“Busy” doesn’t even begin to describe the everyday life of a Field Marketing Director, but Randy Bragdon and his team are always there for the agents they serve, bringing creativity, insight and a personal touch to their crucial roles. With operations in Arizona and Southern California, Randy wears multiple hats between 73 offices and moves mountains for the 5,782 agents he supports.
Read on for a closer look at the world of an FMD and learn how Randy and his team help agents grow their businesses with Coldwell Banker®.
As someone who successfully ran their own real estate company for 17 years, you have experience as both an agent and a Field Marketing Director with Coldwell Banker. What kind of insights has your background given you that helps you support agents?
I understand the hustle of running an independent business, the contracts, compliance issues, legal issues and the stress, so I can empathize with agents – I’ve been in their shoes, so I try to humanize the marketing process. It gives me a perspective that many people who sit in a similar role may not have.
What’s a typical day like for you?
My team and I are always thinking about what’s next, and how do we leverage our technology, industry and competitive pressures, and consumer demand and behaviors to strategize and drive adoption with our flagship programs like Listing Concierge and Clients For Life. Pre-COVID, I was constantly traveling for in-person meetings, presentations, trainings, retention meetings and networking opportunities at our agent recognition events and expos. I’m also in several of The Studio’s stakeholder groups, so I’m able to give a lot of feedback on our products and programs. My day is usually a mix of strategy and creative, and sometimes I serve as an unlicensed therapist.
What was your team’s strategy for working around COVID-19? How do you engage with and encourage agents during difficult times?
I have the best team, period. So, when we needed to quickly pivot, our team was willing to take on the challenge. What helped make the transition smooth was they were able to keep up communication and sustain relationships virtually, and we already had an ecosystem in place to hold virtual meetings and trainings. I believe our team has amazing synergy, creativity and a desire to grow and be the best. As far as engaging with agents, we’ve been proactively reaching out and asking, “How can we support you?” We understand that agents’ day-to-day has changed dramatically and they are adapting to a new way of running their business, and we are here to help.
One of the most important initiatives of The Studio is to help agents market themselves and their business. How would you say that Studio products are valuable to agents, and valuable to you?
With Design Concierge, agents can put so much individuality into their marketing materials to help differentiate themselves from other agents. As for Listing Concierge, Coldwell Banker makes a significant investment in every single package, and it’s not just agents saying to their clients, “I can make a postcard,” it’s “I can deliver a comprehensive bespoke marketing program for your home.” So, I love that we’ve created the best-in-class tools and products to bring to our agents. We live in a world where agents can get distracted by so many shiny pennies, but at the end of the day, it goes back to the relationship business we are all in, and we have tools that can help agents stay in contact with their clients, help them stay visible, win listings and ultimately make more money.
You’ve said before that you value your left- and right-brain abilities. How do you bring fun and creativity to your everyday life at Coldwell Banker?
In my free time, I’ve written and performed stand-up comedy, so I bring that same approach to presentations at work – you need to maintain attention, get your message across and not be afraid to tell a really good dad joke or a pun. I’ll also get down in the trenches with my team. There’s always going to be a stressful day, but I think when you can get through it with great relationships, it keeps things fun. My mantra is from one of my favorite songs: Love, life and laughter is all I believe.
