignoring high-probability seller opportunities sitting in their own market.
| Lead Type | Conversion Rate | Time Investment | ROI |
| Facebook Buyer Leads | 1-3% | 29 hours per deal | $320/hour |
| Zillow Buyer Leads | 1-2% | 29 hours per deal | $320/hour |
| Expired Listings | 43% | 7 hours per deal | $1,456/hour |
| FSBO Leads | 38% | 7 hours per deal | $1,456/hour |
| Pre-Foreclosure Leads | 15% | 7 hours per deal | $1,456/hour |
| FRBO Leads | 8% | 7 hours per deal | $1,456/hour |
The math is undeniable. While you’re spending hundreds on buyer leads that convert at 2%, motivated seller leads are converting at 20-40% rates… and they require less time investment per transaction.
The Seller Lead Opportunity Hiding in Plain Sight
Here’s what most agents miss: motivated sellers are everywhere, and they convert at rates that make online buyer leads look like a waste of time.
Expired listings relist at a 43% rate. Nearly half of homeowners whose listings expire will work with another agent and successfully sell. They’re not giving up—they’re just looking for someone who can actually get the job done.
For Sale By Owners convert at 38%. More than one in three FSBO sellers eventually hire an agent, and 88% use an agent in some capacity during their selling process. They’ve already proven they want to sell; they just need to realize they need professional help.
Compare these conversion rates to cold calling random homeowners or chasing online buyer leads where conversion rates hover in the low single digits. You’re literally calling people who have already demonstrated they want to sell.
Chris Peters from Fresno, California, discovered the value of switching to seller leads after just one week with REDX:
“I have been using REDX for one week and already have my first listing appointment from an expired call, and multiple sellers interested in what I have to say. Most of the people I talk to had a bad experience with another agent. Music to my ears.”
Why REDX Seller Leads Outperform Buyer Lead Sources
REDX agents generate three times more listings than agents who don’t use the platform. The reason isn’t complicated: they’re calling people who actually want to sell instead of hoping random prospects might be interested someday.
REDX provides direct access to expired listings and FSBOs in your market, complete with contact information and property details.
Instead of driving around neighborhoods looking for signs, you’re making targeted calls to homeowners who are actively trying to sell.
Tristan Ahumada, CEO of Lab Coat Agents, puts it simply:
“When it comes to getting business quickly in real estate, you have to reach out to the people that are ready right now. This is why I love REDX. It gives us the best information we can get so that we can call and list even in crazy markets.”
Smart Lead Strategy: Moving Beyond Buyer Lead Dependence
The most successful agents understand that buyer vs seller leads is really about building a sustainable business model.
Instead of spending $500 monthly on online buyer leads that require constant nurturing, top producers invest in REDX seller leads that convert quickly.
Here’s the strategic shift: Stop chasing people who might be interested in buying and start calling people who are actively trying to sell. REDX provides daily updates on:
- Expired listings in your market (43% conversion rate)
- FSBO properties with seller contact information (38% conversion rate)
- Pre-foreclosure leads for distressed homeowners (15% conversion rate)
- FRBO rentals from landlords ready to sell (8% conversion rate)
Chris Peters from Fresno discovered this difference immediately:
“I have been using REDX for one week and already have my first listing appointment from an expired call, and multiple sellers interested in what I have to say. Most of the people I talk to had a bad experience with another agent.”
Best Seller Leads Prospecting Calendar
Monday through Wednesday: Target expired listings and FSBOs through REDX. Make calls, book appointments, convert motivated sellers.
Thursday and Friday: Service existing clients, handle transactions, plan next week’s activities.
Weekends: Personal time, family time, recharge time.
If you missed it, this calendar recommendation comes from our proven guide on preventing burnout in real estate.
Lora Hamilton, though not a real estate agent herself, could see the difference in her boyfriend Richards time savings.
“I love that your solutions allow my boyfriend, a realtor, to spend less time marketing to his potential clients, your software solution is a time saver.”
And if you’re not in the real estate game to make money on our own schedule… What are you doing?
Buyers VS Seller Leads: Why REDX Seller Leads Always Win
The choice isn’t complicated. You can continue spending 29 hours per buyer deal, earning $320 per hour, and hoping your next client doesn’t call during family dinner. Or you can focus on listing-generating activities that pay $1,456 per hour and give you control over your schedule.
REDX provides the data and tools to make this transition immediate:
- Expired listings in your market updated daily
- FSBO properties with seller contact information
- Essential Marketing tools to reach motivated sellers through calling, direct mail, and social media
- Compliance features to ensure your outreach avoids those on the DNC list
The opportunity cost of continuing to chase buyers while ignoring motivated sellers is massive.
Every hour you spend showing homes to undecided buyers is an hour you could have spent talking to someone who’s already committed to selling.
Your time has value. Your expertise has value. The question is whether you’re going to sell it to people who are ready to buy that value, or keep giving it away to people who might be interested someday.
REDX seller agents don’t just get more listings—they get their lives back.
If you’re ready to get your life back and get out of the grind of working with buyers listings, visit redx.com to learn more about why REDX agents get 3x more listings than the average agent.
