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Internet Advertising Only? ..... I Think Not !

Do Not Forget Print Advertising!

A recent post seemed to take the position that anyone who spends money on print advertising is wasting money, and that those old-fashioned ads that stain your fingers may make the sellers feel good but they don't sell houses.

Call me old-fashioned then, but I do both print and Internet advertising. I know that not everyone who buys a house - or who is helping someone look for a house - is in their 30's. There is another generation and they do read newspapers, and they do need print ads. This generation includes people with lots of disposable income who are looking for nice homes. It also includes people with children and grandchildren who may need a new home, and these parents have time to help their kids with the search.

Why would you ignore an entire group of potential clients by refusing to talk to them in the way that will reach them? Sure, many of them are tech savvy, but they often find us on the web after seeing our names and faces in newspapers, in glossy magazines, or hearing us on the radio.

It's true that many potential buyers start a home search on the internet before they ever contact a Realtor®. But that doesn't mean that just having a Web presence is enough, any more than doing the Three P's is enough. Placing the listing in the MLS (which is NOT the same as advertising on the Web, though some agents think so), Placing a sign in the ground, and Praying - these 3 things are not enough to sell houses...not in this market!

Knowing the market, taking the time to listen and learn about the client's needs, working my wide network of connections and resources, investing my time and talent in each transaction, and yes, placing ads in all appropriate media, that sells houses. Sure, you can Google me and my properties anytime. I'm there.

But I'm also in the Merchandiser, Baltimore Jewish Times, the Baltimore Style Magazine, and the New York Times when the property needs that.

Some sellers like to see their home in the paper, others love to see it on their computer. Sometimes the parents see it in the newspapers and the kids see it in another city on the website.

Whether it's a big ad on your web site or a print ad in the local paper, how can it be wrong to do whatever it takes to reassure your seller while you market their home?

The full-service commission that I receive does pay for the print ads for the Internet ads and for the many hours of my time. It is recognition that I apply all my knowledge, skill and experience to getting the best price for the home and making sure the seller is happy. This advertising also keeps my name and face in front of the public and keeps a future waiting list of sellers.

So forget print advertising ?.... NOT at this time.

www.HomeRome.com

Baltimore,Md.

Posted by Margaret Rome-- HomeRome Realty Baltimore, Md. on 03/08/2007 08:32 PM

Comments (84)

advertising, baltimore, internet, google, jewish times, style magazine, merchandiser

Originally posted at: Margaret Rome's Blog: Internet Advertising Only? ..... I Think Not !

Post is included in group: The Art Of Marketing You
Post is included in group: Baltimore, Harford, Cecil, Real Estate

84 Comments on Internet Advertising Only? ..... I Think Not !

MAR

2007

I'm with you Margaret, I advertise in two local papers, free home guides and do mailers constantly. been doing it for 13 years and have no intention of stopping anytime in the near future. Many of my sellers don't even have computers but they love seeing my smiling face in their mail box at least once a month or at the grocery store in the free home guide rack. I get calls off of postcards that folks received 2 years ago and kept it until they were ready to sell. It's all good.

Margaret this is well written, both print and Internet media is equally important. You made a good point when you mentioned that their is a generation out their that is not Internet savvy. I was at the monthly garden club meeting today and spoke with a member of that group. People recognize me from my print AD which I will point out pays for itself because of the business I derive from it. Since I also list properties many sellers still demand the print ADS. I like using the little Real Estate Book, it makes my sellers happy and is a good source of leads.

BB, You, too, are a believer of successful advertising for your clients. It has proven to work for both of us. Thanks for commenting even though you got a "0" for your comment.

In my book, you will always be a #10!

Margaret,

I think you have to go with what works in your local market. Personally, print advertising does very little for my closing ratios. On the other hand, most of my business now comes from either personal referrals or internet inquiries.

You mean that place, plant and pray is not the end all? Really?

Seriously, we use print media in the local paper and 2 business rags, plus email, internet anf postcards. We are leaning more and more towards electronic only, but are not there yet.

