Should I Run My Own Ads or Buy Leads?

An Honest Starting Point

We sell leads, so you'd expect us to argue that buying leads is always the better option. We're not going to do that, because it's not true. For some brokers and advisers, running your own advertising campaigns is genuinely the smarter long-term strategy. For others, buying leads is clearly more practical and cost-effective. And for many, the best approach is a combination of both.

This guide walks through the real costs, time requirements, and trade-offs so you can make an informed decision based on your specific situation.

The Case for Buying Leads

Immediate Results

When you buy leads, you can receive your first enquiry within 24 hours of signing up. There's no setup period, no learning curve, and no waiting for campaigns to optimise. You pay a fixed price per lead, and leads arrive ready for you to call. For brokers who need pipeline now — perhaps you're launching a new firm, replacing a referral source that's dried up, or scaling quickly — bought leads provide immediate flow.

Predictable Costs

With bought leads, you know exactly what each lead costs before you receive it. A mortgage lead at £25 costs £25, regardless of how many other brokers are advertising that week or what happens to ad platform algorithms. This predictability makes budgeting and ROI calculations straightforward. You can calculate your expected ROI before spending a penny.

No Technical Skills Required

Running effective Facebook or Google campaigns requires understanding of ad platforms, audience targeting, creative design, landing page optimisation, pixel tracking, conversion APIs, A/B testing, and data analysis. Buying leads requires a phone and a good follow-up process. The barrier to entry is dramatically lower.

No Upfront Risk

With most lead providers (including us), there are no minimum commitments, contracts, or large upfront investments. You can start with 10 leads, evaluate the quality, and scale based on results. With DIY advertising, you need to invest £1,500-£3,000 in testing before you know whether it's going to work.

The Downsides

You don't own the system. When you stop paying for leads, the flow stops. You have less control over messaging, targeting, and qualification criteria. And per-lead costs can be higher than what a well-optimised campaign would produce.

The Case for Running Your Own Ads

Lower Long-Term Cost Per Lead

A well-optimised Facebook campaign for mortgage leads can produce leads at £8-£18 each — meaningfully cheaper than buying from a provider. Google Ads can produce leads at £15-£40 depending on the keyword competition and your landing page quality. Over time, as you optimise your campaigns, your cost per lead tends to decrease rather than increase.

You Own the Asset

When you build your own lead generation machine — campaigns, landing pages, tracking, creative assets — you own it. You can scale it up, refine it, pause it, and restart it on your terms. If your lead provider closes or changes their pricing, you're not affected. This long-term strategic advantage is significant for firms that plan to grow substantially.

Full Control

You decide the targeting, the messaging, the qualification questions, and the consumer experience. If you want to focus exclusively on first-time buyers in Manchester with deposits over £30,000, you can do exactly that. With bought leads, you work within the provider's existing filtering options.

Brand Building

Running your own ads puts your brand in front of potential clients. Even consumers who don't enquire see your name, your messaging, and your brand identity. Over months and years, this builds awareness and trust in your local market — something that buying leads from a third party doesn't achieve.

The Downsides

It takes time to learn. Expect a 2-4 month learning period where your cost per lead is high and your campaigns underperform. You need to invest 5-10 hours per week in campaign management. You need technical skills or the willingness to develop them. And there's meaningful upfront financial risk — you can easily spend £2,000 during the learning phase before generating profitable leads.

Realistic Cost Comparison

Buying Leads — Monthly Costs

• Lead cost: £10-£100 per lead depending on type and qualification
• Monthly spend for 30 leads: £300-£3,000
• Technology costs: £0-£100 (CRM optional but recommended)
• Time investment: 1-2 hours per day for follow-up only
• Setup time: Minimal — same day

DIY Facebook Ads — Monthly Costs

• Ad spend: £1,000-£2,500 for meaningful volume
• Landing page: £30-£80/month (Unbounce, Leadpages) or £200-£500 one-off for custom build
• CRM/automation: £50-£150/month
• Time investment: 5-10 hours per week for campaign management plus follow-up
• Learning cost: £1,500-£3,000 during the first 2-3 months of suboptimal performance

DIY Google Ads — Monthly Costs

• Ad spend: £1,500-£4,000 (mortgage keywords are expensive, £5-£15 per click)
• Landing page: Same as above
• Time investment: 5-8 hours per week
• Learning cost: Higher than Facebook due to more expensive clicks during the learning period

For a deeper comparison of PPC vs social media advertising, see our PPC vs social media leads guide.

