The Next-Gen Brand Lab
Channel partners & brokers
Real estate lead generation for channel partners and brokers in India
Last updated 2026-09-26 · 6 min read
A channel partner earns on bookings, not on enquiries, so the only lead that matters is one that can book. This hub collects our working guides for brokers and channel partners: where leads come from, what they really cost, and how to follow them up before another broker does.
The short answer
Run your own lead engine beside the portals: Meta and Google ads from your own account, a landing page or instant form that filters on budget and timeline, a reply on WhatsApp within minutes, and a CRM that records which source books. Portals are useful but shared; leads from your own account are yours alone. Judge every source on cost per booking against your commission, not on cost per lead.
The five lead sources, and what each is for
| Source | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Portals (99acres, MagicBricks, Housing.com) | Buyers already searching listings; resale and rentals | The same buyer enquires with many brokers; speed decides who wins |
| Meta (Facebook, Instagram) from your account | New launches, payment offers, reaching buyers before they search | Instant forms fill cheaply unless they ask budget and timeline |
| Google Search from your account | People searching a project, locality or builder by name | Broad terms like "flats in Bangalore" spend fast on researchers |
| WhatsApp and your own database | Past enquirers, site visitors who did not book, investors | Bulk messages need consent and the right channel under TRAI and Meta rules |
| Referrals and local visibility | Highest trust; Google Business Profile reviews bring map searches | Slow to build; needs a system to ask every happy buyer |
The guides
- How to get real estate leads without portals — Own-account ads, WhatsApp, referrals, Google Business Profile and your database.
- Facebook and Instagram ads for real estate agents in India — Account setup, forms that filter, budget and what to test first.
- Google Ads for real estate brokers — Keywords that buy, keywords that waste, and RERA on the landing page.
- What a qualified lead costs a broker — The arithmetic from cost per lead to cost per booking, against your commission.
- WhatsApp follow-up for real estate leads — Speed to lead, the 24-hour window and the rules on bulk messages.
The rules that apply to every source
- RERA registration. An agent facilitating sales in a registered project must hold a state RERA agent registration and must not facilitate sales in unregistered projects (MahaRERA — guidance for real estate agents).
- Project RERA number on the ad. The project's registration number must appear on its advertising. Maharashtra goes further: since 1 August 2023 MahaRERA requires a QR code with the registration number on project ads (The Realty Today — MahaRERA makes QR code and registration number mandatory in ads). See RERA-compliant advertising.
- Bulk SMS and promotional calls. Commercial SMS must run through a DLT-registered header and template under TRAI's regulations, and unsolicited commercial calls are restricted (TRAI — Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations).
Who we are, and what we do for brokers
QD & Co. runs research, creative testing and lead generation for developers and channel partners. We build campaigns in your own ad account and hand leads to your team; your team handles site visits, negotiation and closing. Our own recent figures, published on our homepage: cost per form lead of ₹395–₹876 across four Bengaluru and Mysore campaigns between 24 August and 22 September 2026. These are form leads, not qualified leads or sales, and each covers one campaign only.
Questions channel partners ask
How do channel partners get real estate leads in India?
From five places: property portals, their own Meta and Google ads, WhatsApp and their existing contact database, referrals from past buyers, and local visibility such as a Google Business Profile. Portals are the fastest to start but the most shared. Own-account ads and a worked database give leads that are yours alone, and they compound.
Do channel partners need RERA registration to advertise?
An agent facilitating sales in a RERA-registered project must register with the state RERA authority and quote that registration number, and must not facilitate sales in unregistered projects. The project's own RERA number must appear on its advertisements. Check your state authority's rules before a campaign runs.
What is a good cost per lead for a real estate broker?
There is no single number. Ticket size, city, project and how strictly you define a lead all move it. Judge a source on cost per qualified lead and cost per booking against the commission you earn, not on cost per form fill. Our cost guide shows the arithmetic.
Should a broker buy leads or generate them?
Bought leads are usually shared with other brokers and you cannot see how they were generated. Leads from your own ad account are exclusive, and the account keeps learning. Most brokers who scale do both at first, then shift budget to what their CRM shows actually books.
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