Buying DSCR mortgage leads starts with understanding what you will actually receive. A field count tells you how many pieces of information a provider collects. Your team also needs to know what those fields mean, where the answers came from, and what still needs a conversation with the prospective borrower.
A useful lead record should help you prepare that first conversation: who submitted the inquiry, what financing they want, which property it concerns, and when they need to move forward. Use the checklist below to review a sample before purchasing leads or connecting a new provider to your workflow.
Start with contact details and financing intent
Ask to see how a provider delivers the prospect’s name, phone number, and email address. Find out whether missing or incomplete details are accepted, and what checks are performed before delivery. Ask separately whether anyone has spoken with the person and confirmed their interest.
A phone number passing a formatting check is a different claim from a prospect answering a call. Have the provider explain its terminology so your team knows what to expect.
The record should also identify the financing request. Ask whether the person is seeking a purchase loan, a refinance, or cash-out financing, and whether the requested amount is an estimate entered by the prospect. Include the stated property use and any notes about the investor’s objective. These details give your team a specific place to start the conversation.
Review property information in context
Property fields help your team understand the inquiry before following up. Ask which details are required, which are optional, and which appear only for certain financing requests.
For example, a purchase inquiry may include an expected purchase price and target closing date. A refinance inquiry may include an estimated property value and existing mortgage balance. Those fields answer different questions and should carry clear labels.
| Field group | Why the buyer needs it | What to ask the provider |
|---|---|---|
| Property location and type | Helps route the inquiry to the appropriate team | Is the location for the investment property or the prospect’s mailing address? |
| Requested loan and transaction | Explains the financing request | Which answers are estimates, and which transaction types use each field? |
| Rent and property expenses | Provides context for a later financing discussion | Is rent current, projected, or entered without supporting documents? Are expenses monthly or annual? |
| Purchase or ownership stage | Helps frame the first conversation | Does the person have a property identified, a contract, or an existing property? |
| Timing | Gives the team a stated next milestone | Is the date a contractual deadline or the prospect’s preferred timeline? |
Ask how unknown values appear. An unanswered rent question should remain distinguishable from a reported rent amount of zero. The same principle applies to loan balances, association fees, and other amounts.
Ask how every important answer was obtained
A prospect’s estimate, an automated check, and a document review provide different kinds of information. Request a plain explanation of any field described as “verified.”
Useful questions include: Who supplied the answer? What check was performed? When was it checked? Is the supporting result available to the buyer? If a credit range or property value appears, ask what that number represents and how its source is identified.
Avoid treating a general label attached to the whole record as an explanation for every field. You should be able to distinguish information reported by the prospect from information checked through another source. A lead record still requires follow-up, and it does not establish that a loan will be approved.
Keep capture time separate from delivery time
Ask for the original inquiry timestamp and the time the lead reaches your team, with a stated time zone. If the record was updated later, ask whether that update has its own timestamp.
This distinction helps you interpret descriptions such as “new” or “recent.” A record entering your system today does not, by itself, tell you when the person first requested financing.
Ask which website or form generated the inquiry and how the provider documents the submission. Find out what happens to that history when the record moves between systems. A unique lead identifier can help your team connect the original record, later corrections, and follow-up notes.
Use the sample to prepare your team
Before buying, review a sample against your team’s actual first-call questions. Mark which answers are present, which need clarification, and which remain your responsibility to obtain. Confirm how incomplete records and corrected information are handled.
Choose a record your team can interpret consistently. Clear field definitions and visible gaps give you a better starting point for a productive conversation.
Review the LeedWallet sample lead and use this checklist to identify the questions you want answered before purchasing.