As the market tightens, agents everywhere are seeking ways to trim their costs. But if you're looking at your marketing budget for savings, think again.

"It's the easiest line item to cut from your budget," said Abby Lee, senior vice president, marketing and communications at RE/MAX. "But it's the hardest thing to get back."

The temptation to cut spending is natural, but marketing is more important than ever when business is down.

"If you're just waiting for the phone to ring, it's not going to," Lee said.

Coconut Creek, Fla., agent Bri White agreed, adding that it's not enough just to put up signs. "Passive marketing days are gone," she said. "It's good awareness, but you have to be actively engaged in order for that awareness to work."

'Marketing doesn't have to be expensive' — but ROI can be high

White, who is sometimes known as "RE/MAX Girl," said being affiliated with a brand that invests in marketing tools is a huge asset. She estimates that she spends about $300 a year on apps to help her with creative design. "In 10 minutes max, I can have a stunning listing video," she said.

White got her nickname after starting a Facebook group called RE/MAX Creative. "It's all about marketing, sharing and collaborating," she said. The group is now more than 27,000 agents strong and growing. 

"Marketing doesn't have to be expensive," Lee said. "Staying top of mind gives agents the absolute best chance of getting into that consideration set when consumers are looking for an agent."

Keeping in touch with clients long after a sale has closed is a simple tool with potentially big payoff, she said, pointing to research that shows more than 80% of consumers at the closing table say they'd use the same agent again. "But the fact of the matter is only a small minority do."

Give up marketing, and you'll be giving away market share

After the 2008 financial crisis, some companies put marketing on hold. "We saw brands go down 10 points in awareness — and we took that share," Lee said.

"As a corporation, we haven't dialed back on any of our marketing," she said. And RE/MAX is investing in new tools for its agents to up their marketing game.

White agreed. "Since I've been with RE/MAX, the marketing abilities have only grown, grown, grown."

Social media posts, especially on sites like Instagram and TikTok, can be great ways to keep yourself in front of prospective clients, Lee said.

White recently posted an Instagram video of her stepping into a puddle outside a listing. It has 13,000 views and counting. RE/MAX gives "you the ability to be who you are but still have the advantage of a global company," she said, adding that about half of her business comes to her through her social media posts.

A robust toolkit for agent marketing

RE/MAX offers its agents a range of creative support, including: 

• A discounted subscription to Photofy with RE/MAX branded templates to create digital assets.

• Megaphone, an in-house tool that helps agents create digital campaigns and provide performance reports to share with clients.

• RE/MAX Hustle, which enables agents to create a 15-second video with professional graphics and music. "You can upload your own video or piece together stuff we've added in there. And it doesn't cost a dime," Lee said. "You can send it in an email or text for no dollars or cents."

The tool is so good, agents not affiliated with RE/MAX have used it, she said, despite the RE/MAX balloon branding. "That's a compliment, right?" Lee said with a chuckle.

"The whole idea is how can we make something that can be time-consuming easier, and also less scary," she said of the tools RE/MAX offers its agents.

Digital marketing is most effective when it's reaching the right people, which is where RE/MAX tools, resources and tech offerings come in. The brand's affiliates have access to technology that analyzes the contacts already in their phone to help determine which are most likely to buy or sell soon, comparing them against databases of people who have been researching mortgage rates, for example.

It provides tremendous value to agents who use it, Lee said. "How much business have you lost from people sitting in your phone?"