If you want info on the property though, it is a lot harder for us to fax data to you. We are set up for email only. Printing and is not standard anymore.

Absolutely nothing wrong with that! Plenty of business is still acquired via 'traditional' means. Is that pendulum swinging? Sure. Will it take some time before print advertising becomes a 'dinosaur'? Probably a long time! But no arguing the growing importance of the internet...

I have a page in Homes and Land because its a nice upscale presentation. I no longer use the paper. I actually get more calls from the flyers I put in front of the house. I cover the bases. I no longer use the paper because the presentation is sub-par in my opinion in this market. its very expensive for little return. My sellers are happy as I tell them up front that it does not work.

I agree, our company even does a lot of print advertising of our website. We use newspaper and billboards to advertise our website.

No argument here. I use both hard copy and electronic ads. It has paid off so far.

Judi

Margaret, I am one of those souls you are referring to that left print advertising years ago and my business has exploded without it. I spent thousands of dollars in print advertising and the last 3 years I did it I did not make one sale at all.

Our office is the top producing office in our county and of the agents that still do print advertising, none can rememember the last time they made a sale from it and yes....even though you don't want to hear it....say they only continue print advertising to please their sellers.

I refuse to do print advertising just to please my sellers and choose to just "Educate them" which I do. When I prove to sellers where my sales come from none have a problem with listing with me without print advertising being part of my arsenal of advertising. I have said in previous comments that I understand different markets may still embrace print advertising. S.W. Idaho just is not one of them.

Jennifer, "People recognize me from my print AD which I will point out pays for itself because of the business I derive from it." As a listing agent, this has worked for me.

Diane, Almost all of my business is referral and repeat which I think is related to my successful ads.

Rich, I use the 3 P's a lot on my listing presentations. I do major internet marketing and believe that print ads should drive 'em to your site. I am using Dashboard software and it is just as easy to fax as to email.

Kaushik, No arguing the power of the internet!

Eric, Yep it is expensive.

Judi, Glad the combo is working for you.

George, Advertising the Website, makes sense.

George T., Love hearing that your business has exploded! Just because it costs a lot money does not make it a good ad. I have found many agents tell their sellers that print ads do not work. In many cases, these agents don't have a web presence either.

I view the Internet as another medium where I can market my principle's home. Just as I do not rely onthe internet alone to market my web-site or my status as a realtor, I find that print ads are invaluable. I like thinking in "market terms" when applicable. Why keep all my eggs in one basket? Having a diversified portfolio helps ensure that when one investment in "under-performing", I have other components of my strategy to help off-set the under-performer. I do believe however, the the internet will be playing an increasingly important role in the industry. Agents who are unable to capitalize on this will certainly be at a disadvantage.

P.S. Margaret, What I do use with great success is full color fliers in English & Spanish in infromation boxes on all my listings; I email all my lisitngs to the top producers in my market area; use extensive signage (on some listings I will use up to 5 signs) on street corners, etc.; Post all my listings on 6 major sites including Googlebase, Craigs List & many others. I had my best year ever last year with 14 million dollars in sales volume with at average sales price of just over $120,000.

David, I really do like the way you think!!

The internet has allowed me great success in my market. Last year was a down market here and I had my best year at nearly 15million in sales. I did print advertising, hired a professional advertising company and not one single dime came off of it. However, I still average 200+ leads a month thru my websites. Not a huge print advertising advocate over here. It's all relative to your market, I guess.

George T. You are using some wonderful marketing tools! Really like the English/Spanish on each flyer. Sounds like you really know your market. We are not allowed to use signage other than Sunday open house signs. You have been very busy... $14m with an average price of $120k. Congratulations on your best year. How many are on your team?

Stephanie, Congratulations on your best year! Sounds like you are taking advantage of your web marketing.

Thanks for the gold star!!!

