Innovating Home Services with growth and smart lead gen strategies

In the heart of MGM Grand at LeadsCon 2025, ActiveProspect hosted a “Live from LeadsCon Webinar”. Ruben Ugarte, our GM of Home Services, and Will McGinnis, Director of Sales at FullThrottle, engaged in an insightful conversation with installation leaders, and some of the most prominent figures in the industry:

• Matthew Colligan, CEO of HomePride Bath
• David Evans, Marketing Consultant at DaBella
• Jay Shah, VP of Marketing at Bath Experts

Their discussion revolved around the current state and future of the Home Services industry, and the impact of technology, particularly AI, on lead generation and management.

Key takeaways

Here are the main takeaways that emerged from our Home Services-specific webinar “State of the industry LIVE from LeadsCon:”

• LeadsCon has grown significantly over the years, with more Home Service companies and tech platforms like Snapchat and TikTok now participating.
• Networking is a crucial aspect of the event, with speakers highlighting the importance of face-to-face interactions for building trust and fostering partnerships.
• AI is a hot topic, but there’s a need to distinguish between genuine AI applications and simple automation.
• Diversification of lead sources and verticals is a strategy for sustainable growth.
• The economy’s impact on consumer lending is a significant factor for Home Services, with lower interest rates potentially benefiting the industry.

Let’s dive deeper into these topics.

Why it’s important to attend events like LeadsCon

Matthew emphasizes that he makes it a point to attend LeadsCon every year because of the vast number of attendees and the diverse range of people he gets to meet. The networking opportunities are invaluable. He’s always on the lookout for new lead sources, innovative methods, or software that can enhance his tech stack and boost contact rates and conversions.

Matthew goes on to explain that attending LeadsCon is also about staying current with the educational aspects of the event and being well-informed. While speakers might not delve deeply into every topic, the event often sparks new ideas.

One of the main reasons he enjoys attending LeadsCon is seeing what others are doing, which can provide valuable direction for the Home Services industry. This helps him understand what has been tried and allows him to build a roadmap based on others’ experiences.

As Jay points out, LeadsCon always brings in new partners. Last year, TikTok had a significant presence, and this year, it was Snapchat.

How Home Services businesses are using AI

Matthew mentions that they are starting to incorporate AI into their texting, which is proving effective and generating some conversions. Currently, they are working on a live voice agent for overflow and after-hours support.

According to Matthew, the challenge with AI is figuring out which ecosystem to integrate with and what foundation to build upon to avoid becoming obsolete within a month.

David and his company use tools like Call Rail to listen to and score calls, which is a straightforward AI application that anyone can implement.

On a personal note, David took on a side project using ChatGPT to develop detailed buyer personas from Yelp reviews. He began with 5 reviewers, using 3 types of reviews (for DaBella, a restaurant, and a barber) per person. For each, he had ChatGPT create a persona based on the DaBella review, then refine it using the other two. Pleased with the results, he repeated the process with 4 more reviewers and eventually requested 10 additional, distinct personas. In total, ChatGPT generated 19 personas. David concluded by asking how his marketing team could leverage these personas, to which ChatGPT responded with over 40 actionable marketing strategies.

This demonstrates the powerful, yet accessible, capabilities of AI, and David is actively exploring ways to leverage these tools for his company’s benefit.

How is the recent economy impacting the Home Services industry?

Matthew has heard a statistic that 10% of the US population owns 88% of all equities in the stock market. This means the economy is primarily affecting that 10%, leaving the remaining 90% relatively untouched. Most of his customers likely fall into the 50-90% range.

His company finances 67% of all their projects, so their focus is on consumer lending. His customers aren’t selling stocks to buy a bathroom; instead, they’re financing it through options like “no payment, no interest” or other consumer lending methods. In the past few weeks, the market has turned around. This has driven down the 10-year bond rate, which has fallen below 4% for the first time in a long time, leading to lower interest rates, which is a positive development for the home services industry.

David points out that there are many uncertainties with the current economy. To navigate this, he and his company looked at what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. While many companies scaled back, they expanded. Growth is their focus, and they continue to push forward.

Why Home Services businesses should look into other verticals as well

According to David, exploring other industries is crucial because it helps identify alternative ways to generate leads.

The goal is to diversify lead sources to avoid putting all eggs in one basket. If a major vendor goes down or a competitor acquires your biggest vendor, you need to have other options to ensure a steady flow of leads.

What’s one of the biggest challenges facing the industry this year?

According to Jay, one of the biggest challenges is going to be sifting through all the AI offerings to find what’s truly valuable for your organization.

It’s tough to determine whether a particular AI solution will make a meaningful difference or if it’s just the latest trendy thing that won’t have a significant impact. Navigating this landscape and finding the most relevant and valuable solutions is one of the hardest tasks right now.

Conclusion

The conversations at LeadsCon 2025 made one thing crystal clear: the Home Services industry is at a turning point. From the rapid rise of AI to the shifting economic landscape and the diversification of lead generation strategies, businesses that embrace innovation will lead the charge into the future. 

Leaders like Matthew, David, and Jay show us that success hinges not only on adopting new technologies but also on staying connected – through events like LeadsCon, cross-industry learning, and an openness to experiment.

Whether it’s refining your lead generation with AI, exploring new verticals, or forging powerful industry relationships, now is the time to act boldly and smartly. The future of Home Services isn’t just coming – it’s already here, and it’s being built by those who show up, stay curious, and push the boundaries.

Let’s keep the momentum going. Watch the full episode now and check out our webinars for more expert, industry-specific content!

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