Austin TX Real Estate - Hill Country Austin Lakeway Homes for Sale: Mr and Mrs Seller, Newspaper Ads do NOT Sell Houses!

Donna - thank you for this - I couldn't agree more - so well said!! Thanks! I agree 100%

Amen...

I recommend the DIY Craigslist ad.

Cyndee, Thank you for your comments.

Josh, Thank you. Yes, I also use Craigslist, but many other online sites as well.

I agree that most people do their own research on the internet, but I also know that the Sunday section of our local paper has the highest readership, and the best chance to grab someone's attention who reads it.  And yes, people still do read the paper on Sunday, myself included.  I had an Open House yesterday, 3 couples who showed up saw it in the Open House Preview section of ...you guessed it ..the newspaper.  I am not familiar with your local paper, but people want to see their house listed in the real estate section. 

Donna, I so agree !!

Donna, I preach this hymn to sellers as well and most of them understand it.  Well, 1/2 of Greater Washington D.C. works in the tech industry so they understand the power of the internet.  Probably very few people under age 50 consider the newspaper their primary source of information.

Luckily, most of my clients realize that the newspaper is yestertech, and not worth the energy.

Bruce, Our paper doesn't have sections split out for Open House verse Houses for Sale.  Also, the only OH's that are typically advertised in our paper are the By Owners hoping for that unrepresented buyer to stop by.   I read the Sunday paper for the comics and the coupons, nothing else.

Missy, Thanks!

Brian, I agree that the younger generation don't read the paper like the older generation does.  But even the older generation needs to know how things are done.

Lane, Good.  Then you have that much less debate about it at your appts.

Donna - I totally agree with you. I gave up newspaper advertising about two years ago. I will do a promotional piece on my team bt advertising listings - no way. The internet is where successful agents foucs their business. 

Donna:

I do no use print adds to try to sell houses.  I do publish a newspaper (newsletter with 20 pages rich with local news and advertising) that gets me tons of listings.  I put my inventory in it and will sell adds to other agents in our company who still believe in the newspaper.  I get more buyer response from the Internet than anything else.  So even though buyers come from the Internet, sellers seem to come from the paper or newsletter.  Occasionally I get a seller from the Internet, but no often.

However, I do read the local paper, I also read another on-line paper too.

Donna,

Are you sure about those statistics?  I understand that the 70-90% of folks who look for a home START their searches on the internet, but don't necessarily exclude traditional (older) media at the clip you suggest...please correct me if i'm wrong!

I agree completely, there are much better uses of my advertising dollars.

Not only are today's buyers searching online rather than in print, they don't want to visit Open Houses that are held at the agent's convenience (or the traditional time), they want to look online when they want and how they want - if they're enticed to look at a home, they'll want to do it when it's convenient for them.

The only thing a newpaper ad sells is you, not your listings. It says to reader, "Hey, I'm in the paper every week and I have a bunch of listings in your town."  Other than that, it's a waste of money.  Sherry

All my magazine or newspaper ads are used more as a listing tool when I make a presentation to the seller..but 9 out of 10 times they do not seem to attract many buyers..but we need those buyers to sell those listings we have:)

Donna,

I totally agree----my advertising dollars are very skimpy when it comes to newspaper advertising.  I explain right up front to my sellers what my advertising program entails.

wow you got a lot of comments on this blog! It is interesting that sometimes newspapers work if you are out of the area. For example a realtor I know sold a home on the beach in north florida thru the wall street journal in New york. So sometimes your local market is not where the buyer is

DH,

I wrote this a few weeks back..

Do Real Estate Publication no longer work for you?

You`re on the money as usual.....

 

Great Post!!!   I could not agree with you more.

Donna, on my listing presentations I fully explain to sellers that I will not be using print advertising.  (Newspapers, homes magazines, etc.)  I tell them that I tracked the first 9 months of last year and where my inquiries came from on sellers homes.  Not one call was received from a newspaper ad, therefore I've decided to not waste any more of thier money in that manner and will concentrate the marketing dollars where it does work!  Great post Donna.

Thank you Donna - I doubt the average American even has time to read the newspaper any more!  At one point last year, I stopped getting the newspaper delivered to my house - they were piling up and I never had time to read it.

Home buyers are internet savvy and that's where I do all my advertising - Craigslist, move.com, my website, homesdatabase, realtor.com are just a few of the many places buyers look.

