Marcus & Millichap Business Model Canvas
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Unlock the full strategic blueprint behind Marcus & Millichap’s business model. This in-depth Business Model Canvas reveals how the firm creates value, captures market share, and monetizes services across client segments. Ideal for investors, advisors, and founders—download the complete, editable Word/Excel canvas to benchmark, plan, and act.
Partnerships
Relationships with banks, life companies, debt funds and agencies let Marcus & Millichap pair financing with sales, leveraging its nationwide platform of over 1,300 investment professionals and 80+ offices (2024) to expand deal feasibility and refine pricing guidance.
Developer and owner ties surface off-market listings and repeat mandates that feed Marcus & Millichap’s national investment platform (NYSE: MMI), giving early access that shapes valuation, positioning, and timing strategies. Early-stage intel improves bid discipline and market-entry decisions. Continuous feedback loops from owners refine underwriting assumptions and risk-adjusted returns. Long-term alignment increases the likelihood of exclusive engagements and mandated sales.
Qualified intermediaries and CPAs shorten 45-day identification and 180-day closing pressures by coordinating paperwork and escrow, enabling Marcus & Millichap to convert curiosity into completed exchanges. In 2024 over $100 billion in 1031 exchange volume underscores scale and the need to reduce fall-out risk via tight structures. Tax insights from advisors inform hold/sell timing and reinvestment sizing, while joint client education programs drive exchanger referral flows.
Data, PropTech & Research Providers
Partnerships with market-data platforms like CoStar and RealPage sharpen comps, rent indices and cap-rate tracking, improving deal valuation and market timing for Marcus & Millichap; in 2024 integrated feeds supported faster price discovery and portfolio-level pricing accuracy.
Mapping and analytics tools boost targeting and buyer matching, while integrated CRMs shorten outreach cycles by ~30%, enabling brokers to deliver differentiated, data-backed advice.
- Market feeds: enhanced comps and cap-rate visibility
- Mapping analytics: precise targeting and buyer match
- CRMs: ~30% faster outreach
- Intelligence: supports differentiated advisory
Attorneys, Appraisers & Due Diligence Firms
Attorneys, appraisers and due diligence firms de-risk Marcus & Millichap transactions by delivering legal reviews, independent valuations, environmental reports and inspections that support pricing and lending decisions. Independent validation improves lender confidence and market pricing accuracy. Coordinated diligence shortens closing timelines and strong vendor benches enable scalable execution.
- Legal: contract risk mitigation
- Valuation: independent pricing support
- Environmental/Inspection: contamination & condition checks
- Operational: vendor scalability for faster closings
Marcus & Millichap leverages banks, life companies, debt funds and agencies plus 1,300+ investment professionals and 80+ offices (2024) to pair financing with listings and refine pricing. Developer/owner and 1031 advisor networks (>$100B 1031 volume, 2024) deliver off-market mandates and repeat business. Data vendors, CRMs and diligence firms accelerate valuation, outreach (~30% faster) and closings.
| Partner | Role | 2024 metric |
|---|---|---|
| Banks/Lenders | Financing | 1,300+ pros; 80+ offices |
| 1031 Advisors | Exchanger flow | >$100B volume |
| Data/CRM | Pricing/outreach | ~30% faster outreach |
What is included in the product
A comprehensive Business Model Canvas for Marcus & Millichap mapped to the 9 classic blocks, detailing customer segments, channels, value propositions, revenue streams and cost structure, with linked competitive advantages, SWOT insights and real-world operational context for investor presentations and strategic planning.
High-level view of Marcus & Millichap’s business model with editable cells, condensing strategy into a digestible one-page snapshot that saves hours of formatting and speeds team alignment.
Activities
Investment sales brokerage at Marcus & Millichap centers on sourcing, underwriting, and marketing assets across property sectors to drive core commission revenue; the firm, founded in 1971 and listed as MMI on NYSE, leverages a national broker network for deal flow.
Tailored processes manage competitive bidding and leverage market comps and proprietary underwriting to optimize pricing and timelines.
Focused negotiation maximizes proceeds and deal certainty, while closing stewardship preserves client relationships and repeat business.
