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To Print or Not to Print? That is the question

By Gary Woltal

Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty 0575737

February 25, 2008 11:00 AM

Print Ad I must admit I am mystified. Prior to joining the real estate professional community I did like thumbing through glossy, color real estate magazines not mainly to look at houses but to see how Realtors marketed themselves. Some were "top guns" showing off their shotguns. Many were husband-wife or mother daughter "teams" or your "Local expert." But even when I was shopping for a house I tossed the paper and went to the Internet. The statistics say less than 10% of people search for a home from something on paper.

So why do Realtors keep advertising there? The short answer is the seller wants them to. Luxury or special homes might be a play in this area. But newspapers are starving for the Realtors to come back with their skimpy $22 three line ad which most still won't even sign up for.

So like the dinosaur, are we seeing the last days of print advertising? Seems kind of expensive, has little stickiness, and you need to "continue" to advertise month after month to build your brand name up. Those brokers with the big bucks just "waste" some more money in this area!

What do you think? Is print still something to have a small bit of the mix these days? Seems like pretty low return on investment to me.

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Charlottesville Solutions

Charlottesville Solutions - Charlottesville, VA

Seems that more and more agents are getting totally out of print advertising. When i look at these mags, I am just seeing what the competition is doing...

All the best! Charles

Feb 25, 2008 11:00 PM

Jill Wente

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate | Gary Greene - Spring, TX

Realtor, CRS, MCNE, CHMS

I have revamped my print advertising and do very little in print advertising. Over the last year, I was advertising in print so my sellers could have something to hold on to. Less for its effectiveness in selling the house or for bringing me new buyers.

Feb 25, 2008 11:37 PM

Robert Krames

Smart Media Creative Solutions - Gainesville, FL

print will always have a place, it's just changing. I think print has inflated prices right now, the web is a relatively inexpensive/easier to track/easier to target demographics medium compared to print. Print by and large is still priced as if it were the only good advertising medium, like it was 15 years ago. The print publication companies are starting to feel it too.

Feb 25, 2008 11:41 PM

Steve Scheer

Realty Oasis - Metro Brokers - Highlands Ranch, CO

Highlands Ranch Real Estate - Denver Real Estate

Gary - I have only one ad left in print & its only because its a very niche paper of an organization my kids are involved in and the ad $ goes directly to making sure the paper prints in the first place - if it weren't for that, I would be done.

Feb 25, 2008 11:48 PM

Latonia Parks

Top Bragg Realty, Fayetteville NC, Home of the 82d ABN DIV - Fayetteville, NC

Certified Military Relocation Expert

I can't afford to waste money so print isn't even in my mind....unless a client is demanding it.

Feb 25, 2008 11:53 PM

Judy Greenberg

Compass - Long Grove, IL

Compass- Long Grove -Buffalo Grove

Gary, Coldwell Banker still does some print ads, but is phasing away to the internet. However- when I asked the people at my open house last Sunday- they all said from the paper... Took me a little by surprise

Feb 26, 2008 12:14 AM

Robert Krames

Smart Media Creative Solutions - Gainesville, FL

Latonia,

print is costly, and I would be tempted to eliminate it before other things also if I had to.

Feb 26, 2008 12:26 AM

Adam Waldman

Westcott Group Real Estate Company - Hauppauge, NY

Realtor - Long Island

GARY - I think that the glossy magazines will always have their place, and most of them actually include an Internet component as well. The newspapers, on the other hand, have become a complete waste of money. People will at least thumb through the magazines, and it's not a bad way to just keep your name out there, but newspapers don't achieve that goal unless you spend a fortune on large ads, and even then, it's not a great tool.

Feb 26, 2008 02:30 AM

n d

Naoma Doriguzzi - Virginia Beach, VA

I just don't have time to read the newspaper anymore! I think maybe more for branding than anything and like everyone else said to appease the sellers

Feb 26, 2008 02:52 AM

Virginia Hepp - Mesquite NV REALTOR

Desert Gold Realty - Mesquite NV Homes For Sale - Mesquite, NV

Mesquite NV Homes and Neighborhoods - Search MLS

Hi Gary - I think open house ads work to get people to the open house. I occasionally run simple ads with agents in my office, just to get my name out, they do not generate any calls. I tell sellers right up front that I don't use print ads because people don't read them.

Feb 26, 2008 03:22 AM

Mimi Osterdahl, NW Living

eXp Realty - Bellingham, WA

"Do good work for good people."

Gary-

Look at the ad you posted with your blog. I believe it is worth EVERY CENT put into it.

