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Print Advertising: Quick, Find Me All The 3 BR/2 BA Homes on The Market!

By
Real Estate Agent with Allen Tate Realtors Chapel Hill, NC 919-819-8199

Ever have one of those sellers who just doesn’t seem to ‘get it’ when you’ve just told them that once they list, their home will appear on OVER 5000 websites thanks to your sophisticated, high tech and completely awesome marketing plan? You know the one; the guy who absolutely insists that you take out a $300 print ad in the local newspaper, run it every Sunday in the real estate section, AND they want to proof the copy before you place it to make sure you mention the new paint and carpet in every room?! I was reminded of a few of those folks while reading Ron Tillers recent post Extra, Extra Read All About It.

We are pretty fortunate (I guess) to still have a twice weekly (for now), full color, full size, local newspaper here in Chapel Hill, NC. The real estate section, which, in the ‘90s was one of the biggest sections of the paper, two sections in fact; can be pretty impressive as print real estate advertising goes...what with the full page, full color ads run by nearly every real estate company in a three county area. Not to mention the quarter page individual ads run by every agent in town who has a luxury listing. Followed by the median priced listing agents who are showing that they, too, will spend the big bucks, just like the luxury folks, to market your low to mid range home in three colors with a headline so catchy as to get scads of buyers racing to make viewing appointments on Sunday afternoon! What seller wouldn’t want that!newspaper airplane

Here’s the thing, though. Turns out that 42% of adults, who even read a print newspaper (and in 2008 that was only 30% across all generations) read the classified ad section (which is where real estate is categorized.) I figure if they don’t have their home for sale and pictured in there where they hope to clip it out for their scrap book, they aren’t even looking at it! Unless they are a real estate agent looking to see who has changed companies or is still promising sellers print advertising…they aren’t even unfolding it! Just so you know, of folks who read print newspapers… 80% look at the Local News and 52% read the Sports section. That’s it! The print real estate section is lining the hamster’s cage!

“You’ve explained all that. We still want print.”

How ‘bout those slick real estate magazines? Better option? Not so much as far as I’m concerned. There is still probably a case to be made for folks who order a cup of coffee at the local coffee shop and then, out of shear boredom, grab a free magazine and page through it looking for decorating ideas or just dream about what it would be like to own a home in a great community like ours. But any serious buyer goes to the internet! Why do you think all those slick magazines (and newspapers) have websites now?! If they are one of the three people you will ever meet in your lifetime without access to a computer, they will ask their kid, a local librarian or, hello, their real estate agent, to search online for them! In fact, I’d bet that if you ask these sellers, even they won’t be looking for their next house in a newspaper!

“Sorry, we still want print.” (Only now we are convinced you’re just trying to get out of doing your job!)

Now don’t get me wrong…I love seeing my smilin’ face in print as much as the next guy but it is SO last century as a way to spend the precious dollars in your marketing budget! OK, all you Realtors out there are just smilin’ and noddin’ …because you know those sellers are out there (and some of you probably don’t know you’re supposed to have a marketing budget either, but I digress)…and these sellers still haven’t heard a really good reason not to believe you’re just chincing out on them by not running a print newspaper ad! So what’s a Realtor to do…

How about this…carry a nice big stack of newspaper real estate sections, real estate books and ‘home for sale’ magazines with you. Kebrowsing the newspaperep them in your briefcase until absolutely necessary. When the discussion stalls over your refusal to run a big print ad, even though you have promised professional photography, a staging expert and a video tour, all syndicated to thousands of websites within hours and where 99% of the buyers are…

Throw  Gently place that pile of print media in the middle of the kitchen table and say “Here, find all the three bedroom, two bath homes within walking distance of your child’s school. I’ll wait.”

The sudden flash of realization as they “get it” can be extremely gratifying helpful.

 

  SarahGray Lamm is a licensed, full time, residential Broker in the Triangle of North Carolina.  She specializes in serving the real estate needs of home owners and home buyers in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, SW Durham and Northern Chatham County.  With over 60,000 hours of experience in North Carolina real estate, SarahGray is proudly associated with Allen Tate Realtors , the Carolinas largest independent real estate company, ranking #8 in the nation.  With exceptional relationships all over the Carolinas, SarahGray is able to connect you with other professionals in all areas who will make your home buying or selling experience the best you have ever had!

