This is a banger question that every broker scaling their business needs to answer. When it comes to paid ads in a mortgage business, it’s like any other strategy we run—there are three ways to execute on it. 

The Three Execution Options

Option A: Learn to do it ourselves. If we have more time than money, this is preferable. Not only do we save some coin, but we also learn an invaluable skill—paid ads management.

Option B: Pay someone to do it for us. If we have more money than time, this makes perfect sense. It basically eliminates the learning curve completely and we get to our results faster.

Option C: A combination of both. If we have both time and money available and we want to learn the skill, we can pay someone to teach us while they execute.

Most successful brokers end up in Option B because their time is better spent closing deals than learning ad platforms.

How to Choose the Right Marketing Firm

If you’re going with Option B—where you have more money than time and you choose to team up with a marketing firm—here’s exactly how I would choose one:

Step 1: Market Research

Ask your peers who they’re using and what results they’re getting. This isn’t just about recommendations—you want actual numbers. What’s their cost per lead? What’s their conversion rate? How long did it take to see results?

Step 2: Create a Short List

Take the best providers from your research and interview them to find out where there’s values and strategic alignment. Ask them:

• Do they understand the mortgage industry?
• Have they worked with brokers in your niche before?
• What’s their approach to testing and optimization?
• How do they report results?

Step 3: Make a Decision

Pull the trigger and get ready for that juicy lead flow. Don’t overthink this step—a good firm with 80% alignment is better than perfect research with no action.

The Bottom Line

Many brokers who attempt to run paid ads themselves end up spending more on trial and error than they would have invested in expert help. The difference between good and great coaching for mortgage brokers often lies in whether it provides a structured roadmap that helps identify when to manage tasks in-house and when it makes sense to outsource.