Brokerage
Sells the agent
- LeadMost reports stop here
- Appointment
- Signed agreement
- Closing · GCIWe count here
Most clients: referrals and past clients
Two businesses, one market
How real estate marketing differs for brokerages and developers
Both sell property to the same buyers. What they sell, how long it takes and what proves marketing works differ, so the plan does too.
| BrokerageSells the agent | DeveloperSells the project | |
|---|---|---|
| Your agents and their record. Listings change every month. The agent stays. | What you sell | One project or community, from launch to the last unit. |
| Weeks per transaction, season after season. | Time horizon | Years, released in price phases. |
| Mostly referrals: two in three sellers were referred to their agent or had used them before, per NAR. | Where clients come from | Launch campaigns, the interest list and brokers with their own buyers. |
| Portals. Zillow Preferred charges 15–40% of the agent’s commission after closing. | Who else takes a cut | Brokers. Builders spend about 2.8% of the price on commissions and 0.8% on marketing, per NAHB. |
| Signed agreements, closings and GCI by source. | What proves marketing works | Contracts that hold, sales pace and the incentive spent per sale. |
| Being the second agent a seller calls. | The costly mistake | Buying sales pace with incentives. Lennar’s ran at about 12% of the sale price in its Q3 2026 results. |
Ad rulesFor both Meta and Google housing ads can’t target by ZIP code or age, and Meta’s minimum radius is 15 miles. ChatGPT doesn’t accept housing ads. Local reach comes from search, AI answers and creative. | ||
Buyers abroad? Ad permits, escrow and languages change the plan. See the rules by market →
What we do
Real estate marketing services, built for each business
Search, AI visibility, websites and campaigns, planned around where each business makes or loses money.
Brokerage · Sells the agent
For brokerages and agent teams
Listing pipeline
Valuation pages, seller campaigns and follow-up that put your agents in the listing appointment first.
Judged byListing appointments and signed listings
Google Ads →Neighborhood and agent SEO
Neighborhood guides, agent profiles, Google Business Profile and reviews, so local searches find your agents.
Judged byCalls and appointments from search
SEO services →AI search visibility
Be named when people ask AI which agent to call or what an area is like.
Judged byShare of answers to a fixed question set
AI search optimization →IDX website and lead routing
A fast IDX site with MLS-compliant attribution, routing each inquiry to the right agent in your CRM.
Judged byTime to first contact, signed buyer agreements
Website redesign →Listing campaigns
Property pages and listing ads that show sellers how you market a home, and win you the next listing.
Judged bySeller inquiries from listing marketing
Landing page design →
Developer · Sells the project
For developers and home builders
Pre-launch and interest list
Positioning, the project site and an interest list that sorts buyers from browsers before the first release.
Judged byQualified registrants who book a visit
Landing page design →Launch and phase campaigns
Google, Meta and portal campaigns paced by phase and by what’s left to sell.
Judged byAppointments, reservations, share of each phase sold
Google Ads →Project search and AI visibility
Community, floor plan and area pages that answer “new homes in…” searches and AI questions.
Judged byOrganic and AI-referred inquiries by community
AI search optimization →Broker channel
A broker portal, previews and clear co-op terms, so outside agents bring buyers to you first.
Judged byBroker-sourced contracts
International buyers
Pages and campaigns in your buyers’ languages, with permits and escrow details where required.
Judged byInquiries by country, through to contract
Every plan includes
- Tracking from first inquiry to closing in your CRM: marketing analytics
- A housing-rules check of every ad before launch
- A monthly report in your business’s numbers, not clicks
Where the money leaks
Where real estate lead generation loses money, stage by stage
Most marketing reports end at the lead. The money is made or lost three or four steps later.
Brokerage: from lead to GCI
- 01
Lead
LeakSlow, generic replies hand the seller to whoever answered first.
What we doInstant routing, replies by lead type and a speed-to-lead report.
- 02
Appointment
LeakLeads go quiet before the listing or buyer consultation.
What we doFollow-up sequences and pages with your record in their area.
- 03
Signed agreement
LeakBuyers sign an agreement before touring, so your value must be clear early.
What we doPages and scripts that explain what your agents do for the fee.
- 04
Closing · GCI
LeakNo one knows which source paid off, so budget follows habit.
