On this week’s episode of the RealTrending podcast, we are joined by Scott Wright, a partner with RTC Consulting, the premier consulting firm for brokerage mergers and acquisitions, and business valuations for teams and brokerages. They've been collecting brokerage and team benchmarking data for the past 12 years.  Tracey and Scott cover the upcoming Dealmakers Conference and talk about the importance of benchmarking data on brokerage operations, including trends that they’re seeing in brokerage expenses, gross margin and how firms are valued. They also explore some of the innovative services brokers can adopt to enhance value and productivity, and talk about recent market dynamics and M&A trends. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Occupancy and personnel costs are the largest expenses for brokerages, and reducing these costs can significantly impact profitability. Brokers can boost their value by adding creative services, increasing productivity, and focusing on scale. Teams can have value beyond a referral fee by developing business systems and focusing on equity value. Benchmarking data is crucial for understanding how a brokerage is performing relative to its peers. Managing expenses is important, but recruiting and developing agents should be a priority for long-term success. Related to this episode: Connect with Scott on LinkedIn RTC Consulting The Gathering HousingWire’s YouTube Channel Enjoy the episode! The RealTrending podcast features the brightest minds in real estate. Every week, brokerage leaders, top agents, team leaders, and industry experts share their success secrets, trends, and lessons learned navigating this ever-changing industry. Hosted by Tracey Velt and produced by Elissa Branch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices