Although the question of using print advertising is a well worn topic in the real estate community, it is interesting to see the further changes in this traditional medium.

According to the latest edition of private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson's Communication Industry Forecast (USA Today) here is some compelling data:

NEWSPAPERS: Spending on dailies and weeklies will fall 2.4% a year to 55.3 billion by 2012. Digital will account for 14% of the total vs 5% last year. The biggest problem will continue to be Classified Ads moving to websites such as CraigsList and others. Newspaper classifieds will plummet and fall 11.3% a year through 2012 compared to previous declines of 2.3% a year from 2002-2007.

Cable TV and Satellite ad sales will grow 7.3% a year to 188.9 billion.

Music- Digital downloads will outsell CD's in 2010 leading the beleagured industry to an average increase of 0.9% a year.

The Los Angeles Times has ceased publication of its weekly real estate section--born more than a century ago--amid major staff cuts.

Richard Smith, President of Realogy, the largest residential real estate broker in the world ( and parent company of Coldwell Banker, Century 21, ERA, Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate and Sotheby's) said that thier budget devoted to newspapers will shrink by as much as 2/3 next year as spending moves online. "it's going to be bloody", Smith said in an interview, " the newspaper industry is going to have to adjust".

Realtor Chris Iversons has a very interesting and compelling article, Are Newspapers Dead? over at 3 Oceans Real Estate blog. He took the time to track the results of newspaper advertising for open houses he conducted in the Palo Alto and Redwood City, CA markets and compared them to the results from online advertising and signs.

The outcome? Out of 52 groups that came through Johns open houses one weekend, none came because of the extensive advertising he had done with local newspapers.

Real estate sellers are becoming more demanding. A glossy magazine ad that has a month or two lead time for publication is likely not going to be the vehicle that will bring a buyer to the home. Neither will newspaper advertising. Both do little other than promote the real estate agent. By the NARs own estimate, over 84 percent of all home buyers are searching for their future residence online.

It's time for us to truly educate our sellers and stop wasting incredible amounts of money and resources on a medium that no longer provides the real estate industry any benefit.