If you write equipment, vehicle or commercial asset finance in Australia, you have probably been pitched leads by an agency, a comparison site or a "lead marketplace". Some of those leads settle. Many don't. This guide explains what an asset finance lead actually is, what you should expect to pay, how to work out whether buying leads makes money for your brokerage, and how to convert more of the ones you buy.
Quick answer
An asset finance lead is an enquiry from a business owner who wants finance for a specific asset (a truck, an excavator, IT equipment, a commercial vehicle) and has agreed to be contacted by a broker. In Australia, exclusive pay-per-lead asset finance leads from Optimo Agency cost $130 + GST per lead, with a 30-lead trial. Whether that's profitable comes down to two numbers: your close rate and your average commission per settled deal. At a $4,000 average commission, you break even on a 30-lead batch by settling just one deal.
Key facts: Optimo asset finance leads
- Price: $130 + GST per lead
- Trial: 30 leads ($3,900 + GST), plus 3 bonus leads
- Exclusivity: every lead goes to one broker only, never resold
- Lead types: asset and equipment finance, commercial vehicles, business finance, refinance
- Minimum finance amount on the form: $30,000
- Coverage: Australia-wide
- Contracts: no retainer, no setup fee, no lock-in. Optimo pays the ad spend.
- Replacements: leads outside your service area or outside the agreed criteria are replaced free
The size of the Australian asset finance opportunity
Asset finance is one of the fastest-growing parts of Australian broking. In The Adviser's Elite Broker Ranking 2026, the top 100 asset finance brokers wrote more than $775.3 million across 9,885 loans in FY26 (The Adviser). That works out to an average of roughly $78,000 per loan among the country's top originators.
Aggregators are also actively pushing residential mortgage brokers into asset finance as a second revenue line. As more brokers compete for the same business owners, a steady flow of new enquiries matters more than ever. That's the gap lead generation fills.
What counts as an asset finance lead?
Not every form fill is a lead. A usable asset finance lead should include, at minimum:
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Name, mobile and email | You need to reach them within minutes |
| Business name and ABN status | Confirms a real, trading business |
| Time in business | Startups and established businesses go to different lenders |
| Asset type | Truck, machinery, IT, medical, fit-out, solar, commercial vehicle |
| Finance amount | Sets deal size and likely commission |
| Timeframe | Ready now vs researching |
| State or postcode | Matches leads to your service area |
| Consent to be contacted | Required for compliant follow-up (see our compliance guide) |
Each extra qualifying question improves lead quality but raises the cost per lead, because fewer people finish the form. A good provider tries to balance the two. At Optimo we keep the form short and set a $30,000 minimum amount. We'd rather you ask about property ownership and credit history on the call than lose genuine enquiries to a longer form.
Common asset types in Australian asset finance leads
- Commercial vehicles: utes, vans, light trucks
- Heavy vehicles and transport: prime movers, rigid trucks, trailers
- Yellow goods: excavators, skid steers, loaders, earthmoving and construction gear
- Agricultural equipment: tractors, harvesters, implements
- Technology and office: IT hardware, servers, phone systems, fit-outs
- Medical and dental equipment
- Hospitality and gym equipment: commercial kitchens, fitness equipment
- Solar and energy-efficiency equipment for businesses
A note on car finance: a car bought mainly for personal use is consumer credit and falls under the National Credit Code. A vehicle bought mainly for business use generally does not. That difference changes your compliance obligations, so make sure your lead provider tells you which kind you're getting.
Exclusive vs shared vs aged leads
The biggest single factor in lead value is how many brokers get the same lead.
| Exclusive | Shared | Aged | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sent to | 1 broker | Typically 3–5 brokers | Any number, sold weeks or months later |
| Price per lead | Highest | Lower | Lowest |
| Speed pressure | Low, you're the only caller | Extreme, first to call usually wins | N/A, already contacted by others |
| Customer experience | One call from one broker | Several calls within minutes | Often hostile or unresponsive |
| Typical close rate | Highest | Lower, split across buyers | Lowest |
Shared leads look cheap per lead, but what you really need to know is your cost per settled deal. If a shared lead costs half as much but you're competing with four other brokers, your odds of winning it fall far more than half. Optimo sells exclusive leads only.
How much do asset finance leads cost in Australia?
Prices vary with exclusivity, how strict the qualification is, the asset type and how the lead was generated. Expect to pay more for:
- Exclusive leads over shared
- Higher minimum finance amounts or established-business-only filters
- Narrow asset categories (for example heavy machinery only, no cars or utes)
- Leads from high-intent search ads rather than social media
Optimo's standard price is $130 + GST per exclusive lead, with a $30,000 minimum amount on the form and a blend of startups and established businesses. We publish our price because brokers should be able to do the maths before they get on a call.
The ROI maths: is buying asset finance leads worth it?
Use this simple formula:
Profit = (Leads × Close rate × Average commission) − Lead spend
Here's a 30-lead trial at $3,900 + GST across different close rates and average commissions per settled deal:
| Close rate | Deals from 30 leads | Revenue at $2,000 avg commission | Revenue at $4,000 avg commission | Revenue at $6,000 avg commission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | 1.5 | $3,000 | $6,000 | $9,000 |
| 10% | 3 | $6,000 | $12,000 | $18,000 |
| 15% | 4.5 | $9,000 | $18,000 | $27,000 |
Take away the $3,900 lead spend. At a 10% close rate and $4,000 average commission, the trial produces about $12,000 in commission and $8,100 profit, roughly a 208% return on the lead spend.
