Effective Print Advertising for Realtors that works...

After 17 years in the real estate industry I have found that consistency is the key to success when it comes to any kind of print advertising!  When I say consistency, I mean it's consistent in everything i.e. the message you are sending, the schedule in which your print ad is being delivered, your images, your logo, your tag line.  As with any marketing in any industry, you must have a plan and stay the course with that plan or don't bother. 

As real estate agents we're faced with more choices and more contradictory claims than ever before when it comes to how we should promote our listings, connect with consumers and promote our brand.  While real estate marketing used to be pretty straightforward, today, it can consume large chunks of our time and waste energy and money if not managed in a focused, consistent and sensible way. 

I believe brand perception is king!  If your Realtor brand is strong in a specific area you will have a much higher chance that the home buyer or seller will utilize your services over a Realtor who their not familiar with and haven't seen advertise.  If your farming an area with a specific plan you need to make sure your website has the same feel, look, color scheme and so on.  Why do you think the big chain stores are mostly laid out the same?  People like consistency in most everything.

If you invest dollars to farm an area but only do it once or twice odds are you won't see the results your looking for because many consumers want to deal with an agent or a company their familiar with.  Statistics show consumers need to see an advertisement at least 3 times before it becomes effective, i.e. they can actually recall seeing your brand which is you.  Personally, if I were going to list my home with an agent I would want someone who could afford advertising.  I'm much more likely to choose an agent who I can easily find on the internet and mails me market updates and new listing information than I would an agent I wasn't familiar with.  Most people don't care about me or what brokerage firm I represent, they care about what I can do for them if they were to hire me. 

Call-to-Action, The One Exception...

If I only had $300 to promote my brand in print advertising I would use postcards and have a strong call to action.  Something like Thinking of Buying or Selling?  Call Angie today and schedule a no-obligation appointment and receive 2 Free Movie Passes or Free Pizza.  This offer is limited to the first 20 people who call so hurry!  We're #1 for a reason, meet with us to learn why (or what ever your claim to fame that make you different is).  Thanks for taking the time to read my post, I appreciate you!!