Take a good look at the picture today because that is probably the last time you’ll see the LA Times’ Real Estate Section. As Inman News reported today, “The Los Angeles Times has ceased publication of its weekly real estate section.” That’s big news for agents who have yet to adapt to the market.
With 97% of home buyers using the internet as their primary search and information resource, the decline in newspaper readership overall and volume of online opportunities it’s a small wonder why anyone advertises in print media at all.
Ask yourself these questions. When was the last time you saw or heard of a serious buyer…
- pick up a copy of Homes & Land to find their new home?
- wait for the Sunday Real Estate section to start their home search?
- call an agent because they saw their full-page ad in Coastal Living?
Don’t get me wrong, I am not picking on Homes & Land or Coastal Living – they do serve a purpose – to feed the egos of the agents who advertise in them NOT to sell YOUR home. In fact, most homes that are priced right, staged right and accessible will be sold before these publications even go to print.
So, don’t let agents fool you. When interviewing listing agents, don’t even bother with the ones that tell you they are going to “advertise” your home. Advertising doesn’t sell homes, marketing does.
In the weeks to come, we’ll have more to say about effective marketing strategies and tactics that you can use to really get your home sold.
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Raymond Stoklosa, Broker/Co-Owner
Chela Stoklosa, Realtor/Co-Owner
“So, don’t let agents fool you.”