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Marketing is customer-centric and research-driven — it starts from the buyer's needs

A worked RES examination question on marketing strategy, from our Paper 2 bank — with the rule it turns on, and why each of the four options is right or wrong.

Paper 2Lesson 3Marketing strategyFree — no sign-up

The question

At a training session a manager describes two of her agents. Agent A spends the week researching recent transacted prices, studying which buyer groups are active, and deciding how to position a listing before it goes live. Agent B stands in the show unit each weekend pushing the specific unit hard to hit his monthly closing target. How should the two approaches be characterised?

  1. A. Agent A markets (customer-first); Agent B sells (product-first).
  2. B. Both agents are marketing, since both involve promoting a property.
  3. C. Agent A's approach is selling; Agent B's approach is marketing.
  4. D. Both agents are selling, since both ultimately aim to close a transaction.

The answer, and why

Answer: A

The rule. Marketing is customer-centric and research-driven — it starts from the buyer's needs. Selling is product-first and target-driven — pushing a specific product to hit a quota.

Why A is correct. Agent A researches and positions before listing (marketing); Agent B pushes one unit to meet a target (selling).

The other options.

  • C reverses the two definitions.
  • B treats all promotion as marketing; pushing one unit to a quota is selling.
  • D treats all deal-closing as selling; research and positioning before listing is marketing.

Exam note. Research and positioning = marketing; quota-driven pushing of one unit = selling.

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