Exclusive vs Shared Insurance Leads: Cost per Policy Calculator
An exclusive lead is worth its price only if it closes more often than a shared lead by at least the price ratio: at $25 vs $10, it must close 2.5 times as often. Enter your own prices, close rates and commission to see your cost per sold policy.
Exclusive leads are cheaper per sold policy at these numbers: $313 vs $333. Exclusive leads at this price need to close at least 2.5× as often as shared leads to break even with them.
| Shared | Exclusive | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per sold policy | $333 | $313 |
| Profit per lead (first-year commission minus lead cost) | $2 | $7 |
| Profit per 100 leads | $200 | $700 |
| Break-even close rate | 2.5% | 6.3% |
The starting numbers are examples, not benchmarks. Close rates vary widely by line, lead source and how fast you call, so use your own. First-year commission only; renewals make every lead worth more.
Want a lower cost per policy from the same lead budget? A Dooza engineer looks at your lead sources and follow-up, and scopes a pilot.
The two formulas
- Cost per sold policy = price per lead ÷ close rate.
- Break-even close rate = price per lead ÷ first-year commission per policy.
Worked example with the starting numbers (examples, not benchmarks): a $10 shared lead closing 3% costs $333 per policy. A $25 exclusive lead closing 8% costs $313 per policy. Exclusive wins here, but only just: at a 7% close rate it would cost $357 per policy and lose.
What insurance leads cost in 2026
Published ranges, each linked to its source. Prices vary by state, line, filters and volume, so treat them as a starting point for your own quotes.
| Lead type | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare leads, aged | $0.50 to $8 per lead | Elevarus, July 11, 2026 |
| Medicare leads, shared (sold to several agents) | $5 to $15 per lead | Elevarus, July 11, 2026 |
| Medicare leads, real-time exclusive | $15 to $40 per lead | Elevarus, July 11, 2026 |
| Medicare live transfers | $25 to $60 per connected call | Elevarus, July 11, 2026 |
| Insurance leads overall (27 vendors reviewed) | Most $5 to $50 per lead; under $1 (aged shared) to $200+ (exclusive commercial) | Insifter 2026 review, as reported by ActiveProspect, Sept 28, 2026 |
| Google Ads, Finance & Insurance advertisers | $83.93 average cost per lead (all industries $70.11) | WordStream 2025 benchmarks, as reported by ActiveProspect, Sept 28, 2026 |
| Facebook/Meta ads, financial services | $58.70 average cost per lead | Focus Digital, August 2026 (138 campaigns) |
Sources checked October 10, 2026. We re-check them monthly.
Before you buy more leads
- Measure your real close rate per source. Without it, every lead looks cheap or expensive by feel.
- Ask if “exclusive” is exclusive. Ask the vendor how many buyers see each lead and what happens to leads you return.
- Count leads you can’t reach as cost. Duplicates, wrong numbers and leads with no consent record raise your real price per lead.
- Compare like with like. Leads from your own ads are exclusive to you; compare them with exclusive purchased leads, not shared ones.
Frequently asked questions
Only if they close enough more often to cover the price gap. Divide the exclusive price by the shared price: that is how many times more often an exclusive lead must close to cost the same per sold policy. At $25 exclusive vs $10 shared, exclusive leads must close at least 2.5 times as often. Use your own close rates from your CRM; they decide the answer.
Cost per policy = price per lead ÷ close rate. A $10 lead that closes 3% of the time costs $333 per sold policy; a $25 lead that closes 8% costs $313.
Break-even close rate = price per lead ÷ first-year commission per policy. With a $400 commission, a $10 lead breaks even at 2.5% and a $25 lead at 6.25%. Renewals add to this, so year one is the conservative view.
It depends on the line and how the lead is sold. One 2026 review of 27 vendors (Insifter, reported by ActiveProspect) found most insurance leads cost $5 to $50, from under $1 for aged shared leads to $200+ for exclusive commercial ones. Elevarus puts Medicare leads at $5 to $15 shared, $15 to $40 real-time exclusive and $25 to $60 per live transfer (July 2026). Sources and dates are in the table on this page.
Focus Digital measured a $58.70 average cost per lead for financial services on Facebook/Meta (August 2026). WordStream’s 2025 Google Ads benchmarks show $83.93 per lead for finance and insurance advertisers. Leads you generate yourself are exclusive to you, so compare them with exclusive purchased leads, not shared ones.
No. It uses first-year commission only and ignores renewals, chargebacks and the time you spend working each lead. Add your typical renewal value to the commission field if you want a lifetime view.