The Power of a Brand Name - Why “Saving Money” Almost Cost Me Everything
Back in 2000, my father and I made what we thought was a bold and smart entrepreneurial move. We left a big national real estate company, Keller Williams Realty, and decided to open our own firm. We called it Poindexter Properties. A family business. Our name on the door. Total control.
What could possibly go wrong.
At the time, our thinking felt logical. Why give a large company part of our commissions when we could keep it all? We believed we would save money, build our own brand, and do things our way. On paper, it sounded like a great idea.
In reality, it was one of the hardest lessons of my career.
Opening our own brokerage was an ordeal, and not the inspiring, hustle-filled story people like to tell today. Suddenly, we weren’t just selling real estate. We were running a business. And running a business came with expenses we never fully appreciated at the time.
Rent. Utilities. Insurance. Errors and omissions coverage. Office furniture. Phones. Fax machines, yes, fax machines. Massive copiers that jammed constantly. Paper. Toner. More toner. Marketing costs. Signage. Licensing. Accounting. Legal fees. Maintenance. Repairs. Technology that was outdated the moment you bought it. The list never ended.
We thought we were saving money. We weren’t. We were spending it faster than we ever had before.
But the hardest part wasn’t even the overhead. The hardest part was being a no-name company.
The public treated us exactly like that.
As a small, local Oklahoma brokerage with no national recognition, no global reach, and no brand equity, we were constantly fighting an uphill battle. Sellers hesitated. Buyers questioned credibility. I lost listings and deals simply because we were “just a small local company.” Not because I didn’t know the market. Not because I didn’t work hard. But because the brand on the sign didn’t inspire confidence.
Here’s a number that still sticks with me.
The year before starting Poindexter Properties, I made around $60,000.
The first year running our own company, I made around $19,000.
Same work ethic. Same market knowledge. Same me.
Completely different outcome.
After a couple of very tough years, we shut it down and went back to Keller Williams. Almost immediately, my business quadrupled. Nothing about how I worked changed. The brand did.
That was the moment the lesson became crystal clear.
Over the years, I’ve been asked many times why I didn’t just open The Wyatt Poindexter Group and try again on my own. My answer has always been the same. No way. I already lived that chapter, and I learned from it.
The power of a big brand, especially one with national and global recognition, is everything.
A strong brand gives you instant credibility. It opens doors before you ever say a word. It builds trust with clients who have never met you. It positions you as legitimate, connected, and capable from the very first impression. In real estate, perception matters, and a powerful brand shapes that perception immediately.
A small local company, no matter how well intentioned or hardworking, has to constantly explain itself. A big brand doesn’t. The reputation has already done the talking.
That is why today I am incredibly grateful to be the Managing Partner of The Agency in Oklahoma.
And I can say this without hesitation. The Agency is worth every single penny we send them.
Not most of it. All of it.
Because what you receive in return is not just a logo or a sign in the yard. You get an entire ecosystem working behind you every single day. You get global brand recognition that immediately builds trust with buyers and sellers. You get world-class marketing across print, digital, video, social media, and public relations that most independent brokerages could never afford to produce or sustain on their own.
You get technology that actually helps you run your business better. Systems that streamline operations. Tools that improve communication, marketing reach, data, and efficiency. Not technology for show, but tools that help you close more deals and serve clients at a higher level.
You get referrals. Real referrals. From across the country and around the world. You get collaboration with top agents in major markets. You get access to off-market opportunities, shared buyers, shared listings, and shared knowledge.
You get leadership, vision, training, and education. Events that don’t just motivate you but show you where the industry is headed. You get support teams and people who actually answer the phone when you need help.
Most importantly, you get credibility before you ever walk into a room. Sellers don’t question whether you are big enough. Buyers don’t wonder if you are connected. The brand already answered those questions for you.
And this is where The Agency truly separates itself.
The Agency is the new way of real estate. Period.
They are not stuck in outdated models, antiquated thinking, or old-school profit-sharing structures that made sense decades ago but no longer serve today’s agents or clients. There is no “this is how we’ve always done it” mentality. Everything is constantly being evaluated, refined, and improved.
The approach is fresh, intentional, and forward-thinking. From branding and marketing to technology, education, and collaboration, The Agency looks at every part of the business and asks one simple question: How do we make this better?
I was reminded of that in a big way last week at the annual Agency Forum in Fort Lauderdale. The ideas, tools, and innovations being rolled out are next level. Not theory. Not hype. Real solutions designed to help agents operate more efficiently, market more intelligently, and serve clients at a higher level.
This isn’t innovation for buzzwords or headlines. It’s innovation that actually shows up in your daily business, your listings, your reach, and your results.
I left Forum energized, informed, and genuinely excited about what’s coming next. Watching a company with this kind of global footprint move this fast, while still protecting its culture and putting people first, is rare.
And yes, the branding works in everyday life too. I wear an Agency hat to the gym and people ask about it. I’ve picked up listings that way. I once wore an Agency hoodie to the gym on a cruise ship and spent 45 minutes talking instead of lifting a single weight. Four conversations about The Agency. One person asked me to connect them with an Agency agent in New York City.
That doesn’t happen with a small, unknown local brand.
That happens with a globally recognized one.
Could I save money by going independent again? Sure.
Would it cost me ten times more in lost opportunities, exposure, leverage, and growth? Absolutely.
I learned that lesson the hard way early in my career.
The right brand doesn’t take from you. It multiplies you. And The Agency doesn’t just support my real estate business. It elevates it, protects it, and expands it in ways I could never replicate on my own.
That’s not hype.
That’s experience.
Wyatt Poindexter
Managing Partner, The Agency Oklahoma
405-417-5466
[email protected]
www.WyattPoindexter.com
www.TheAgencyRE.com
