Reach 100% of buyers when you advertise real estate offline

Online marketing is so easy and valuable it becomes the only advertising method. It’s becoming harder for agents to explore offline advertising because it’s too tiresome. Yet, offline marketing is exactly how agents gain maximum exposure. Continue to promote property online, but use these offline marketing skills as a new way to reach untapped audiences. 

Yellow pages

The yellow pages in the telephone directory exist in digital and print form. It’s an original advertising method, and it still works. Printing yearly, businesses have yellow page listings by default while ads cost extra. While you’re not advertising home listings, company advertising attracts buyers to your place to find homes.

Newspapers

Print circulation is decreasing due to low subscriptions, but newspapers are still valuable. Pre-internet age, many buyers search endlessly through newspapers looking for houses while sellers hope someone notices. Revert to it. Place plenty of ads in the newspaper classifieds.

Circulars

Continue the print journey with circulars consisting of local magazines, industry magazines, local catalogs, local newsletters, and free guides. While magazines are merging and/or discontinuing due to low subscriptions, local circulars are still a great advertising resource. The local chamber of commerce, local downtown businesses, gas stations, bus stations, libraries, community centers, and coffee shops carry magazines of interest. Contact the magazine for advertising opportunities.

Print marketing

Newspaper and circulars relate to a larger category called print marketing. The web’s success has pushed print to the back, but holding paper is so refreshing it’s keeping print marketing alive. The category has evolved into the cost and environmentally friendly solutions for flyers, postcards, notepads, brochures, business forms, door hangers, booklets, business cards, banners, and much more.

Advertising through TV is another method of offline marketing. (Source)

Bulletin boards

An oldie but goodie tactic is plastering real estate information on bulletin boards. Travel to the same places recommended for circulars and search for bulletin boards too. Agents or businesses thumbtack announcements, advertisements, and local events for visitors to notice.

TV/Radio

Businesses or agents with wiggle room in the budget should spend cash on TV and Radio commercials. For television, local stations and sub-channels will cost less than cable and broadcast promotion. Then, research what the channel represents and decide if this channel is a good fit. Good examples are family channels, money/investment channels, game shows, and classic TV sub-stations. For radio, the secret to a successful radio ad is placement. Some stations don’t mesh well with real estate (shock jock, talk radio, politics, sports, etc.), so ad placement on the right stations is imperative. Examples include a family friendly morning radio show on a music station and a commercial after 4 pm on a music station.

For Sale sign

The most inexpensive way to advertise homes, businesses, or the agent is placing a for-sale sign on or near the property. Attract passersby with a ‘for sale’ or ‘for rent’ sign. Make sure signs contain contact information (phone number, email, etc.). Likewise, a ‘for sale’ sign attracts criminals or unwanted activity to the home and fending them off is challenging. Therefore, discover the right location in the home to leave a for sale sign to attract the widest audience without contention.

The real estate game is difficult, but as agents, we need to challenge ourselves, take risks, and embrace unorthodox, yet legal methods. Cast a wide net. Embrace both online and offline methods to reach 100% of buyers.

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DISCLAIMER: This article expresses my own ideas and opinions. Any information I have shared are from sources that I believe to be reliable and accurate. I did not receive any financial compensation in writing this post, nor do I own any shares in any company I’ve mentioned. I encourage any reader to do their own diligent research first before making any investment decisions.