Guide

Replacing an investor marketing agency whose leads do not book calls

By Ad Insights Group. Updated November 13, 2026. We are an investor marketing agency, so a sponsor who switches may switch to us. This guide is written to be useful whichever provider you choose.

The short answer

Before you replace an agency, find out where investors are dropping out. If plenty of leads arrive but few book, the gap is usually follow-up and booking, not ad volume. A replacement should be able to show you, in writing, how it defines a lead, a booked call, and a held call; who answers every inquiry and how; how booked calls land on your calendar; and how it reports each stage. Plan the switch so the raise does not go dark: settle who owns the ad accounts, pages, and lead data first, and avoid a gap where nobody is answering new inquiries.

Step 1: Audit before you decide

Pull the last full month or two of activity and answer these questions. You do not need perfect data to start.

Question	Where to look	What it points to
How many leads, booked calls, and held calls were there, by the same written definitions?	Agency reports, your calendar	Which stage is losing people
How soon was each new inquiry answered, and by what channel?	CRM or message history	Follow-up speed
How many follow-up attempts did a non-responding lead get?	CRM history	Follow-up persistence
Did responses offer a time to talk, or only a link?	Message history	Booking friction
Did booked calls get reminders? Were no-shows offered a new time?	Calendar, message history	Held call rate
Which ads produced people who booked, not just people who filled in a form?	Booking rate by ad, if reported	Targeting and creative
Who on your side was supposed to do what?	Your contract and onboarding notes	Ownership gaps

If the answers show that leads go unanswered or are handed to your team as a list, you are paying for the top of the funnel and doing the hardest part yourself. That is a scope problem, and a new agency with the same scope may produce the same result.

Step 2: Decide what you actually need

There are three common fixes, and only one of them is a new agency.

Keep the agency, fix the handoff. If ads are producing interested people and your own team owns follow-up, staffing and speeding up that follow-up may be enough.
Add follow-up and booking. If the agency only runs ads, you may need someone to own every inquiry until a call is booked, either in-house or through a provider.
Replace the provider. If definitions are vague, reporting stops at leads, or nobody can explain where people drop out, a provider that owns the path from ad to booked call is the cleaner fix.

For a fuller comparison of options, see in-house, agency, or buying lists.

Step 3: What to look for in a replacement

506(c) fit. It should work with Rule 506(c) offerings, where general solicitation is permitted, and say plainly whether it supports 506(b).
Ownership of follow-up. Ask who answers new texts, replies, and calls, and what happens to someone who does not book on the first touch.
Booking on your calendar. Booked calls should land directly on your calendar, with rescheduling handled.
Written definitions. Lead, booked call, held call, and qualified conversation, defined before launch and kept the same.
Stage-by-stage reporting. Booked call rate, held call rate, and which ads produce bookings, not only lead totals.
Your approval. You and your counsel should approve every ad and landing page before it goes live.
Clear boundaries. Lead qualification is a marketing step, not accredited investor verification. Under Rule 506(c) the issuer must take reasonable steps to verify each purchaser's status (SEC, Rule 506(c)). General partners and sponsors should be very cautious that no compensation to a marketing vendor is tied to the amount raised or based on securing investors. The SEC's Guide to Broker-Dealer Registration lists questions that indicate a person may need to register as a broker, including whether compensation depends on the outcome or size of the transaction or deal. A marketing agency that is not a registered broker-dealer should not be negotiating terms or taking pay tied to the amount raised or to securing investors. Review any such arrangement with securities counsel.

Our agency evaluation guide has the full first-call question list.

Step 4: Plan the switch so the raise keeps moving

Read your current contract. Note the notice period and anything it says about who owns ad accounts, pages, creative, and lead data.
Confirm access. Make sure you can reach your ad accounts, landing pages, CRM, and lead history before notice is given.
Export what you have. Keep a copy of past leads and their status, and the consent records attached to them. Ask counsel how past contacts may be re-engaged.
Agree on a start date that avoids a gap. Decide who answers new inquiries on every day between the old provider stopping and the new one starting.
Carry over your definitions. Give the new provider the definitions you used in the audit, so the before and after are comparable.
Re-approve the creative. New ads and pages still need your and counsel's sign-off before they go live.
Set a review date. Pick a fixed period after launch to compare booked and held calls with the audit period, using the same definitions.

What a switch will not fix

A new provider cannot fix an offering that is not ready, a calendar with no open times, or a team that cannot take the calls it books. It also cannot change who verifies accredited status. That stays with you, your counsel, or a verification provider.

Where Ad Insights Group fits

We work with U.S. real estate sponsors and fund managers with an active Regulation D Rule 506(c) offering, including sponsors replacing an agency whose leads rarely turn into calls. We work with single-deal syndications and funds, and we do not support 506(b) raises. We build the ads and funnel, run the campaigns on Facebook and Instagram, and handle every inbound text, reply, and call, including booking and rescheduling, until qualified investors are booked on your calendar. You approve everything before it goes live, and you take the investor call.

Reporting covers full-funnel tracking from ad to held call, including booked call rate, held call rate, and booking rate by ad. On average, campaigns launch about two weeks after kickoff, and booked calls typically start coming in within 72 hours of launch. Averages, not guarantees; timing varies by offering.

Ad Insights Group is not a broker-dealer or placement agent. We do not solicit investments, handle funds, provide investment advice, or verify accredited status. Our fees are never tied to the amount raised or to securing investors.

See the full process on our 506(c) investor marketing page, or book a 30-minute discovery call.

Frequently asked questions

Our agency sends plenty of leads, but few book calls. Is it the ads or the follow-up?

Usually the follow-up and booking step. Check how fast each inquiry was answered, how many attempts non-responders got, and whether responses offered a time. If those are weak, more ads will not help much.

What should we ask a replacement investor marketing agency?

Ask how it defines a lead, a booked call, and a held call; who answers new inquiries; whether calls land on your calendar; how it reports each stage; who approves ads and pages; and whether any part of its compensation is tied to the amount raised or to securing investors.

Can we switch agencies in the middle of a raise?

Yes, if you plan it. Confirm access to your accounts and data first, agree on a start date that leaves no gap in follow-up, and have counsel approve the new creative before launch.

Who owns our ad accounts and lead data?

Whatever your contract says. Check before you give notice, and settle ownership in writing with any new provider.

Important: This guide is general information, not legal, tax, or investment advice. Ad Insights Group is a marketing agency. We are not a broker-dealer, placement agent, or investment adviser, and we do not offer or sell securities, handle investor funds, or verify accredited investor status. We make no guarantee of results, including leads, calls, or capital raised. Our fees are never tied to the amount raised or to securing investors. Talk to your securities counsel before marketing an offering.