Marketing Budget and Business Budget Reimbursements

What is my marketing budget?

Your marketing budget is specified in your ICA. Compass marketing budgets cover items and activities that promote you (the agent) and Compass in an effort to drive business, including referral and repeat client promotional initiatives. 

To request a Marketing Reimbursement, go to Agent Home > Business Tracker > Finances > Marketing budget > New reimbursement

Submit a reimbursement in your Finances tab under Business Tracker in your Agent Home. Once in the Finances tab, you’ll see the Marketing budget tab as an option across the top, click on the New Reimbursement blue button at the top right corner, fill in the relevant information in the form, and submit it. 

What is my business budget?

As an agent, eligible business expenses such as computers or office supplies may be reimbursable by Compass. For a full rundown of what a business budget is, items approved for reimbursement, and other FAQs, please see here.

What is a Rebranding budget?

A rebranding budget is awarded to an agent when they join Compass. This budget covers new Signage, business cards, or other marketing collateral they would need to introduce them as a new team at Compass. Digital Ads are NOT covered. The only place you can verify the amount of rebranding budget you were awarded is by checking your ICA; this does not show up in Business Tracker.

How does the agent submit their receipts to get reimbursed from their rebranding budget?

An agent will need to fill out this form to start the reimbursement process. Be sure to select "Rebranding Costs" at the end of the form. Please note that you will only be reimbursed in one lump sum just once per quarter. 

How do I get reimbursed?

If you have direct deposit, the reimbursement will be debited to your account. If you do not have direct deposit, we will notify you when the check is ready for pick up. 

Please ensure that your proof of receipt includes BOTH the final dollar amount to be reimbursed AND the vendor name. This information is necessary for us to process your request, and you will not be reimbursed if it is missing.

How often are reimbursements processed?

Reimbursements submitted through the Marketing Budget tool in the Compass platform will be reimbursed in 1-3 business days.

Where can I check the status of my reimbursement?

Marketing charges submitted for reimbursement can be seen under the Marketing Budget tab by clicking on the status dropdown which will have charges in the following statuses: 

  • Pending

  • Approved

  • Rejected

Please reach out to finance@compass.com in case there is any discrepancy with respect to the status of the Marketing charges.

How can I check the balance of my marketing budget?

You can check the balance of your marketing budget within Business Tracker. Marketing Budget reporting currently includes the following: 

  • Historical Marketing charges submitted for reimbursement and Vendor invoice charges for your team

  • Credit grant history

What expenses are covered under the marketing budget?

Marketing budgets cover everything an agent needs to market a listing and promote themselves and the Compass brand. 

IMPORTANT: It is required for all marketing to be on-brand in order to be reimbursed (details on this below). See this list of approved vendors to ensure your marketing is always reimbursable.

These items are approved for marketing budget allocation:

  • Open House & For Sale Signs | Production and install/removal of on-brand signs

  • Photography / Videography | Images and video created for use in marketing materials fulfilled by an approved Compass vendor

  • Printed collateral | On-brand printed marketing material, such as mailers and brochures, fulfilled through an approved Compass vendor (Xpressdocs)

  • Print Advertising | On-brand paid media placements that market the agent and / or listings

  • Digital Advertising | Paid digital ads including social, search, video, and display. Fulfilled directly with a media partner or through Marketing Center

  • Website Development | Cost to develop and manage agent website (e.g. Luxury Presence, Search Engine Optimization)

  • Copywriting | Copywriting services for marketing purposes (listing descriptions, advertising, etc.) fulfilled through an approved Compass vendor

  • Floor plans | Development of floor plans by an approved Compass vendor

  • Virtual staging | Costs for virtual staging by an approved Compass vendor

  • CRM systems | Contact management tool for ongoing outreach and marketing to database; requires that Agents follow email best practices

  • Social Media | Cost of social media management service, including a freelancer or scheduling and analytics platforms, like HootSuite

  • Direct Mail | Printing and postage for direct mail marketing campaigns

  • MailChimp + Email services | Email services that facilitate email distribution to agent database

  • Compass-branded swag | Acquired from Compass Boutique or pre-approved by Marketing (umbrellas, notepads, tees, stickers, gift bags, hats, etc.)

  • Business Cards | Marketing-approved design and production of business cards (first 50 cards covered by Compass; subsequent orders can be reimbursed through marketing budget)

  • Sponsorships + Events | On-brand event sponsorships and event production (venue rental, collateral, swag, promotional marketing). Travel expenses (transport / lodging) cannot be reimbursed.

