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Ray White’s long-standing partnership with Port Adelaide demonstrated the value of brand exposure in the AFL according to head of marketing Todd Alexander.

And, this is what led to the national real estate franchise recently expanding its sponsorship roster to include Collingwood and the Sydney Swans

“We have been partnering with Port for the last seven years, and it’s been a big brand awareness play,” Alexander said.

“The MCG signage deal we did last year with MKTG really took off and created significant excitement among our members.

“There was a sense of pride in seeing the Ray White brand during major AFL games, and that drove further interest in working with clubs.”

So it extended its AFL involvement in 2023 by signing with the Brisbane Lions as coaches' and real estate partner.

Both experiences shaped the approach to taking on three-year deals with Collingwood and the Sydney.

“The Swans have one of the best high-performance cultures in Australian sport, and that was a key attraction for us,” Alexander said.

“Their membership base aligns with key areas where we operate in NSW.”

The Sydney agreement includes hosting business development events at the club’s new headquarters.

Ray White franchisees and their families will also participate in an SCG training session alongside Swans players.

“We want our members to get firsthand experience of what high performance looks like in a sporting environment.

“We believe the leadership and teamwork lessons from the Swans can translate directly into how our businesses operate.”

The Collingwood deal follows a similar strategy, with Alexander highlighting the club’s leadership and broad national supporter base as key factors in the decision to include the iconic Aussie rules club.

“Collingwood told us they are the biggest sporting brand in the country, and their membership of 110,000 is spread across Australia,” Alexander said.

“Their coach, Craig McRae, is an incredible leader and we want to learn from the systems and structures that have driven their success.”

Ray White’s logo will be featured on footballs used in training and pre-game warmups by Collingwood’s AFL and AFLW teams. Also included will be business development activations for Ray White members to become familiar with leadership strategies used by the club.

“Collingwood’s recent success in the AFL is something we can learn from, not just in terms of what they do well but also how they bounce back when things don’t go as planned.”

Alexander revealed that the deals were negotiated internally. No agencies were involved.

All the partnerships will be reviewed to assess their impact on brand awareness and the business overall.

“We always aim to balance brand awareness with tangible benefits for our members who contribute to our marketing levies,” Alexander concluded.

“These sponsorships are not just about visibility but about learning and improving. We’re excited to see how they evolve.”

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