 

Donna,  I must be honest here--as a girl with over 15 years in the newspaper business (in a past life!)  the results I would hear from Realtors regarding their ads definately dwindled off to nearly zero in the past 5 years that I was in the newspaper business.  Readership in traditional newspapers is down substantially.  People get their news as well as shop for homes; even cars ONLINE today.  I apolgize to my friends at the paper---but it is what it is!

Thanks!

Faith LaRosse

Donna,

I wish it was the same in my market!! Mine is about 10 years behind the rest of the world in technology, so the paper is still a viable source of contact. I don't like it. I don't buy or read the paper, but my sellers insist on seeing their listing there and sometimes it does draw interest that pans out. I just love it when I go to show a listing how I can put their listing all over the internet and they tell me they don't even have a computer.

Agree 100 % , most in my office have given up on doing ads in the newspaper all together. I quit when all the newspaper talked about was Dom & Gloom in the Housing Market.

I couldn't agree with you more!The local rag here charges $200+ for a weekend ad....how silly is that?Plus by giving them $$$$,we are supporting the outlet that keeps bashing our industry!

Really good post, Donna.  I don't know about Dallas, but I was blown away by how well the Houston Association of Realtors web site works for getting the word out to buyers.  My guess is the Houston Chronicle raised it's rates once too often.  The Washington Post just did that here, and our MLS system is inching toward a system that will be more friendly to the public.

Hi Donna: Great post! I am in Dallas so I am very familiar with the Dallas Morning News. I like to use three types of marketing since you never know where your buyer comes from.

1. Internet- post listings, VT and photos on various websites like mls, ellenterry.com, ebby.com, realtor.com, luxuryrealestate.com (members only), luxuryportfolio.com (members ony), zillow.com, craigslist etc...depends on the property, if it is above or below $1 million. Gets lots of leads and showings this way. (very inexpensive and highly effective)

2. Print Media- My company, Ellen Terry Realtors,  has a very large full color ad in the Dallas Morning News every Sunday which has sections for New Listings and Open Houses. I also use "local/neighborhood" papers like Park Cities Peope, Lakewood People etc...these weekly publications are widely read by the neighborhoods they serve. I also advertise in Enclave, Unique Homes & Great Properties...luxury home publications with a very targeted & exclusive distribution list and I always get a large number of calls from buyers when the new issues come out. I have sold many listings this way and have picked up a large number of clients from calls from interested buyers. (expensive but can be very effective with the right properties)

3. Network with other agents- In my area, this is critical to get the word out on your listings and to find "hip pocket" listings for your buyer within your company and with area firms. Also, I belong to three separate Networking Groups that have membership of top producing agents from various companies and we all support and help each other.  (free and extremey effective) 

Every agent and market is different but for me, marketing is a three prong approach and it all depends on the house and what would be most appropriate. What works for one home may not work for another.

Hope to see you around Dallas sometime soon. Keep up the great posts!

Donna... A topic near and dear to my heart. Can I just offer up a loud and hearty, "AMEN!"

I concur. About three or four times yearly, we get presentations at our office meeting from one or another of the area newspapers, selling some advertising program and their classifieds and RE ads in general, plus weekly or monthly e-mails with "special offers."

This must be area dependent.  Several of my clients do not have interent access or just don't use it. 

One of my sellers who was looking for a house, looked religiously at open house ads and would only visit open houses.

The coffee shop that I go to, will have the magazines spread all over the place from people reading them.  Several are from out of state that "friends" bring back.

One of the niche's for agents was non-technical clients.  If the average is 6% in Texas, 20% nationwide - then our area is probably in the 20-30% possibly higher.

Yes, I've gotten calls on my ads.  It's hard to track because unless you are really diligent about this, we don't know how cleints from other agents hear about the house.

I'm not negating the strong internet presence, but when I hear comments like this around here, I often think - it's an excuse (ok a decent one) not to spend money.

I lost a client because of not advertising in NY (everyone here things NYers have holes in their pockets and are must have their house).  The NY advertising I could give at the time was not what effective.  They did relist with an agency that gets a significant spread in NY papers to pull them in.

 

 

Good post Donna.  I talk a lot about this in my book My Blue Goose.  I recommend taking a look at Stateofthenewsmedia.org which is a watchdog of the newspaper industry.  They have some great input about the state of newspapers and what newspapers are doing to stay competitive.  Bottom line is that your budget works best when split accordingly to where the public goes for information.  So if 6% are reading newspapers, allocate no more than 6% of your budget there.  Do this because the importance of your message being seen in more than one place is still there.

