Co-Marketing with a Lender – Side Support

What Is Co-Marketing?

RESPA Compliant

Co-marketing in DCB is a collaborative advertising arrangement between a real estate agent and a mortgage loan officer. Both professionals invest equally in a shared ad campaign, both brands appear in the creative, and both receive leads and performance data.

Benefit	How It Works
💰 Cut your ad spend in half	Instead of paying $400 alone, each partner pays $200
🤝 Strengthen lender relationships	Shared investment deepens your business partnership
📣 Expand your reach	Combined branding reaches both your audiences simultaneously
✅ Stay compliant	The platform is designed to satisfy RESPA requirements automatically

Important distinction Co-marketing is not a referral arrangement. It's a joint advertising investment where both partners contribute equally, both brands are equally prominent, and both receive the same leads and data. There is no referral fee or compensation exchange — just shared marketing spend.

What Ad Types Support Co-Marketing?

Co-marketing is currently available for Single Property Ads only. When browsing blueprints, use the "co-marketing" filter to see eligible campaign types.

Who Can I Co-Market With?

Co-marketing is designed for existing professional relationships — specifically agents partnering with mortgage loan officers they already work with. DCB does not currently provide a directory for finding new co-marketing partners; you'll need to bring your own lender contact.

How to Invite a Lender

In DCB, select the Single Property Ad blueprint (filter by "co-marketing" to find it quickly).
Choose your listing and complete the ad details as usual — property, geography, and creative.
In the Branding & Compliance section, fill in your information: headshot, logo, brokerage name, license number, and phone number.
On the billing page, click "Invite Co-Marketing Partner."
Enter your lender's name, email address, and an optional personal message.
Review the billing breakdown — the payment section automatically updates to reflect the 50/50 split.
Click "Submit to Co-Marketing Partner" to send the invitation.

What Happens Next

Outcome	What Happens
✅ Lender accepts within 5 days	Both partners are charged 50% of the total budget. The ad goes live on your scheduled start date.
❌ Lender declines	The order is cancelled. Neither partner is charged.
⏱️ Lender doesn't respond within 5 days	The invitation expires and the order is cancelled. Neither partner is charged.

Before You Send Give your lender a heads-up before sending the DCB invitation. A cold invitation with a 5-day response window can easily be missed or declined out of unfamiliarity. A quick call or text first leads to much smoother co-marketing partnerships.

How Payment Works

The 50/50 cost split in DCB is mandatory and cannot be modified. This is a RESPA compliance requirement — any deviation from equal cost-sharing could constitute a referral arrangement, which is not permitted under RESPA guidelines.

Rule	Detail
Split	Exactly 50/50 — cannot be adjusted by either party
When charged	Immediately upon the lender accepting the invitation
Both parties must pay	The campaign will not launch until both payments are processed
Multiple lenders	You can maintain multiple active co-marketing relationships, but only one lender per individual ad
Same property, different lenders	Allowed — you can run multiple co-marketed ads for the same property, each with a different lender

What Each Partner Can Do

Agent (Campaign Host)

Create and launch the co-marketing campaign
View all performance data and analytics
Receive and manage leads
Cancel the active campaign
Manage payment methods
Run additional independent campaigns

Lender (Invited Partner)

View performance data for co-marketed programs only
Receive and manage leads from co-marketed campaigns
Update their profile information
Cancel active co-marketed programs
Manage their payment method
❌ Cannot create new campaigns independently
❌ Cannot modify budget, targeting, or creative

Note for lenders If you cancel a co-marketed program, it affects both partners — the campaign ends for everyone. Only cancel after discussing with your agent partner.

For Lenders: Getting Set Up

If you've been invited to co-market by a Side agent, here's what you need to know. You don't need any digital marketing experience — the platform handles all the technical aspects.

What You'll Need to Provide

Information Type	Required Details
Personal	Full professional name, phone number, email address, professional headshot
Business	Company/brokerage name, company logo, business phone number
Licensing	Real estate or lending license number
Payment	Credit or debit card for your 50% share

Accessing the Platform After Accepting

Once you've accepted an invitation and the campaign is live, you can access your program data at any time via the magic link login sent to your email address. You'll also receive email notifications for new leads and campaign updates automatically.

Co-Marketing FAQs

Can the lender pay more or less than 50%?

No. The 50/50 split is mandatory for RESPA compliance and cannot be modified by either party. This ensures equal value exchange and prevents the arrangement from being classified as a referral fee.

Can I co-market with multiple lenders at the same time?

Yes — you can maintain active co-marketing relationships with multiple lenders simultaneously. Each individual ad can only have one co-marketing partner, but you can run separate ads for the same property, each co-marketed with a different lender.

What happens if my lender doesn't respond to the invitation?

The invitation expires after 5 days. The order is cancelled and neither party is charged. You'll need to send a new invitation if you'd like to try again.

How do I find new lenders to co-market with?

Co-marketing currently requires an existing professional relationship — DCB does not provide a lender directory. Start with loan officers you already refer business to or work with regularly.

Is this the same as a referral arrangement?

No. A referral arrangement involves one party compensating another for sending business. Co-marketing is a joint advertising investment — both parties pay equally, both brands appear equally, and both receive the same leads. There is no compensation exchange.