Where do you spend your advertising dollars?

I send out calendars which they can place on the refrigerator and baseball and football schedules.

Almost forgot, I send out my monthly newsletter to past clients and customers and also to people that I've met and asked them if they want my electronic newsletter. When I send that email out, I ask everyone to forward it to anyone that may find it useful.

This is a FUN blog and I'm going to check back for suggestions from agents that I can transpose to property management

So far we have

• pens
• Internet
• direct mail
• Craigslist
• Signs
• Cards

♥ I used pens when I started my first PM firm 25 years ago * not since

♥ I have top-of-the line website hosted by LARGE national website specializing in HOME RENTAL LISTINGS (as opposed to Apartments * If Springstreet/Realtor.com had ONLY listed to me 10+ years ago) and that costs me about $200 per month

♥ Rainmaker blog is another $50 rounding up

♥ I do quarterly mailings to a farm area of investment/absentee owners for my "farm" areas for rental properties to manage * about $100 per month with printing and postage * I use REAL STAMPS

♥ I post to Craigslist DAILY so that is my "time" which I factor into my leasing fee

♥ I am fortunate that my listings are renting so FAST, I am moving signs as FAST as I rent them

♥ I spend little $ on cards * I print them myself and print my blog and web address on the back

♥ I AM prepping move-ins with water bottles with my move-in instructions from a suggestion learned here on AR * I'm still refining the process and have gotten some specialized labels and am experimenting with various water products for a good fit.

Lenn....my marketing is to local groups and people in the town of Franklin....it's how I continually get my team's name out there....it works....I have received listings and buyer referrals from this....e.g., gave a generous donation to the music boosters club at the high school...not many bother with that club, but the person in charge was a Dr. at a local hospital and referred two other Dr.'s to me....sponsorships for local events and children's clubs work beautifully.

My main marketing efforts have really been the Internet. Then, I also do Football calendars (Dallas Cowboys) and Annual Calendars. I'm about to allocate a significant budget to direct mail, specifically targeting for neighborhoods on a monthly basis.

I've just recently focus on growing the Brokerage Name. So, we also plan to participate in our annual city Christmas event along with establishing ourselves as the Locally owned brokerage in the Frisco Chamber and BBB-Dallas.

For listings I primarily use Internet. For my company I use pens, key chains with my logo, and pizza. Amazing what a few pizzas delivered to area business with my cards attached will do. One Meijer store I delivered 5 pizzas to I sold 3 houses and still get referrals from. Feed them...they will love you.

My best ROI is Internet advertising, and the best results are from my IDX search.

Lenn - Other than the usual internet, signs, cards, brochure I also send out greeting cards to previous clients that have purchased or sold homes through me on dates that are special to them and include a small gift card inside. People love that!

The other thing that I do is take advantage of my partner's golf club business. He makes custom golf wedges and mails them all over the world. When we are packing the clubs I make sure that right next to his business cards there is a stack of MY business cards so that one is included in EVERY box. It only takes ONE person to buy from me to make that a worthwhile process. So whether that box is going to West Palm Beach, Santa Barbara or Tokyo, my business card is there waiting for the customer to open that box up!

Among other things, I do the calendars with magnets and it is gratifying to see them on a refrigeator when I go for listing appointments.

I've never done PPC via Home Gain, but I'd like to check it out. Lately we have spent money to buy data on folks that might need to sell.

Took a Howard Brinton Starpower webinar this past week and the Star touted hiring a professional photographer to shoot the property and himself; he then prepares flyers on heavy, gloss stock utilizing spot UV and limiting the amount of verbage.  Next, he hires peeps to hand-deliver them to his targeted market. When hand-delivery is not feasible, he mails.  It is worthy to note some of the photos are daylight and some are twilight: a nice twist.  In his mind, Print is King.

I have always done very well with direct mail and hand-written notes as a follow-up to responses -- time consuming and with the cost of postage, expensive.  So . . . you have to be very judicious as to your marketing piece and ensuring your mailing list is current.

I tried Home Gain with no results.

In my mind, you can't beat the personal touch and Brian Buffini has a wonderful approach.  I highly recommend his 100 Days to Greatness course, it teaches basic self-marketing and business building.

Lenn we do a coouple of big community news paper. Internet like every one else. We have a radio show each week here in the mountains. And we have banner we hang on docks on big lakes so folks boating can see for sale signs

Hi Lenn. I missed Ralph's post which is a great topic. I use blogging, JL/JS postcards, Expired Letters, etc. They serve me well.

Instead of just sending JL/JS to neighbors I also send them to my sphere.  Keeps me front of mind.

Hey Lenn pretty much all those that were mentioned and I would add a car magnet and possibly a hippie van to help advertise..very serious I have a plan :)

Lenn:

I have gone back to some of the basics. Hand written notes are being read by lots of people that I come into contact with. Not just clients, past and present, but people that I interact with daily, (dry cleaners, carpet guys, lawn maintenance person, teller at bank, etc) and of course any agent I talk to or meet. I am asking for referrals from all of them.

Love this post.