Write down why the current channel is not working
“Bad leads” is too broad to guide a decision. Separate wrong territory, unsuitable properties, invalid contact details, weak interest, price, and follow-up capacity. Review a sample of records and the actions your team took. A source mismatch and an unworked inbox need different fixes.
Use the lead quality checklist to create consistent categories. Track whether a lead met the product’s definition when delivered, as well as whether your agency eventually quoted or wrote it. A qualified inquiry can be valid without becoming a sale.
Confirm the notice period and the cost of leaving
Before changing an account, review the order you signed. Check cancellation notice, prepaid balance rules, credits awaiting review, outstanding invoices, and any subsidy or introductory offer conditions. Get unclear terms confirmed in writing. Pausing delivery and cancelling an account may have different effects.
If you are comparing EverQuote alternatives or QuoteWizard alternatives, our provider pages link the public terms we reviewed. Your selected product and agreement remain the facts to verify before acting.
Homefield is month-to-month and requires 30 days’ written cancellation notice. Qualified leads delivered during that notice period remain billable. The terms and refund policy explain those details.
Start the new channel with an explicit trial plan
Choose a single insurance line, a workable territory, and a lead cap. Assign a producer and a backup. Define the maximum trial spend, how quickly new conversations should be reviewed during working hours, and the date you will assess the first mature group of leads.
Allow for preparation. Homefield typically takes about 21 days to first qualified leads after setup and approval; it is not an instant replacement for a channel already delivering inquiries. If you overlap providers, cap the combined workload as well as the combined spend.
- Problem to solve: the specific issue with the current channel.
- Audience: insurance line, territory, property criteria, and carrier fit.
- Budget: lead cap, lead rates, setup costs, and total approved spend.
- Owner: who responds, quotes, updates the record, and handles coverage questions.
- Decision: the reporting date and the outcomes that would justify keeping the channel.
Keep each source visible through the quote process
Do not overwrite the original source when a lead moves into your CRM. Keep delivery date, product type, producer, quoted household, policy outcome, and any credit together. If the same household appears through two sources, record the overlap and apply a consistent attribution rule instead of claiming the sale twice.
For email leads, retain the original reply thread so a new producer can understand the request. Homefield keeps the agent copied and provides dashboard reply management. Your agency still needs to record the quote and policy outcome in its own system.
Review the insurance lead tracking guide before launch so everyone uses the same definitions from day one.
Compare mature groups of leads
Choose a consistent period after delivery for evaluating outcomes. Keep a separate “still in progress” count for homeowners who need more time. A premature comparison can favor whichever group simply had longer to convert.
Calculate net lead spend divided by written policies, and also show setup and follow-up costs separately. If no policies have been written, report zero policies and the spend so far; do not show a zero-dollar acquisition cost. If the sample is small, treat the result as an early signal rather than proof of a stable rate.
Make the transition deliberate
Keep a new source when it fits your carrier appetite, your team can work it, and its measured economics support your goals. Reduce or stop it when the evidence does not support continuing. If the workflow is the problem, fix ownership and response steps before blaming the provider.
After any cancellation, reconcile outstanding credits and invoices, preserve lead records you are entitled to retain, and continue handling existing customer conversations appropriately. A source change should not leave a homeowner’s requested quote without an owner.