Brennen Clarke

A Modern Approach To Real Estate

By Robbyn Moore

Photos by Sasha Marceta with Skyview Experts

Photos taken at Cranbrook Custom Homes — Montcaret in Northville

With the influx of digital tools in today’s real estate market, most agents are not fully equipped with the right technology or have the education on how to embrace those tools. According to Brennen Clarke, who is a listing partner at eXp Realty — MARK Z Real Estate Experts, 95% of home searches start online. “If you’re not capitalizing on things like professional photos, Zillow 3D Home® tours, drone aerials and applications such as Matterport, then you are truly missing out on your chance to maximize your exposure and ultimately maximize your bottom line,” he said.

Brennen is an expert digital marketer who has achieved recognition and results by closely watching the ever-shifting direction of the real estate industry. “My bread and butter is video,” he explained. “The points of differentiation in my business are the forward-thinking tools I use in shooting videos, online marketing and various other customer touchpoints.”

Before Brennen earned his real estate license, he was living in Colorado and working at Vail Resorts. While he was very happy with his work-life balance, he knew that he wasn’t in a financially sustainable career. He was encouraged by a longtime friend to consider real estate. At age 24, he decided to move back to Michigan and study for the real estate exam. In September of 2018, after working as a bartender, he was financially stable enough to transition into a full-time real estate agent.

“Once I got into the details of my work, I realized there was a huge gap with how technology was being used in everyday business,” Brennen said. “From day one, I made a promise to myself, and to all my future clients, that I would help lead the innovation of the real estate industry by introducing technology into my everyday business.” Brennen’s ultimate goal was to enhance the customer experience and to add value to the industry through technology.

As a young professional, Brennen is pioneering his career through the implementation of technology and taking chances on himself in a very authentic manner. “I learned to get comfortable with being uncomfortable,” he shared. “When I first started doing videos, I had no point of reference or gauge for doing things. I was worried about what my peers would think of me or if strangers would even take me seriously. I had to become super comfortable with putting myself online for everyone to see and take some chances that others weren’t willing to take.”

His passion for studying market trends and current technology advancements translates into everything Brennen does with his business. His daily interactions with his clients are met with modern forms of communication that best serve their needs. “Whether it’s texting, emailing or even Zoom calls, I will cater to my clients’ communication preferences,” Brennen said. “My goal is to create a seamless experience that builds a trusting relationship and, ultimately, a successful transaction.”

Brennen was awarded “Most Improved Agent” of 2020 by increasing his business 600% last year. He also earned a spot in Hour Detroit as one of the top 5% real estate agents in Metro Detroit and has sold almost $25 million in his first three years. Since being on the MARK Z Team, Brennen has achieved Listing Partner of the Month five times and was promoted to the chief social officer on his team, where he is helping other agents become comfortable with social media and digital marketing. He has created a luxury lake-life real estate brand called “Lake Livin’ in The Mitten” that will also begin offering apparel for purchase in the fall of 2021.

Brennen is originally from Fenton, Michigan, and played football at Adrian College before transferring to Western Michigan University. When a shoulder injury ended his football career, Brennen became very depressed and eventually dropped out of school his senior year. “I lost my drive and my everyday purpose for a while,” he recalled. “During this time, I dove deep into learning more about my newfound hobbies such as video editing, and exploring and understanding new ways to use social media.”

Brennen is a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. “I strongly believe that every choice that I have made throughout my lifetime so far has directly correlated to where I am in life right now. If I had to describe in one word why I am in the position I am today, it’s grit.”

Brennen’s parents, Paul and Mechelle, have always been his biggest supporters. They showed Brennen how to overcome obstacles and beat the odds in life. Along with his sisters — Makenzie, Hayley and Hannah — they are a tight-knit family who loves to travel and spend time together on their boat on Lake Fenton. Brennen also has two dogs, Riley, a wirehaired Mountain Cur who was rescued from a shelter in Georgia, and Louis, who is a 4-month-old Australian Shepherd/Bernese Mountain Dog mix.

My goal is to create a seamless experience that builds a trusting relationship and, ultimately, a successful transaction.

Brennen’s spirited enthusiasm for implementing marketing videos into his everyday business is fueled by his desire for helping close family and friends purchase a home — especially their first home. “It’s so rewarding to see the excitement on the face of a first-time homebuyer,” he said. “I also love to see the relief from my selling clients when I am able to tell them their home is officially under contract — it’s indescribable.”

Looking ahead, Brennen hopes to have a TV show of his own in Michigan that highlights some of the amazing communities in the area. Currently, he’s working on building a community-based video series that will highlight local cities and what they have to offer while continuing his already successful series, “Flavors of Fenton.” He would also like to one day build a team of his own, possibly partnering with agents across the country and even internationally — in countries like Canada, Mexico and Australia.

Early in Brennen’s career, he was told by several people in the business that he was wasting his time with videos. Because of his grit and determination, his perseverance paid off. “As a result of my videos, I’m now reaching more people than ever before, and I don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon!”

Brennen Clarke - Rising Star