5 Design Tips for Great Ads

30 10 2009

by Adrian Amos, Marketing Coordinator

You’ve heard “you never get a second chance to make a first impression.” It’s true with your advertisements as well. Your ads often are the first impression viewers have of you. In a split-second they will either be intrigued or move on. Your ad’s design – maybe more than its message – determines the outcome.

Here are five easy tips for great ad design from the professionals:

  1. Larger photos result in greater sales. Including fewer listings with larger photos of each will get more attention from homebuyers.
  2. Text must be legible and large enough to read. Choose fonts wisely and keep the size at 9 or above.
  3. Ads need “breathing room,” so avoid the temptation to fill the entire page with information. “White space” greatly increases the eye-stopping power which makes your ad more appealing to consumers.
  4. Readers scan pages from the top right to the top left first. If they don’t see something compelling they’ll skip the page. Make your design elements on the outside corners strong.
  5. Ads that try to be all things to all people usually fail to reach anyone. Don’t cram everything into your advertising.

Great design can accomplish amazing things. Here’s proof of drastic changes in readership by changing the design alone.


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Print Media And Web Marketing Strategies

28 10 2009

By Rob Wicker

Broker Roger Ewing of Ewing & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty in California recently posted a blog about measuring advertising’s Return on Investment – particularly as it applies to social media. Roger states that a marketing strategy including print and branding, “combined with an intelligent social media platform, will conquer the competition in record time.”
Roger’s Blog

The debate of print, online and social media will continue. The bottomline is that you need to invest in your career — in your brand – in order to stand out from the competition.


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What exactly does a buyer do during the search process?

26 10 2009

By Brian Delaney, Vice President of Franchise Services

The National Association of Realtors®’ (NAR) Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers indicates the length of a search for real estate lasts approximately 12 weeks. In order to develop a strategy that will result in the “capture” of these buyers, it is critical that we understand exactly what they are doing during this period.

According to the NAR survey, the average buyer is researching the market without the assistance of any one particular agent for approximately 3-4 weeks in the beginning of the search process. Understanding why buyers behave the way they do during the initial period of the search process shows agents why it is important to be visible and well-branded.

The process of purchasing real estate is no different than any other large ticket item. Whether you are buying a car, a television or a boat, it is entirely likely that you will take steps to educate yourself before putting yourself in the hands of a salesperson.

Let’s say you are looking for a new television for example. You will likely go online, you will look in the Sunday paper (“big box” stores advertise their specials consistently in off line media), and last but not least, you may seek the advice of a family member or friend who is more technically savvy than you may be. Buyers do this in order to get “comfortable in the space.”

The same is true in real estate. In an effort to get comfortable in the space buyers drive neighborhoods, research websites, read magazines and newspapers, visit open houses and consult with family and friends. Agents who are the consistently branded in all these areas—including print, Internet, mobile devices, and direct mail—will be the agents who are most likely to gain the trust and business of today’s buyers.


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Have Enough Listings? Think Again.

22 10 2009

by Rob Wicker

Quality ListingsBecause the market is slow, especially on the higher-end, some agents are under the mistaken assumption that they don’t need any more listings. The thought is that if they take more listings, they will have to invest time and money to get the listings sold, and any possible closings could be months away.

One important reason you need listings is online lead generation. Research from the NAR tells us that only 3% of consumers go online to find an agent. Consumers go online to find houses, and then they contact an agent. This means that consumers are going to find you through the listings you have posted on HomesAndLand.com, Realtor.com, Trulia, Zillow, and the other major sites. The more quality listings you have posted, the more likely you are to be found.

In order to win quality listings that are competitively priced, you need to differentiate yourself from other agents. A survey conducted by Homes & Land reported that an agent’s marketing plan is a critical factor in the listing decision. More than ever, home sellers demand full-service marketing for their home. That is why we provide our advertisers with both print and online products. We help you show sellers how you can get the best possible price for their home in the shortest amount of time.


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WSJ Reports Marketers Still Prefer a Paper Trail

20 10 2009

By Rob Wicker

The Wall Street Journal had an interesting article last Friday: “In Digital Era, Marketers Still Prefer a Paper Trail.” The article pointed out that we are a long way from a paperless world, and this is clearly illustrated by the number of catalogs that are mailed during the Christmas season.

Why do so many marketers use catalogs? The reason is because they work. Among retailers that rely mainly on direct sales, 62% say their biggest revenue generator is a paper catalog. The Wall Street Journal quoted Steve Fuller, Chief Marketing Officer for L.L. Bean, “There will be some paper version for as long as I am in the business.”

As the CMO for Homes & Land, the popularity of catalogs doesn’t surprise me. Although some of our publishers include market data and articles in their Homes & Land magazines, the primary format is a catalog of homes. The only decrease I have ever seen in the pick-up rate of our magazines was when the market dropped so dramatically last year. A lot of homeowners pick up our magazines to get a feel for the value of their property, and my guess is that the pick-up rate slowed because at the time homeowners found their home valuations depressing. I know I felt that way. We recently completed a series of Regional Meetings and our publishers reported that pick-up rates were as strong as ever, which is probably a fairly good indicator of increasing consumer confidence in the real estate market.

One negative in the Wall Street Journal regarding the catalog industry is the environmental fears generated by the use of so much paper. We’re concerned about that too, that’s why we participate in the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program. Our magazines are printed on paper fibers that support environmentally responsible behavior and sound forest management, which includes the protection of local water quality, biodiversity and wildlife habitats.


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