The Future of Real Estate Advertising

The question that each and every one of us in the real estate industry deal with every day.....where do I make best use of my advertising money? This is not an easy question to answer and as a result, we keep doing things the "same old way".

Did You Know ......73% of homebuyers used the Internet as an information source...74% of Internet homebuyers drove by or viewed a home they saw online...23% of Internet homebuyers found their agent online...24% of buyers first found their home on the Internet...22% of FSBOs used the Internet to help sell their home. [from REALTOR.org]

CHARACTERISTICS OF HOMES PURCHASED
* One in five homes purchased by recent buyers was newly built.
* Three-quarters of homes purchased were detached single-family homes.
* Neighborhood quality was the most important factor for buyers in selecting
a location.
* The typical buyer purchased a home that was slightly more than 1,800
square feet in size.

THE HOME SEARCH PROCESS
* Eighty-five percent of home buyers used a real estate agent during their
search for a home.
* Nearly three-quarters of buyers viewed the Internet as a very useful tool in
their home search.
* A majority of buyers reported that they drove by a home viewed online.
* Typical buyers searched for eight weeks before finding the home they
purchased.

HOME BUYING AND REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS
* Over three-quarters of buyers used a real estate agent to purchase their
home.
[from the National Association of REALTORs 2006 Profile of Buyers and Sellers]

In the interest of knowing more about now others felt, I've been searching the web for articles about this subject. Here are some opinions on real estate advertising.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Best-Ways-for-Real-Estate-Advertising&id=159934

http://www.global-investment-institute.com/real-estate-business.htm

Here are some alternative real estate advertising ideas.

Set-up a blog
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/99678/the_new_viral_way_to_advertise_real.html

Use ad banners like these sold by Google
http://www.google.com/ads/metrics_realestate.html

Ultimately, we have to find a balance between advertising on the internet and the interpersonal relationship between customer and agent.

http://ciremagazine.com/article.php?article_id=105

This is all a lot of information, but doesn't it all seem to be pointing towards the internet and face to face interaction as the best ways to buy and sell real estate. Everything...and I mean everything I read focuses on these means of advertising. Where are the stats and articles on print advertising? Signage seems to still be a great wide to guide folks towards properties, but as an "additional" tool coupled with internet advertising.

Just something more to thing about.....