A mortgage trigger lead is a lead sold by one of the 3 major credit bureaus, in real-time as they're applying for a mortgage. Lenders across the country have contracts in place to purchase these leads at a predetermined price, and they follow up sometimes dishonestly representing themselves as a representative of the company they're already working with. Trigger leads can be a great source of business with the right systems in place. However, they should be navigated carefully to avoid questions of privacy and integrity concerns.