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Agents Not Very Happy with Advertising Choices

Services for Real Estate Pros with George Sheldon Photographer

October 24, 2007 12:54 AM

I just read a story published on RealtyTimes about real estate agents not being very happy with their advertising options. The article says that agents are spending more - not less - advertising; that print advertising is dead; and they are not happy with their Internet advertising results.

It's an interesting article available here: http://realtytimes.com/rtapages/20071024_unhappychoices.htm

Yard signs are still popular. That's one of the reasons why I just started offering panorama sign riders as part of my virtual tour service:

It's also a good way to drive traffic to the agent's web site. The panorama can include the agent's website, or a property specific web site. It's one way to get more bang for those advertising bucks.

Realty Times article says "a whopping 58 percent" of agents are "unhappy" with the results they are getting from their web sites. It could be time to change the way agents are promoting their web sites.

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Melissa Davis

CENTURY 21 Hawkins & Kolb - Sumter, SC

Broker/GRI. Sumter SC

Thanks! It looks great. I can see why they would work. Great job.

Oct 24, 2007 01:08 AM

Karen Webster...Grand Rapids, MI Realtor

5 Star Real Estate, Grand Rapids MI - Grand Rapids, MI

Thanks, George. Interesting article. Print is dead. We recently ran a $400 Sunday newspaper ad with an arch code number specific to the ad. We didn't get one call . We continue to get out-of-state leads from Eric's web site. www.isellgrandrapids.com We find that buyers who find us on the internet spend more $. Plus, it's kindof like manna from cyberspace.

Oct 24, 2007 01:08 AM

Bill Gillhespy

16 Sunview Blvd - Fort Myers Beach, FL

Fort Myers Beach Realtor, Fort Myers Beach Agent - Homes & Condos

Yard signs capture the spontaneous buyer who just wants to have a look at te listing, Some of them will become interested or mention it to a friend. Tough choices for us all.

Oct 24, 2007 01:09 AM

Brian Schulman

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA - Lancaster, PA

Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552

George, I have only just recently found out about the panoramic riders. It seems like a great idea for listings that are worthy of a video tour.

Oct 24, 2007 01:13 AM

Katie Brave

Brave Realty - Columbia, SC

George,

Thanks for the information, I am looking to change the way we do advertising ( my husband and I).

Oct 24, 2007 01:23 AM

Stacy Magid

Century 21 New Millennium - Woodbridge, VA

Those panoramic riders are really nice looking. Do you take the pictures yourself or hire someone?

Oct 24, 2007 01:24 AM

Fred Light

| Nashua Video Tours - Nashua, NH

Real Estate Video Tours for MA and NH

Most agents are unhappy with the results of their internet advertising and their websites because they don't understand how it works. They don't understand that an effective website takes money, time and work. No way around it. Yet, most agents want magic, instant results, which is what lines the pockets of template providers like Advanced Access, Homes.com, 57, etc. The promise of a ___ page website and all you need to do is write a check and upload your picture! Now you have this ___ page website with great content and tons of new leads! Instant results!

Uh. Not quite. Only now are people starting to realize they left out a whole bunch of details when they sold them their 'magic package'... like the fact that search engines don't index duplicate content, and their website is a carbon copy of 20,000 websites around the country. The fact the consumers want more from a website than listings and generic articles that have no real meaning to their particular needs and which can be found a gazillion other places.

Whether you go custom or template these days, you HAVE to do the work and you HAVE to make the time to promote your site, get backlinks, create original and meaningful content and understand how the internet and websites work. And if you don't want to do the work, then you need to budget and pay someone to do it for you.

Leave the magic to the magicians....

Oct 24, 2007 01:29 AM

George Sheldon

George Sheldon Photographer - Lancaster, PA

Stacy:

I am a virtual tour provider and builder. The photos are what I produce. The 360 image is part of my package and service.

George

Oct 24, 2007 01:47 AM

George Sheldon

George Sheldon Photographer - Lancaster, PA

Brian,

As a virtual tour builder, I naturally think that ALL properties are worthy of a virtual tour. Why wouldn't you want to present the listing with great marketing and promotion?

I am telling my clients that they want to be known as the "virtual tour agent." Tell prospective listing clients (and show them) how they use virtual tours to promote their listings. And remember, the virtual tour not only promotes the property -- it also markets the agent.

George

Oct 24, 2007 02:56 AM

Brian Schulman

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA - Lancaster, PA

Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552

George, I list some low-priced older city properties in poor condition. They may be decent rental or fix-up investments, but any tours or photos other than the exterior would only serve to drive folks away.

Oct 25, 2007 02:44 AM

Fred Light

| Nashua Video Tours - Nashua, NH

Real Estate Video Tours for MA and NH

Brian: What I don't understand.... if a property is in crappy condition in real life, and photographs make it look crappy (like it is in real life), will a personal visit that is wasting everyone's time make it LESS crappy?

