They're already out as far as I'm concerned. In 2005 I spent less than $100 on newspaper ads and had one of the best ever sales and earnings years in the 27 years I've been in the real estate business.
I noticed an article in the current "REALTOR® Magazine" that says Ohio based real estate firm Real Living has totally given up newspaper advertising to focus on things Internet.
A statistic quoted in the article says newspaper print readership is down to 54% of adults down from 80% in the 1960s, while Internet use is skyrocketing.
That fact combined with the broadside newspapers across the country delivered to the real estate industry by publishing an alleged 'report' from the Consumer Federation of America, a Realtor unfriendly, self appointed group of consumer advocates.
http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/Real_Estate_Cartel_Study061906.pdf
This 'report' coincidentally ran in dozens of major newspapers across the country on June 20, 2006 along with another Realtor unfriendly by the Brookings Institute, a DC think tank.
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70816FB3A550C748DDDAF0894DE404482 is a link to the first 50 words of the article titled "Commission Accomplished" which alleges that Realtors are involved in some sort of cartel to keep commissions high and stifle competition.
http://www.nytimes.com/ will let you read the rest of the article for a mere $4.95
Of course we all know about banks trying to get into the real estate business. Bank of America has been a major contributor to the Consumer Federation for the past several years.
The sooner we wake up and realize newspapers are not only NOT on our side but they're lining up against us while continuing to suck up our advertising dollars for a medium fewer and fewer people are looking at, the better off we'll all be.
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