Stephanie...Kudos to you! That is the way it is here in Idaho and print advertising died a cruel death. It juswt does not work in our area. I am right with you on the power of the internet. But like I have said before, every market is different and if print advertising works there...great!

I've been using the internet to market listings for 7 years. It's the best at selling the home and getting me business. In addition to the Realtor.com upgrade I buy, my broker puts our listings on 4 other sites, including AOL, Google, Oodle and Trulia.

I used to use the color home magazines but dropped them over a year ago - no results for the high cost. I also use local suburban papers for homes and to drive traffic to my site. I have on-sign flyers and use an on-sign strip with my site's address. I also have purchased an ad on a local newspaper's web site in the home section. It just started so don't know effect yet.

As successful as the internet has been for me, I believe it's foolish to just rely on it. Cross-selling is the way to go.

Margaret, I have never had a personal assistant and I don't have a team. I do and have always done everything on my own. I have a lot of systems in place and use an awesome title company and mortgage lenders that know what I need and want. If you read my post My Decision To Be A Better Father you will see that I don't work a lot of hours and yet my business continues to grow. I feel truly blessed.

Margaret.... good post with a good perspective on what works for you. As I tell people,I prefer reading my newspaper in my hand. Others don't mind reading it online. Same as print advertising vs internet advertising. Again, good post.

"This advertising also keeps my name and face in front of the public and keeps a future waiting list of sellers"

I'm not trying to mount an attack or anything, but you never mentioned how many homes actually sold because of one of your ads. To me it comes across of more of a way to promote yourself than anything.

A well constructed post on a hot topic -- your post has changed my mind.

Thank you

Well said Magaret!

It's important to always consider you marketing mix when putting together your advetising plan. See you face and name in multiple places has a larger impact than seeing your face more often in one place. Kknowing our marketing and your audience will halp you decide where to put your money, but never put all your eggs in one basket. At least in my humble opinion.

Margaret, I believe the marketing mix is very local, just like real estate. I have found print ads for most of my listings are of no value. Occasionally I have something that would get better exposure in print, but not often enough to do it regularly. Of course for a broker who majors in listings it is more than something to sell the home. You are really selling your services. In that I understand.

Speaking of Internet advertising... Does anyone know of a site that is effective to put Lease Options? I have it on Rent.com and some others. Just wondering if anyone knows where I should look.

Thanks!

On the subject of print vs Internet... Don't get me wrong, I see the Sunday paper and the agents that posts their faces all over it, I think that's effective. I agree it is much more personal promotion when you use print. It is sooo expensive compared to my sites. I'd like to do more, I'm just not sold on the value.

Margaret,

I don't think that any of the articles that I have read lately caused me to think that Print ads were to be abandoned. What I did get from the recent articles was a paradign shift in marketing stategies and a hiarchy with print ads taking a lower rung on the ladder since the advent of internet advertising.

It all depends on where you live and what works for you. In Portland the statistics for print ads be they Newspaper or Gossy Magazines. The call count is normally 2-4 and almost never ever over 10 yet often times is 0. Given the cost of that type of advertising and looking at that kind of return, at least in my area it does not make financial sense. Even if I might be missing a few folks who don't or can't use a computer.

Margaret- Sometimes we get so caught up in New that we forget the basics.. the internet is not the end and be-all for real estate.. it is just one more tool in our arsenal.. The best marke ing is the marketing that gets the property sold.

Our company just went back to the local paper due to it's internet presence. For the last several years three real estate companies did a join weekly direct mail pice that was a news paper styled advertisement of open houses. there are some low cost ways to get in to print advertising that can have a greater value then a display ad in the Sunday paper

Margaret I believe that it's going to be an issue of the "sliding scale", a ratio of marketing dollars between internet and traditional marketintg, not abandoning traditional marketing entirely. The question is, where do you want to put your budget to work for maximum impact? In Silicon Valley, even our seniors are on the web - so I wouldn't say it's an age issue here. Print advertising is for image (and sellers buy image), so it's not that it has no value - but it's not going to be the thing that sells the home. So while it's not feasible in my market to spend much money on print advertising relative to internet advertising, I'm not ready to say we should give up on it completely either. In the last 3-4 years, I think only one of my listings sold from a newspaper add while every other one was from the web, another real estate professional, or some other means. What's your "sliding scale"? Mine is about 80/20 in favor of the web!

