Blog / Paid leads

Getting more from Zillow and other paid leads

Zillow connections average $139 to $223 each, and Zillow calls the next agent if you miss one. How to answer, follow up and track paid leads so more close.

By AetherFL Team. September 28, 2026. 5 min read.

The short version

Zillow Premier Agent connections average $223 in major metros and $139 elsewhere.
Zillow calls agents in turn until one picks up, so answer its calls on your own phone.
Zillow Preferred takes a success fee of 15% to 40% of your commission when a lead closes.
Fast replies, a set follow-up schedule and source tracking decide what paid leads are worth to you.

Most Realtors don't buy leads at all. In 2025, 31% got at least some business from paid third-party lead generation, and the median Realtor spent $0 on it.

If you're in that 31%, every lead has a price tag. This post covers how Zillow's programs work, what they cost and the habits that turn more paid leads into closings.

How Zillow leads reach you

Zillow Premier Agent sells advertising by ZIP code. Your share of voice, your share of the ad spend in a ZIP code, sets how many leads you get there.

Zillow sends 3 kinds of leads. Direct contacts picked you, connections are introduced to you live by phone and nurture leads are not ready to talk yet.

Connections get the most attention. When a shopper is ready, Zillow calls Premier Agents in turn until one picks up, then texts that agent the shopper's details.

$223 average cost per Premier Agent connection in major metros (source: Zillow)
$139 average cost per Premier Agent connection in other metros (source: Zillow)
15% to 40% Zillow Preferred success fee, as a share of your gross commission (source: Zillow Help Center)

Answer the connection call yourself

If you miss a connection call, Zillow calls the next agent. Zillow says you only need to answer about half the time to get your fair share, so one miss does not cost you your share.

Answering still pays. Each answered connection is a live conversation with a shopper who asked for an agent a moment ago.

Zillow calls from 206-539-0456, so save that number. Zillow also asks agents to turn off call screening and recorded greetings, which interfere with its automated calls.

For the same reason, keep the number on your Zillow profile on your own phone. Connection calls are meant for a live agent, so an assistant or an answering service should not pick them up.

Follow up in minutes, then for months

Speed matters most at the start. In one study, calling a web lead within 5 minutes instead of 30 made reaching it 100 times more likely.

In real estate, the bar is low. Secret shoppers found that 47% of online property inquiries to US brokerages got no response at all.

Most paid leads aren't ready on day 1, though. Zillow sends nurture leads because not every shopper is ready to talk to an agent, so plan for months of follow-up.

Texts help here. In Zillow's 2025 research, 50% of buyers said they prefer texting or messaging apps when working with agents.

Check consent before any call or text you place. Our TCPA and Florida guide covers the rules, and our speed to lead post covers the research.

Know what a closing costs you

With Premier Agent, you pay up front for connections. With Zillow Preferred, Zillow's pay-at-closing program, you pay a share of your commission when a lead closes.

Zillow's help center says the fee currently ranges from 15% to 40% of your gross commission, depending on the ZIP code and the sale price. It is based on your commission before any splits.

Track every paid lead from first contact to closing, with its source in Follow Up Boss. After a year, you will know your cost per closing for each source, and which ones to keep.

Other paid sources work the same way

Realtor.com, Facebook lead ads and Google ads reward the same habits. Answer fast, follow up on a schedule and track the source.

Costs vary a lot. Real estate Facebook lead ads averaged $13.74 per lead in 2026, while real estate Google search ads averaged $102.51.

A form filled in on Facebook and a phone call from a search ad are different leads. Compare what each source costs per closing, since that is the number you get paid on.

To give each source its own phone number, see how to track which ad makes your phone ring.

Questions to ask before you buy leads

Where do the leads come from? Ask which sites and which ads, and whether the person asked to hear from an agent.
Are they yours alone? A lead sold to 3 agents at once turns into a race you may not win.
How do they arrive? A live phone introduction needs you on your phone, and a form needs a fast call back.
Did they agree to calls and texts? You need that consent before you call or text, and so does anyone who calls for you.
What happens to bad leads? Wrong numbers and renters should come with a credit or a clear policy.
How do you cancel? Check the term, the notice period and any fee for leaving early.

Where Sarah fits

Sarah answers the calls your own marketing brings in. Calls to your campaign numbers ring you first, and she answers the ones you miss, then on Pro and Team logs them in Follow Up Boss. Zillow's connection calls stay on your own phone.

Follow-up on Zillow and Realtor.com leads is (coming soon). Sarah will book the leads who are ready now and keep in touch with the rest. She will only call people who agreed to be called.

To hear Sarah take a call, have her call you. To start your 30-day free pilot on Pro, set up Sarah, or see the plans and prices.

Set up Sarah, hear a live call or see pricing.

Sources

Zillow. Zillow Premier Agent, frequently asked questions. checked September 2026. Average cost per connection.
Zillow. Connecting You to Motivated Leads. January 23, 2025.
Zillow Help Center. How to Calculate Success Fees. checked September 2026.
National Association of Realtors. 2026 Member Profile, Exhibits 2-19 and 3-1. June 2026. 2025 data. PDF copy hosted by bnar.org.
Zillow. Supporting Your Success. January 26, 2025.
InsideSales.com and Dr. James Oldroyd (MIT). Lead Response Management Study. 2007. PDF copy of the executive summary, hosted by onecavo.com.
Mike DelPrete. Secret Shopping: 47% of Online Property Inquiries Are Ignored. August 13, 2024.
Zillow. Zillow report: Online research now shapes how most agent relationships begin (2025 Consumer Housing Trends Report for Agents). December 30, 2025.
WordStream by LocaliQ. Facebook Ads Benchmarks 2026. September 14, 2026. Almost 1,800 Facebook ad campaigns.
LocaliQ. Real Estate Search Advertising Benchmarks 2026. September 14, 2026. 894 US search campaigns on Google Ads and Microsoft Ads, April 2025 to March 2026.