I did not see this post before I wrote mine this am...but clients insist on it. We need to educate the clients

In addition to reviewing my marketing plan with sellers, newspaper ads are one of the two things I explain to them we do NOT do and why.

Good to know I'm in such illustrious company.

Donna - I ask my sellers, "When was the last time you bought a house out of the newspaper?"  That usually ends the conversation.  Especially in the higher price ranges, people look to the internet for something more interactive and colorful, that they can see.  Not just three lines to read.

WOW!  I go to bed and wake up as a featured post with way too many responses to respond individually, so I'll give a blanket THANK YOU to everyone!!

I wanted to make something clearer.  When I mentioned 6% are not online, that doesn't mean 6% are reading the paper.  The stats show that the 6% are divided up with the paper, open houses, flyers, and other advertising besides internet, so that means maybe half of the 6%, or 3% are reading the paper, which dwindles the numbers even more.

Scott, I did not see your blog from July, but very nicely written.  I stopped magazine advertising about 4 years ago when I was getting 150-200 calls a month from my ads, but had a closing ratio of less than 0.0002% as the majority were just looking at the pretty houses...

Maribeth, Correct me if I'm wrong, but since Ellen Terry is owned by Ebby, I assume things are done the same way since I worked with Ebby 7 years ago and still have friends there, but you are not paying individually for that Sunday ad.  The Broker puts out a once a week ad, with little one liners, and it's just for name recognition.  I mean, most of Ebby agents are paying out 50% so Ebby has some money to spare so why not waste it on continueing the print ads she's been doing for years.  But, you'll also notice, most of her money has gone to enhancing the Ebby Home Show and the website being more user friendly.

Jim L and John M, I wrote this blog after I wrote this one about marketing to sell a house or marketing to please a seller.  I agree it's all about education and that's why I explain it right up front and do not waiver on my marketing just to appease them.

Who wants to flip to "houses for sale" classifieds after reading "HOUSING GOES BUST" as the headlines!  PLEASE?!?!?!

Donna, right on the mark!  I have had some marginal success if I were advertising a ranch townhome.  Typically, that will appeal to an older buyer.    The average newspaper reader is 52 years old - last years buyer was 34!  Great post.

Donna: Clients now ask me if their home is advertised on Craig's List:-) Few inquire about newspaper advertising.

Great post, Donna. Oh, thanks for letting me know where to find renters. LOL! I am planning try The Greensheet and wondered if it would work. You have that there in the Dallas area so you know it attracts exactly the market you stated above. But, it's all a part of my business plan. :-)

Very well said DOnna.  Selling in our market can't be as tough as selling print ads !

Donna,

Newspapers are rarely productive, and local television shows, and the local real estate magazines... but some sellers refuse to accept that. Still, we have not advertised listings in  these traditional models for a good time now.

Thanks 

I have a wonderful seller that is willing to pay for the ads in the local papers herself.  She is advertising her home and me and I am not paying anything.

I know about CraigsList and Village Voice.  Are there other similar sites out there?

Great post! I lie to you not, I have never met someone who found their home in a newspaper.

So true Donna.  The only time I run newspaper ads in my area is if I'm doing an open house and even those are few and far between.  Open house ads in this area tend to bring the folks in.  For my on-line advertising, I have my Point2Agent website...gets my listings everywhere on-line!  Helps that that is FREE too!!

I hope all is well with you!!

Sue 

haha...they still believe that the newspaper will sell their home? All that does is waste money!

First of all, print ad prices are extremely expensive for 3 lines among thousands of ads.  You have to hunt and peck to find your ad.  I advise sellers the online version of the local paper is more effective - I sometimes show them a copy of the Homes for Sale section of the paper to prove the point.

Steve -

You can advertise your client's listings for free on Zillow.com and you can purchase additional advertising for your listing (or for yourself) in the Zip codes you specify. EZ Ads (click here) cost you just 1c each time your ad is viewed on Zillow. It's quick and easy to publish an EZ Ad in your targeted Zip code(s). Think of EZ Ads as a virtual postcard - only much cheaper!

Donna -

Great post! 

wow! 96 % in Texas! Ha -This is going to be the end of newspapers! Personally -I use them to run little highly effective ads for picking up new business. 