MAR

2007

You made some really good points here. I do both as well, although I tend to focus a bit more on the Internet since I do more work with buyers than with sellers. I am still kinda new in the area here so getting myself more familiar with what seems to work best and in what situations. My area here tends to be very tech oriented, at all levels, but the paper still brings in some business.

Jeff

I can see that doing both ways of advertising can be beneficial, and both can also be wastes of money. It's all about your choice of media and how you use it. Using the same stale printing techniques that haven't worked in the past may not be your best choice, but it doesn't rule out print media completely. A well designed piece can still attract a buyers attention.

At the same time, utilizing the internet is a great way to reach people while keeping your costs low, but depending on where you go and how you market yourself and your properties, the results may not be what you anticipate them to be. I think the goal is to simply do the research first and find the way that works for you that's appealing yet doesn't cost you an arm and a leg to get it accomplished.

Sharon Leigh

I think people are often quick to judge that a certain vehicle of advertising is ineffective. In most cases, people may not necessarily be efficient in the type of advertising they do. Direct Mails, Internet Advertising, Flyers. If done correctly, all forms can be effective.

The hard part is refining your advertising, so that it will be effective and constantly evolving to meet the changes in our industry.

Margaret, I believe that might have been my posting your referring too. No where in it did it say to not use traditional methods or print advertising. It gave statistics on the use of the Internet and how much money was spent last year on traditional advertising versus Internet advertising.

$12 Billion was spent on Real Estate Ads last year
Only 9% of that went towards the cost of doing business on the Internet.

As you can see it a huge disparity and the gap between the direction the real estate business is taking vs that disparity is tremendous. The 9% above represents about $108 million dollars. Common sense tells me that way to much money is spent on traditional methods, it doesn't tell me it isn't necessary! In my posting I did speak of the yellow pages and billboards. I ask again for anyone to tell me when the last time was someone called your office and said I was looking for relator's in the yellow pages and saw your ad? Or when was the last time someone came in your office and said I saw your billboard on the freeway and thought I would look you up?

I won't list my posting here as ethically I don't want to interfere, but if you want to you have my permission.

Hi, Margaret! You have a very good point about print advertising. I've been leaning away from it myself, but there is large portion of the population who would shop traditional print ads when looking for a home. (My partner is one!) We do have a number of phone calls that start, "I saw this house in the Guide ... "

Hello Margaret,

Keep up the great work!

Hello M.R.

i think what everyone has to consider here is WHAT IS UR HOME MARKET LIKE.... here in queens the print adds are losing its effectiveness.... once the market started to downturn 2005, ive been finding HERE that if i spend more money internet marketing then the better the results....

As a RE/MAX associate my advice to all is this: 85% of our bussiness comes from REFERRALS (dont know if you all have access to brian buffini-top remax trainer) GO AHEAD AND attack the FSBOS/EXPIRED, but ppl inherently HATE/DESPISE RE agents unless you can break down that barrier.... and the easiest way is to have a friend/past client tell your next potential client, "hey i just sold my house with TEAM LEE, there is NO other choice when it comes to that." There is soo much vital information that NON-RE/MAX agents are missing, and i encourage you to take a look (i just got back from the RE/MAX annual convention) OUR trainers/system is the best worldwide....

OOOH by the way hows this for a listing presentation: MR. Seller 80% of ppl use the internet for their home search... The top non-RE company site is REALTOR.COM-82% (you have to pay for "featured home" WHICH pisses me off but if it didnt work i wouldnt spend money on it) and want to guess which RE company site gets the most hits/unique visitors?? (turn page to graph) As the saying goes mr. seller NOBODY in the WORLD sells more RE than RE/MAX

PS i should buy stock in re/max right??? hahahahha best of luck to all the RE professionals out there

I certainly agree you need to balance advertising. Our company tried to reformat print advertising in an attempt to drive leads to the web site for more information. The first test market in the spring was a failure but instead of accepting the fact the conditions are not ready for a drastic change they began a corporate campaign that I referred to as the Brainwashing of the Masses.

