We also started to contact local furniture owners in the area with the strategy of "free promotion".

The have built golf courses and heavily promote hiking and biking to try to fill the rooms during the summer.

I’m asking these questions because I recently attended a 3-day real estate investing class where they did not promote wholesaling distressed properties.

Some banks have this type of promotion where if you deposit a few thousands and let it sits for three month you get $150 or $250 cash bonus.

They will be judged on what they promote (honesty or otherwise). willingness to help, knowledge, education (this is often apparent in their posts), etc.

It elevates the quality of the house instantly when tenants see stainless appliances which gets you tenants faster and promotes higher rents too. 

You listed companies that buy, renovate, sell and manage properties as well as companies that do two or three of those things and one company that is a promoter.  

& Regs. r. 520-1-.07Legal/Regulatory Action: Rule(link is external)The Georgia Real Estate Commission has identified the following tasks that unlicensed support personnel may perform:Answer the phone, forward calls to the licensee;Submit data in listings to a MLS;Follow up on loan commitments after the negotiation of the contract;Gather the necessary documents for a closing;Secure public information documents from a courthouse or other public sources;Have keys made for listings;Install or remove lock boxes from listings;Create ads and promotional materials that are to be approved by the licensee;Place ads in newspapers, magazines and other publications as instructed by the real estate agent;Receive, record and make deposits – security deposits, earnest money, advance rents;Fill in contract forms following the instructions of the licensee;Monitor license reports and personnel files;Compute commission checks;Place and remove signs on/from properties;Order routine repair works as instructed by the agents;Pick up and deliver documents and keys;Schedule appointments on behalf of the licensee;Schedule inspections on properties;Schedule the dates for the mortgage application, the walkthrough before closing and the closing;Schedule an open house;Accompany a licensee to an open house or a showing only for security purposes;Perform maintenance works on properties.The Commission has identified the following tasks as some of the activities that unlicensed support personnel shall not perform:Make cold calls or otherwise contact the public for the purpose of securing prospects for listings, leasing, sales, exchanges, or property management of real estateHost open houses, kiosks, home show booths, or fairsPrepare promotional materials/advertisements without the review and approval of an affiliated licensee and firmShow real estateAnswer any questions on title, financing, or closings (other than the time and place)Answer any questions regarding a listing except for information on price and amenities expressly authorized in writing by the licensee;Discuss or explain a contract, listing, lease, agreement, or other real estate document with anyone outside the firm;Discuss the attributes or amenities of real estate, under any circumstances, with a prospective purchaser or lessee;Collect or hold deposit monies, rent, other monies or anything of value received from the owner of real estate or from a prospective purchaser or lessee.Discuss with the owner of the real estate, the terms and conditions of the real estate offered for sale or lease;Collect or hold deposit monies, rent, other monies, or anything of value received from the owner of real estate or from a prospective purchaser or lessee;Provide owners of real estate or prospective purchasers or lessees with any advice, recommendations or suggestions as to the sale, purchase, exchange, or leasing of real estate that is listed, to be listed, or currently available for sale or lease. 

When the link provides info to the community that is not trying to promote someone or sell something and helps everyone then many times it can be okay and is left in.

After a while you realize you’re doing all work, all the local advertising, all the local business promotion, and your franchisor uses that to sell more franchises.In truth, the one main reason for your success is your right to the name over the door, but it’s very hard to keep that in mind.