Donna -- I agree completely with the points you are making in this post.  Unfortunately, my broker has us all under contract for ads in the local paper, a paper that consistently screws up.  Wrong photos, wrong descriptions, blurry text, no addresses -- talk about a nightmare.  I might as well light my $$ on fire, the end result would be the same.  Not a phone call in the past 6 months! 

I agree, our newspaper is saturated with unsold listings, its more of a tool to advertise the agent and company vs selling the home.

Great post Donna...

I totally agree with you, but some of the older folks in Naples, Florida still believes that there home will sell through numerous open houses and print ads.  Quite frankly, I don't want to dump anymore money in the toilet.  The most buyer calls I've received were from the brochure box in front of the house. 

Donna, Awesome post now if the sellers would just read this and see the statistics. My broker runs the newspaper ad's and definately the phone does not ring from them.

Donna, well put!  Our newspaper has a great Weekend Home Preview pullout section which DOES NOT WORK!  My office has run 2 full page ads advertising about 30 open houses around town.  They tracked it and about 2 calls were received and not 1 person showed up to the open houses from the ads.  Great post!  My clients tend to understand when I explain it to them, but you were so much more eloquent.

Thanks for the Turorial,

Great way to explain to sellers why the newspapers don't work, instead of just telling them "they don't work" or it's "not the best place to advertise".  Great stuff to use to back up the WHY? 

My office has tracked where people are coming from for Open Houses - It used to be: 50-70% Washington Post Classified Ad - It is now: 0% Washington Post and 90% Craigslist, Online Open House Page and 10% Signs.

It's funny to most of us to hear such a request... but for some people (the old school), the tangible newspaper is the only way to go.   Only problem is that it doesn't work!  As long as you can show your clients that your methods (internet, shows, etc.) bring in sales, i'm sure they'll change their tune.  Especially when it's sometimes cheaper to use the web!!!  Thanks for the great blog!

Thank you One and All!  I do have this posted to Localism so the Consumer can definitely read it and also all the comments that have been made.  I really hope it makes a difference with sellers wanting things that aren't productive.

I just did a similar post on my blog regarding print advertising (including magazines). I could not agree more - newspaper and most print ads are a complete waste of time with today's technology.

 

Donna--I have had this conversation with sellers over and over this year. Few people are reading the paper for home information. Most are online. Some do drive bys. But paying for a color ad in the Sunday paper doesn't help sell the home. Good post1

when you are working with a budget you have to determine your biggest bang for your buck.  Most buyers are looking at Realtor.com for housing not the local paper.  I say stick with the tried and true online real estate names and you'll have the biggest bang for your buck.

I agree that print ads are not as effective as they used to be but they are still a necesity.  We do need to physically show clients where the $ go and how we work for them.  We still do get a good readership in our area and still do get traffic from our print ads but you do need to mix in a great internet marketing strategy as well.  GREAT POST

Great Post.. I completely agree

The hardest thing to do is realize that you are wearing your own personal experience filter that you see everything through when advertising.  If you can teach a customer that just because they like to listen country music and read the paper every morning, it does not many very many other people do the same.

I  still have local buyers (staying local)  that clip out houses in the local paper asking me to look the MLS# to see if that is a home they are interested in seeing and if it is available.  Not much talk from sellers about listing their house in the paper, but buyers still look in the paper for what is available.  I also have buyers that don't have internet, especially my senior clients.  I have worked with quite of few people that don't have internet in their homes because they have no need for it.  Might be a small percentage but we can't leave them out of the market but not advertising in print. 

Hi Donna,

I agree.  I've tested where open house buyers come from and it's extremely rare that they said that they saw the open house ad in the newspaper.  They all either come from the internet open house postings, MLS or directional open house signs.

The real estate ads section of our paper has really shrunk, even the full-page advertisers have cut back.

Online searches are much more efficient for the buyer.  Newspaper ads are sorted by City and then by price.  Online versions, whether it be MLS or open houses, let you sort also by the number of beds and baths, lot sizes, and sometimes even neighborhoods.

I don't use the phone book and I don't read paper newspapers.  Online is much more user friendly.  You just put in your search words and "voila"!

Great Article! I totally agree with this article...the way to go is the Internet these days.

Donna, interesting topic! Some folks are die-hard newspaper readers, and I think that the use of newspapers vary from market to market. For instance, I'm originally from a small town in NC where everybody subscribes to the newspaper and it's their primary means of receiving information--including what's happening in the real estate market. However, in larger markets, buyers may look at a variety of avenues when searching a home.

