Are They Taking Your Money with Empty Promises??

My True Story - Market Leader was THE WORST. Beware!!!

My name is Eileen Schreiber. I am a real estate agent in Flagstaff, Arizona.  I am the creator and owner of a customized website that has made me a top 5 Buyers Agent in Flagstaff for the past 3 years. (http://www.TheFlagstaffWebsite.com).  I am very adept at internet marketing.

Last year (2011)  I decided to try to break into the Sedona, Arizona market. After doing a bit of research, I thought I would try Market Leader.

As a savvy web-based agent, I read through the lines of the sales pitch. Market Leader offers "leads" - that means that people need to register on my site with valid email addresses and phone numbers in order for me, the agent, to contact them.

I was told that for the Sedona Market, Market Leader GUARANTEES 10 QUALIFIED LEADS PER MONTH FOR $479.00.  That is a a lot of money!! And I had to commit to a six month contract. There are no trial periods.

They also offered me a trial period for the Market Leader Follow Up (call) Service. As soon as someone registers on my site, a professional from Market Leader calls them to follow up.  This is how to convert leads, they said.

With an "I know better than this" feeling in my stomach, I committed.

HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE

• I immediately registered on my own site as a client to check the level of service.

  A day later, I received a call from a bored sounding flatline female voice: "Hi, this is xxxxx, You were on my site yesterday I'm following up".

I almost had a heart attack. THAT is how they follow up??? With a bored, flatlined female phonemonkey call who didn't even identify the name of  my website, my market, or sound like an interested human being?

I immediately contacted Market Leader and demanded that NOBODY, EVER follow up with any potential client again. I would do that, thank you.

• Almost every lead had either no phone number or an invalid phone number. I swear.
• Almost every "lead" said they were "just looking". Any contact I initiated with the leads resulted in the following: ZERO. And remember, I am a web-based agent. I know how to follow up and I know how to convert.

• All my leads were delivered on, or around the same day. It was like they let them pool, then parceled them out to agents. I don't know that for a fact, but it was VERY wierd.

After three months of NOTHING but FRUSTRATION, zero true buyers, and lots of wasted time, I realized that I was wasting a lot of money on nothing.

• Be advised!!! Market Leader does not let you cancel for dissatisfaction!!!!!!  I expressed my extreme and utmost dissatisfaction in emails and phonecalls. I was told I could reduce my services to the $150/month "search function" for the duration of my contract. I did that. 

• Beware!!!!  Market Leader does not stop services at the time you originally contracted to end your services!!!!!!  I believed that my contract would simply end at 6 months. NO. They charged me for two additional months.When I called and emailed to protest this with all of the vigor I could muster, my account exec told me:

"Jack Markham, the Sales Manager received your emails and  passed them to me.  He said specifically not to issue you a credit."

BEWARE!!!!  DO YOUR HOMEWORK.  Call other agents who have used Market Leader in areas just like yours.  Do not use a big city agent as an example if you are in a small town.  Ask important questions to people who use the service! Make sure you are aware that your "leads" are just that - email addresses.

BEWARE!!  No matter how dissatisfied you are, you can not cancel.  Be prepared to spend money for six months.

BEWARE!! Even if you have a six month contract, make sure you cancel. Otherwise they will continue to charge you.

Based on this experience, I would never recommend Market Leader as a viable service.

Also see this at http://bewaremarketleader.wordpress.com

Eileen Schreiber offers property searches for homes, condos and land in the Sedona real estate and Flagstaff Arizona housing market. With custom searches in school districts, by design or style of homes and specific community searches, Eileen offers the most detailed real estate website for both Sedona and Flagstaff Arizona. Contact Eileen anytime: realestateflagstaff@gmail.com or homesinsedona@gmail.com or
simply call: 928-607-6910