NEWSLETTER
EXCLUSIVE: What Is Working?
​
October 2024 - I have had many conversations lately where clients have asked, "What is working?" regarding marketing today. Given higher interest rates and fewer real estate transactions, marketing in 2024 has been more challenging than in previous years. However, the reward of successfully marketing in a tough market has never been higher. Here is what we are seeing:
-
Persistence: Agents who continued marketing (even if only to a more targeted core list) have gained market share and are in an excellent position to benefit as the economy shifts.
-
Interest Rates: The vast majority of agents re-engaged their marketing efforts with just the anticipation of a drop in interest rates (September 2024.)
-
Savings: For the first time, over 50% of our clients are using Zelle or ACH Debit to pay invoices. This saves 3.5% in credit card fees and is a tangible way to reduce costs.
-
Conventional Wisdom Fail: We have observed that agents at larger firms cut back their marketing significantly more than those from smaller or boutique firms. As a result, anticipation of a tougher real estate market took some agents totally out of the market. In 2024, cutting your marketing completely has been a conventional wisdom fail.
-
Aggressive Marketing For the Win! Many of our more successful clients implemented aggressive marketing campaigns that paid off with a steady, consistent pipeline of deals. As others voluntarily surrendered their market presence, others took advantage!
Successful agents know that it only takes one new client or listing to pay for a full year of marketing. Contact me today to discuss your content, digital resources, cost efficiency, or mailing strategies.
NEWSLETTER
EXCLUSIVE: Cost-Efficiency
​
August 2023 - Today, every marketing dollar needs the greatest impact possible. However, the postcards that are the most cost-efficient have changed. Direct marketing costs have shifted in two significant ways: postage increases and economy-of-scale printing.
Postage rates have increased in various categories at different rates. In the past, the postage rate for small postcards was less than standard letter rates, but now they are within $.01 of each other. Small postcards are no longer the most cost-efficient. In addition, the postage for large flat-size postcards has increased to double the standard letter rate.
Read the full article here.
NEWSLETTER
CONFIDENCE IN THE U.S.P.S.
​
June 2021 - Recently, the USPS has been under intense scrutiny regarding changes by the Postmaster-General that may slow direct mail. This is a significant concern to many of our clients, so we spoke directly with postal workers on the ground.
The USPS is still more than capable of facilitating your direct marketing campaigns. While political issues are ruffling feathers at the top, postal employees are doing their jobs. Policies that were slowing turnaround are currently frozen and mail turnaround is returning to normal.
The USPS is a constitutionally established priority and will continue whether it maintains profitability or not. For advertisers and businesses, you shouldn’t experience any delays or negative impact on your turnaround times. A transitioning market is fertile territory to gain market share and capture new clients. You can feel confident that your direct marketing will be in mailboxes in a similar time frame as past mailers.