Haven't we all have done print advertising at some time or another in order to make our clients feel that we are actively working on their behalf--even if we believed it was less than effective in our particular market?

Well written and well done!  Clear and persuasive!

Great post. 

Ads in the paperare blood money, money paid to get the listing, not the sale.  Sometimes that is what it takes to get the deal, but I agree with everyone they are a total waste of money.  Just like open houses, that is never to sell that house, but to get buyer leads, why else would the listing agent ever agree to have a newbie do an open house if they thought they would sell the house to someone coming to the open house.  For me an open house is about getting buyer leads, and building relationships with the agents hosting them.

 

An excellent Idea that was told to me once was to take print adds to listing appointments. 

If you know your competitors for the listing, take their print adds.  Research the homes in the add and add their "days on market" to each listing.  If the seller plays the "but so-in-so will put our house in the paper" card.  You can prove it doesn't work (provided it really doesn't work in your area).

$.02

Hi Donna: Thanks for the response. Nice to see an old Ebby agent on here!  

I feel buyers come from multiple sources especially the high end buyers from Highland Park and Preston Hollow/North Dallas where I live and work. So you never know where your potential buyer will see it first. I am about to close on a multi-million dollar home purchased by a couple who really were not looking for a new house (hence they were not searching online) but saw it in Enclave luxury real estate magazine and fell in love with it. I am thankful for that ad since they are the perfect buyers.

I am not a big fan of the Sunday real estate section but if my company has that resource for me to use, I am happy to use it as one additional marketing channel. The Internet is extremely important  (as referenced in my earlier comments) and I use it extensively but I think there is still a place for print media and most importantly, networking with other agents. Many of the homes I list and sell are "hip pockets" that may not be on MLS so networking is critical where I am.

Hope to see you around Dallas!

YAHOO!  Someone that finally agrees with me and stands up to sellers and tells them how it is!

The hard part is convincing the seller that you actually KNOW what you are talking about. That is where a strong referral helps.

Another great post as usual! You're spot on!

Donna - well stated. I think that you are correct in larger metropolitain areas regarding the use of a computer when searching for a home. I do not think use of the computer is an indication that the same person does not read the paper. Yes 94% subtracted from 100% equals 6%. You have just mislabled the 6%. Using the data you provided, you can only say that 6% of the people searching for a home do not begin their search on the internet. Use of the internet does not exclude concurrent reading of the classified ads. Many people do both.

Ads in newspapers are judged by number of papers sold. Each paper sold with your ad is a potential impression. It is best to check with the circulation department of a paper to get an idea of how many potential views will see the ad.

In small towns, newspapers are a valuble tool when advertising homes. If you travel 60 miles outside Washington, D.C. , you will find small communities where the local paper is read by most. You will also find that rates to advertise in those papers considerably lower than in large metro areas.

 

Both can be useful, it highly depends on the market you work in.   Most do use the internet, but newspaper ads can be successful.

Donna:

Fabulous that you say so... we believe the same thing, with the caveat that we do advertise in print for certain types of properties... for example, when a listing is a luxury estate, we might advertise in certain magazines... we did sell a waterfront home this Summer for $1.8 million to a buyer who saw our ad in Yachting Magazine.

But otherwise, we do not advertise in print... useless waste of limited resources.

Great post Ms Agent! 

Very well said..can I use this article and show it to a seller?

Bravo Donna!  Well said, well done, high five, cheers!  Not to mention in my market there are 14 yes...14 real estate sections in our newspaper.  When seller's can't find their own ads...there might be a problem!!!  I know, lets go back to black and white TV!!!

Donna, Congrats on your featured post!  I could not agree more.  I just recently terminated a listing of a seller that was insisting on print advertising.  I am now getting very emphatic on my listing presentation so they know that is NOT something I am going to do!  Maybe it works in other areas but I don't see it working here in the Houston area.

 

My wife is a graffic designer for a local newspaper here in Kansas City. Because of this I get a FREE ad every single week.  After one year of using this free ad in many different tests, I've decided to no longer use it. 

It simply didn't attract the type of clients I wanted.  I will tell you that it did turn up quite a few dead-beats that can't qualify for a mortage, renters that simply wanted to waist my time, and little old ladies (sorry, nothing personal) that had nothing better to do than call and talk to me.