When Buying Leads Makes More Sense

Buying leads is typically the better choice when:

• You need leads now. There's no substitute for immediacy. If your pipeline is empty today, bought leads fill it tomorrow.
• You don't have time to manage campaigns. If your weeks are fully booked with client work, the 5-10 hours needed for campaign management simply doesn't exist.
• You don't have technical interest or aptitude. Not everyone wants to learn Facebook's Ad Manager. If the thought of setting up pixel tracking and conversion APIs makes you switch off, that's completely valid.
• You want low-risk testing. Start with 20-30 bought leads to validate that your follow-up process and conversion approach work before investing in your own lead generation infrastructure.
• You're a sole trader with limited budget. The upfront cost of learning to run ads can be prohibitive if you don't have a financial cushion during the testing period.

When DIY Advertising Makes More Sense

Running your own ads is typically the better choice when:

• You have 5-10 hours per week to dedicate. Campaign management isn't a set-and-forget activity. Consistent time investment is essential.
• You have budget for a 2-3 month testing period. You need £1,500-£3,000 for testing, with the understanding that much of this is learning investment rather than immediately profitable spend.
• You want to build a long-term asset. If you plan to grow your firm significantly over the next 3-5 years, owning your lead generation infrastructure gives you more control and lower marginal costs at scale.
• You enjoy data and optimisation. Running ads well requires an analytical mindset. If you enjoy testing, measuring, and iterating, you'll likely do well.
• You want to build your brand. Your own advertising puts your name in front of thousands of potential clients, building recognition and trust over time.

The Hybrid Approach

Many of our most successful clients use both approaches simultaneously. They buy leads for immediate, consistent pipeline while gradually building their own advertising capability. This offers several advantages:

Reduced risk. Bought leads provide baseline pipeline while you learn to run your own campaigns. If your campaigns underperform in a given week, bought leads fill the gap.

Benchmark data. Comparing your DIY lead costs and conversion rates against bought leads gives you clear data on which channel is more profitable. You might discover that your Facebook ads produce cheaper leads but bought leads convert better — or vice versa.

Diversification. Depending on a single lead source is risky. Combining bought leads with self-generated leads spreads your risk and ensures that changes to one channel don't completely disrupt your pipeline.

If you're considering this approach, start by buying leads to establish a baseline for your follow-up process and conversion rates. Once you're consistently converting bought leads at a healthy ROI, invest in running your own campaigns alongside. Over time, you can shift the balance based on which channel performs better for your specific business.

Our Honest Recommendation

If you're a sole trader or small firm with limited time and no advertising experience, start with bought leads. Focus your energy on perfecting your follow-up process and building conversion skills. These skills will serve you whether you continue buying leads or eventually transition to generating your own.

If you're a growing firm with ambition to scale and the time to invest, consider the hybrid approach. Use bought leads for immediate pipeline while building your advertising capability. You'll have data to compare both channels and can make an informed decision about where to invest more heavily.

If you're already advertising successfully and considering buying leads as well, it's worth testing. Even experienced advertisers sometimes find that a lead provider can deliver leads at a cost and quality that complements their own campaigns — particularly for lead types that are expensive to generate via paid advertising.

Whatever you choose, the most important factor isn't the lead source — it's your follow-up process. The best leads in the world won't convert if you're slow to respond, inconsistent in your follow-up, or unprepared for the first conversation. Focus on speed, conversion technique, and measuring your ROI rigorously.