Compensation rules
Federal loan originator compensation rules limit how LOs can be paid. Use the compensation you actually receive, and talk to your compliance team before you tie pay or spending to lead sources.
Lead value
What is a mortgage calculator lead worth to you?
Before you judge any lead source, know what one lead is worth to you, using your numbers, not ours.
Free plan, no card. Paid plans include a 14-day trial.
Key takeaways
- Value per lead = contact rate × pull-through to funded × average compensation per loan.
- Leads per month = monthly visitors × calculator engagement × form conversion.
- The worked example is illustrative, not an industry benchmark.
- Long mortgage cycles mean you should measure over months, not weeks.
A calculator lead is worth your contact rate × your pull-through to funded × your average compensation per loan. Multiply leads by that figure for monthly value. Only your own numbers make the answer meaningful, so this page shows the formula, an illustrative example and an estimator you can fill in with yours.
Lead-value estimator
Put your own numbers in
Move the sliders to match your site and your book. The estimate updates as you go.
Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you enter here is sent anywhere.
Leads per month–
Funded loans per month–
Compensation per month–
Value of one lead–
An estimate from your inputs, not a forecast. Starting values are illustrative, not industry averages.
How do you calculate what a calculator lead is worth?
Six numbers, all from your own records. If you don't track one yet, estimate it conservatively and replace it as data comes in.
-
Monthly visitors
People who land on pages where the calculator appears, from your website analytics. Count pages, not your whole site.
-
Calculator engagement rate
The share of those visitors who start a calculation. Calculator view counts in your dashboard help here.
-
Form conversion
The share of engaged visitors who submit the lead form. Leads per month = visitors × engagement × form conversion.
-
Contact rate
The share of leads you actually reach by phone, text or email. Speed-to-lead moves this number more than anything else.
-
Pull-through to funded
Of the leads you reach, the share that fund with you, measured over a full cycle. Take it from your own pipeline history.
-
Average compensation per loan
What you personally earn on an average funded loan, after splits. Value per lead = contact rate × pull-through × compensation.
What does a worked example look like?
Illustrative only. These are round numbers chosen to make the arithmetic easy to follow, not industry statistics or a forecast. Replace every one with your own.
| Step | Illustrative input | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly visitors to calculator pages | 2,000 | 2,000 visitors |
| Calculator engagement rate | 20% | 400 people run a calculation |
| Form conversion | 5% | 20 leads |
| Contact rate | 60% | 12 conversations |
| Pull-through to funded (of contacted) | 10% | 1.2 funded loans |
| Average compensation per loan | $3,000 | $3,600 per month |
| Value per lead | 60% × 10% × $3,000 | $180 |
03
How do you use the estimator on this page?
The interactive estimator on this page runs the same formula. Enter your monthly visitors, engagement rate, form conversion, contact rate, pull-through and average compensation; it shows leads per month, funded loans, monthly value and value per lead.
The most useful thing it does is show which number matters most. Try raising each input a little and watch the result. For many LOs, contact rate and pull-through move the answer more than traffic does, which means faster follow-up and better qualifying conversations can be worth more than buying more clicks.
PrequalFunnel helps on the numbers it touches: leads arrive with every input and result the borrower saw, so your first call starts from their numbers, and the email alert and webhook (Producer and Brokerage) shorten the time to first contact. It doesn't change your market, your pricing or your close rate on its own.
What should you be careful about?
A lead-value number is a planning tool, not a promise. Keep these limits in mind.
Attribution windows
Purchase borrowers can take months to fund. Measure pull-through over a window long enough to cover your typical cycle, or recent leads will look worthless. See lead attribution.
Small numbers
With a handful of funded loans a month, one deal more or less swings the result. Look at rolling quarters, not single months.
Value beyond the first loan
Referrals, a future refinance or a borrower who comes back next year don't show in this formula. Treat it as a floor.
Costs
Value per lead is not profit. Subtract your plan, ad spend and time to see what a lead source actually returns.
Is this a revenue projection?
No. The formula and estimator turn your own assumptions into a number; they don't predict results. PrequalFunnel is not a lender and doesn't promise leads, approvals or closings. A calculator lead is a borrower who shared estimates, not a pre-approval. Use the number to compare lead sources and decide where to spend effort, and recheck it as your own data builds up.
Keep reading
FAQ · 9 questions
Questions loan officers ask
How much is a mortgage lead worth?
It depends on your contact rate, pull-through and compensation. Multiply those three to get value per lead. Any single industry figure will be wrong for most LOs, which is why this page uses your numbers.
Are the numbers in the worked example industry averages?
No. They are round, made-up numbers chosen so the arithmetic is easy to follow. Replace each one with your own.
What is pull-through to funded?
The share of leads you reach that end up as funded loans with you. Here it is measured from contacted leads; if you measure it from all leads, drop the contact rate from the formula so you don't count it twice.
Where do I find my calculator engagement rate?
Compare calculator views in your PrequalFunnel dashboard with page visits in your website analytics for the same pages and period.
How long should I wait before judging a lead source?
At least one full purchase cycle, often several months. Refinance leads may fund faster than purchase leads, so look at them separately if you can.
Should I use value per lead to decide what to pay for leads?
It tells you the ceiling, not the price. Pay well below it to leave room for costs and variance, and check any referral arrangement with compliance.
Should I include leads I never reached?
Yes, in the lead count. Unreached leads are part of what a source delivers. The contact rate in the formula accounts for them, and improving it is often the cheapest way to raise value per lead.
Which number usually moves value the most?
Try the estimator with your own figures. Often contact rate and pull-through matter more than traffic, because they multiply every lead you already get.
Does PrequalFunnel change my pull-through?
It can help you reach and qualify leads faster, because every lead arrives with the borrower's numbers. Outcomes still depend on your market, pricing and follow-up; we don't promise results.
PrequalFunnel
Your next borrower is already on your site.
Give them the numbers they came for, and get the lead with those numbers attached.
Free forever on Originator. Upgrade when you want webhooks and your own brand. 14-day free trial on monthly and yearly. Cancel before it ends and you pay nothing.