What to do with a cold outreach pipeline you can't act on?

searcher profile

July 30, 2025

by a searcher from INSEAD in San Francisco, CA, USA

Over the past year, I’ve spent a lot of time building a cold outreach machine that targets specific industries, geographies, and owner profiles. Along the way, a brokered deal landed on my desk, and long story short I’m now under LOI and nearing close. That means I suddenly have a live but unused pipeline of sourced deals, many with real conversations, notes, and soft interest from owners. One option I’m exploring is offering qualified leads to local searchers who might be willing to pay for access, either per lead, success-based, or something in between. My questions for the community: 1. Would you pay for leads? 2. If yes, what kind of pricing structure feels fair or workable? 3. And either way have you seen creative ways people put excess deal flow to use? Would love to hear thoughts!
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commentor profile
Reply by an intermediary
from Harvard University in San Diego, CA, USA
If you are looking to maximize potential value to you, I would look into selling the pipeline to a brokerage for a lump sum and a success fee/ finder's fee if any of the leads end up in a successful sale. You could go the route of selling the leads to searchers based on industry but I don't know that there will be much room in the deal for a success fee for you.
commentor profile
Reply by a searcher
from New York University in San Diego, CA, USA
Unless you plan on operating a lead gen agency post-acquisition, best bet is to sell it wholesale to someone else- assuming the pipeline is transferable. Please note- you can sell leads, but unless you have a Series 79 license you're not allowed to claim success fees.
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