What we doSource tracked to closing. Budget moves to the lowest cost per closing.
We report cost per signed agreement, cost per closing and GCI by source, next to what the portals charge.
Developer: from registrant to closing
- 01
Registrant
LeakInterest lists full of browsers, duplicates and buyers outside your price.
What we doQualifying questions, deduplication and scoring before sales calls.
- 02
Appointment
LeakRegistrants never book a sales gallery or model home visit.
What we doBooking flows, reminders and campaigns by phase and floor plan.
- 03
Reservation
LeakReleases miss their window. In New York, reservations wait for an accepted plan.
What we doRelease plans built to each market’s rules.
- 04
Contract
LeakCancellations: 18% of KB Home’s gross orders in Q3 2026. Florida condo buyers can cancel within 15 days.
What we doContracts counted after the cancellation window, by source.
- 05
Closing
LeakIncentives rise to hold the pace, and margin goes with them.
What we doIncentive per sale reported next to marketing per sale.
We report cost per contract that holds, net sales pace by community and incentive per sale.
Run your numbers
What portal fees and incentives cost per sale
Two quick calculators. Replace the example inputs with yours. Nothing is saved or sent.
Brokerage: portal fee vs your own channel
What does one portal closing cost you?
$
%
%
- Commission per closing
- $10,384
- Portal fees a year
- $37,383
Your own channel pays off when it brings a closing for less than $3,115.
Enter numbers within the ranges shown.
Developer: incentives vs marketing
What does each sale cost you, and how long will the rest take?
$
%
%
- Months to sell the rest
- 29
- One incentive point, all remaining homes
- $472,440
Incentives cost 7.5 times your marketing per sale. Each point you don’t need saves $3,937 a home.
Enter numbers within the ranges shown.
Example inputs: NAR’s median sale price, Redfin’s buyer-side commission, Zillow Preferred’s fee range, the Census median new-home price, NAHB’s marketing share and Lennar’s sales pace. The incentive share is only an example. Estimates for planning, not financial advice.
Compliance by market
Real estate advertising rules we plan around
Housing ads can’t be targeted the way other ads are, and each market adds its own rules. What each rule changes, and what we do about it:
Every housing ad
For brokerages and developers alike.
Fair Housing Act ad rule
USAds can’t signal who a home is for, in words, images or where the ads run.
We doCopy, images and audiences checked against the rule before launch.
Meta housing ads
US, Canada, EuropeNo age, gender or ZIP targeting, a 15-mile minimum radius, no lookalike audiences.
We doReach comes from creative and city-level geography. We judge by inquiry quality.
Google housing ads
US, CanadaNo targeting by age, gender, parental or marital status, or ZIP code.
We doSearch intent does the targeting: campaigns built on what people search.
ChatGPT ads
All marketsAds for housing sales and rentals are prohibited.
We doThe route into ChatGPT is its answers: AI search optimization.
Calls and texts to leads (TCPA)
USAutomated calls and texts need prior consent, and consent rules are still changing.
We doForms ask for consent in plain words and keep a record of it.
Brokerages
Agreements, disclosures and listing data.
Written buyer agreements
USSince August 17, 2024, buyers sign an agreement with their agent before touring.
We doPages explain your service and fee early. We count signed agreements.
Broker name and license in ads
By stateStates set how the broker’s name and license appear. Texas also requires an IABS link.
We doAd and page templates carry each state’s disclosures.
IDX display rules
USOther firms’ listings must name the listing firm and refresh at least every 12 hours.
We doIDX attribution and refresh checked before campaigns point to it.
Developers and condo projects
Financing terms and condo rules by state.
Rates and payments in ads
USAn ad that states a rate must state the APR. Payment terms trigger full disclosure.
We doBuydown and payment ads written with your lender’s required terms.
New York condo offerings
New YorkBefore the plan is accepted, only indications of interest. Ads carry a required legend.
We doPre-launch funnels collect interest only, with the legend in every ad.
Florida condo sales
FloridaBefore filing, only refundable reservation deposits. Buyers can cancel within 15 days.
We doReservations and contracts counted after these windows close.
Outside the US
Markets where every ad needs a permit.
Dubai property ads
DubaiAds need a DLD permit number, and print and video ads a Madmoun QR code. Off-plan needs escrow first.