They spent a pile of money on brochures highlighting the theoretical benefit and encouraged agents to sell the public on the idea. During the peak fall market the changes were implemented yielding another round of poor results. Once enough of the Mega-Agents started screaming they settled on a compromise. As time goes by I expect the issue to resurface.

Some great points-I will have to rethink my ad campaigns as I have moved from print more and more!

Thanks for the eye-opener

Print ads still work great. I do a lot of classified advertising. In the local papers in my area, all classifieds are placed online as well so you are really doing both print and internet with that one newspaper classified ad.

Good morning Realtor Rome! How are you? How is the 1st ever Active Rain member that I spoke to over the phone? I have not been able to be as "active" as I want to be on here but I try to come every now and then. I do not really leave any comments anymore either because I feel as if my business is BOOMING and I need to be there for my clients/business partners.

I got a call yesterday from the Fairfield Minuteman which is the local newspaper that is ditributed to every home for FREE every Thursday. I got a call from a Fairfield resident who lives in a $1,000,000 home who wants to refinance and I have a 1pm appointment with her. I am actually going to her home and saving her a trip in this ICE FREEZING COLD weather that we have here in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Print advertising still works! Even if you don't get calls, you still let people know who you are and what you do and when they are ready, maybe they will call you.

I believe I do the smallest ad that you can do or actually it is the 2nd smallest ad you can do and I do it every week. If you are going to do marketing, do it over and over and over again! It does work, just look at my 1pm appointment today! Great blog!

Your Active Rain Mortgage Man,

Nima Rezvan

203.913.6016

http://www.MyNima.com

Margaret,

Can you make me a Active Nima or "Active Mortgage Man" sign too! I think I asked someone on Active Rain on how they did it and they shared but I don't think I know how to do it on my own. It would be nice if you can make me one, if it is simple that is. If you can email it to: Nima_Rezvan@countrywide.com

If you can help, it would be neat! Just for fun!

Your Friend in Connecticut,

Nima

I firmly agree with you. You must market your listings every way you know how. Don't put your eggs in one basket. Great post.

I think all methods should be used and perfected.

I agree with you. It is quite sensible to have a mix of marketing and advertising. I sure have not found one thing that does it all. Thanks.

We don't use print much, if at all, anymore. We prefer our client base to be 100% tech savvy and "connected". That said, sometimes the only way to make the initial contact is using print - direct mail, business cards, etc.

Margaret... I wrote an article about internet advertising compared w/ print. I am hoping that I did not send the message that I have given up w/ publications. I think the point I was trying to make was how slow some agents are to embrace internet advertising. That, in my opinion, is a shame. You are missing a huge population of both buyers and sellers if you opt to ONLY use print ads. In today's market, in any market, you need to be creative and set yourself apart.

Elaine, Cross selling seems to work.

George, Sounds like you have a handle on being a solo agent.

Jeff, Something for everyone. I am glad to know that a person like you might be reading one of my ads.

Andrew, "I'm not trying to mount an attack or anything, but you never mentioned how many homes actually sold because of one of your ads. To me it comes across of more of a way to promote yourself than anything" I sell lots of homes because of the way I market the properties which in turn market me. It is a win win situation that has helped make my business sucessful.

Aziz, How has it changed your mind?

Tom, ' Knowing our marketing and your audience will halp you decide..'' I could stop some of my ads but with everything working sooo well, I am afraid to make any major changes.

KK. As a listing agent, Early to bed, early to rise! Work like hell and Adverise!

Stephanie, By the time you can afford to advertise, you no longer need it. Well not as much!

