Having just returned from a family vacation in California, I was able to pick up many home magazines while traveling through San Diego, Carlsbad, L.A. and San Francisco. I was reminded of some ad annoyances, and discovered a few new ones. Here they are, in no certain order.
1. Goofy agent marketing. The picture of the agent on the telephone, or with their hand on their chin, or walking on water, with their dog, or even worse, with their kids. What’s the point? It doesn’t make you memorable, just stupid looking. I want my house highlighted, not an agent’s face or corny ad campaign.
2. No address. No town. No kidding! In New Jersey, law requires us to mention the municipality in which the property is located. Not in California. That’s a big State, too. So, instead of making it easy for the consumer, you’re going to force them to call you for the address. And you wonder why they give you a fake name?
3. No price. This has got to be the dumbest idea ever. Again, I guess the idea is to force you to call in, then discover that the property is $200,000 above your “ceiling”. Please do not work with this agent.
4. Tiny Pictures. The consumer wants the address, the price, maps, and big pictures. No wonder the internet is more popular than magazine ads.
5. “Too New For Photo”. Are you kidding me? It must take a grand total of 30 minutes to drive to your listing, pop a digital pic, then email it to the advertiser.
6. Exaggerated Claims. Agents wonder what they can do to garner more credibility. The culprit in this case can also be a seller who thinks their home is “average” when in fact it is well below average, and the agent does not want to insult them.
7. No Virtual Tour. For $70, sometimes less, an agent can provide this for a seller. Most agents don’t. This is beyond comprehension. Technology has created an inexpensive, professional virtual brochure, and most agents ignore them.
If I were selling my home, I would want all these things: Price, address, town, virtual tour, floor plan. Why not?
Posted by mikeelliott1 
Mike Elliott's Blog 