Marcus & Millichap’s Debt & Equity Placement matches borrowers with optimal capital markets terms, leveraging the firm’s 2024 capital markets platform to align leverage, covenants, and business plans with investor goals. The team structures financing to balance risk and return while canvassing a broad lender network to increase funding certainty. Advisory support remains hands-on through underwriting, negotiation, due diligence, and closing.
Comping, cash flow modeling and scenario analysis drive pricing decisions, reconciling DCF outputs to observed market comps and three-case stress tests; 2024 major‑market US cap rates clustered around 5–6%, anchoring expectations. Macro and submarket insights (inflation, employment, rent growth) guide timing and risk. Sector reports and proprietary data feeds boost pipeline quality and client decision confidence.
Strategic Advisory
Strategic advisory evaluates holding, disposition, recapitalization and 1031 strategies to align with investor goals, translating growth and risk targets into actionable plans and board-ready materials; typical targets include 5–7% stabilized cap rates, 8–12% IRR hurdles and 6–10% cash-on-cash aims.
- Holding vs disposition trade-offs quantified
- Recap and 1031 flow modeled
- Portfolio optimization with risk/return metrics
- Board-level decks and approval-ready financials
Marketing & Buyer Matching
Omnichannel campaigns (digital, direct, events) drive investor interest and sourced leads for Marcus & Millichap, leveraging a network of over 80 offices and 1,800+ investment professionals to market listings. Curated buyer databases enable precise outreach; NDAs and VDRs control information flow while analytics refine targeting and conversion in real time.
- omnichannel reach
- 1,800+ pros
- curated databases
- NDAs & VDRs
- real-time analytics
Marcus & Millichap runs investment sales, debt & equity placement, research and omnichannel marketing to drive commissions and financing fees; founded 1971, NYSE: MMI. The firm leverages 80+ offices and 1,800+ brokers, 2024 US cap rates ~5–6% and a 2024 capital markets platform for financing certainty. Proprietary comps, DCFs and VDR-backed campaigns optimize pricing, speed and close rates.
| Activity | Scope | 2024 Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Investment Sales | Brokerage & underwriting | 80+ offices; 1,800+ pros |
| Debt & Equity | Capital placement | Platform live 2024 |
| Research & Marketing | Comps, DCF, campaigns | Cap rates 5–6% |
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Resources
Marcus & Millichap’s national broker network includes over 1,000 specialist agents in 2024, delivering deep product expertise that drives more accurate pricing and deal structuring. Local market knowledge improves access to off-market opportunities and sharpens valuation signals. Cross-region collaboration allows agents to share buyer pools, accelerating match rates. The firm’s scale expands market coverage and increases deal flow velocity.
Marcus & Millichap’s Capital Markets platform (NYSE: MMI) integrates an in-house financing arm with sales and debt placement, streamlining transactions across its network of over 80 offices in 2024. Deep lender relationships sharpen pricing and shorten close times, while a unified process cuts execution risk and fall-through rates. Cross-selling financing and advisory services increases wallet share per client and boosts recurring fee potential.
In 2024 Marcus & Millichap’s proprietary buyer and seller database segments active investors by mandate and risk, using engagement data to prioritize outreach; rapid matching increases certainty of close and shorter marketing cycles, while repeat interactions and tracked deal histories strengthen client loyalty and referral likelihood.
Brand & Relationships
Marcus & Millichap leverages reputation to attract listings and capital; founded 1971, its longevity validates execution and trust shortens deal cycles and widens mandates. In 2024 the firm operated with roughly 2,000+ investment specialists across ~90 offices and a research team publishing weekly market reports, signaling expertise and drawing institutional capital.
- reputation: founded 1971
- scale: 2,000+ advisors (2024)
- footprint: ~90 offices (2024)
- thought leadership: weekly research (2024)
Research, Tech & Analytics Stack
CRMs, advanced valuation tools, and integrations with CoStar, Yardi and MLS feeds drive productivity across Marcus & Millichap deal teams; dashboards surface portfolio opportunities and market risks in real time. Secure VDRs enable due diligence at scale for institutional transactions. Continuous upgrades to analytics and cloud infrastructure sustain a competitive edge.
