Paying for Leads

I am using the title in response to Jonathan Daltons' blog this morning on " Read My Lips I don't Pay for Leads"
I do pay for leads, it just depends on who I am paying. Since last July I have worked with two technology genuises in Ann Arbor and I have been paying for leads ( by being at the top of the search engines ) in Ann Arbor and surrounding area.
We ( my TEAM ) and I have closed 7 homes and it has more than paid for itself. By Buyer Agents are happy and we are all busy, all of November and December. I have more than paid for the investment.
Currently, I am working with a lead generation company out of Canada and having a custom web site designed that I am hoping will get me to the top of the search engines organically.
I have 900 plus leads in my que that we are following up. It would have taken me infinity and beyond to pick up that many potential buyers from OPEN houses and all the traditional ways of picking up leads.
I believe the success I have had over the years with converting buyers on the internet are two-fold: 1) if they give phone number, call immediately. This is better than a floor call and you connect in much the same way. 2) drip campaigns to stay in touch until they are ready to show their face.
Since 2004, tracking my sales and listings...........76% is referred from past clients, friends, co-workers etc. The other 34% is internet buyers and sellers that I first connected to on line.
I rarely advertise in the newspaper or Homes Magazines. Not one sale in 3 years, but I will continue to put my money where I see results and that is the internet and the leads it brings. On more thing, if I try something a couple of months and it doesn't produce, I drop it. Once I paid HouseValues 700.00 per month for listing leads.........stupid and expensive. Therefore, I'm not saying ALL lead generation systems work, but the ones that do are invaluable.
Jonathan, this was not to offend, just a friendly counter to your article AGAINST leads.

Is It FREE ??

I'm puzzled.....what is the VALUE of FREE ?
No I'm not a deep person, just curios what you might think. Here's where I'm coming from. I manage a RE/MAX office in Ann Arbor, and the last office meeting we had in November, I encouraged all the agents to sign up for a Point2Agent web site for FREE. I have been using it as one of my 5 sites for about 2 years. Last year I upgraded to the professional because I wanted to be able to add all my listings to it, not just the 7-8 or allowed on the FREE one.
I am working with a client moving back from California in January from seeing a listing on my http://MissyCaulkTEAM.com Point2Agent site. It will be well worth the small amount I pay for more listing exposure.
Still no one in my office has signed up. Why ??? IT'S FREE !!
I have invited 26 people to join the Active Rain community, only 4 have accepted. Why not ? It's great fun, a new skill, meet lots of people, learning community and is it because it is FREE ?
My assistant for 9 years and I were going to do a training class at the office on Microsoft Outlook as we have been using if for years. How many signed up ? ONE
Now Zillow is going to let us put our listings on Zillow for FREE. hummmmm I wonder how many agents will sign up for that ?
In a slower market, I believe we do anything and everything to get our houses sold, to improve our skills.
Does anyone else have this problem ? Is the value diminished because it is FREE ?