This is the thinking I don't understand. It IS what it IS. This just makes no sense to me. IT IS WHAT IT IS. Having photos or virtual tours or lack of photos due to condition isn't going to change what it is!

What photos or virtual tours are going accomplish is to NOT waste your time, a buyer's time and the sellers time in showing something that is NOT what the buyer expected based on limited exposure on the web. There are too many properties and too high of gas prices and too little time to waste looking at unqualified properties....

Oct 25, 2007 02:55 AM

Eric Kodner

Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN

Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

George, I love it when my competitors waste money on lots & lots of print ads.

Oct 25, 2007 03:02 AM

George Sheldon

George Sheldon Photographer - Lancaster, PA

Fred,

I agree with you...the virtual tour should show the property as is. I am not an agent, so I can't understand why you'd want to spend your time showing a property that a potential buyer would not purchase. For example, if I want a pristine property, why show me ones that are not in that condition. If I want a fixer upper, show me those.

It's like not tell the asking price before showing the property...that's one of the criteria all of us use when purchasing.

The marketing images should show the property as is. I don't object to staging ... I do think it is wrong to use photos to manipulate the actual condition. Like you said, it is what it is...and sell it as such. Right?

George

Oct 25, 2007 03:19 AM

George Sheldon

George Sheldon Photographer - Lancaster, PA

Brian,

You are the expert at marketing/selling properties. I am a mere virtual tour provider and photographer. But it seems to me that a great virtual tour would:

1. Show the property as is, warts and all -- and help those interested in it to contact you.

2. Make the property stand out from all the others on the market

3. Prove to the property owners that you are pushing the properties you represent

4. Making the agent stand out from the others

5. Cost far less than print ads - a tour costs less than a weekend of print advertising, and lasts for a full year.

Why wouldn't you want to market the property with a virtual tour? Wouldn't a potential buyer see the warts when you showed it to them? And if they don't want a property with warts, why waste your time with a showing?

George

Oct 25, 2007 04:00 AM

George Sheldon

George Sheldon Photographer - Lancaster, PA

Eric,

I bet you do love it when your competitors overspend on print ads. It's amazing to me that an agent doesn't want to spend money on a virtual tour that is avaialble 24/7 for 365 days - and costs less than a weekend ad - but will spend hundreds more on a color ad in a local magazine. I was just on a phone with a fellow dealer in Washington -- she told me one agent experiemented with all virtual tours: it didn't matter which property they tried (low price, moderate, high), the properties marketed with the virtual tours sold quickly. The agency is now cutting back on all print ads, and going to virtual tours and side riders.

George

Oct 25, 2007 04:29 AM

Brian Schulman

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA - Lancaster, PA

Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552

Fred and George,

When you have a listing that's going to sell for $25,000 or $40,000, there's precious little commission to be made on it, even though it takes just as much work, if not more, than a higher priced home to sell. There's no room to spend extra money for a tour when a few decent photographs will do.

Buyers who want cheap fix-up investments can see perfectly well from my photos what kind of property it is. I'm fully describing what kind of property it is. Buyers who don't want to invest in a property with "warts" shouldn't be wasting their time - or mine - looking at houses with $30,000 price tags.

BTW, Fred - how did you do that thing with your e-signature?

Oct 26, 2007 06:37 AM

George Sheldon

George Sheldon Photographer - Lancaster, PA

Hey Brian,

Interesting comment. Sometime I should explain to you how you can have complete virtual tours -- and all your real estate photography used for marketing -- free.

Only my best agents get this deal, of course. But for those that are comitted to becoming agents that market all their listings with virtual tour can have sponsors on their virtual tours. Other businesses that provide value to your clients and who can benefit from the additional exposure to potential homeowners. These can be Home Inspection Companies, Home Protection Companies, Title Companies, Mortgage Companies, Movers, Landscapers, Contractors, Banks, Restaurants or any other business that might want to advertise their services right on your virtual tours. And as such, it allows you to defer the cost of your tours to them in exchange for advertising their services. Win-win ... and you can afford to have virtual tours and professional photography on ANY listing, regardless of sales price.

George

Oct 26, 2007 01:34 PM

Debbie Malone

Londeree's Real Estate & Property Management - Lynchburg, VA

From Lynchburg To The Lake (434) 546-0369

Love the rider, we haven't seen them in our market. Sellers in my area still want to see their home in print as well, though it is not the main source of showings. Great post!

Oct 26, 2007 03:04 PM

Brian Schulman

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA - Lancaster, PA

Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552

George, I can be open minded about your suggestions. I should mention though, that I have discussed reciprocal marketing with title companies and home inspectors in particular, and due to their professional groups' ethics rules, don't appear to be allowed to do this...

Oct 28, 2007 03:58 AM

Joshua Jarvis

Virtual Properties - Atlanta Real Estate - Duluth, GA

Moving Families Forward.

Really, wish you were in Georgia. I'm unhappy with my photography options.

Nov 02, 2007 03:37 AM

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