Routing turns a pile of new inquiries into one owner per lead, right away. Without it, leads wait while the team works out
How does lead routing work?
A routing rule looks at a new lead and decides where it goes. Most rules start with the lead source: website leads one way, portal leads another, open house sign-ins to whoever hosted. Some teams also route by area, price range or whether the lead wants to buy,
Rules run in order, and the first one that matches wins. A good setup always ends with a rule that catches everything else, so no lead is left
What are the main ways to route leads?
Direct assignment sends every lead from a source to one person, such as the agent who handles relocation. Round robin hands leads to each agent in turn, so the volume is shared evenly. A pond holds leads in a shared list, and the first teammate to claim
Many teams combine them. New leads go out by rotation, and any lead an agent doesn’t contact within a set time goes back to the pond
Some teams put an inside sales agent first in line. The ISA makes the first contact and qualifies the lead, then passes it to an agent with
Why does routing speed matter?
Every minute a lead spends unassigned is a minute nobody is calling. Routing should happen the moment the lead arrives, with an alert to the new owner, so speed to lead is measured from the inquiry and not from when
Accountability matters as much as speed. When each lead has one named owner, a team lead can see who replied, who didn’t and which
How do you set fair routing rules for a team?
Write the rules down before you build them. Agree on who is in each rotation, how long an agent has to make first contact, and what happens to leads when someone is on vacation or leaves the team. Decide, too, which leads stay with the team when an
Remember what the routed agent needs before working with a buyer. Under the practice changes from the NAR settlement, an MLS participant working with a buyer needs a written agreement before touring a home, so build that step
Review the results every month or two. If one agent converts website leads far better than the rest, a dedicated rule may serve those clients better
Routing rules for a four-agent team
| Rule 1: open house sign-ins | To the agent who hosted the open house |
|---|---|
| Rule 2: relocation referrals | To the team’s relocation specialist |
| Rule 3: website and portal leads | Round robin: Ana, Ben, Cruz, Dee, then Ana again |
| Rule 4: everything else | Into the team pond, first to claim |
| No first contact in 30 minutes | Back to the pond, and the team lead is told |
Rules run top to bottom and the first match wins, so the
Common mistakes
- Having no catch-all rule, so leads from a new source
land with nobody. - Rotating leads to agents who are off for the day
or on vacation. - Letting agents sit on leads they never contact. Set a time limit before a lead goes back
to the pond. - Changing the rules without telling the team, then arguing over who
owns a lead.
Questions
What’s the difference between round robin and a pond?
Round robin assigns each lead to the next agent in line, so everyone gets an equal share. A pond leaves leads unassigned until a teammate claims one, which rewards
Do solo agents need lead routing?
Not much. If every lead comes to you, routing is simple. It starts to matter once you add a buyer’s agent, an ISA
Who owns a lead when an agent leaves the team?
That depends on the team agreement and the brokerage’s policy. Write it down before the first lead is routed, especially for website and portal leads the
Sources
- NAR, Settlement FAQs (written buyer agreements)
- Harvard Business Review, “The Short Life of Online Sales Leads” (2011)
Written and checked by the Broker & Agent team on October 2, 2026. General information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Something out of date? Tell us.