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SarahGray Lamm is a licensed, full time, residential real estate professional in the Triangle area of North Carolina with over 100,000 hours of experience. She specializes in serving the real estate needs of home sellers, home buyers and investors in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham and Northern Chatham County and is proudly associated with Allen Tate Realtors, the Carolinas #1 independent realty company.

Use of content from the AgentOutlier blog without the express permission of the owner is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Disclaimer: Comments and contributions via ActiveRain.com (or other electronic or print media) do not establish an agency relationship with any third party. Blog posts are intended to be informational only. Please be advised that real estate practices vary by region, from state to state and from market to market. The information contained herein does not constitute legal advice. All parties in need of legal, accounting, tax, or real estate guidance are directed to consult with the licensed professional of their choice. Please seek specific guidance from a retained professional in the specific field(s) required to service your interests.

 

Comments (12)

Renee L. Norton
Birmingham, AL

Great idea!  Kind of like "a picture paints a thousands words".

May 14, 2009 12:45 PM
Richard Weisser
Richard Weisser Realty - Newnan, GA
Richard Weisser Retired Real Estate Professional

SarahGray...

I like the way you think!

Featured in the Group "Whacked!!!"

May 14, 2009 01:27 PM
SarahGray Lamm
Allen Tate Realtors Chapel Hill, NC 919-819-8199 - Chapel Hill, NC
Realtor - 100K Hours of NC Real Estate Experience

@Renee - Works like a charm!

 

@Richard - Lucky me! I kinda like the way YOU think! Thank you!!!!

May 14, 2009 01:44 PM
Jim Palmer
Chipola Realty - Chipley Office (850) 638-2777 - Sunny Hills, FL
Washington County, Florida

Absolutely brilliant!!

No matter how many times you try to explain what a waste of money it is...the visual explanation is much more effective!

May 14, 2009 02:01 PM
Lynn Michaels
RE/MAX Central- Marlboro & Manalapan, NJ - Marlboro, NJ
Marlboro-Manalapan Real Estate

I love the way you put all our thoughts into words! Perfectly expressed. I'm smiling, nodding, laughing out loud! Great suggestion, too!

May 14, 2009 02:48 PM
Paula Swayne
Dunnigan, Realtors, Sacramento (916) 425-9715 - Sacramento, CA
Realtor-Land Park, East Sac & Curtis Park -Dunniga

Hi SarahGray!
If you want more proof, compare the number of people that show up at your open houses without an ad in print media and with ad.  I haven't run a print media ad for open houses for almost a year...and have every bit as good an attendance as those that insist on running an ad!  Let the other brokers pay...I'll just use my open house signs!

May 15, 2009 11:57 AM
SarahGray Lamm
Allen Tate Realtors Chapel Hill, NC 919-819-8199 - Chapel Hill, NC
Realtor - 100K Hours of NC Real Estate Experience

Great point Paula! The new trick is to put the Open House on Craigslist! Works pretty well! Craigslist can be dangerous for listing a home (we have had some 'co-opted' and the phone # and price changed) but so far no one has come up with a way to 'steal' an Open House!

May 16, 2009 12:24 AM
Laraine Shape
Comey & Shepherd Realtors - Glendale, OH
Selling Cincinnati...one kitchen at a time

SarahGray - What a grand idea!  I love it.  Laraine

May 16, 2009 07:47 AM
Marney Kirk
Cummings & Co. Realtors - Towson, MD
Towson, Maryland Real Estate

SarahGray, that was PERFECT. I love it! Thank you, I need to head to the grocery store & pick up some junk magazines now:! :-)

May 17, 2009 10:27 PM
Mark Brian
Silver Star Real Estate LLC - Anderson, SC
Anderson SC Realtor

How ironic that I read this after we spent, er, I mean wasted money this weekend on a big print ad with the homes that would appeal to fist time home buyers. No phone calls from the ad, nada, zero zilch. What a waste!

May 18, 2009 03:15 AM
Svetlana Stolyarova
Local-n-Global Realty, Cleveland and International Real Estate Solution - Mayfield Heights, OH
Local-n-Global Realty, Broker 216-548-4663

That's an impressive presentation! Great job with this still very common objecrtion.

May 19, 2009 11:22 AM
Tom Boos
Sine & Monaghan Realtors, Real Living - Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
Providing the very best of service to Sellers and

IN our market, print advertising is going the way of the dinosaur.  It isn't effective now and hasn't been in years.  Today, as WE all know, the internet is where "it's at" for the effective dissemination of real estate listings and information.

May 20, 2009 01:23 AM