[5-DayForum] Repost - Questions on advertising

[Helen Ash]

Hi Staci!

I am going to respond even though I am not familiar with your area. :))

I would certainly utilize any and all internet sites you find that are free.  The more exposure, the better.  Use the ad format from the book, do not stray from the format.

As for papers, the Hawkeye is a must.  Should not matter if there are no other homes from your town listed.  If it is the largest paper in the area, that means that the majority of residents of your community and those surrounding it are reading it.

Mt Pleasant.  I would do W-F since Friday is the big real estate day.  However, if M-F is not much more in cost, I would probably do that. 

Definitely do the Shopper.  You have no control over the fact it is a weekly.  Everyone who reads it knows it only comes out once a week and will be reading it.

What about the Des Moines Register?  How far away is Des Moines?  Do people in Mt Pleasant read it?

As for Craigs List, why not post in all the surrounding lists?  The more exposure the better, I would think.

As for signs, I have mixed feelings on that.  I would probably just put those out on Sat and Sun so that any response from them is not included in your 25 responses needed by Friday night.  Or put them out on Wed and do not include any responses you get from them until Sat.  Does that make sense?  Since they will mostly attract curiosity seekers, they may artificially inflate your response numbers.

Hope that helps and GOOD LUCK!!!!

Helen 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: StAci Woodruff 
  To: How To Sell Your Home in 5-Days 
  Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 12:17 PM
  Subject: [5-DayForum] Repost - Questions on advertising


  This is a repost of a question I sent in earlier with no response. Which papers should I advertise in?

  Burlington Hawkeye
  The largest paper in the area, a local/regional paper from about 30 minutes away. All the print ads are listed on their website as well. I only found one house in Mount Pleasant for sale listed. 98 "home for sale" ads overall for the last 7 days, though some are, of course, repeats running for several days. We will put an ad here to cover the bases. Will a real buyer see it? I have no clue! 

  Mt. Pleasant News
  Our local paper. First red flag, they do not have a paper on the weekends. So do we do Wednesday through Friday or should we advertise for 5 days and do it Monday through Friday? Generally Friday is the "big" real estate day. Less than half the local real estate agencies advertise in the paper. The local real estate auction place did have an ad each day. Two other agencies had an ad on Friday. One for sale by owner ad one day. 

  Mt. Pleasant Shopper
  This one has the highest number of real estate ads. It had a LOT of real estate ads from construction firms, manufactured homes dealers, and for sale by owner, not so much from traditional agencies. There are actually three papers (all owned by the same company) in the area that (combined) cover 9 counties. This is the one I am most excited about. It is a weekly, though, so it will go out on Tuesday. Is that OK? I want to "go by the book" but I still have to work with what I have got locally.

  Craig's List
  It is free, so we'll do it. But the nearest community is an hour away and there are no homes in Mount Pleasant currently listed there. Should I post in all the surrounding lists? Like Des Moines?

  Other Internet For Sale By Owner
  I have been compiling a list of websites that advertise FSBO. Have yet to find anyone in the area using one. I may go ahead and list on the free ones just to get more exposure. You never know, and it can't hurt if it is free. 

  Signs
  In the book on page 147, you say it is OK to post signs depending on the community, but here on the forum you have been against them. Any specific advise? I have already checked the regulations and it is OK as long as they do not block traffic. We will have signs on the days of the Inspection to direct people to the back of the house for parking (there is no street parking). 

  We have some community boards (at the library and the grocery stores) that might let us post a flyer-type thing. 

  Please give me some feedback. If we go for having our sale next weekend, we have to get ads in by the end of this week. 

  Thanks,
  Staci in Iowa

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