In early 2020, like countless other businesses throughout Southwest Florida and the country, I found myself in a strange position. The business was great – I’d grown tremendously since starting my company 4 years prior, but as the world came to grips with a pandemic that would change everything I started asking myself certain questions:

• What would this mean for the real estate industry?
• Could I grow even more?
• What should I do?
• Was now the right time to invest in my business?

Luckily a close friend and business associate emerged in the form of a partnership with Olympia Marketing a marketing firm & ad agency based in Fort Myers & Naples and its founder Zach Katkin. We met one afternoon at Panera at Coconut Point and talked about business and marketing. I was hesitant to ask myself questions like:

• Could I really afford to invest in this?
• If I invest what would my return be?
• How long would it take to understand my business and implement these suggestions and actions?
• Does this guy have experience in real estate?

Although I was a little hesitant at first, I ended up pulling the trigger, and now, nearly 3 years later, I am elated to share that this collaboration has resulted in our business quadrupling. In hindsight, I couldn’t afford NOT to invest in this. We had some ups and downs, and at one point, I realized I was the limiting factor in terms of my own ability to handle EVERYTHING at my business (I’ve since tripled staff in order to accommodate the business).

It didn’t take long at all to begin seeing results and – as I would come to find out – yes this guy knew real estate EXTREMELY well – having worked with virtually every major brokerage in the area, developing SAAS tools for the industry, including developing and marketing all of Kitson & Partners’ properties – notably personally running all of Babcock Ranches pre-launch and post-launch marketing and advertising.

As a side note here – the relationship itself has paid off in spades and between the company founder and close relationships it’s directly led to dozens of transactions, over and above the actual marketing we’ve done together. Literally partnering with a professional firm has led to more business return (in actual commissions from his own projects and his friends/family) than the expense has been for all of the marketing. It PAYS to work with great professionals has been my take away.

So what did we do as far as Real Estate Marketing?

Understanding the Business

Before diving into strategies and tools, Olympia Marketing and Zach took the time to thoroughly understand my business and what I was trying to accomplish. Sure there are a lot of commonalities between businesses in this space, and having a knowledge of real estate helped save time (and was valuable as far as suggestions) but every company is different, every founder has different goals. Also, my goals at the beginning of the process aren’t the goals I have currently. They didn’t just look at numbers and charts; they took a deep dive into our ethos, our offerings, and our target audience. It was this foundational understanding that laid the groundwork for everything else.

Forming a Strategic Plan

Armed with this understanding, Olympia Marketing charted a strategic plan, tailored specifically for KnowledgeBase FL. Instead of a generic, one-size-fits-all approach, we received a roadmap crafted uniquely for us. This plan was comprehensive, covering everything from digital marketing strategies to optimizing the customer journey.

The Right Tools for Measurement

One of Olympia’s strengths is their emphasis on measurability and return on investment. As I’m sure many of us know (especially in Real Estate) agents and those that service them aren’t always the most “bottom-line oriented” – but Zach and his team are. Nothing matters if it’s not leading to measurable results. They introduced tools that not only captured metrics but did so in a way that provided actionable insights. Every step, every campaign, and every strategy were tracked meticulously.

Executing, Measuring, and Refining

Once the plan was set and tools in place, we started executing. But unlike previous marketing efforts, this was dynamic. We weren’t just setting things in motion and hoping for the best. Regular reviews with Olympia ensured we measured progress and outcomes continuously, adjusting and refining our strategies in real-time. This iterative process ensured we were always on track and maximizing our ROI.

The Challenge of Scaling

As business started booming, an unforeseen challenge emerged: scaling our staff to handle the influx of new business. The surge in demand, while welcome, was unexpected, and we faced the daunting task of hiring and training new staff efficiently. Olympia Marketing, ever the reliable partner, provided valuable insights into streamlining hiring processes and onboarding new members, ensuring we didn’t compromise on service quality.

The Road Ahead

Today, KnowledgeBase FL stands transformed. Our collaboration with Olympia Marketing has not only bolstered our profits but has also enriched our understanding of effective, data-driven marketing. We’ve learned that in a world filled with uncertainty, having the right partner can make all the difference.

To Olympia Marketing – thank you. Here’s to more milestones and successes together!