  • Client Gifts | Closing, holiday, birthday gifts, etc.

  • Client Appreciation Parties | Compass-branded event collateral (invites/decor/swag) and venue costs. Food & beverage can also be reimbursed with pre-approval from the marketing team. To qualify, send an email to marketing@compass.com answering the below questions to justify how it’s a promotional marketing event: 

    • Event Date

    • Purpose of Event (How is this a marketing activity?): 

    • Attendees (Who is it - existing clients/past clients? How many people?): 

    • What items do you wish to expense?

What expenses are NOT covered under the marketing budget?

The items below are not approved: agents are responsible for paying these expenses:

  • Marketing collateral that is “off brand” | See guidelines below and talk to your Marketing Advisor for additional guidance

  • Business Expenses | The following items are considered business expenses and are not reimbursable through your marketing budget

    • Staging (consider Compass Concierge to cover staging costs)

    • Client dinners, happy hours, and entertainment

    • Open house food, beverages, and decor

    • Lead generation, software, messenger services, car services, office supplies, etc.

    • Zillow advertising

    • Travel for trade shows, corporate events, Compass REtreats, networking events

    • The cost of alcohol cannot be reimbursed, but you can reimburse for on-brand, Compass-branded wine labels or tags

    • Licensing fees and dues

What does "on-brand" mean?

Please consult with the Agent Experience team (agentexperience@compass.com) to ensure your marketing follows Compass brand guidelines. Anything created in Marketing Center (and unaltered) will be on brand. 

A few key reminders about the Compass brand: 

  • Color Palette: Black and white are approved colors; additional color can come from photography 

  • Fonts: All marketing should utilize Compass custom fonts 

  • Photography: Color photography is always used

  • Approved Marketing Vendors: See our approved vendor list for Compass-approved vendors who will produce on-brand collateral/photography, etc. 

My budget is expiring soon — how should I spend it?

Do you have a Compass marketing budget that's about to expire? Here's a list of easy, quick, and effective ways to spend this money.

// BRANDED SWAG

  • Purchase branded swag items like stickers, mugs, t-shirts, tote bags, etc. to give to your clients. Check out companies like swag.com, Clove & Twine, and 4imprint

  • Easily purchase items from the Compass Boutique

  • Buy branded collateral you'll need for future events, like a pop-up tent or a table cloth

// GIFT CENTER

// GET YOUR LOGO ANIMATED

  • Logo animation is a great way to make your brand stand out. You can use an animated logo across various platforms such as email headers and signatures, your website, on social media, and within videos as an intro or outro animation

  • Request an animated logo via Quickframe using this form.

// STATIONERY

// LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY

  • Compass-produced lifestyle photoshoots are one of the best ways to create personal brand assets to use in your marketing materials. Having great photos on hand year-round lets you take advantage of time-sensitive opportunities. The Marketing team recommends shooting 2 to 3 times per year, which will allow your marketing images to change with the seasons

    1. Review our photographers here

    2. Familiarize yourself with the Compass Lifestyle Photography Guide

    3. Confirm locations (2-3), wardrobe, props, and activities for your shoot. See our generic shot list here. If you have any questions regarding these details please email your marketing advisor at marketing@compass.com

    4. Schedule your lifestyle shoot with your preferred photographer

// DIGITAL BANNER ADS

  • Digital Marketing company, Lead Gen Lab, works exclusively with Compass agents to offer digital advertising solutions such as targeted banner ads and google search ads to promote your brand or your listings

  • Reach out to marketing@compass.com if you are interested

// RUN AN AD ON SOCIAL MEDIA

// HIRE A MARKETING FREELANCER FOR WORK

  • We have a list of certified Compass freelancers, meaning they have access to Compass' marketing center and other tools. You can use your marketing budget to pay a freelancer for some hourly work. Reach out to marketing@compass.com if you are interested in hiring a Compass freelancer. Services include:

    • Marketing Center collateral creation

    • Social Media management

    • E-newsletter creation in Marketing Center and distribution to contact list

    • Marketing admin (professional printing, submitting marketing reimbursements, etc.)

// PROFESSIONALLY PRINT LISTING BROCHURES FOR YOUR ACTIVE LISTINGS

  • Give your listing brochures a leg-up on the competition by getting them professionally printed with Xpressdocs. Simply create a brochure in marketing center with high-res images and when you're ready, click print > send to Xpressdocs

 

Still have questions?

Reach out to our Agent Experience Team!