Advertising is always analogous to me with 'fishing', so here I go:

Ads are the 'bait' that will drive the 'fish' into an online 'net'. You have to get folks visiting you online somehow, you have to tell folks where to go and how to get there. So, tasty 'bait' that makes 'em bite is ALL IMPORTANT!!! Don't put everything about the property on the flyer or in the ad. Give people just enough "wow" to want to know more, and then give the link to your site so they can get more! YUM! That ad that you included in your post makes me want to see more! (Nibble, nibble...)

I think it is all in how you look at 'why' you print advertise, and 'how' you print advertise. We MUST change our headspace. No longer does print advertising sell homes...and it hasn't for a very long time. Print advertising should advertise where the 'real' information is...then be ready to show it to them, quickly and easily, and differently and wonderfully when they arrive at YOUR WEBSITE for the bulk of the information.

Now that folks have come to YOUR WEBSITE...allow them to KNOW YOU the moment they arrive. It should EXUDE your personality, it should be memorable...AND it should have tools and information they want to USE.

That's my 2 cents my friend.

Live good. Be happy.

-Mimi

(Oh, by the way...I LOVED your comment on my 'tranquility' post: The reminder of, "Be STILL and KNOW that I am God.". What truth! Nice to know you are a fellow believer.)

Feb 26, 2008 03:24 AM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Thanks for all the great comments everyone has provided. Very knowledgeable people all here!!

Judy: Many of the large traditional brokerage firms still do a lot of print advertising you are right.

Adam: I know Homes.com has a magazine and a website.

Virginia: You and others here are saying the open advertisements at least in that category work.

Mimi: I like that you are somewhat the contrarian here. Glossy magazines can be the landing page so to speak to lead to more information elsewhere. Yes, God's voice does speak if I only will be QUIET!

Feb 26, 2008 06:41 AM

Marey Hoeppner

Kalamazoo, MI

Your Success Is Our Goal!

Spending money on a newspaper ad is a bit wasteful, when more and more people are going to the internet to look up things. To many places online to place free ads, market for free and reach a lot more people.

Feb 26, 2008 10:26 AM

Karen Gentry>>Charlottesville, Virginia Real Estate Professional

RE/MAX Excellence-Charlottesville VA - Charlottesville, VA

I know at a former job with 200+ employees, about 4 of us would ever buy a paper. May people use the paper out of habit. It's just so easy and free to look up the local paper on the Internet. The real estate magazines are feeling the squeeze too. It's too easy to get lost in them.

If you are going to use the paper to do ads, I think special editions or your little local paper stands the best chance of keeping you out there. Of course the Internet is the best way to go.

Feb 26, 2008 10:39 AM

Jesse Clifton

Jesse Clifton & Associates - Fairbanks, AK

Gary - We've pulled out of nearly all print advertising. I have stopped running classified ads completely and only advertise in a select few real estate inserts in the spring. Our contract with the "homes" magazine is up this month and that's gone as well. Horrible ROI when compared to the Internet. Some seller and buyers still probably use the paper, but they also use the Internet... I would rather capture them there.

Feb 26, 2008 07:09 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Marey: Good point on so much on line can be posted for free.

Karen: I like the special editions idea. I've seen Realtors advertise in high school football programs.

Jesse & Kathy: I see we agree on the horrible ROI. Who can waste money?

Feb 26, 2008 11:42 PM

Jim Crawford

Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA

Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA

No one uses print ads anymore. There is not enough detail. Show me the home in XYZ subdivision, virtual tours, multiple photos, a map to the property, neighborhood demographics... school reports...etc? Print media can't! Why do you think all the newspapers and magazines are almost collapsing? They are laying off in droves. I stopped years ago, and never made more money than when I concentrated on the Internet. Many real estate agents do not get it...that is good for those that remain. They'll spend their way out of the business...and still not get it.

Feb 26, 2008 11:52 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Jim: Thanks for your on target commentary. The print ads, as someone earlier commented on, do seem to be done for vanity reasons.

Feb 27, 2008 12:05 AM

Serena Brown

Taylor-Brown Real Estate - Hammond, IN

I have notice that more and more newspaper are offer the realtor a choice of advertising in the paper or on the internet or both. I recently did the on line advertisement. I did not notice an increase in calls, but it was my first time using it. I will try again soon.

Mar 02, 2008 11:26 AM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Serena: Many of the print publications are "linking" also to online. I think it is a matter of survival.

Mar 02, 2008 01:23 PM