Herb, "What I did get from the recent articles was a paradign shift in marketing stategies and a hiarchy with print ads taking a lower rung on the ladder since the advent of internet advertising."

Right on Kaye! The best marketing is the marketing that gets the property sold.

Deja, Joint ads, a great way to stretch those dollars.

Mary, I do not know my sliding scale, do not measure. But I do love the balance of doing all kinds of marketing.

Jeff D. It sounds like you have the right balance and that is what we are all striving for.

Sharon, You are so right..."I can see that both ways of advertising can be beneficial, and both can also be wastes of money."

Walter, All forms can be effective.

Danny, You are welcome to post a link to your blog here.

Sarah, "I saw this house"...is what we want to hear; be it is on the internet, print or a sign.

Paul, Thanks.

Edward, you have to use what give the best results for your situation.

Dan, I certainly agree you need to balance advertising.

Stephen, Glad this opened your eyes.

Jerry, Your use of both is a good strategy.

Nima, Glad to see you are getting business. That is the goal and to use the methods that work for you. I delegated the ActiveRome task to someone else.

Sean, Thanks for stopping by.

Christy, And I agree.

This is a definition that I use of advertising:

It is my job to let the public know that I am in Real Estate! It is NOT their job to remember.

Ok now I will go back to responding to comments.

Wayne, "I sure have not found one thing that does it all. Thanks. " Me either!

Tony, "..sometimes the only way to make the initial contact is using print." I would love it if everyone was 100% tech savy but I deal with the real public and real people and real referrals.

Heather, ..''you need to be creative and set yourself apart.'' You are welcome to link your post here. I did not see it.

Whatever works for you is the way to go. Spreading yourself out in different directions makes sens I guess if your budget can handle it. Overall the online advertising for the most part is now and will be the way to go!

Patricia Aulson/SEACOAST REALTOR/NH & ME

CallPatricia.Com!

Well said. Diffent things work for different people and consumer appeal varies as well. One thing's for sure though -if you're seeing nice results from your current advertising then by all means continue. Balanced advertising is usually more effective in the long term.

Hi Margaret,

I do not think anyone has the right to make a decision what is "right or wrong" in advertising. Whatever works for you, peronally is key! Keep on trukin', your ads are awesome!

Patricia, Thanks for commenting. Did you forgot to log in?

Kelly,"Consumer appeal varies...balanced..ads... more effective.." Ask yourself if you are getting the expected results. Advertising is something that has to be constantly evaluated.

Gloria, Thanks for those kind words. I have always loved the creativity of advertising.

This is MY blog so I can use this: Thanks Rain gods for giving us permission!

We still use print as well. Not nearly as much as we used to but since the sellers like to see their home advertised and buyer still like to look through the magazines we still do it. No right or wrong just doing what you must for your market.

Margaret, I have seen a few people using those images in their signature from the image store here that I haven't been able to find. Does everyone make their own using the same concept? Is it ok to make your own looking the same like that?

MAR

2007

Monika, You are so right! There is no right or wrong!

Sharon, The first time I saw this image was Active Rich, and I HAD to have one. We all copied him; thank you Rich.

I had my techie create mine.

Isn't it unfortunate that we will never to identify exactly where our leads come from?

What caused a person to contact you, specifically, is extremely difficult. We try to ask every person who calls or contacts us via the Internet, what prompted them to call us. The reples we get vary so much that we can seldom pinpoint the first stimulant.

Well, responding to this gave me an idea for my own blog.

Thanks again Margaret!

Great to see you Ed! "..responding gave me an idea.." Look forward to reading your new blog!

People have "seen"my ads in magazines and newspapers that I have never been in. They have told me that they get my mailings. I do no mailings! (Where did you see that Nike swoosh?)

It is fortunate that the leads continue to come in from my various forms of advertising.

I repeat: It is my job to let them know I am in Real Estate; it is not their job to remember.

MAR

2007

Margaret you might want to take a look at the posting above (between your post and this one) and delete it. It has no relevance to your post at all.