We doPermit numbers and QR codes in every placement. No off-plan campaign before escrow.
This is how we plan campaigns, not legal advice. Your broker of record or counsel approves anything that needs it.
AI search in real estate
Buyers and sellers ask AI now. Here’s what you can still win
Listing search is moving into the portals’ own AI apps. Questions about which agent to hire, where to live and which project to trust are still open.
- 82%
of people planning to buy or sell use AI for housing information, a Realtor.com survey found. Agents remain their most trusted source.
- 3 portals
Zillow, Redfin and Realtor.com run apps inside ChatGPT, so listing searches stay with them.
- 52%
of buyers who used AI to prepare researched neighborhoods, trends and home values with it, per Bank of America.
Questions you can still win
Brokerages
- Who are the best listing agents in Austin right now?
- Which brokerage should I use to sell a condo in Miami?
- What are homes selling for in East Nashville?
- How much does a listing agent charge in Texas?
Developers and builders
- Which builders have new homes near Tampa?
- Which new communities near Dallas have homes ready now?
- What should I check before buying a pre-construction condo?
- Is buying off-plan in Dubai safe for a foreign buyer?
What we do
- Fix the question set
Real buyer and seller questions for your market, checked every month across the main AI assistants.
- Trace the sources
Which pages, profiles, reviews and listings data the answers rely on.
- Fix what they cite
Area and project pages, agent and builder profiles, kept accurate and consistent.
Proof under NDA
Real estate research we’ve published
More than five years with developers and brokerages, and client names stay under NDA. Here is how we study a market.
Research · Developers
Read the research → Dubai branded residences: what buyers can find before they inquire
Six kinds of information checked across the official journeys of 12 projects.
- 12 projects
- 72 observations
Research · Developers
Read the research → How Emaar, DAMAC and Binghatti sell Dubai property
One market, three buying logics, seen through public ads and offer pages.
- 3 developers
Research · Brokerages
Read the research → Inside Whitewill: the marketing system behind 177 hostnames
How search entry points, ad destinations, catalogs and partner routes fit together.
- 177 hostnames
On a first call we show the method, our report format and a plan for your market. Client accounts and results stay private, as yours will.
- 5+ years in real estate
- Google Ads certified team
- Search, AI and paid media in one team
The Wonderflow Method
How a real estate marketing engagement runs
Four steps, each a standalone offer. You can stop after any of them and keep what we delivered.
Free search potential map
We map the searches around your market or project: what buyers and sellers ask, who wins those searches today and why, plus an AI snapshot on five buyer questions.
You get
The map and a 20-minute call with a founder.
Marketing and tracking audit Optional
We review your site or project pages, CRM stages, ad accounts and tracking, and check live ads against housing rules.
You get
Fixes ranked by what they cost you, and whether your numbers can be trusted.
90-day marketing plan
Channels, pages and budget split by segment and market, the report your team will see, and the rules that stop a campaign.
You get
A plan you can run with us, with your team or with another agency.
Monthly execution
We build pages and run search, AI and paid work in planned units each month, with tracking from inquiry to closing.
You get
A monthly report in signed agreements, closings or contracts, and what we change next.
The map, the audit and the plan stay with you, whoever runs the work. Search work builds over months. Paid campaigns show first numbers within weeks, and cost per closing needs a full sales cycle.
Fees and benchmarks
How much does a real estate marketing agency cost?
Our ongoing work starts from $X a month, plus a media budget you pay directly to Google, Meta or the portals. To judge any agency’s price, compare it with what you already pay to win one sale.
What one sale already costs
- $1,558–4,154
Portal fee per closing: Zillow Preferred’s 15–40% of a buyer-side commission on a median-priced home.
- $11,024
Average builder commissions per home, per NAHB: 2.8% of a median-priced new home. Marketing averages 0.8%, about $3,150.
- About 12%
Lennar’s incentives in Q3 2026, on homes delivered at an average sale price of $372,000.
Our four offers
- 01
Search potential map
Free
Your market’s searches, who wins them, and an AI snapshot.
Up to 2 business days
- 02
Marketing and tracking audit
$X
Site, CRM, ads and tracking, with a housing-rules check.
