The Next-Gen Brand Lab
Definitions
What counts as a qualified lead, in writing
Last updated 2026-09-19 · 6 min read
A lead definition should be agreed before delivery begins. Without testable criteria, a buyer and an agency can count different things under the same label. This guide explains the criteria QDnCo uses and how to record acceptance or rejection.
The five-point definition
A qualified lead meets all five conditions: contactable, budget-matched, timeline under six months, inside the catchment, and not a duplicate. Any lead failing one of them is replaced free, flagged within seven days. Contactable means the number connects and the person acknowledges the enquiry, which removes the largest single category of junk in Indian real estate leads. Budget-matched means the stated budget overlaps the price band: a ₹60 lakh buyer is not a lead for a ₹3 crore flat. Under six months matters because intent decays; a buyer for “sometime next year” belongs in nurture. In catchment means inside the geography the project can realistically serve, and not a duplicate means the person is not already in the CRM from an earlier campaign. On a premium North Bangalore project, 51% of leads cleared all five.
Taken one at a time, and why each is there:
- Contactable. The number connects and the person acknowledges the enquiry. This single condition removes the largest category of junk in Indian real estate lead generation.
- Budget-matched. The stated budget overlaps the project's price band. A genuinely interested buyer for a ₹60 lakh flat is not a lead for a ₹3 crore one.
- Timeline under six months. Intent decays. Someone buying "sometime next year" is a nurture contact, not a lead the sales team should be spending calls on this month.
- In catchment. Inside the geography the project can realistically serve, however you define it — commute, corridor, or the buyer profile you are actually chasing.
- Not a duplicate. Already in the CRM from a previous campaign means you are being billed twice for the same person.
What counts as evidence
A definition nobody can adjudicate is not a definition. Three things make it real:
- Call recordings. Whether the lead was contactable and what they said about budget and timeline is a matter of record, not opinion.
- CRM status. The shared artefact both sides look at. Disputes get resolved against the record rather than against memory.
- A seven-day window. Long enough for the sales team to work the lead, short enough that the record is still fresh. After that the lead is deemed accepted.
The replacement guarantee matters more than the definition does. A definition with no consequence is marketing copy. A definition where a failing lead is replaced free puts the cost of a bad lead on the party who chose the targeting — which is the only place it can sit if the incentives are going to point the same way.
What qualification is not
Three things that get sold as qualification and are not:
- A form with more fields. Friction reduces volume; it does not verify anything. A buyer can type any budget into a dropdown.
- A lead score. An opaque number produced by a model you cannot inspect is not a definition, it is a proxy for one. Ask what the score is made of; if the answer is vague, it is decoration.
- "We only send you good leads." Without conditions and a consequence, this is a promise to try.
Questions developers ask
What is the difference between a lead and a qualified lead?
A lead is a form fill. A qualified lead meets a written definition — in our case all five of: contactable, budget-matched, timeline under six months, inside the catchment, and not a duplicate. The distinction matters commercially, because the sales team can only work the second kind and you should only be paying for the second kind.
What happens if a lead does not meet the definition?
It is replaced free, provided it is flagged within seven days. Call recordings and CRM status are the shared evidence, so the question is settled against the record rather than argued. Seven days is long enough for the sales team to have worked the lead and short enough that the record is still current.
How do you verify a lead is contactable?
The number connects and the person acknowledges the enquiry, evidenced by the call recording. This one condition removes the largest single category of junk in Indian real estate lead generation, which is why it is first on the list rather than buried.
Can an agency guarantee sales-ready leads?
An agency can guarantee a definition and a replacement, which is a commitment it controls. It cannot guarantee a sales outcome, which depends on price, product, inventory, the sales team's response time and the market. Any agency guaranteeing bookings is either pricing that risk into the fee or does not intend to honour it.
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