Motivated seller leads: what they are and how to buy them

What is a motivated seller lead?

It is the contact and the story of a homeowner who wants to sell and has a reason to act soon. The owner raised a hand. You did not have to find them in a list or knock on a door.

Buyers use the words motivated seller for many things. Some mean an owner who is behind on the mortgage. Others mean a tired landlord, an heir with a house they do not want, or a family that must move fast.

What they share is a reason and a clock. A lead is only useful if you can see both. That is why a good lead shows why the owner is selling and how soon, not just a name and a phone number.

A lead is also not a deal. It is a conversation that starts warm. You still have to call, look at the house, and agree on a price that works for both sides.

How can I tell a real motivated seller from someone who is just curious?

Look at the facts, not the label. A real motivated seller has a short timeline, a clear reason, and room in the price. A curious owner has none of those and is often just checking what the house is worth.

These are the signs we weigh on every lead. They are the same ones that decide the grade:

• How soon the owner wants to sell. Within about 30 days is the strongest.
• Why they sell. Foreclosure, money trouble, divorce, an inherited home and a tired landlord are hard reasons. Moving or downsizing is softer. A health or medical reason adds no points.
• Behind on mortgage payments. This adds points on top of the reason.
• Room to make an offer. An owner with no mortgage can say yes at more prices.
• The house. A vacant home or one that needs big repairs often fits an investor.
• Not listed with an agent. A listed home is harder to buy before it sells.
• An asking price between 50% and 85% of the home's value, when we know both.

An owner who says they are only checking the value, or who has no timeline, is graded C. That rule keeps curious owners from looking like hot leads. The one exception is price: when we know both the asking price and the value, and the ask is between 50% and 85% of the value, the lead is A+.

How does DrivenSellers grade a motivated seller lead?

Every lead gets a score from 0 to 100 and a grade from A+ to C. A+ starts at 80 points. The grade shows how likely the seller is to close soon. It does not promise a sale.

The score is built from five parts. How soon they want to sell can add up to 40 points. Why they sell can add up to 30. Room to make an offer can add up to 10, and the fit of the house up to 15. Not being listed with an agent adds up to 5.

A missing answer adds nothing and never takes points away. A seller who wants to sell within about 30 days earns 40 points on timing alone. A seller who says 6 months earns 5. A home listed with an agent is a B at most, unless the asking price is between 50% and 85% of the value, which makes it A+.

How much does a motivated seller lead cost?

The price is fixed by grade: $99 for C, $169 for B, $249 for A and $349 for A+. You see it on the card before you buy, and you pay it from your wallet. You do not need a plan.

There is no bidding on the feed, and a plan does not change the price of a lead. Every lead has one price, and it is the same for every buyer.

A fair way to judge the price is to count what a lead is worth to you. If you close one deal in ten leads and a deal earns you thousands of dollars, the price of a lead is a small part of that. If you close one in fifty, buy fewer, better graded leads. Your numbers are your own, and a result is never promised.

You can look before you pay. Make a free account and open the cards. You only add funds when you pick a lead.

What do I see before I buy a lead, and what unlocks after?

Before you buy you see the grade, the price, the area and the facts we checked: why they sell, how soon, occupancy, repairs, listing status and equity. The seller's name, phone and exact address unlock when you buy.

The card is built so you can decide without the contact details. If the facts do not fit your buy box, you skip it and lose nothing.

Once you buy, the lead is yours alone. No other buyer can get it. It moves into MyCRM, where you track each seller from the first call to a signed contract.

Want to know more about what exclusive means? Read exclusive seller leads: what you get.

How should I contact a motivated seller?

Call soon, say who you are, and say why you are calling. Ask about their plans before you talk price. Follow the calling and texting laws, and stop at once if the owner asks you to.

• Call the best grades first. Speed matters on a fresh lead.
• Be honest. Say you are a buyer and that you saw the owner wanted to sell.
• Ask two or three open questions: why now, how soon, what would make this easy.
• Write down every call in MyCRM and set a follow-up date.
• If the owner says no or asks you to stop, mark the lead and stop.

Rules on calls, texts and recordings differ by state. They are your job to follow, not ours.

What if a motivated seller lead is not as described?

Every exclusive lead is guaranteed for 5 days: a 5-day refund window if it is not as described. You can ask once per lead. When a lead is not as described, the price goes back to your wallet.

Open MyCRM, find the lead, and choose Request refund. You can also write to us from the Support page. A refunded lead cannot be bought again.

The full wording is in the refund policy and in the terms.