- CRMs: deal pipeline management
- Valuation tools: discounted cash flow and comps
- Data integrations: CoStar, Yardi, MLS
- Dashboards: risk/opportunity signaling
- VDRs: secure large-deal diligence
- Upgrades: ongoing platform enhancements
Marcus & Millichap’s key resources in 2024 are its 1,000+ specialist broker network, ~2,000 investment advisors across ~90 offices, a proprietary buyer/seller database, Capital Markets platform (NYSE: MMI) and weekly research cadence; these assets drive deal flow, faster closings and higher fee capture. Tech stack (CoStar, Yardi, CRM, VDRs) and lender relationships shorten cycles and reduce execution risk.
| Resource | 2024 metric | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Broker network | 1,000+ specialists | Better pricing, off-market access |
| Advisors/offices | 2,000+ / ~90 offices | National coverage, deal flow |
| Buyer DB | Segmented, proprietary | Faster matches |
| Tech & research | CoStar/Yardi/CRM/VDRs; weekly reports | Execution speed, trust |
Value Propositions
Competitive, auction-style processes and broad canvassing through Marcus & Millichap's 1,700+ investment sales professionals lift pricing and drive buyer competition. Rigorous underwriting screens filter for feasible buyers, while active deal stewardship and transaction management reduce fall-out and accelerates closings. Sellers gain greater confidence in outcome certainty and often capture premium proceeds in volatile 2024 market conditions.
Integrated sales, financing, and diligence at Marcus & Millichap reduce friction by consolidating workflows and centralizing deal teams, offering single-point accountability that simplifies decisions and speeds closings. Faster timelines preserve value, with industry studies citing roughly 0.5% monthly value erosion for prolonged listings. Clients save time and costs through fewer touchpoints and reduced holding expenses.
Real-time comps and capital-flow tracking shape strategy, crucial in the 2024 higher-rate environment (Federal Reserve funds target 5.25–5.50%). Submarket nuance refines positioning by rent-growth and vacancy differentials. Forward-looking forecasts quantify risk/return bands. Actionable insights convert data into deal-level plans and capital-allocation moves.
Access to Qualified Capital & Inventory
Deep broker networks at Marcus & Millichap surface off-market and pre-market deals, giving clients earlier access to inventory and competitive negotiation leverage. Broad lender relationships improve financing terms and speed, while cross-border and 1031 exchange pools widen buyer demand and liquidity. Clients see more opportunities sooner, enhancing match rates and deal certainty.
- off-market deal flow
- lender breadth improves terms
- cross-border & 1031 demand pools
Specialization Across Asset Types
Specialization across multifamily, retail, office, industrial and hospitality enables Marcus & Millichap teams to tailor underwriting, marketing and disposition strategies to each asset class; in 2024 these sector-specific insights sharpen risk-adjusted returns and align benchmarks with investor criteria. Execution is calibrated to asset realities, from cap-rate drivers to operational KPIs, improving deal certainty and time-to-close.
- multifamily: targeted underwriting
- retail: tenant-mix analysis
- office: occupancy and lease-term focus
- industrial: logistics-driven metrics
- hospitality: RevPAR and ADR alignment
Marcus & Millichap leverages 1,700+ investment sales professionals to drive competitive, auction-style processes that lift pricing and shorten time-to-close. Integrated sales, financing and diligence reduce friction and holding costs amid 2024 Fed funds at 5.25–5.50%. Real-time comps and deep off-market flow increase match rates and deal certainty.
| Metric | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Brokers | 1,700+ |
| Fed funds target | 5.25–5.50% |
| Value erosion | ~0.5%/month |
Customer Relationships
Named brokers at Marcus & Millichap steward client relationships and investment goals, leveraging a national platform of over 80 offices and roughly 2,000 investment professionals in 2024. Regular check-ins align on timing and market windows to optimize exit or acquisition sequencing. Personalized strategies tailored by dedicated advisors build trust across complex asset classes. Continuity of advisor coverage drives repeat business and referral pipelines.
Marcus & Millichap (NYSE: MMI) leverages reports, webinars, and memos to deliver value beyond listings, with Research Services publishing regular market commentary in 2024. Education lifts client decision quality through timely, comparable data and case studies. Data-backed views differentiate advice and keep clients engaged between transactions, increasing repeat engagement and referral potential.
