How does newspaper advertising fit into the overall promotional mix for a property today?
Marsella: Today, real estate practitioners should use all major media for promotion; online listings, Web sites, home magazines, and newspapers all have a place. The NAA recently did a survey in which it found that recent homebuyers had used an average of 4 sources to find a home. In addition, different media serve different purposes. Online promotions really function more like MLS books. They contain detailed factual information about properties so prospective buyers can do research, and most allow you to sort date by price range, number of bedrooms, and so on so that you can narrow options. Newspaper advertising, on the other hand, is about making a direct, emotional appeal that will get a person to take an action—in this case, pick up the phone and call the real estate salesperson about the property. Ads should contain the most important facts about the property—the price, the location, the number of bedrooms, but the real appeal should be to the emotions. Q: So the goal of a proper
