Nothing has fostered a switch to a more digital platform for the real estate industry than the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It seems that more than ever, real estate agents are being pressed to adopt increasingly digital channels and technologies to communicate with their clientele.
From learning how to best conduct social media marketing to developing websites and learning business-centric applications for their smart devices, agents are focusing their sales efforts on digital channels to increase their business.
And, while a digital approach is certainly useful in many situations, there is a tried-and-true tool that is easy to use, cost-effective, and continues to perform powerfully alongside its digital brethren — print marketing.
Print marketing has a long history of delivering strong sales impact to companies that sell products and services.
Since real estate does both: Customers are buying your home selling or hone buying services and they may be purchasing an actual product — a home —the industry represents the perfect scenario for a strong print marketing campaign to create a superior sales environment.
Plus, the power of print marketing for real estate professionals is measurable:
Let’s talk about marketing the services of an agent or agency first using a business card or printed material with a logo on it.
Printed material helps potential customers remember your name. In fact, up to 84% of Americans are able to recall a company’s name when they have received an item with the organization’s logo.
Promotional items typically spend at least six months — but up to a decade — in someone’s home, allowing you to get maximum exposure. Plus, they can be easily passed to a friend or colleague, allowing an agent’s information to change hands easily.
Direct mail and brochures might seem like “old school” ways to generate business, but these tools are still bringing in powerful results.
For example, while a digital advertisement might see 45% of customers “clicking through” to take another action, print advertisements see up to 80% of consumers responding, proving that they have more influence on buying decisions.
While the internet might put information at the customer’s fingertips, there is a growing distrust in technology — particularly where it comes to misleading information and privacy concerns.
In contrast, most people — up to 82% — trust print channels when making a purchasing decision. This is a critical point for the real estate industry, as most transactions are completed as a result of a relationship among agents, buyers, and sellers that has trust as a basic component.
While it seems like the digital world is continuing to explode, the truth is that many people are experiencing what is known as “digital ad blindness.” This is a phenomenon that occurs because of the sheer number of digital ads that the average person is exposed to — between 4,000 and 10,000 — is causing them to automatically block them out when they occur.
This trend is allowing printed materials to shine even more brightly in our time-poor digital world. A printed brochure or business card can be referred to later, when the prospect has time to give it the attention it needs, resulting in greater interaction with the material and more time spend thinking about the service or product you are offering.
Harnessing the power of print marketing for real estate is simpler and more cost-effective with the right equipment.
At Edwards Business Systems (EBS), we partner with leaders in the print and imaging industry such as HP, Lexmark, Xerox, and Konica Minolta to bring you the widest range of leading-edge tools and equipment.
We offer multifunction printers that will not only produce high-quality marketing collateral, but also take care of other office functions such as copying, faxing, and scanning for the small or medium-sized office.
For bigger enterprises, we provide production print solutions and wide format printers to bring you marketing power and versatility. With the ability to print on a number of media from banners to vinyl decals, these high-powered machines can put the potential of print at your fingertips.
Take advantage of the power of print. Contact an EBS representative now and learn how to revolutionize and revitalize your real estate business with hard-hitting print marketing.