 

Yup!  They don't work like they once did (when the newspaper was the only game in town!) Sellers need to be educated about wht really is going on in the marketplace!  Fantastic post!  I looked like a bobble-head; nodding my head up and down in my office as I read thru your post and agreed with all of your points!!! Good job!  Well done!  Regards,

I read your post about Newspapers and I certainly agree.  I also thought the comment from Lane Bailey in

Georgia that "newspapers are yestertech" is certainly a reality statement!!!!

Peggy nash, Alaskan Homes and Properties Rlty, Kenai, alaska

Great post - thank you for sharing with this with the community at AR.

 

Carpe diem, 

 

Chris

I come from a college town in Ann Arbor, Michigan and there are still many folks that read the Newspaper. I also know that I am in one of the worst real estate markets in the country. I am also of the mindset that I will do everything possible to sell one of my listings..Yes even advertise in the Sunday paper. I will take that 6% chance that I may get a ready,willing and able buyer. But that is not the only reason I will place that Sunday ad. I will place that Sunday ad because it will help brand myself to my local audience...it will also remind my local audience that I am doing a ton of business..even in a bad market. Sellers want to do business with those they perceive are doing a ton of business. PERCEPTION IS REALITY!! So I will continue to throw my money away on my Sunday ad and continue to get at least one listing per week from my Sunday ad (I average about 120 listings a year) and I will continue to be perceived as doing a ton of business and I will continue to take business away from those who want to "save" their money and put it into the internet and totally forget print advertising. Thanks for your post...it helps others rationalize why they won't do open houses and run Sundays ads and will help pay for my child's education.

Great post - thank you for sharing it with the Active Rain community.

Keep'em coming!

WOW! I've never had so many comments to a post before.  This is amazing.  Thank you, everyone, so very much!

I wanted to say that I just wrote another "Mr and Mrs Seller" blog about Open Houses, so you should check it out. http://activerain.com/blogsview/209354/Mr-and-Mrs-Seller

Also, yes, you may use whatever verbiage you would like on your listing appointments, but make it your own.  You don't want to sound like me if you're naturally soft spoken.  They'll know they aren't your words and you'll cave in and still put an ad in the paper...

In my market, I have to put the sellers house in the paper because they are the ones looking for it.  I do get calls from the ad but nothing that I have been able to convert yet.  This lets me know that people are looking in the paper even though it's not my preferred marketing technique.

Donna,

So true and we stress this always to our Sellers.  Newspapers are so passe! 

Very good.  When sellers say "Do you put in the Washington Post?" - I say "On Washington Post.com; it is where everyone looks."  I don't even flinch or hesitate - no one ever questions it.  If you give excuses - you're done.

 

You've really hit the nerve here....thank you.

Right on. I have no idea who newspapers work for any more.

This is a terrific (and accurate) post.  I stopped doing newspaper ads as well, because they are a waste of money, time and effort.

By the way, I was born and raised in Dallas, and I am still surprised that the Dallas Morning News managed to become THE newspaper there, instead of the Dallas Times Herald.  It always seemed like the weaker paper to me, but I know it has been the only one now for years.  As I recall, they lost an antitrust suit to the Morning News sometime while I was in college.

It's understandable that some marketing may not be the most effective in each individual market.  But I am not understanding the "no"'s.   What is a "yes"? 

If let's say 90% of homebuyers are using the internet (last survey), what does one do about the other 10%?  Forget them?  Aren't they looking at lawn signs, reading newspapers, asking others, stopping by open houses? 

I guess I'm wondering how a business can "be the best" by disregarding 10% of it's potential business?  Can someone help me with this?

You could also capture leads, and provide additional information using a service like ours. Readers can send a text mesasge or dial a phone number and enter the property code. They can then see a full mobile web site with the same info as on the web.

This at least gives you a way to track, and you get the phone number of the person requesting the info. Give's those print ads additional life.

Donna,

So true!!!  Just out of curiosity -can you point me to where you got the statistic from Texas?  Was it through RECON?

 

Thanks!!

Jeannette- Here is the link for the blog I did earlier this year, http://activerain.com/blogsview/58572/Texas-2-6-Profile. It's from the 2006 Profile Report but I don't have the exact link to them, but I'm sure google does.

Greg, yes, when I would put an ad in the paper, I used an 800 number which captures their number, which is also how I know that no calls would come in.

Kathy, I'm very confused with your comment.  What am I supposed to be saying "yes" to?  Yes, I'll put an ad in the paper?  Why would I do that when I'm not going to?

