The Story Behind the List.
Why investment professionals have trusted the same source for over 20 years — and why that matters to you.
Origin / Credibility
This business was built on a simple premise: a lead is only valuable if it isn't burned out.
Bill Shafer started Accredited Investors Leads List over two decades ago after seeing the same problem play out repeatedly in the investment industry: firms were buying the same recycled lists from the same data brokers, calling the same exhausted investors, and wondering why their closing ratios kept dropping.
- The solution wasn't complicated. It was about sourcing differently and selling responsibly.
- That approach — source better, sell fewer — is still how this business operates today.
The Sourcing Model
Where our leads actually come from.
Most lead list companies aggregate data from public sources, opt-in web forms, or third-party data brokers. Those lists get resold dozens of times. By the time you're dialing, so has everyone else.
Our leads come from a different place entirely: directly from investment companies.
These are investors who have either:
They've already been screened for accredited investor status — net worth, liquidity, and minimum annual income — by the companies they invested with. That qualification isn't something we added. It was done by the firm that had the actual relationship with the investor.
Many of the companies that supply our leads are in the same industry as our clients. That means you're often calling investors who have already written a check for something very close to what you're offering.
The Oversell Policy
We limit how many times each list is sold. On purpose.
This is the part of our business model that clients cite most when explaining why they keep coming back.
When a list gets oversold, everyone loses. The investor gets hammered with calls, becomes hostile, and eventually stops picking up entirely. The firms buying that list see their closing ratios drop. And the leads become worthless — not because the investor isn't qualified, but because they've been worn out.
We don't do that. Each list is sold a controlled number of times. It costs us revenue in the short term. It's why we still have the same clients after 20 years.
Bill / Personal
You're working with one person who is accountable for every list.
Bill Shafer owns and operates this company. He is not a sales rep for a data warehouse. He knows the lists he sells, where they came from, and how many times they've been placed.
When you call, you talk to Bill. When there's an issue, you talk to Bill. And when a list performs well — which is the goal — Bill is the one you call to get more of it.
Several of his longest-running clients don't just buy lists from him. They sell him their own prospect files — because they trust how he handles them and who he sells them to. That kind of arrangement doesn't happen with a faceless data vendor.
345+
Projects
20+
Years of
Experiense
Who We Work With
Who buys our leads?
If you are making outbound calls to accredited investors, we can match you with a list built for your specific offering type.
Our clients are typically:
Broker-dealers and registered representatives making outbound investment calls
Investment firms raising capital for private placements, oil & gas, or other alternative investments
Financial professionals who have tried cheaper list sources and learned the hard way
Questions before you buy? Call Bill directly.
Most of our clients started with a conversation — not a form. If you want to understand what list is right for your offering before you commit to anything, call Bill.