The real estate market is heating up. The first quarter is an ideal time to coordinate and present promotional products to real estate agents for the vital spring and summer selling seasons.
In an age where online marketing is the norm, the real estate market still relies heavily on flyers, post cards, business cards and lawn signs to sustain visibility. And according to Lisa Fignoli, a recent survey by WebsiteBox, a provider of do-it-all websites for real estate professionals, a large majority of real estate professionals said they would like to increase their budgets for items like promotional coffee mugs, key chains, and flash drives this year.
Steve Weinstein of EMT sees this trend for mailable items. "Real estate agents are re-discovering direct mail as digital means of promotion become saturated," he emphasizes.
According to Phil Martin of Warwick Publishing, demand from the real estate sector has been steady. "We are seeing some increase in our presentation folder business which was something we did not offer years ago," he comments. He also notes that calendars are popular in the market segment and believes that now is the best time to capitalize on this market. "By securing calendar orders early, real estate brokers not only can save money, but it ensures that they will receive the calendar that they want," he reports. "Many times toward the end of the year stock is not available."
Weinstein states that in the residential sector, inventory is low so agents are actively seeking listings. "Promotional products are a great way to stay top of mind with potential sellers that are encountered at open houses, asking for referrals from previous clients and at 'for sale by owner' properties," he comments.
Dan Finn of Finn Graphics adds that demand has been increasing as the real estate market has continues its rebound. Weinstein agrees, observing, "Demand has increased over the past several quarters, albeit at a measured pace. As mortgage money has become more available and sales have increased, agents are willing to invest in promotion. Spring has traditionally been the best time for promotional product sales for residential brokers. Commercial activity has been more consistent."
And there have been interesting examples of promotional real estate activities. Finn relates that some local realties have given printed wine-carry bags during closings at their offices and some always have logoed umbrellas handy.
Aivan Villamayor of Digispec says that many businesses, including realty offices, are trying harder to appeal to smaller, local markets, and thus are adding personalized elements like mousepads and coasters. "What drives this trend is the commitment to build better relationships with their local clientele," she says.
Digital printing is another major trend, according to Warwick, who reports increased sales of several items that now can be digitally printed. For example, Warwick Publishing's desk calendars used to be only foil stamped or letterpress printed, which did not allow for inclusion of agent photos can now feature the agent's photo right in the calendar copy.
There are a number of new items geared toward the real estate market. Finn points out that repositionable wall graphic adhesive decals (for stainless steel and inside-the-cabinet-door wood surfaces) are taking over for the refrigerator magnets. Utility can be added with either write-on or write/wipe surfaces for emergency numbers.
Staple products from EMT are a Cinch-it™ cord organizer that fits the $1 price point and is mailable; paper air fresheners, and key tags in metal, soft PVC or crystal. New this year is EMT’s Guardian Angel personal protection device, which Weinstein says has been very popular with Realtors and apartment complexes seeking to show they care for the safety of their clients.
Warwick Publishing’s FP35 flip pad jotter is receiving a great deal of attention from real estate agents, Warwick notes. This digitally printed item is a compact customizable 3" x 5" pad with 30 sheets of perforated ruled or plain white paper as standard. "They make great business cards and also hand-outs during open houses," Weinstein comments.
Laurie Oftedahl at Carlson Craft notes that the company has sold a few unusual products in the real estate market, but they require the distributors to explain the value of the products to the buyer. She explains, "We have a buyer who does custom home remodeling and will do a two panel with before-and-after photos and the logo on the front. An architectural firm also uses it with a rendering of the floor plan on one side and the final product image on the other. The firm's logo is on the front, and this is handed over with the keys to the house.
"The easier sell would be the Oxford or Pajco covers to real estate offices that offer classes on how to buy a house and then to hold a real estate license," Oftedahl continues. Another option is a vinyl document holder that can hold all the papers that are needed when purchasing a home, she adds.
Martin suggests that when distributors try to sell calendars to real estate agents, emphasize what they do, not what they are: "Don’t sell calendars, sell year-long communication programs," he states. "That is what they do — communicate with the client for 396 days." Most of Warwick's desk calendars feature a 13-month pad.
Selling real estate promotional products requires adopting an assertive selling strategy, Weinstein points out. "I would look toward the companies that aggressively market in your area," he advises. "Demonstrate your strong conviction that promotional products are effective by using self-promotion samples. Salespeople appreciate another persistent and relevant marketer, so make it a habit to contact these prospects regularly with a specific offering."