How much newspaper advertising do you do?
I still get that question from time to time when on listing appointments. Usually from older homeowners.
I keep a copy of the newspaper's classified ads in my briefcase for just such an occasion. It's my back up material for my four word answer:
"None. And here's why."
Philadelphia is a large city. As a metropolitan statistical area, it is the country's fifth largest with a population of 5,968,252 (2009). That's a lot of people.
The major daily newspaper here is the Philadelphia Inquirer. It is the 11th largest circulation newspaper in the country.
So let's look at the real estate advertising section for today, Wednesday August 4, 2010. Look to your left. Right under the Adult Chat Line section.
You see the three column inches dedicated to the Equal Housing Opportunity? Look right under that. Missed it? Look again.
One real estate for sale ad in the paper. Two lines. Oh, my.
Yes, I do understand that a Wednesday is not the real estate advertising power day. And there are more real estate rental ads in the next column. But those truisms do not take away from fact that newspaper real estate advertising for residential resales is dead. Stick a fork in it. And it's not coming back.
- I can more effectively market homes on the Internet, and have it be seen by a much wider audience. My Internet advertising is focused and robust. It includes multiple Hi-Def photographs and videos. It has community and school links. You can see an interactive overhead map of the home and the area.
Still want me to advertise your home in the newspaper?
For those of us who watch HGTV shows on television, we often see house hunters looking in the newspaper and circling ads with a highlighter that they want to show their agent.
C'mon -- is that for real? Or does it just look good on TV? You'd be hard pressed to do that around here!
I've been wrong before, so please chime in.
Is newspaper advertising a good way to market listings in your area, and can house hunters find a good selection of homes in your area by searching through the classified ads?
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