Field Guide to Creating Effective Classified Advertisements
(Updated March 2011)
National Association of REALTORS® research shows that 36% of buyers used print newspaper advertisements to find information on homes for sale in 2010. However, only 2% of buyers found the house they purchased using print ads (Source: NAR 2010 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Homebuyers and Sellers). These rates have been declining: In 2008, 47% of buyers consulted print ads in their home searches, and 3% found the house they purchased through a print ad... Whether you want to create successful classified ads - because many brokerages still use them - or you'd rather start advertising online, this Updated Field Guide provides tips and considerations. (S. Hogan, Information and Web Content Specialist)
Information Sources Used by Homeowners in Home Search
| Information Source | 2010 |
| Internet | 89% |
| Real Estate Agent | 88% |
| Yard Sign | 57% |
| Open House | 45% |
| Print Newspaper Ad | 36% |
| Home Book or Magazine | 23% |
| Home Builder | 16% |
| Television | 7% |
| Billboard | 5% |
| Relocation Company | 3% |
Advertising Basics 
The Best Way to List Your Home in MLS, (eHow.com, Feb. 17, 2010).
Write a Great Home Description, (Avex Real Estate, 2009).
Creating Real Estate Classified Ads for Craigslist, (YouTube.com, Dec. 2, 2009).
Property Advertising Techniques: Advertising in Prints, (REALTOR® Magazine Online).
Dos and Dont's of Great Classified Ads, (REALTOR® Magazine Online, Apr. 2007).
Advertising Basics for Real Estate Agents, (About.com, 2011).
How fair housing laws affect marketing, (Landlord.com, 2010-2011).
Agent duties - what a real estate agent can or cannot do for you, (About.com, 2009).
Part 109 - Fair Housing Advertising, (HUD, n.d.).
Fair advertising practices, (REALTOR® Magazine Online, 2007).
Real Estate Print Advertising is Dead, (Chicago Now, Mar. 16, 2010).
What Good Does Print Advertising Do?, (Realty Times, Oct. 20, 2009).
Real-estate ads find new home on web in recession, (Advertising Age, June 1, 2009). Q
Realty Viewpoint: Newspapers Shoulda Been Nicer To REALTORS®, (Realty Times, Mar. 21, 2008).
Where to Advertise Your Home For Sale, (Realty Times, Feb. 6, 2008).
REALTORS® Unhappy With Advertising Choices, (Realty Times, Oct. 24, 2007).
Books, eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks.realtor.org
The following ebooks and digital audiobooks are available to NAR members:
101 Ways to Advertise Your Business (Adobe eReader)
Always On: Advertising, Marketing, and Media in an Era of Consumer Control (Adobe eReader)
Do-It-Yourself Advertising and Promotion: How to Produce Great Ads, Brochures, Catalogs, Direct Mail, Websites and More! (Adobe eReader)
The Do-It-Yourself Lobotomy: Open Your Mind to Greater Creative Thinking (Kindle, Adobe eReader)
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
The resources below are available for loan through Information Central. Up to three books, tapes, CDs and/or DVDs can be borrowed for 30 days from the Library for a nominal fee of $10. Call Information Central at 800.874.6500 for assistance.
5 minutes to a great real estate ad, (Chicago, IL: Thomson South-Western, 2006). HF 6161.R3 M45
Real Estate Advertising Made Easy, (Ontario, Canada: Sheldon Griffon Graphics Inc., 2005). HF 6161.R3 R15
Field Guides & More
These Field Guides and other resources in the Virtual Library may also be of interest:
Field Guide to Effective Online Marketing
Field Guide to Marketing Tips for REALTORS®
>> Have an idea for a new Field Guide? Click here to send us your suggestions!
The inclusion of links on this Field Guide does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked to this Field Guide complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.
E-mail 