Set by your setup
- 03
90-day plan
From $X
Channels, pages, budget split and stop rules.
3–4 weeks
- 04
Monthly execution
From $X / month
Planned units of work, reported to closings and contracts.
Monthly
Your Google Ads account, website, content and analytics stay in your company’s name, and media budgets are paid by you, directly to the platforms. We can build and run them too: websites, content and analytics.
Get a free search potential map →Before you hire anyone
How to choose a real estate marketing agency
Eight questions to ask any agency, including us, with the answer to listen for.
- 01
What will you report: leads or closings?
Our answerSigned agreements, closings and GCI for brokerages. Contracts that hold and sales pace for developers.
Red flagA monthly report that ends at cost per lead.
- 02
How will you reach local buyers under housing ad rules?
Our answerThrough search, AI answers, area and project pages, and creative, since housing ads can’t target ZIP codes.
Red flagA promise to target “your ZIP codes”.
- 03
Do you know our side of the business?
Our answerYes: more than five years with developers and brokerages. We plan each on its own numbers.
Red flagOne service list for every kind of client.
- 04
What can you show us under NDA?
Our answerPublished research, our method and our report format. Client names and results stay private.
Red flagScreenshots of other clients’ accounts.
- 05
Who owns the accounts, site and data?
Our answerYou do: your Google Ads account, website, content and analytics stay in your company’s name.
Red flagAd accounts or domains registered to the agency.
- 06
How do you compare with the portals?
Our answerWe put your own channels’ cost per closing next to the portal fee and move budget by that number.
Red flagAdvice to drop the portals with no numbers behind it.
- 07
What happens in the first 90 days?
Our answerThe map, an optional audit and the plan, then launch with a report from month one.
Red flagMonths of setup before anything goes live.
- 08
Can you guarantee leads or rankings?
Our answerNo. We set targets, review dates and the rules for stopping, and report against them.
Red flagGuaranteed leads or first-page rankings.
Bring these questions to your first call. Get a free map →
Who runs your marketing
Two founders, one real estate strategy.
Every project has a founder on it and a team lead for each service. Our team runs the work.
Mike
Co-founder · How buyers find youLeads the technical side: search and AI visibility, tracking, and how results are counted to the closing.
- SEO
- AI search
- Analytics
- Strategy
15 years in marketing. Started as an SEO specialist. A passion for numbers and research, an athlete and a traveler.
Delivery team
- SEO and AI search
- Paid media
- Websites and design
One team across search, AI and ads, so the report adds up.
Alex
Co-founder · What happens when they doLeads client work: the plan, your sales team’s feedback and the team that runs your campaigns.
- Client relationships
- Websites & development
- Design
- Strategy
15 years in marketing. Started in PPC and CRO, at his own business. Believes in the power of words, loves music and animals.
- Count to the closing
Reports end where your business is judged.
- Rules before reach
Every ad checked against housing rules first.
- NDA by default
Your names and numbers stay private.
Questions buyers ask
Real estate marketing agency FAQ
The short answer first. Open a question for the detail.
What does a real estate marketing agency do?Brings in clients and shows which sources pay.
It plans and runs the marketing that brings buyers, sellers or agents to your business: search, AI visibility, websites, ads and follow-up. A good one tracks every inquiry to a signed agreement, contract or closing, so you know which channel earns its budget. For developers it also covers launches, broker programs and sales pace.
How much does a real estate marketing agency cost?Ours starts from $X a month, plus media.
Our search potential map is free. The audit is $X, the 90-day plan from $X and monthly work from $X, plus a media budget you pay directly to the platforms. To judge any price, compare it with what one sale costs you today: a portal fee per closing, or commissions and incentives per home. See the benchmarks →
Is an agency better than buying Zillow leads?Compare cost per closing, not cost per lead.
Zillow Preferred charges 15 to 40% of the agent’s commission after closing, about $1,558 to $4,154 on a median-priced home. Your own channels pay off when they bring closings for less. Most brokerages keep both and move budget as their own channel proves itself. Run your numbers →
Should a brokerage hire an agency or an in-house marketer?Often both, for different jobs.
An in-house marketer knows your agents and produces day-to-day content. An agency brings search, AI, paid media and tracking skills a single hire rarely covers, and can scale up or down. Many brokerages keep a marketing coordinator and use an agency for the channels and the measurement.
