The short answer
Exclusive solar leads are sold to one installer and typically cost $90 to $200. Shared leads go to three or four installers at $30 to $110. Exclusive usually wins on cost per closed job, but only for companies whose response time is slower than five minutes. Fast responders can make shared leads work profitably.
- 01Shared leads reward speed. If you answer first, the discount is real.
- 02Exclusive leads reward process. They forgive a slower response but not weak follow-up.
- 03Compare on cost per closed job, which flips the ranking roughly half the time.
- 04Exclusivity is only worth paying for if it is written down with a defined window.
This choice gets argued as a matter of principle when it is really a matter of arithmetic, and the arithmetic turns on one number you already have: how fast your team responds.
What is an exclusive solar lead, and what is a shared one?
| Shared | Exclusive | |
|---|---|---|
| Sold to | 3 to 4 installers, usually at once | One installer |
| Typical price | $30 to $110 | $90 to $200 |
| Contact rate | Lower, the homeowner is fielding calls | Higher |
| What wins it | Speed | Process |
| Biggest risk | You are the third caller | Paying a premium for a bad lead |
The maths that decides it
Two installers buy the same volume. One responds in three minutes, the other in ninety.
| Fast responder, shared | Slow responder, shared | Slow responder, exclusive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per lead | $55 | $55 | $150 |
| Contact rate | 62% | 28% | 48% |
| Appointment sat rate | 22% | 9% | 19% |
| Cost per sat appointment | $250 | $611 | $789 |
| Close rate | 28% | 22% | 30% |
| Cost per closed job | $893 | $2,778 | $2,632 |
The fast responder on cheap shared leads beats both of the slow responder's options by a wide margin. The slow responder is better off on exclusive, but is still paying nearly three times what the fast responder pays. Speed is worth more than exclusivity, and it is free.
How do you verify a lead is really exclusive?
- 01Get the exclusivity clause in the contract, not on the call. Vague language on a sales call is not a commitment.
- 02Ask for the resale window. Some vendors resell after 30, 60 or 90 days. That may be fine, but you should know.
- 03Ask whether the lead is exclusive to you or exclusive per campaign. The second means a sister brand can buy it.
- 04Run a controlled submission through a number you control and count how many installers ring it.
- 05Check whether the same lead appears under a second vendor's feed. Duplicates across vendors are common.
When shared is the right call
- You have automated instant response, so being first is the default rather than luck.
- You are testing a new territory and want volume cheaply before committing.
- Your sales process is strong enough that being one of four quotes does not scare you.
When exclusive is the right call
- Your team responds in hours and you cannot change that quickly.
- Your close rate is high but your contact rate is low, which means the leads you reach convert well.
- You sell a premium product where being compared on price against three others actively hurts you.
- Your market is small enough that three installers calling the same homeowner damages your local reputation.
Can you run both at once?
Most installers who buy leads at any scale end up running both, and that is a reasonable place to land. The mistake is running them through the same process and then comparing the results, because the two lead types need different handling from the first minute.
- 01Route shared leads to whoever can dial immediately. They are a race, and a queue is the enemy. If nobody is free, an automated text goes first and the call follows.
- 02Route exclusive leads to your better closers. You paid a premium for the right to a longer, calmer conversation, so use it.
- 03Score them separately. Blending the two into one cost per lead hides which is working. Keep two lines on the report, always.
- 04Set different follow-up lengths. Shared leads decay fast because three other installers are working them. Exclusive leads justify a longer sequence.
- 05Review monthly, not weekly. Solar volumes are small enough that a bad fortnight looks like a trend and is not.
One more thing worth saying plainly: neither type fixes a pipeline on its own. Bought leads of either kind are rented demand, and the month you stop paying they stop arriving. Build the owned channels underneath them, which is what how to get more solar leads is about.
Either way, this is what stops you paying for bad ones twice
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Common questions
- Are exclusive solar leads worth the extra cost?
- For companies with slow response times, yes, usually. For companies that respond within minutes, often not: the speed advantage on shared leads is worth more than the exclusivity premium. Run the cost per closed job on both before committing.
- How many installers get a shared solar lead?
- Typically three or four, sometimes more. Ask the vendor for the exact cap and get it in writing. A vendor unwilling to state a cap is selling to as many buyers as it can find.
- Can I negotiate solar lead prices?
- Yes, particularly on volume and on commitment length. The more useful negotiation is on terms: return windows, exclusivity, and access to the data you need to calculate cost per sat appointment.
