Both real estate agents and brokers are keenly aware of how integral a good marketing plan is for their businesses, but a new report from real estate technology company Adwerx and the real estate data company Real Trends finds there are major differences in how the two spend their marketing dollars.
Brokers are more focused on long-term brand growth, while agents are more focused on driving commission, according to the report.
“When looking at the long-term trends and new challengers to the industry, it’s clear we are in the beginning stages of an industry-wide change in how brokers support their agents,” said Jed Carlson, CEO of Adwerx.
Brokers more often spend their marketing budget on enhancing brand awareness and reputation, community involvement and print advertisements, according to the report.
Real estate agents spend their marketing budget on lead generation, driving commission, open houses and direct mail fliers, the report adds. Both spend their money company website, social media, yard signs and listing portals.
The report makes it evident that the two sides have a different approach when it comes to marketing, and the discrepancies are clear when analyzing the different roles.
Agents — anyone who passed the license exam and practices real estate — are often more focused on the client and meeting short-term goals, while brokers — those with education and licenses beyond the exam and may work independently or with agents under — are often more focused on brand and long-term goals for their brokerage.
“This research points at some differences between agent and broker priorities but also shows opportunities where agents and brokers can work together on shared goals,” Carlson said. “Alignment on branding standards and strategies that deliver both short-term and long-term results are key.”
The report offers some key bits of tangible advice for brokers, aside from simply aligning their marketing goals to build more fruitful and successful relationships with agents.
“Brokers should consider implementing enterprise technology solutions, backed by business decisions, that bind both the branding and sales goals of each party,” the report says. “If agents are to be representatives of the brand, their lead generation tactics will be better off for it, and vice versa.”
“Despite all the changes in the industry, the fundamentals are still true: Brand growth backed by strong lead generation is a sure-fire recipe for growth and profitability,” the report continues.
Social media is one of the most important tools for any broker or agent, but the report cautions that there needs to be introspective look industry-wide about how to best leverage the tool, especially when it comes to Facebook.
Since Facebook changed its algorithm to emphasize content shared by friends as opposed to brands, the report recommends that brokers look to invest in bringing in a social media professional to best position themselves with the new changes.
