By Tami Bonnell, Co-Chair, EXIT Realty Corp. International
For years, we’ve watched the economy evolve. We moved from the Attention Economy, where success often meant being the loudest voice in the room. Social media rewarded visibility, image, and the ability to capture a moment of someone’s attention.
Then came the Experience Economy. During COVID, priorities shifted dramatically. People realized experiences and quality of life mattered more than appearances. They wanted businesses that understood what they were going through and leaders who showed empathy instead of simply promoting themselves.
Today, we’ve entered something even more powerful: the Attachment Economy.
Attachment is different than attention. It’s different than experience. Attachment is about belonging. It’s about people choosing to align themselves with organizations, leaders, and brands whose values reflect their own. They want to be connected to something authentic, something that makes a positive difference.
One of the biggest reasons people join a brokerage isn’t the commission split or the latest technology. They join because of their relationship with a leader. They trust someone and can connect, that’s attachment.
It’s also why consumers increasingly choose professionals whose values align with theirs. They want to know who you are before they decide whether to work with you. They want to know what you stand for, how you serve your community, and what matters to you beyond the transaction.
Years ago, we experienced this lesson firsthand through the Spirit of EXIT. We proudly supported Habitat for Humanity, an incredible organization making a real difference. But over time, we recognized something important. While Habitat remained a wonderful cause, it wasn’t every community’s greatest priority. So, we evolved.
Instead of supporting only one charity, we empowered our regions, brokers, and agents to support the causes that mattered most where they lived and worked. Today, the Spirit of EXIT has contributed more than $8 million to charitable initiatives across North America.
Those dollars now support veterans, children, seniors, environmental causes, health initiatives, and countless local organizations chosen by the communities themselves.
Why? Because people become attached to causes they genuinely care about. When your business reflects what matters to your community, people don’t simply notice, they connect. That’s the difference.
The same principle applies to your marketing. Every message you share, social media post, community event, public relations opportunity is telling people who you are. The question is: Is it attracting the people you actually want to attract?
I remember a large real estate company that invested heavily in researching exactly that question. Their leadership wanted to build a collaborative, team-oriented culture. Yet the people they consistently attracted were highly individualistic and competitive.
The problem wasn’t the candidates. It was the marketing. Their messaging unintentionally celebrated individual achievement over collaboration. They attracted exactly what they projected. That’s a lesson every leader should remember.
If your brand promises teamwork, your stories should demonstrate teamwork. If integrity is your greatest strength, tell stories that showcase difficult decisions made with integrity. If community matters, show your involvement, not because it’s good marketing but because it’s genuinely part of who you are.
The most effective leaders also recognize that attachment isn’t about finding people who are exactly like us. Every individual has unique experiences, perspectives, and priorities. Instead, great leaders become students of people.
They ask questions. They listen carefully. They understand what matters most to someone before trying to convince them of anything. Whether you’re recruiting an agent, serving a first-time home buyer concerned about affordability, or helping environmentally conscious clients find a home that aligns with their values, connection begins with understanding.
People want to feel seen. They want to feel heard. They want to believe the relationship extends beyond a single transaction or conversation. When you invest in someone with that mindset, you’re building something much stronger than a network. You’re creating a compound interest in a human being.
That’s where the greatest opportunity exists for our industry. In this economy, success won’t belong to those with the biggest marketing budgets or the loudest voices. It will belong to leaders whose values consistently match their actions, whose stories reflect genuine purpose and make people feel they belong.
Relationships have always mattered. Today, they’re your greatest competitive advantage.
