Assign every new lead to one owner in seconds

Why it matters

Alerts, tasks and Smart Lists all go to the assigned user. An unassigned lead gets no alert, no task and shows up on nobody's list. Speed to lead (chapter 5) cannot start until ownership is settled, so routing has to happen in the same second the lead arrives.

Step by step

1. 01

   Write the routing table

   Fill one row per lead source using the template. The backup column is not optional: it is who gets the lead when the owner is on vacation, and who gets the escalation alert in chapter 5.

   Check: Every source in your CRM's source list has exactly one row, and every row has a backup.

2. 02

   HighLevel: build the 'New lead routing' workflow

   1. Add the triggers that create leads: Contact Created, Form Submitted (choose your lead forms) and Facebook Lead Form Submitted if you run Meta lead ads. Add filters so only real lead sources enter.
   2. Add an If/Else branch per routing rule from your table (for example Source is Zillow, or a ZIP code tag).
   3. In each branch add Assign To User. Select one user for a single owner, or several users for round robin (the first lead goes to the first user, the next to the second, and so on). Use Split Traffic: Unevenly to weight a senior agent higher.
   4. Turn Only Apply To Unassigned Contacts on. Otherwise a returning lead who submits a second form is taken away from the agent already working them.
   5. Add Create Opportunity to place the lead in the New Lead stage of the pipeline from chapter 1, assigned to the same user.
   6. Name the workflow 01 New lead routing and Publish.

   Check: Submit a test form: the contact shows an Assigned User and an opportunity in New Lead within a minute.

3. 03

   Follow Up Boss: set distribution on the Lead Flow page

   Each lead source gets a Distribution (an agent or a group), an optional Lender, and an Action Plan or automation. A source appears automatically when its first lead arrives; add it manually first if you want routing ready before then.

   1. For each source, set Distribution to the owner from your routing table.
   2. For rules by area or price, click Advanced Settings under the source. Choose All or Any, add conditions (Tags, Price, City, State, ZIP Code, MLS Number, Phone Number), and set the rule's distribution. Rules run top to bottom.
   3. Always complete the Default Rule at the bottom: it catches every lead that matches no rule.
   4. Save in the upper right.

   Check: Every source row on Lead Flow shows a distribution, and every source with advanced rules shows a default rule.

4. 04

   Follow Up Boss: create a round-robin group

   Name the group (for example Buyer Leads Round Robin), choose Agents, select the members, and pick Round Robin (leads rotate in order) or First to Claim (everyone is offered the lead; the first to claim it gets it). Save, then select the group as the Distribution on Lead Flow.

   Check: The Groups page shows the green checkmark moving to the next agent after each test lead.

5. 05

   Decide where unworked leads go: a pond

   A pond is a shared pool any member can claim from. Use it for leads an agent could not reach after the full cadence, or for sources you want agents to pick from. Name the pond, choose the Pond Lead (who receives notifications and is used as the 'assigned agent' for action plans), and select members.

   Agents claim a lead by editing Details > Agent on the profile. In HighLevel there is no pond feature; the equivalent is a Smart List (chapter 4) filtered to a tag such as pond that any agent can work, with reassignment through Assign To User.

   Check: A test lead moved to the pond is visible to every pond member and claimable.

Copyable templates

source,rule,owner_or_group,backup_owner,hours_covered,notes
Website registration,All,Buyer Leads Round Robin,Dana Reyes,8am-8pm daily,
Zillow,Price >= 750000,Dana Reyes,Sam Ortiz,8am-8pm daily,Luxury goes to team lead
Zillow,Default rule,Buyer Leads Round Robin,Dana Reyes,8am-8pm daily,
Meta lead form (seller),All,Dana Reyes,Sam Ortiz,9am-7pm daily,
Open house sign-in,All,Hosting agent,Dana Reyes,Same day,Tag with property address
Sign call,All,Listing agent,Dana Reyes,Business hours,

Try it

How to test it

1. Create one test lead per source (use your own email with a +tag, for example you+zillow@yourdomain.com, and a test phone you control).
2. Confirm each lands with the owner in your routing table within one minute.
3. Submit a second form as the same test lead. Confirm the owner did not change.
4. Filter contacts for no assigned user (HighLevel) or People with Agent empty (Follow Up Boss) and confirm the count is zero.
5. Mark test leads Lost or Trash when done.

Troubleshooting

Advanced technical details

Optional. You can follow every step above without these.