What separates real marketing from the amateur stuff that most brokers are doing? I’m going to break this down into two parts: the three characteristics that define real marketing, and the exact five-step system to install it in your business. 

The Three Pillars of Real Marketing

Number one: Scalability. This means having the ability to turn our lead flow up to hit our targets and the ability to turn it down so we can handle the workload we’re producing. This is critical because we need to grow in stages and make sure our backend machine can handle the volume before we flood it with more deals.

Number two: Predictability. If I do ABC activity, I will get XYZ results. This is non-negotiable as we scale our brokerage and bolt on increased operating costs. We need to know we can increase lead flow to compensate for these costs without crossing our fingers and hoping.

Number three: Profitability. Any lead generation strategy we implement needs to deliver at a relatively high gross margin. We need operating cash flow to continue scaling our brokerage while turning a tidy profit.

The 5-Step Marketing Machine

Here’s the exact system to install real marketing in your business:

Step 1: Do the Numbers

Map out your goal over the next 12 months, break that down into quarterly sprints, then reverse engineer the numbers from settlements to submissions to strategies to leads. Most brokers skip this step and wonder why their marketing feels like throwing darts blindfolded.

Step 2: Pick a Niche

The mortgage industry is way too competitive today to be a generalist. Pick a niche to make your marketing 10x more effective. This isn’t negotiable anymore—it’s the difference between cutting through the noise and getting lost in it.

Step 3: Run Paid Ads

I love paid ads because they’re fast, predictable, and scalable. Although they don’t convert as well as other channels, good paid ads should deliver a 10x return on your money spent. They’re your lead generation accelerator.

Step 4: Content Marketing

Content is king. Although it takes serious dedication to get right, I love content marketing because it converts like client referrals but scales like paid ads. This is your long-term wealth-building strategy.

Step 5: Deliver a Five-Star Experience

This helps us retain the clients we worked so hard to acquire, encourages referrals from our existing clients, and helps us attract and retain referral partners in our niche. Without this, everything else is just expensive lead generation.

The Bottom Line

Any broker who consistently applies these five steps will see a significant impact on their business. The difference between good and great coaching for mortgage brokers often comes down to whether it provides a clear roadmap that helps brokers move from their current position to their desired outcome.