Estate Agent Advertising – The Offline Approach
Most estate agents and letting agents nowadays make use of the internet to find buyers (and sellers) and this is very effective.
Websites such as Rightmove and Zoopla help you target people who want to buy or rent at a certain location and for a particular type of property.
But many estate agents still use cable displays, pavement signs and correx boards to advertise their client’s properties.
Why use offline advertising when online is so effective? For a start, offline advertising signs can raise brand awareness and increase traffic to the website. Putting up a correx sign with the name of the estate agent and logo on the property you are trying to sell not only tells people the property is for sale or rent but also reminds people of the estate agent brand.
If we see a correx sign on a property fence that is red and white, without reading the name we know it is Connells.
A green and yellow sign is associated with Austin & Wyatt.
One sign will not have much effect but the cumulative effect of these signs, even in a single city, will gradually raise brand awareness.
That is the power of signs and any estate agent who neglects it will be outcompeted. What about window cable displays? Surely property websites can help a potential buyer narrow down their searches to the exact location, property type, price and ownership type.
Don’t forget that potential buyers can also walk past or walk into an estate agent and shop around if they have the desire to purchase a property.
The cable display systems offer potential buyers a catalogue of properties to look at and decide which one is right for them.
In one sense, you can say that the cable displays target people at the earlier buying process, the so-called information search stage or evaluation of alternatives stage whereas property websites target the decision to purchase stage.
It also offers people who are not internet savvy to walk into the office and look through what is available.
Virtual tours are becoming more common among estate agents as they offer a convenient way to view the inside of a property without travelling to each one, which is time-consuming. In the estate agent, the virtual tour application can be accessed via an iPad or tablet stand.
This will help the potential buyer decide better on which property to view physically reducing wastage time on viewing unsuitable properties. Correx signs and pavement signs help the estate agent build brand awareness and are more powerful than an online banner, cable display systems and iPads provide the customer experience inside the office.
Both offline and online marketing should be utilised by estate agents to maximise brand awareness and target the right audience.
For many people, buying a property is a huge commitment and is a daunting experience.
To minimise their concerns and to provide them with the best experience possible, information is key.
Information in the form of cable displays, online information and catalogues helping them get as much information as possible before making the commitment to purchase.
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