Break-even is lower than most brokers expect:
- At $4,000 average commission, you need about 1 settled deal from 30 leads (a 3.3% close rate)
- At $2,000 average commission, you need about 2 deals (a 6.5% close rate)
Your figures will differ. Plug in your own close rate and commission using the calculator on our finance broker leads page.
Two more points the spreadsheet misses:
- Lifetime value. A business that finances one truck often finances the next one, refinances, or needs working capital. A first deal can turn into a client relationship worth several more.
- Time to settle. Asset finance can take weeks, and sometimes a couple of months, from first call to settlement. Judge a trial on the pipeline it builds, not just what settles in the first fortnight.
Where do asset finance leads come from?
Knowing the source tells you a lot about quality.
- Meta (Facebook and Instagram) ads. These reach business owners at scale and work well for vehicles and equipment. The audience is less actively searching, so a fast follow-up matters. Since February 2025, financial services advertisers targeting Australians must pass Meta's verification first.
- Google Search ads. Higher intent, because the person is actively searching for something like "equipment finance". Clicks cost more and competition from big comparison sites is heavy.
- SEO and content. These leads are high trust and cheap once you rank, but it takes months to build.
- Comparison and marketplace sites. Volume is available, but leads are often shared.
- Referrals from accountants, dealers and suppliers. These are excellent but hard to scale.
We compare running your own ads with buying leads, cost line by cost line, in Running your own Facebook ads vs buying pay-per-lead.
How to convert more purchased asset finance leads
The provider controls lead quality. You control what happens next. The brokers who get the best results from bought leads do the same things consistently:
- Call within minutes, not hours. An enquiry goes cold fast, and a business owner who filled out a form at lunchtime may be back on site by 2pm.
- Text straight away if they don't answer. Introduce yourself, say why you're calling, and give your direct number.
- Follow up over at least 7 days. Try several calls at different times of day, plus SMS and email. Plenty of deals come from the fourth or fifth attempt.
- Qualify on the call, not the form. Ask about time trading, GST registration, deposit, property ownership, credit history and the specific asset, including whether it's new or used and from a dealer or a private sale.
- Segment honestly. A six-month-old business wanting a $40,000 ute is a different deal from an established earthmoving contractor wanting a $250,000 excavator. Both can settle, just with different lenders.
- Track every lead to an outcome. Contacted, qualified, submitted, approved, settled. You can't improve a close rate you don't measure.
- Nurture the "not yet" leads. Plenty of business owners are three to six months from buying. A short check-in sequence (with an unsubscribe option) turns these into future deals.
Red flags when buying finance leads
- Prices with no stated definition of a "qualified lead"
- No clear answer on exclusivity, or "semi-exclusive" leads
- Long lock-in contracts or retainers on top of lead fees
- No replacement policy, or one so vague it never applies
- Vague answers about where leads come from or what consent was captured
- Leads that arrive in batches days later instead of in real time
Frequently asked questions
What is an asset finance lead?
An asset finance lead is an enquiry from a business owner looking to finance a specific business asset, such as a vehicle, truck, machinery or equipment, who has agreed to be contacted by a finance broker.
How much do asset finance leads cost in Australia?
Prices vary by exclusivity, qualification and asset type. Optimo Agency's exclusive asset finance leads cost $130 + GST per lead, with a 30-lead trial at $3,900 + GST.
Are exclusive leads worth paying more for?
Usually, yes. An exclusive lead is only contacted by you, so you aren't in a race against several other brokers. That usually means a higher close rate and a lower cost per settled deal, even though the price per lead is higher.
What close rate should I expect from purchased asset finance leads?
It depends heavily on your speed to lead, your follow-up process, your lender panel and the lead mix. At a $4,000 average commission, a 30-lead trial breaks even at around a 3.3% close rate, and a 10% close rate returns roughly 208% on the lead spend.
How quickly do leads start arriving?
Once a trial is paid and the campaign is live, leads usually start arriving within days and are delivered in real time.
What happens if a lead is fake or outside my area?
At Optimo, leads outside your service area or outside the agreed criteria are replaced free of charge. Not being able to reach a lead isn't grounds for a replacement, because follow-up is in the broker's hands.
Do you supply car finance leads?
Optimo supplies commercial asset and vehicle finance leads for business use. Consumer car loans are regulated differently, so the lead mix is focused on business-purpose finance.
Can mortgage brokers new to asset finance buy these leads?
Yes, as long as you have suitable lender accreditations or an asset finance aggregator behind you. Many mortgage brokers add asset finance to their offering this way.
Is buying leads compliant?
It can be, provided the leads were collected with proper consent and you follow the Spam Act, Do Not Call Register and Privacy Act rules when you contact them. See our compliance guide for finance broker leads in Australia.
The bottom line
Asset finance leads are worth buying when three things line up: the leads are exclusive, the definition of "qualified" is clear, and your brokerage follows up fast and consistently. Run the numbers with your own close rate and commission, start with a defined trial, and measure every lead through to settlement.
This article is general information only and isn't financial or legal advice.