BUYER'S GUIDE: Readers’ Choice
Top 10 products
Postcards lead the list of products you most often asked about.
Want to know what tools your colleagues are buying or thinking of buying? Knowing what attracts your competitors’ attention can come in handy as you search for new ways to enhance your own business. So we tallied the thousands of Reader Service card responses you sent us in 2003 to determine the top 10 products of the year. Our reader service card lets you request free information by mail about any product mentioned in advertisements or in our monthly “Buyer’s Guide.” Here are your picks.
1. Let them hear from you Regular communication nourishes relationships, including those with clients and prospects. Stay top of mind with postcards, newsletters, business cards, closing gifts, and multiyear prospecting and follow-up programs. Follow-up programs start at $10. The Personal Marketing Co., Lenexa, Kan.; 800/458-8245; www.tpmco.com.
2. Send your message—fast Postcard Press turns around print-ready digital postcard files in two to three business days. Color postcards are printed on thick stock with a special coating to protect them from UV light. Custom sizes, quantities, and mailing services are available. Business cards, $64.95 per 1,000; postcards, $95 for 500. Postcard Press, Torrance, Calif.; 800/217-6976; www.postcardpress.com.
3. Power tools Hewlett Packard offers NAR member discounts of up to 10 percent on such HP and Compaq products as printers, PCs, notebooks, tablets, digital cameras, and storage and networking products. Discounts are available only through the HP online store or by phone. Hewlett Packard Co., Palo Alto, Calif.; 800/888-8177 (mention access code NAR1); www.hp.com/go/realestate7. (VIP partner)
4. Don’t let them forget A series of colorful, oversized postcards featuring images geared to the month give you a reason to follow up all year. Personalized cards start at 30 cents each for 50 per month, with discounts for larger orders; $59 setup fee for new orders. Stay in Touch Inc., Lynchburg, Va., 800/241-9991, www.stayintouchsystem.com.
5. Success . . . automatically Top Producer 7i, the Internet-based sales-and-marketing productivity system offers, among other features, lead, time, task, and e-mail management, automatic networking (no more synchronizing), and income and expense tracking. $34.95/mo. Top Producer Systems, Federal Way, Wash., 800/444-8570, www.topproducer.com.
6. Name recognition Real Estate Marketing Supplies offers the goodies you need to get your name out and move listings: name riders, brochure holders, signs, Supra lockboxes, and even shoe covers. Agent name riders start at $29.95 for 10. REMS Inc., Stanton, Calif., 800/777-2622; www.remsinfo.com.
7. The gift of tips Take an informative approach to marketing with colorful RealtyCheck newsletters. They feature info on such topics as home equity improvement, personal finance, appliance maintenance, demographic trends, animal facts, and fitness. Plus, they include your friendly message. Newsletters start at 34 cents each for 200 copies; 19 cents for big orders. Other products: brochures, follow-up postcards, and holiday cards. SellSmart, Phoenix, 800/522-0852; www.sellsmart.com.
8. A fresh message With new postcards issued weekly, your follow-up efforts will always be fresh. NewHomeSale features holiday, recipe, calendar, and just-listed/just-sold postcards. $24 for 100. List your business in the online directory for 99 cents a month; a bold listing is $50 a year. NewHomeSale.com, Franklin, Mass., 888/354-6634; www.newhomesale.com.
9. A year’s worth of marketing With a full year of postcards, you’ll have invested in a key component of your annual business plan upfront. Order a free catalog and samples from the Web site. Full-year marketing programs (1,200 cards) start at $410. Lentz Design, Chicago, 800/924-3833, ext. 22; www.lentzdesign.com/22.
10. Customized by you Design your own postcards online or choose from thousands of the company’s own graphics. To target your mailings, select an address and the NeighborMail system automatically identifies nearby addresses. Postcards start at 42 cents per card for 20 cards. Standard pricing includes postage. QuantumMail.com, Austin, Texas, 800/637-7373; www.quantummail.com.
Prices are the manufacturers’ suggested retail prices and are subject to change. This list isn’t comprehensive; NAR doesn’t evaluate or endorse these products and isn’t responsible for changes in company info.
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REALTOR VIP® partners offer special pricing to NAR members.
