BUYER'S GUIDE: Readers’ Choice
BY KELLY QUIGLEY
Top 10 products
Every year REALTOR® Magazine readers send in thousands of Reader Service card requests for free information on the products that appear in our pages. Our annual tally of these requests reveals what types of business tools are catching your attention and what marketing strategies you rely on most. Direct mail continues to play a vital role in getting your name out and helping you stay in touch with past clients. Open house supplies, software programs, and computers also made the list, which suggests you’re enhancing traditional selling techniques with the latest technologies. Without further ado, here are the Top 10 products, ranked by the number of Reader Service card (bound in after page 48) requests.
1. Newsletters they’ll want to keep.
Become unforgettable by sending personalized newsletters on a variety of consumer-friendly topics. These digest-sized newsletters are mailed flat (not folded) on heavyweight paper to stand out among recipients’ mail. Newsletters start at 30 cents each for orders of 1,000 or more. Postcards, business cards, follow-up programs, and FSBO programs are also sold. The Personal Marketing Co., Lenexa, Kan., 800/458-8245; www.tpmco.com.
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2. Open house attention getters.
The right showing and open house tools—lockboxes, brochure displays, name riders, and sidewalk frames—will ensure your listings command notice. A pack of six acrylic holders for standard-sized brochures is $39. REMS Inc., Stanton, Calif., 800/777-2622; www.remsinfo.com.
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3. Postcards with heft.
No flimsy mailers here. Color postcards are printed on ultrathick stock. A special UV coating protects the cards from scuffing. Use the online card creator to upload images or select from those provided. Custom sizes, quantities, and mailing services available. Postcards start at $95 for 500; business cards start at $60 for 1,000. Postcard Press, Rancho Dominguez, Calif., 800/957-5787; www.postcardpress.com.
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4. Gearing up with tech.
NAR members receive discounts of up to 10 percent on direct purchases of Hewlett Packard PCs, notebooks, digital cameras, printers, networking products, and more. Hewlett Packard Co., Palo Alto, Calif., 800/888-8177 (mention access code NAR1); www.hp.com/go/realestate.
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5. Catchy, consistent campaigns.
Year-long postcard campaigns focus on a theme, such as pets, gardening, or cartoons. Order free samples online. Customize cards with your photo, return address, and logo. Twelve-month programs with 100 regular-sized cards per month start at $395.62; you mail the cards. Lentz Design, Chicago, 800/773-0095; www.lentzdesign.com.
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6. Easy-to-customize mailers.
Add your personal touch to postcards, brochures, and door hangers. Create your own designs using provided templates or choose from thousands of graphics; then schedule automatic mailings. Customers have access to a database of more than 100 million residential addresses. Jumbo postcards start at 42 cents for a minimum order of 20; standard postage included. QuantumMail.com, Austin, Texas, 800/637-7373; www.quantummail.com.
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7. Yearlong follow-up systems.
Keep your name top of mind with a colorful jumbo postcard mailed to past clients every month. Store and update your mailing database online. Cards start at 24 cents each for mailings of 50 to 150 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.
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8. Marketing miscellany.
Order everything you need to spread the word about your services, from stickers that proclaim “I love referrals” to colorful address labels and seasonal postcards. Stickers are $17.99 for 18 sheets; labels, $33 for 300; postcards, $24 for 100. NewHomeSale.com, Franklin, Mass., 888/354-6634; www.newhomesale.com.
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9. High-impact neighborhood reports.
Give your listing presentation an edge with polished-looking CMA reports, maps, flyers, and neighborhood profiles. The ProSuite marketing system includes report-generator software that creates these documents, plus a contact/lead management program. Startup cost is $199, plus $49.95 a month. eNeighborhoods Inc., Boca Raton, Fla., 877/363-4442; www.eneighborhoods.com.
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10. Postcards, postcards, and more postcards.
Choose from an array of postcard series, including recipes, nature scenes, and money-saving tips. Most orders are shipped within three business days. Standard postcards are 25 cents each for orders of 300 to 500; jumbo postcards are 31 cents each for orders of 300 to 500. Prices are lower for higher-volume orders. Mailing services are available for an extra cost. ReaMark, San Diego, Calif., 800/932-2957; www.reamark.com.
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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.
REALTOR BenefitsSM Program partners offer special pricing to NAR members. Find out more at REALTOR.org/realtorbenefits.