Warmest regards

Hi Ed, Will do; I deleted this same "spam" on several of my other posts. Thanks!

For me it is about putting my ad dollars where they produce results! I prefer directing my dollars to the Internet because I have seen much better results and it is easy to track the effectiveness of each dollar spent. I think the print media is mainly an image advertising vehicle. It has a secondary benefit of placating some sellers.

Hi, Kiddo....hope you two are doing well! Just got back from teaching a CRS 206 in Reno...I'll give you a call shortly.

Great comments re. print marketing, and I want to add a point. You, unlike many agents, maximize your real estate magazine effectiveness by featuring your Web site URL prominently. The fact that about 90% or more of those who advertise in such publications do not do so continues to amaze me....and that is the situation wherever I go in the country.

I stress a concept in my seminars, "Web Centric Marketing(r)." By this I mean that I have learned from you and from other CyberStars(r) that the core of their business is a good, deep consumer-oriented Web site and publicizing it in everything they do.

I promote something I call the 1/3 - 2/3 concept for advertisting in real estate magazines: the top or bottom 1/3 of the page should promote ones Web site. Use the remaining 2/3 of the page to promote your best listings.

Why? We used to use the magazines to get them to call. Today's consumer no longer needs to call...it's all on the Web. Therefore, I urge agents to consider promothing their Web site in the ads and capture them there!

It's a great day here on the lake in Reston...hope it's a great day for you and Lee there in Baltimore, too!

My Dear Allen, Yes, the 1/3 2/3 concept.. In the newspaper ad at the top right of this post; there are fifteen(15) times that my website is mentioned. "Why? We used to use the magazines to get them to call. l...it's all on the Web. Therefore, I urge agents to consider promothing their Web site in the ads and capture them there!"

Would love to hear more about your CRS class in Reno. How many people? Tell us about it.

Randal, Thanks for the comment. Take a look at what Allen Hainge had to say above.

MAR

2007

I like your print ads. They definitely give you name recognition, while marketing the properties.

Randy, Thanks for your kind words. That is exactly what I am trying to achieve.

MAR

2007

What a delight to read your blog!

Thank you for defending print media-- I'd like to think that, as an employee of the Merchandiser Newspaper, our paper reaches your target audience and truly makes a difference in your business. And I am more than certain that advertising with the Merchandiser pays off! It's funny, even as we sit in "Dummy Day" (when we look at a mock up of the paper and make necessary changes) each of my co-workers carefully studies your ad, seeing what new listings you may have and if there's anything in their price range-- and there usually is!

I am so happy that you have had continuing success with the Merchandiser-- no doubt because of our exclusivity (Margaret is the ONLY realtor running in her selected paper) and because our paper is delivered to single family homes and town homes.

But Margaret, I am also certain that your success is because of your obvious care for your career and for your clients. You have never been anything short of a pleasure to work with and I look forward to speaking with you each month to get changes for your ad. Thank you for making my job easier!!

Thanks again!

MAR

2007

Hillary, Thanks for your kind words. You and George have made it a pleasure to advertise in the Merchandiser. The exclusivity plus the direct delivery to private homes is a definite bonus!

www.HomeRome.com

Baltimore,Md

MAY

2007

I agree, you must use all avenues for advertising. Why not? Target all areas.Just always ask where they found you. The more you advertise, the more return you receive!

Hi Chris, Just read this on one of your blogs: "One thing that I see in the business is agents that are outdated with their technology. There are too many free things out there. I'm so interested in helping others that I'm starting up a fast track to success program on free technology. Also optimizing your website. As a seasoned agent I know that technology is an everyday effort. I use what time that I have free to market myself however possible. If you look up my name you'll see that each week new links just keep coming.''

Where are you posting these links?