White-glove transaction stewardship at Marcus & Millichap minimizes surprises from LOI to close through dedicated deal teams; issue-tracking tools keep buyers, sellers and lenders aligned while clear milestones (deal timelines with weekly checkpoints) sustain momentum. Post-close reviews feed a lessons database used across the firm, supporting more than 1,300 investment specialists across 80+ offices to improve outcomes and close deals efficiently.
Confidential & Discreet Processes
Confidential & Discreet Processes: Marcus & Millichap in 2024 uses tiered marketing to shield sensitive deal details, combines NDAs and tightly permissioned VDR controls to audit access, and executes quiet outreach to maintain operational continuity so sellers preserve leverage throughout the sale process.
- tiered marketing
- NDAs + VDR controls
- quiet outreach
- sellers retain leverage
Loyalty & Repeat Mandates
Performance earns exclusives and builds deal pipelines for Marcus & Millichap, with each closed transaction increasing probability of future mandates; relationship memory and institutional knowledge accelerate underwriting and turnaround on subsequent assignments. Cross-selling across debt placement, advisory and property types deepens share of wallet, creating recurring revenue streams and long-term compounding value for both firm and client.
- Exclusive mandates drive pipeline efficiency
- Relationship memory shortens deal cycles
- Cross-sell increases client lifetime value
- Compounding mandates align incentives long-term
Named brokers and 1,300+ investment specialists in 2024 steward client strategies across 80+ offices and ~2,000 professionals, using Research Services to drive repeat engagement. Tiered marketing, NDAs and VDRs protect confidentiality while white-glove deal teams shorten cycles and increase exclusives.
| Metric | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Offices | 80+ |
| Investment professionals | ~2,000 |
| Investment specialists | 1,300+ |
Channels
Advisors originate and service mandates, with Marcus & Millichap deploying over 1,400 investment advisors in 2024 to cover local markets. Face-to-face and virtual meetings drive trust, supporting repeat business and higher close rates. Referrals compound reach, multiplying deal flow across offices. Local presence opens doors for sourcing off-market opportunities.
Curated listings showcase high-quality opportunities across asset classes, with targeted placement driving discovery; analytics-led A/B tests in 2024 lifted listing-to-lead conversion by ~25%. Lead-capture funnels route inquiries within minutes via forms and CRM integrations, supporting faster agent response. Site analytics optimize presentation and pricing, while downloadable offering memoranda and self-serve data rooms cut diligence time roughly 30%.
Roadshows, breakfasts, and industry forums connect capital and product by bringing buyers and sellers together in person, leveraging Marcus & Millichap's network of over 1,300 investment specialists in 2024 to source mandates and capital introductions. Panels position firm expertise and drive thought leadership among institutional and private investors. Live Q&A sessions build credibility and accelerate deal diligence in real time. Networking at these events expanded the pipeline, contributing to the firm’s 2024 transaction flow.
Email, Webinars & Research Distribution
Channels—Email, webinars and research distribution segment campaigns to accredited, high-net-worth and institutional investors; targeted lists lifted response and drove 2024 campaign open rates near 22% in real estate benchmarks. Webinars translate market and research data into actionable deal flow, cadence (weekly–monthly) keeps Marcus & Millichap top-of-mind, and measurable engagement (clicks, watch time, downloads) directs prioritized follow-up.
- Segmentation: accredited, HNW, institutional
- Webinars: convert data to actions
- Cadence: weekly–monthly
- Metrics: opens, CTR, watch time guide follow-up
Strategic Partnerships & Co-Brokerage
Strategic partnerships and co-brokerage extend Marcus & Millichap’s geographic and sector reach, letting shared listings attract a broader pool of buyers; aligned revenue splits ensure partner incentives, and collaborative deal teams place complex assets with the right investors.
- Alliances expand reach
- Shared listings boost demand
- Revenue splits align incentives
- Complex deals find right buyers
Local advisors (1,400+) and 1,300 specialists drive sourcing and trust, lifting off-market access and close rates.
Digital channels: curated listings + CRM cut diligence ~30% and analytics A/B tests raised listing-to-lead conversion ~25%.
