What works — and what doesn’t — in agent-vendor relationships
Agents today are inundated with options for services and partnerships, but alignment is key, according to a panel of real estate professionals.
Key points:
- Vendors are constantly pitching agents, but their message is often tone-deaf or lost in a "sea of sameness," agents noted.
- Those providers need to clearly explain how they'll add value — and understand what "value" means to the agent they hope to partner with.
- Tech is great, the panelists said, but human relationships are still key. AI should be a complement to your business, not a crutch.
Real estate agents get dozens of emails in a day, and about 30% of them are from people pitching ancillary services or other business tools, according to team leader Carla Nix.
During a recent panel at the T3 Leadership Summit, Nix and two other veteran agents discussed how they differentiate the options, where they find value and what makes a vendor relationship work — and they also offered some advice for real estate professionals who are just starting out.
Navigating the 'sea of sameness'
Renee Funk of the Funk Collection at eXp Realty said she is "inundated with emails and texts" from vendors — and most are sending the wrong message. "'I want to get in front of your agents' is probably one of the most frequent asks from anyone who's trying to earn our business, which is the exact opposite of what the opportunity should be for them," Funk said.
Nix, who leads The Nix Team at Coldwell Banker Sunstar Realty in Southwest Florida, added that she often gets the same generic email from different vendors — or "some catchy ChatGPT phrase they thought of that morning" — and it's clear that zero thought was put into the message. Funk agreed: "It is a sea of sameness. Whether you are a real estate agent, whether you are in title, any ancillary service — they all sound the same."
To successfully pitch an agent, Funk said vendors must clearly communicate who they're trying to serve and what solutions they provide. From there, they also need to understand what value means to the agent in order to have a successful partnership with them, she said.
Integration, culture fit are key considerations
The vendor relationships that are most valuable to agents are often those that can achieve complete alignment with how the agent already does business, panelists said.
For Miami-based Yael Sultan of Avanti Way, two of her most important business connections are her title company and her social media and advertising partner, both of which are seamlessly integrated down to the client level.
"The good thing about those two partners is that they're embedded in the ecosystem of my brokerage," Sultan said.
For Nix, making sure her vendor partnerships offered the same white-glove level of service she provides to her own clients was paramount.
"When we have a home inspector or a mortgage partner or a title company — or flip it to the seller side, a photographer or marketing platform that everybody is in lockstep with — … we want them to match the culture of the business that we've built," Nix said. "So that was really something that I was pretty relentless in pursuing right out of the gate."
AI is a 'companion,' not a 'vending machine'
Technology seems to be moving more quickly than ever, and it's important for agents to be able to balance tech with humanity, panelists said.
"I have a love-hate relationship with technology," Funk said. "I understand technology is important, but let's not forget the human connection," she continued. "Don't treat AI like a vending machine. Treat it like a companion to help you work more efficiently."
For Nix, leaning into the AI tools embedded in Luxury Presence — an agent platform that includes an autonomous "AI marketing team" product — has allowed her to be a lot more hands-off when it comes to lead generation.
It's all about relationships
If she had to start her business all over again, Sultan said she would be sure to prioritize relationships with her fellow agents, her brokerage and technology.
Meanwhile, Nix said she would focus on authenticity, finding a great mentor and partnering with a brokerage that has accessible leadership.
And Funk would make sure she knew the right questions to ask a potential brokerage partner before diving in.
"So for those who are starting out, I would say you're coming into a really interesting, opportunist moment," Funk said.
But don't just surround yourself with industry cheerleaders, she advised: "Be around people who will be willing to say the things that might not be the sexy thing … who are willing to admit it's messy behind the scenes."