Which Is Better? Loan vs. Real Estate Affiliate Program
Affiliate marketing helps businesses connect with consumers through affiliates, or people who promote a business or service, for a commission. The more consumers use a business through the affiliate, the more money the affiliate makes.
When done correctly, becoming an affiliate marketer can be a lucrative career. In this article, we are going to discuss loan and real estate affiliate programs. We’ll explain both, explain their differences, and help you decide which one you want to be.
What Is a Loan Affiliate Program?
A loan affiliate program allows affiliates (also called publishers) to suggest different lenders to their audiences. A loan affiliate program can cover installment loans, payday loans, or business loans.
Why People Choose to Become Loan Affiliates
While it can’t be confirmed for all affiliates, most people choose loan affiliate programs because loans are evergreen, meaning people need them year-round. Whether it’s extra help stretching a budget, funds for travel, or dealing with an unexpected expense (like car repairs), people are always looking for a lender they can trust.
Consumers usually take immediate action and click loan affiliate links, earning affiliates commissions. On average, finance-related affiliate programs pay affiliates 35–40% commission. Programs like RoundSky.com pay affiliates as high as 90% commission.
What Is a Real Estate Affiliate Program?
A real estate affiliate program is one in which affiliates get a commission when consumers click on their affiliate link. Affiliates promote realtors, real estate-related services/products (such as insurance), or even properties themselves.
Why Do People Choose to Become a Real Estate Affiliate?
Some people choose to become real estate affiliates due to their experience in the field as realtors, appraisers, or other relevant roles. It’s a way for them to make extra money using the knowledge and skills they already have.
The other reason is the large commission. As you know, buying a home or land comes with a large price tag, and you can earn a substantial commission per purchase or referral.
Content Strategy Differences
While there are crossovers in the content a loan or real estate affiliate will make, there are also many differences.
| Content | Loan Affiliate | Real Estate Affiliate |
| Topics | Emergency expenses Bad credit loan options Short-term cash needs Debt consolidation Installment loans Borrowing with limited credit history Business loans | City or neighborhood guides First-time homebuyer resources Home selling guides Real estate agent comparisons Rental market information Home valuation content Real estate investing guides |
| Guides | “How to Pick the Right Type of Loan for You” | “What to Know about Living in City, State” |
| Comparison articles | “Payday Loans vs. Installment Loans” | “City vs. City” |
| Videos | Talking about what problems a loan could help with | Showing a house through video |
| Tools | Loan interest calculator | Mortgage calculator |
| Social media | Shouting out lender, sharing content, showing lender stories | Focusing on photos/videos of houses or homeowner stories |
| Local SEO | Not needed most of the time (don’t necessarily need a local lender) | Will target the area where the real estate professional/home is in |
| Livestreams | Interacting with the audience, maybe answers financial questions (depending on expertise background) | Showing homes, answering real estate questions and interviewing the realtor(s) they work with |
| Emails | Sending general interaction/reminder of content available to them | Alerting the audience to openings in their area, new blog postings |
| Forums | Sharing their preferred lender on financial forums | Sharing their expert opinions on various real estate forums |
| Collaborations | Working with other affiliates or influencers, either to get or provide a financial expert | Working with other types of real estate professionals for comprehensive knowledge |
Key Differences to Consider When Choosing Between Being a Loan or Real Estate Affiliate
When choosing between joining a loan or mortgage affiliate program, know that both are profitable options. Whether one is better than the other completely depends on you. Here are some additional factors that could help you lean toward one or the other.
| Factor | Loan Affiliate | Real Estate Affiliate |
| Background knowledge | Not required, but can help | Needed |
| Audience | People who need extra money, people with bad credit, and business owners | Homeowners, real estate professionals, homebuyers, investors |
| Length of buyer’s journey | Short | Long |
| Localization required | No | Yes |
| Buyer stage | Mid-end of funnel | Entering the funnel |
| Lead conversion speed | Quick | Slow |
| Content shelf life | Evergreen | May need consistent updates |
| User qualification | Needs | Location, budget |
| Crossover niches | Finance, emergency money, getting out of debt | Homeownership, investment, relocation |
Why Conversion Volume Matters More Than Payout Size
The biggest concern you probably have about any form of affiliate marketing is how you can make money and how much. What you might not realize is that your commission, or payout, size isn’t the only thing that affects your earnings.
You have to think about how many times your audience will purchase the product/service you’re marketing. This is the conversion volume.
A real estate affiliate’s audience can take three to four months before converting due to their focus on research and the price tag of a home. For loan affiliates, their audience moves quickly due to their personal circumstances.
So consider this example. Within a single month:
- The loan affiliate got 50 conversions and a commission payout of $500
- The real estate affiliate got 1 conversion and a commission payout of $500
While they both got the same payout, how they got it is very different. The loan affiliate got multiple people to convert, while the real estate affiliate got one.
Relying on one person to convert each month isn’t very sustainable. If you can’t get one person each month, then you don’t get paid.
One conversion a month wouldn’t be a problem if you are doing this for extra income in addition to your primary job, but if your goal is to do affiliate marketing full-time, it can be stressful.
Even if the loan affiliate didn’t convert exactly 50 people each month, they are more likely to get multiple people to convert—providing a relatively steady income. (Round Sky’s loan affiliates can get up to $250 per lead.)
Overall, a higher commission per conversion is only as good as the number of people you can convert.
Become an Affiliate Marketer Today!
Both real estate and loan affiliate marketing can be profitable with the right skills, hard work, and patience. If you are looking for a loan affiliate program, explore Round Sky.
Our program is accessible and supportive for new and established loan affiliates. We will provide the tools needed to make creating campaigns and tracking conversions easy.
