Guide · Marketing and sales
What is a qualified lead: how marketing and sales agree and stop fighting
Sales says the leads are bad. Marketing says sales doesn't call back. The argument can go on for months, because each side is right according to its own data. It doesn't get solved by a new agency or a new sales manager, but by one definition of a qualified lead signed by both teams, and shared numbers once a week.
Why marketing and sales are at war
«The leads are junk: numbers don't answer, nobody has a down payment, and half don't even remember filling out a form.»
«There are plenty of leads and they're cheap. Sales calls the next day, tries once, and marks them „not interested“.»
Usually both are right. Marketing reports inquiries and cost per inquiry (CPL), so the ads learn to bring in more cheap inquiries. Sales judges a lead by the first conversation, but doesn't record how many attempts were made or why the lead dropped. Each team has its own numbers; there are no shared ones.
Until there's a single definition of a qualified lead, the argument never ends. The owner only sees the outcome: the budget is spent, sales are low, and nobody can be held accountable.
One definition of a qualified lead
A developer's qualified lead is a person who, in a conversation with a sales rep, confirmed four things themselves:
- A budget that fits the project's product.
- A purchase timeline: when they're ready to reserve.
- Location and product: the area and the unit type work for them.
- Payment method: whether they have the down payment and how they'll cover the balance (own funds, bank, Infonavit).
Two conditions matter. Qualification is confirmed in a conversation, not by answers in an ad form: a form gives you an MQL, not a qualified lead. And the sales rep records each point in its own CRM field, not in a comment. That way marketing can count qualified leads per campaign.
How strict the criteria are depends on the sales team
Here's the non-obvious part: the right qualification bar isn't the same for everyone. It depends on how many leads the sales team can handle well.
| Situation | Criteria | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Few sales reps, more leads than they can handle | Stricter: all four points plus willingness to meet this week | A qualified lead costs more, but reps spend their time on people who will buy. Lead-to-sale conversion goes up |
| Enough sales reps, not enough leads | Looser: for example, budget and payment method confirmed, timeline up to six months | Leads cost less, and «future buyers» get in too; they're worked with a follow-up plan |
If the bar is too loose for a small team, reps drown in leads and respond slowly. If it's too strict for a large team, ads don't deliver enough leads and reps sit idle. Revisit the criteria whenever the number of reps or the ad budget changes.
Disqualification reasons: whose responsibility is it
The most useful document for peace between teams: a single list of reasons a lead didn't qualify. The sales rep picks a reason from the list instead of typing «not interested». Each reason makes it clear who fixes it.
| Disqualification reason | Whose it is | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong number, never submitted a form | Marketing | Check the source and the form, filter out fraud and accidental clicks |
| Budget below the project's price | Marketing | «From» price and down payment in the ad, targeting |
| Wrong area or product | Marketing | Make the creative and landing page show the location and unit types honestly |
| Doesn't answer | Sales, then marketing | Only after the full follow-up plan: 7+ attempts across channels and times. Until then, it's a sales issue |
| No down payment, needs financing | Sales | Offer a payment plan or guide them through loan approval |
| Bought at another project | Sales and product | Review at which step, and why, they chose the competitor |
| Just looking, buying in a year or later | Sales | Not a rejection: move them to nurturing with a follow-up plan |
Remove statuses like «In progress», «Info sent» and «Thinking about it» from the CRM: they don't tell you whether a conversation happened or what the person said. More in the real estate sales funnel guide.
The marketing and sales agreement on one page
Write the rules into a short document signed by the heads of both teams. Each team is accountable for its part of the lead's journey.
| Marketing commits to | Sales commits to |
|---|---|
| Reporting qualified leads and CPQL, not inquiries | Replying to a new inquiry within minutes |
| Sending the lead to the CRM instantly, with source and campaign | Completing the follow-up plan before marking «doesn't answer» |
| Turning off campaigns that bring inquiries without qualified leads | Filling in qualification fields and the disqualification reason the same day |
| Sending CRM statuses back to the ad platforms | Not backdating status changes |
Marketing's last point deserves attention on its own. When a «qualified» or «showed up to the meeting» event flows from the CRM back to Meta and Google, the algorithm looks for similar people, not anyone who leaves a phone number. Without it, ads keep bringing exactly the people sales calls junk.
The weekly meeting: 30 minutes on the numbers
Once a week, the heads of marketing and sales look at the same CRM numbers. Always in the same order:
- Leads by source and campaign, share of qualified leads, and CPQL.
- Speed to lead and the share of leads who had a conversation.
- Disqualification reasons: which ones grew this week, and whose they are.
- Meetings and reservations by source.
- Two or three recorded calls with leads that sales labeled as bad.
That last point settles most arguments. Sometimes the recording shows the lead was good and the sales rep never asked about the payment method. Sometimes it shows the person really didn't submit a form. Decisions are made on facts, not on who talks loudest.
Frequently asked questions
What is a qualified lead in real estate?
A person who, in a conversation with a sales rep, confirmed their budget, purchase timeline, a suitable area and product, and their payment method. Answers in a form don't count as qualification: that's an MQL.
Why does sales say the leads are bad?
Most often because marketing and sales don't share a definition of a qualified lead or a list of disqualification reasons. Marketing reports inquiries, sales judges by the first conversation, and each is right according to its own data.
How do marketing and sales agree on lead quality?
By writing one definition of a qualified lead, a shared list of disqualification reasons with an owner for each, and each team's commitments, then reviewing the CRM numbers together every week along with a few call recordings.
How strict should qualification criteria be?
It depends on the sales team. With few reps and many leads, criteria are stricter: leads cost more, but lead-to-sale conversion goes up. With enough reps and too few leads, criteria are looser, and «future buyers» are worked with a follow-up plan.