Why Lead-Buying Sites Are Killing UK Tradespeople (And the Alternative)
If you've felt that lead-buying platforms have stopped working over the last 2–3 years, you're not alone. Lead fees have risen, conversion rates have fallen, and the pros who used to scale on these channels are quietly walking away. Here's what's actually happening — and what to do instead.
What are lead-buying sites and how do they make money?
Lead-buying platforms (Bark, MyBuilder lead-mode, Rated People, similar) work by collecting job posts from homeowners and selling each lead to multiple service providers. Each tradesperson pays per lead — typically £15–£100+ depending on category and job value — for the right to contact the customer.
The platforms make their margin per lead sold, not per job won. So even if no tradesperson wins the work, the platform has been paid 4–8 times for the same lead. This creates a structural misalignment with tradespeople: the platform wants to maximise lead volume (and lead price), the pros want to maximise actual booked jobs.
The unit economics — why the maths usually doesn't work
Let's run the numbers on a typical UK plumber buying leads on a £40-per-lead platform.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Lead fee | £40 |
| Win rate (industry typical) | 1 in 4 leads |
| Lead cost per booked job | £160 |
| Average job value (small/mid) | £300 |
| Materials & van costs | £60 |
| Gross profit per job | £240 |
| Gross profit after lead cost | £80 |
| Hourly equivalent (3hr job) | ~£27/hour |
An experienced UK plumber should be earning £45–£80/hour. After lead fees, the same plumber on £40-per-lead platform earns £27/hour. Many of these jobs are net loss-makers once you factor in unbillable estimating, travel and admin time.
Shared leads vs exclusive leads
Shared leads (the majority of UK lead platforms): the same lead is sold to 4–8 pros simultaneously. You're racing to call the homeowner first; conversion rates are 10–25%.
Exclusive leads (premium tier on some platforms): the lead goes to one pro at a time, with higher fees (£60–£200+). Conversion rates are higher (40–60%) but per-job cost is similar to shared because the fee scales with exclusivity.
Both models have the same fundamental problem: you pay before you know whether the lead is real, the customer is serious, or you'll win the work.
Why lead-buying has got worse since 2022
- Lead fees up 30–60% since 2022. Platforms have raised prices to maintain growth.
- More pros bidding per lead. Same lead now sold to 6–10 pros vs 3–5 a few years ago. Win rates fall correspondingly.
- Customers expect more pros to chase. Conditioned by the platform UX, customers often post jobs without serious intent — testing the market, not actually ready to hire.
- Generic forms produce vague leads. Homeowners click through 3 questions and submit. Pros end up bidding blind, with no real scope clarity.
The real-time bidding alternative
Real-time bidding marketplaces (AllSorted is the UK example) flip the model. Pros pay nothing per lead. They pay only when a job is booked and completed — usually a small platform fee that's a percentage of the booking, not a flat lead fee.
Why this works better for pros:
- No fee for bids you don't win. You can be selective.
- No fee for tyre-kickers. Customers who post and never book cost the pro nothing.
- Visibility on competition. You see how many other pros have bid before you commit.
- Transparent customer ID. Verified profiles, addresses, real intent signals.
- Predictable take-home. Platform fee is a known % of confirmed revenue, not a sunk cost regardless of outcome.
How to transition off lead-buying platforms
- Don't quit overnight. Cancel any auto-renewing annual contracts but keep paying per-lead while you build alternative pipeline.
- Set up real-time bidding properly. Profile photos, qualifications uploaded, public reviews migrated, push notifications on.
- Track cost-per-booked-job by source. Use a simple spreadsheet for 8 weeks. The pattern is usually obvious — bidding marketplaces win for new work, lead platforms only justify themselves for very high-margin jobs.
- Build owned channels in parallel. Google Business Profile, repeat customer follow-ups, referrals — these are free and high-margin.
- Cancel the platform that loses for you. When a 90-day cost-per-booked-job analysis shows lead-fee platforms underperforming, cancel them.
When lead-buying does make sense
There are scenarios where lead-fee platforms still work:
- Very high-value jobs (£10,000+ kitchens, full rewires, extensions) where a £100 lead fee is 1% of the booking
- Quiet seasons when alternative channels are dry and even a marginal lead has value
- New trades launching with no review history elsewhere — lead platforms can bootstrap initial work
- Specific niches where lead platforms genuinely have category density and bidding marketplaces don't
Outside those scenarios, the maths usually points to bidding marketplaces or owned channels.
Frequently asked questions
How much do lead-buying sites charge UK tradespeople?
UK lead-buying platforms charge £15–£100+ per lead in 2026 depending on category and job value. With typical conversion rates of 1-in-4 to 1-in-8, this works out to £60–£800 in lead-fee cost per booked job — often more than the gross profit on small jobs.
Why are lead-buying sites worse than they used to be?
Lead fees have risen 30–60% since 2022, more pros are buying each lead (lowering win rates), and platform UX encourages homeowners to post without serious intent. The combination has roughly halved unit economics for tradespeople over 4 years.
Is AllSorted free for tradespeople?
AllSorted has no per-lead fee and no annual membership. Pros pay only a small platform fee on completed bookings — typically far cheaper per booked job than lead-buying platforms.
What's the difference between shared and exclusive leads?
Shared leads are sold to 4–8 pros simultaneously, with conversion rates of 10–25%. Exclusive leads go to one pro at a time at higher fees (£60–£200+), with 40–60% conversion. Both models share the core problem of paying before knowing if the lead is genuine.
Should I quit lead-buying platforms entirely?
Not overnight. Track cost-per-booked-job by source for 8–12 weeks. Cancel platforms that consistently underperform, but consider keeping lead-buying for very high-margin jobs (£10,000+) where the lead fee is a tiny % of the booking value.
What's the best lead source for UK tradespeople in 2026?
A combination: real-time bidding marketplaces for new live work, Google Business Profile + local SEO for inbound search, and a disciplined repeat-customer follow-up system. These three sources have the best unit economics for most UK trades and don't depend on rising-fee third-party lead pipes.
About the author
AllSorted Editorial Team
Home services research & UK trades industry analysis
The AllSorted Editorial Team works with verified UK tradespeople, plumbers, electricians and home services professionals to publish accurate, up-to-date guidance for British homeowners. Editorial standards are reviewed against guidance from the Federation of Master Builders, NICEIC, Gas Safe Register and Trading Standards.