JUL

2007

I carefully track my advertising dollars and I have dramatically decreased the amount I spend on print advertising over the past few years as the return on investment just isn't there. I do sponsor a newsletter for a co-op complex (the last page is a full-page, full-color ad for my real estate business and an article on local real estate, of course) that is published 6 times a year. I also send out glossy, jumbo postcards of new listings 1-2 times a month. However, the best print advertising, I've found is not really advertising, but public relations. The local newspaper did a full-color spread on one of my new listings last week and The New York Times is doing one on another listing, which should be out in a few weeks.

AUG

2007

Gail, PR is the absolute best way to get your message out to the public. Will you share with us how you were able to get your local paper and the NYT to feature your listings. That would be an awesome blog!

AUG

2007

I know everyone has different view points. I was doing those type of advertisements for years in many of the same type of publications you showcased on your blog. The last few years the amount of calls that those pieces generated was next to nothing. Advertising on the Internet in many different places has had much more of a cost to value effect than print advertising for me and my team.

This could be partially due to the fact that I am just outside Boston which is a hot bed for tech firms. Many of the buyers purchasing in my market place are very tech savvy. Of course I agree that the older generation may not be computer savvy and may be doing more of their searching in papers. If I was marketing over 55 housing I would certainly go that route.

I do use print advertising for promoting myself as a Realtor in the local newspaper and of course through mailings. I just don't see a good cost to value relationship for homes especially when a print piece has a short shelf life and little return. Print advertising over the last few years has been more of a listing tool than an effective way to get a property sold. When I was doing advertising in the Boston Globe the previous two years I would be spending substantial dollars - for what? To get maybe two or three calls a month? That does not make good business sense! I was spending over $2000 a month advertising just in the Sunday section of the Globe. The other type publications such as Homes magazine were even worse. Bottom line I guess is that everyone's market is different. I would be willing to bet though that in the next five years you will see further cuts in newspaper ads.

AUG

2007

Good post, for people who say print is dead, there is that generation who is not using the internet. There is also the generation of young people who use the internet but are hands on and like to look through a print magazine.

Bill, Thanks for taking time to share your opinion. The internet certainly gives a much better cost to value ratio. "Print advertising over the last few years has been more of a listing tool than an effective way to get a property sold" Hopefully my print ads drive viewers to my website. Being a listing agent, I need do a variety of advertising including print, internet and radio.

Tim, Thank you. There are still plenty of people who read print.

SEP

2007

Your marketing plan should contain a mix of online and "real world" tactics that reflect your target market. Here are some stats:

Households With Computers and Internet Access

FEB

2008

Troy, You are right that we need a mix. THanks for your chart. Is there an updated version?

MAY

2008

Very nice post! I am in the advertising field myself and agree with you 100%, print and the internet needs be like a marraige. They should both compliment one another. Look at The Real Estate Book in your local market, they also feed to the internet for free! Thank you

Jeff, Glad that you agree. I was a panalist in DC today and spoke about how my print ads are geared to my website.

In a market like this I find print to be a waste of money

JUN

2008

Remember, the computer was supposed to make us a paperless society, along with the credit card. There are a lot of things that we will never completely turn away from. If done properly, different types of advertising can compliment each other. I'm sure anyone who has a website initially advertied their web address somewhere. Using print ads to point customers to your site is a great way to get those who are not "tech savvy" to learn a new skill. Maybe hold a seminar for those that are less than proficient on a computer and advertise it with a print ad. Just a thought.

JUN

2008

here's my chart:

Buyers are buying homes they find online

AUG

2008

Steven, We do have different opinions.

Tim, I would love to come to your seminar. Let me know when and where.

Carson, Thanks for the chart.

AUG

2008

Margaret, thanks for this post. I am guilty of really just doing on line ads. Well, not totally, my flyer box is ALWAYS full with nice color flyers. I hate it went the flyer box is empty! This is a great reminder though.

I love your "P" system reference! I wrote a blog about making sure that isn't all you are getting from your agent a while ago!

SEP

2008

Cristal, Online is where it's at! However, we need to get the people to the internet. I have qualtiy calls, for listings, from my print ads.

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