Jason, yes, I remember when the Times Herald went away as well, however, I was MUCH younger, like in elementary school.  I don't think the Times Herald lasted over DMN because the Times was an evening publication, and most people want their news in the morning.

great post. In NH it's even lower..something like 3% of our buyers find their home in newspaper and magazines.

Donna - That is exactly what happened.  Thanks for making me feel so old!  Just kidding.  I looked it up - it was 1991 when the DMN bought them out.  I was in college (Junior year). 

Donna- I just had this conversation with a seller prospect a week ago. Great job.

Monika, 3% in NH?  WOW!  Go get 'em!

Jason, 1991?  It seemed so much longer than that.  1991,  was actually a Freshman, but that's Junior High here, not High School.  I'm not ashamed anymore since I'm passed that 30 mark!

Debi, I guess I was a week late.  I hope you stuck to your guns and didn't telll them you would run an ad!

And, again, THANK YOU to everyone who responded as I just crossed the 100 comment mark which is HUGE!!  Also, don't forget to look at the continuing blog about not doing Open Houses!

Some agents still advertise in print to apease their clients.  I say - be strong, save your money, educate your sellers and stay out of the paper!

OK

Just because a lot of people use internet - definately doesn't mean everyone does!

Advertising in both mediums is important.  Goto the coffee shop or wake up early and see how many papers are being delivered and bought.  If I am the seller, do you think I am concerned with how much you have to spend or how to track views (seperate number or ask where they saw the home) to sell my house?

 

It's so true. Ads in papers don't sell houses, good qualified agents do!

Cheers,

Cindy 

Interesting article

Well put. I find it difficult to explain this to sellers; they often want to see their home in the paper.

Troy, When I go to a coffee shop, all I see are laptops open and people working on laptops, no newspapers... And YES, if you're the seller, you should be VERY concerned about how views are tracked because you're going to want to know why you're not getting any showings or offers. 

Nathan, as others have pointed out above, take the paper with you and ask the sellers to "easily" find the type of home they're looking for within all those iddy biddy ads in font 2 type.

 

Newspapers still charge outragious prices for a short line ad that receives little to no inquiries.

Great post!  I quit reading the paper a few years ago myself.

Newspapers still charge outrageous prices for a short line ad that receives little to no inquiries.

Great post!  I quit reading the paper a few years ago myself.

I agree with you 100% on this one

Very well said. However, I am looking at a postcard from my former brokerage promoting that they do open house ads in the Tampa Tribune.  I just had a seller who thinks that not having it in the paper seems like  I am not aggressively marketing his house.

The newspaper ad is a dinosaur.  Today I have had 70 year old clients looking on line for homes.  The people still using the newspaper either can't afford internet access (so how can they afford a house?) or they are of such an advanced age that they are not likely home buyers.

I have started running print ads in our free paper that appeals to the under 50 demographic.  They are most of my buyers.  It is less expensive and even includes a photo.  The price is 1/4th the price of the daily rag and runs for 4 weeks at a time.   All the rest is web based.

I tell my sellers I go with what works! And I track responses to all my advertising efforts.  Why throw good money after bad?

I agree, ads are expensive and rarely work in this market. I have also experienced misprinting and generally bad service lately with newsprint. In this business we are always adjusting and going back and forth between what works the best in the current market..

Here is what works for me...

- a unique webpage (www.theaddress.com ) that buyers see as they drive by.. a lot of people don't want to stop but will make note of the URL and look at it when they get home. (But keep a flyer box too).. Also, my seller's love to type their address in google and see their home displayed

- Open houses!  Both 'Broker's and Public'. They are back and better than ever! This is where you meet people ready to do business. I also mail a postcard out inviting the neighbors!

- Craig's List.  I love these free ads... and calls do come as a result.

-Networking. I find when I go to other agent's Broker's open... They support me in mine!

Good luck to everyone!

Here in Vancouver, Washington we agree!  The newspaper may be alright to promote our website's address however, for an individual listing the classifieds have been all duds.

We've had better luck with Networking, Viral Marketing, Craigslist, and our Website.

Thanks!  John

5 million in sales, zero newspaper ads...

I like the real estate periodicals that sit on the racks for 3-4 weeks at a time. Home buyers and candy shoppers grab those at the grocery stores. I've had a few leads through that avenue. But primary investment and return for me is internet internet internet

This drives me so unbelievably crazy!  Once again how do we educate our clients about "REAL" real estate?  How can they not know that a newspaper ad only makes me look good...not their house. We are the professionals and yet we are always having to explain to our clients (who know everything) how marketing real estate actually works. Realtors sell homes...not ads!

