Determining the Right Marketing Budget for 2025

As 2024 comes to a close, one question I often hear from companies in the real estate finance industry is: “How much should we budget for marketing in the year ahead?” It’s a critical question—one that can significantly impact your growth and success in 2025.

The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Your marketing budget needs to align with benchmarks, market trends, and, most importantly, your growth goals.

Benchmarks for 2025

Let’s start with the numbers. Recent data shows how companies are allocating their marketing budgets across industries:

• Overall, marketing budgets now make up 7.7% of company revenue. —Source: Marketing Week
• B2B companies typically allocate 2-5% of revenue to marketing. —Source: HubSpot Blog
• B2C companies often dedicate 5-10% of revenue to marketing. —Source: HubSpot Blog
• Banking, financial services, and insurance sectors average 9.49% of revenue for marketing. —Source: HubSpot Blog

For real estate finance, the 9.49% benchmark is a solid reference point. However, your actual budget should reflect your company’s priorities: Are you aiming to grow market share, launch a new product, or simply maintain your current momentum?

Where Budgets Are Heading

The trends are clear—digital marketing is where companies are placing their bets for 2025 and beyond, with 72% of marketing budgets now dedicated to digital channels. —Source: Embryo

Digital strategies are designed to meet prospects and clients where they’re most active. That means content marketing, public relations, email marketing, websites and SEO are all key focus areas.

The Risk of Under-Investing

It’s natural to manage costs, but under-investing in marketing will likely cost you in the long run. Insufficient budgets mean missed opportunities to engage prospects, generate leads, and build your brand. In a competitive space like real estate finance, under-spending can hand your business over to competitors who are strategically investing in their growth.

Strategic Budgeting for 2025

When planning your 2025 marketing budget, focus on striking the right balance between ambition and efficiency:

• Allocate funds based on your growth goals—whether it’s lead generation, customer retention, or brand-building.
• Prioritize digital investments like PR, content marketing, social media, website optimization, and email marketing to stay ahead of evolving customer behaviors.
• Stay adaptable to emerging opportunities and market changes.

Let’s Talk Budgets

Determining the right marketing budget doesn’t have to be a guessing game. I'm here to help you make strategic, informed decisions that drive measurable growth. If you want to make the most of your 2025 marketing strategy, reach out to us at [email protected] to schedule a call and develop a plan that works for your business.

Rosalie Berg is the President and Founder of Strategic Vantage, a leading marketing and public relations agency specializing in the mortgage and financial services industries. An award-winning executive with over two decades of experience, Rosalie is celebrated for her strategic acumen and her exceptional ability to elevate brand visibility and business growth for her clients.