Kiavi increases qualified leads by 950% and cuts CPL by 90% through lead qualification optimization
THE EPIC WIN
Level Agency turned smarter data signals into a scalable acquisition engine that helped Kiavi reach the right investors faster and more efficiently.
THE CHALLENGE
Kiavi, a national lender for real estate investors, wanted to accelerate growth for one of its most profitable products, the Portfolio Loan, which is available only to borrowers with five or more properties.
The marketing team faced a critical imbalance: most inquiries came from investors who did not meet that threshold. Despite steady conversion volume, only 10–15 percent of leads actually qualified. That meant Kiavi’s highest-margin product was underperforming while acquisition costs soared to $3,000–$4,000 per qualified lead.
Kiavi’s goal was clear: maintain overall lead flow while dramatically improving qualification quality. To succeed, they needed to redefine how success was measured within their ad platforms.
THE ANALYSIS
Kiavi partnered with Level Agency to examine campaign data and uncover what was driving low qualification rates.
Together, they mapped the user path from ad click to form submission and discovered that campaign algorithms were being rewarded for total conversions rather than qualified borrowers. Most “leads” came from users selecting only one to four properties. These prospects were valuable for other Kiavi products but not for Portfolio Loans.
The teams realized that the platforms were learning to deliver more of the wrong audience. Kiavi did not have a lead generation problem; it had a signal problem.
THE INSIGHT
By turning the “5+ properties” selection into a measurable, high-value event, they could teach Google Ads and Meta to recognize what a profitable borrower looks like. This shift in perspective, from chasing volume to rewarding value, became the foundation of their turnaround.
THE STRATEGY
Kiavi’s team implemented a data-driven, value-based bidding approach aligned with business outcomes:
- Created a custom conversion event for users selecting five or more properties
- Assigned higher value weighting to those converstions so algorithms prioritized qualified investors
- Maintained broader lead capture for one to four property borrowers to support other loan products
- Optimized ad copy, targeting, and creative toward experienced investors with multiple holdings
- Established continuous learning cycles between Kiavi's internal analytics and Level's media optimization
Within 60 days, Kiavi’s marketing, data, and creative teams were unified around a single shared metric: qualified portfolio borrowers.
THE RESULTS
After implementing Level’s qualified conversion method, the campaigns began prioritizing qualified borrowers instead of total volume. By June, nearly 77% met the property threshold required for Kiavi’s high-margin Portfolio Loans, up from 15% previously.
The results were dramatic:
- Qualified lead volume increased by more than 950%, turning a low-efficiency channel into a scalable growth driver.
- Cost per qualified lead fell by 90%, dropping from several thousand dollars to just $207.
- Lead quality improved every month, creating a sustainable, data-driven acquisition model that continues to deliver strong performance.
In less than four months, Kiavi turned its most expensive marketing challenge into a scalable profit driver, proving how powerful the right data signal can be.
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