How do you market a new development before launch?Build a qualified interest list, within local rules.
We position the project, build the site and a register-interest funnel, qualify sign-ups and bring brokers in early. Local rules decide what you can collect: in New York only indications of interest before the offering plan is accepted, in Florida only refundable reservation deposits before filing, in Dubai a registered escrow account before marketing.
Can we target buyers by ZIP code or age?Not with housing ads on Meta or Google.
Housing ads on Meta can’t target by age, gender or ZIP code and need at least a 15-mile radius. Google blocks targeting by ZIP code, age, gender, parental or marital status for housing. Local reach comes from search intent, neighborhood and project pages, AI answers and creative. See the rules →
How long does real estate SEO take?First changes in one to three months.
First movement on individual searches usually shows one to three months after a page goes live. We judge the trend in traffic and inquiries over six months. Paid campaigns show first numbers within weeks, and cost per closing needs a full sales cycle to read.
Do you work with individual agents?We work with brokerages and agent teams.
Our programs are built for brokerages and teams that need several channels and tracking to closing. A single agent is often better served by a website platform and their own sphere of influence. If you lead a growing team, the free map shows whether search can add listings in your area.
Do you work with developers outside the US?Yes, including off-plan projects in Dubai.
We plan for international projects and for buyers abroad: their languages and searches, the portals they use, and local rules such as Dubai’s DLD ad permits, Madmoun QR codes and escrow registration. Our published research on Dubai developers and branded residences shows how we study a market.
How do you measure AI search visibility?A fixed question set, checked every month.
We set real buyer and seller questions for your market, record the answers every month across the main AI assistants, and track how often you’re named and which sources the answers cite. Then we fix the pages and profiles those answers rely on.
Do you guarantee results?No, and be careful with anyone who does.
Rankings, AI answers and housing ad delivery depend on platforms no agency controls. We set targets, review dates and stop rules in the plan, and report against them every month, including when a channel should stop.
Sources: 28 documents, with dates
Laws, platform policies, company filings and surveys behind the numbers and rules on this page. Policies change, so we check them again before every campaign.
How the two businesses differ
- NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, via Virginia REALTORS, Dec 8, 2025
- Zillow Preferred FAQ, read Oct 2, 2026
- NAHB, Cost of Constructing a Home 2024, Jan 2025
- Lennar, Q3 2026 results (SEC 8-K), Sep 16, 2026
- Meta, Special Ad Category (Marketing API), read Oct 2, 2026
- Google Ads, Housing in personalized advertising, read Oct 2, 2026
- OpenAI, Ad Policies, Sep 10, 2026
Where the money leaks
Calculators
Advertising rules
- 24 CFR 100.75, Fair Housing Act advertising rule
- Burr & Forman, FCC delays the TCPA revoke-all rule, Jan 7, 2026
- Texas Real Estate Commission, required information in advertisements, read Oct 2, 2026
- California DRE, RE 858, June 2024
- NAR, IDX Policy Statement 7.58
- CFPB, Regulation Z, 12 CFR 1026.24
- Florida Statutes, 718.502
- Dubai Land Department, Real Estate Ad Permit service, read Oct 2, 2026
- Gulf News, Madmoun ad verification, Apr 18, 2023
- Gulf Business, developers fined over escrow, Jun 3, 2024
Keep going
Related services and reading
Services behind this page
Read before you decide
-
Inside Whitewill: the marketing system behind 177 hostnames
How search entry points, ad destinations, catalogs and partner routes fit together. Checked -
AI search optimization: what to check, change and measure
Record the answer, trace its sources, fix the page, support the claim, repeat. Checked -
MQL vs SQL: what counts as a qualified lead
One deal through both marks, and how to teach ad platforms from the second. Checked
Start with a free map
Where do your buyers search, and who wins them today?
Tell us whether you run a brokerage or develop projects, and where. You’ll see the searches around your market or project and who wins that demand today.
What happens next
- 01We confirm the details within one business day.
- 02Your search potential map within two business days: buyer searches, who wins them today and why, site readiness, and an AI snapshot on five buyer questions.
- 03A 20-minute call with a founder and one recommendation for where to start.
Buyers abroad? Name their countries, and the map covers their searches too.