Thanks for more ammunition!

Your so RIGHT... 90% of homes are SOLD via ONLINE...... We have to learn to move with the flow ...
Technology is the new way to go.....

I disagree. I think it depends on the area you are in and what market you are targeting. Some homes do actually sell better off of newspaper ads in certain communities. Some need not be marketed in newspaper ads and would be a waste. There is an older generation that still does not feel the need to use computers and I think that is fine. Who am I to force them to use computers?

 Not everyone that reads the newspaper is low income. Some just don't embrace the technological era we are in. I use for example Regis and Kelly. Both are high income, neither know how to use a computer. Neither cares to know how either. They are too busy to care about computers but yet they are still successful in their careers. There are many people out there like that. You have to find other ways to still reach those type buyers. WE can't leave out the 6%. To me, that is almost like being prejudiced against lower income people or people that don't embrace technology. I love to work with renters. They are future buyers!!!!!

Thank you for the post! Your right newspapers are not hitting our target market like it did in days gone by.

Take care!

RJH

I have been in managers meetings lately debating best spent dollars on ads and we too have found ourselves scaling back on print ads especially the newspaper . The concensus is as above. Paper ads arent providing the stickiness they use to. They really have become vanity and recognition ads (nothing to do with the inventory). Good discussion here - it is about being ahead of the curve!

I agree - I came from a background in traditional advertising, and could not agree more. Promoting listings in the newspaper, for the most part, is wasting your advertising dollars these days.

I agree! Great Post! I do advertise some in the magazines, but not to often the paper. I have only sold one house out of a magazine. It is so true that more people go to the internet looking for homes.

I don't do newspaper ads, either.  Get an Arch Telecom line and give the listings different number codes so you know what makes the phone ring.  The newspaper doesn't.  Neither does the 4x/year Homes Extra magazine.

Also, I had a listing where I told the poeple I don't do newspaper ads.  Thay thought that was OK, until there was no traffic on their house.  (There were issues).  The listing expired and they went with an agent who advertises all his homes every Sunday in the local newspaper.  Six months later, still no sale even though he had it during the warm months at a lower price than I did.  The only difference is that he's out $2400 for ads.

Karen Webster

5 Star Real Estate

Grand Rapids, MI 

I definitely agree, I used to let sellers "push" me into wasting advertising dollars on the newspaper and on the weekly home magazines you find at the supermarket.  I never saw a return on those dollars.  The newpapers still charge alot because they are selling fewer papers but still need to turn a profit. The weekly home mags are a waste in a fast paced market because the properties would sell before they would actually go to print. In a slower paced market they may be of some value in some areas of the country.  I did not get any serious leads from that source.  Another money and time waster are open houses.  Where I work no one attends them, no matter how much advertising you do to promote the open house, you may get a neighbor or two being nosy but that is it.  Now if a seller asks if I will advertise in the paper I say no. 

Kimberly 

Love this article, Thx

Donna, I agree with you!   People do research online for many things they are buying especially real estate.  I have not had a listing yet because I am new to this business, but I will not agree to putting it in the newspaper. 

Definitely like that line. "Mr. and Mrs. Seller, would you rather me spend my marketing money and efforts on capturing 94% of the Buying population, or would you like me to spend my time marketing your house to only 6% of buyers?"

Perfect to use for listing presentations!

So true! Ads do not sell homes. Good REALTORS(R) sell homes. And we do it by being web savvy. 

You're absolutely right!  I haven't had any problems explaining to sellers why I don't advertise their listing in the newspapers... except for when I listed a friend's house for sale and she just insisted on a big picture ad in the paper... they warned us in real estate school... friends and family are the hardest to work with!

Ginger Allen

Hello Donna!

I am Broker/Manager of Century 21 Shoreland here in Provincetown on Cape Cod.  I do NOT do any print advertising what so ever!  In 2001, 2002, and 2003, I spent over $25,000 per year on print advertising and NEVER received a phone call from any of the print media.  My new leads came from contacts, referrals, and the INTERNET.  Not only did the Buyers come from these sources, the Buyers actually went to the closing table- they were not tire kickers.  Thus, all of my marketing budget goes into the line item "online/internet advertising".

Nope sorry.

Yes, studies show that many people search on the net, but many, I mean many call on my adds.

Problem with online is people do not want you to call them and bother them.

Yep, I am right.  Good luck in the future.