Email/webinars (weekly–monthly) hit ~22% open rates; metrics guide prioritized follow-up and partner co-brokerage expands reach.
| Channel | Reach | 2024 Metric | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advisors | 1,400+ | - | Off-market deals |
| Digital | Site/CRM | +25% conv, -30% diligence | Faster closes |
| Email/Webinars | HNW/Inst | 22% open | Prioritized leads |
Customer Segments
Private investors and 1031 exchangers prioritize certainty and strict timelines driven by IRS 45-day identification and 180-day closing rules, making speed nonnegotiable. Tax-deferral needs heavily shape property criteria and hold-period planning. Education on exchange mechanics plus immediate access to on- and off-market inventory are critical to capture these high-velocity buyers.
Institutional investors and REITs require rigorous deal processes for large mandates, favoring portfolio and platform transactions that scale; U.S. REIT market capitalization was about 1.4 trillion in mid-2024, underscoring their balance-sheet clout. ESG and governance due diligence are now standard for underwriters and buyers, affecting pricing and hold-period decisions. Execution scale and platform capabilities determine win rates on multi-asset mandates.
Family offices and HNWIs, controlling an estimated over 6 trillion USD of deployable capital globally, favor long-horizon allocations that emphasize capital stability. Diversification and predictable cash flow drive portfolio choices, with surveys showing roughly 60% prioritizing diversification and about 50% prioritizing income. Discretion and trusted advisory relationships are paramount, and bespoke legal and tax structures are commonly used to tailor risk, liquidity and legacy goals.
Developers & Operators
Developers and operators need capital, exits, and JV partners to recycle pipeline—Marcus & Millichap (NYSE: MMI) supports deal flow and buyer matching; value‑add plays require targeted buyers and timely dispositions, and advisory services must align with sponsorsʼ business plans and hold/sell thresholds.
- Capital & JV sourcing
- Pipeline = sales-driven recycling
- Targeted buyers for value-add exits
- Advisory aligned to business plans
Lenders & Special Servicers
Lenders and special servicers require expedited workouts and dispositions to protect roughly $5 trillion in U.S. commercial real estate debt (2024), with tailored sale and REO strategies by property class and lien priority. Speed preserves recovery and market value; transparent auction and due-diligence processes attract competitive bidders and improve bid depth. Marcus & Millichap’s national platform supports rapid marketing and disposition execution.
- Workouts vs dispositions
- REO strategy varies by asset
- Speed preserves recovery
- Transparency attracts bidders
Private/1031 buyers demand speed and certainty tied to 45/180-day rules. Institutional/REITs favor scale and platform deals; US REIT market cap ~1.4T (mid-2024). Family offices/HNWIs hold ~6T deployable capital, preferring income and diversification. Lenders/special servicers focus on rapid workouts to protect ~$5T CRE debt (2024).
| Segment | 2024 metric |
|---|---|
| REITs | ~1.4T market cap |
| Family offices | ~6T deployable capital |
| CRE debt | ~5T |
Cost Structure
Producer splits drive acquisition and retention at Marcus & Millichap (NYSE: MMI), where compensation is largely commission-based and mirrors industry commission ranges of roughly 1–6% on transactions; variable pay scales directly with revenue, creating outsized upside for top producers. Incentive programs link activity metrics to deal flow and outcomes, and maintaining top talent is treated as a strategic cost in capacity planning.
Marketing and listing expenses for Marcus & Millichap cover OM creation, professional photography, and targeted digital ads, with 2024 industry data showing professional imagery can boost listing views by tens to hundreds of percent; events and roadshows provide incremental deal flow lift. Virtual data rooms and design tools incur recurring fees (commonly $100–$1,000+/month). Spend-to-results tracking in 2024 confirms higher marketing investment drives greater lead and close rates.
Market data, mapping and analytics are core inputs for Marcus & Millichap, with platforms like CoStar and RCA driving deal sourcing and valuations; licenses often exceed $30k per seat annually and enterprise agreements can total several hundred thousand dollars. Continuous updates and refresh cycles maintain accuracy, while costs scale linearly with seats and geographic scope.
Technology & Infrastructure
CRMs, workflow tools and security underpin Marcus & Millichap operations; integration and ongoing maintenance add measurable overhead and shape a multi-year tech roadmap. In 2024, enterprise cloud adoption reached ~93% and firms increased cybersecurity budgets ~12%, driving cloud and compliance spend; reliability protects firm reputation and transaction continuity.
- CRM centralization
- Integration & maintenance costs
- Cloud-driven spend (~93% adoption 2024)
- Cybersecurity budgets +12% (2024)
G&A, Legal & Compliance
G&A, legal, and compliance at Marcus & Millichap fund offices, admin, training and broker support that drive production while legal counsel and E&O insurance limit transaction and professional liability exposure; industry E&O premiums in 2024 range roughly 4,000–12,000 USD per broker annually.
- Office & admin: fixed rent, IT, HR
- Training: recurring investment to boost productivity
- Legal & E&O: risk mitigation costs
- Regulatory: fixed compliance spend sustaining governance
Producer commissions (1–6%) drive variable pay and retention; incentives amplify top-producer upside. Marketing (photo/OM/ads) boosts listing views 20–200%; VDRs $100–1,000+/mo. Data licenses (CoStar) often >$30k/seat; cloud adoption ~93% and cybersecurity spend +12% (2024). E&O $4k–$12k/broker; legal and G&A are fixed core costs.
| Cost | Key metric (2024) |
|---|---|
| Commissions | 1–6% of deal |
| Marketing | Views +20–200%; $100–1,000+/mo tools |
| Data | >$30k/seat |
| Tech & Security | Cloud 93%; +12% sec spend |
| E&O | $4k–$12k/broker |
Revenue Streams
Sales brokerage commissions at Marcus & Millichap are success‑based and dominate revenue, with industry commission rates typically ranging from 1–6% depending on deal size and asset class; competitive auction processes often push fees toward the high end. Volume compounds earnings: Marcus & Millichap reported transaction volume above $40 billion in its recent disclosures, amplifying commission-driven revenue.
Origination and placement fees from financing engagements generate recurring revenue, typically charging 0.5%–1.5% of loan size on CRE deals in 2024. Pricing is tied to loan amount and complexity, with larger or structured financings commanding higher spreads. Success fees (often 20–100 basis points) align incentives between broker and client. Repeat borrowers drive scale, with industry data showing a majority of brokered volume comes from repeat relationships.
Retainers and project fees for strategy and valuation typically run 1–3% of deal value or fixed engagements of $10k–200k, generating recurring advisory income. Portfolio reviews and market studies, often priced $5k–50k, add steady revenue. Non-transaction work deepens client relationships and insight monetization (reports, data subscriptions) diversifies income streams.
BOVs & Opinion Letters
Broker opinions of value (BOVs) and opinion letters provide fee-based or pre-sale revenue while seeding future listing mandates; standardized deliverables let Marcus & Millichap scale margin on repeat engagements. Their credibility and national platform increase conversion rates from advisory to exclusive mandates.
- Fee-based or pre-sale revenue
- Seeding future mandates
- Standardized, scalable deliverables
- Credibility drives conversion
Co-Brokerage & Referral Income
Shared deals generate referral and split fees that create recurring micro-revenue streams for Marcus & Millichap, while partnerships expand geographic and sector reach without the fixed-cost burden of owned offices. Niche specialists capture higher-margin, complex transactions such as multifamily and net-lease, and the firm’s broad agent network produces network effects that stabilize referral flows and fee durability.
- Shared deals: steady referral/split fee income
- Partnerships: scalable reach, lower fixed cost
- Niche specialists: higher-margin complex deals
- Network effects: durable, compounding referrals
Marcus & Millichap revenues are commission‑driven (1–6% on sales; transaction volume >$40B in recent disclosures), with origination fees ~0.5–1.5% of loan size and advisory retainers $10k–200k or 1–3% of deal value. BOVs, shared deals and referral splits yield recurring micro‑revenue; niche/complex deals command higher margins and boost repeat business.
| Stream | Typical rate/size | 2024 impact |
|---|---|---|
| Sales commissions | 1–6% | >$40B volume |
| Loan origination | 0.5–1.5% | Steady fee income |
| Advisory/retainers | $10k–200k /1–3% | Recurring |