Everything old is new(?) again when it comes to marketing your listings

I was recently out and about with my son, Rhett, when I found myself standing next to a real, true blast from the past: a Home & Land magazine box. Remember those? Along with Dupont Registry and Distinctive Homes, there was at one time a print magazine for every property, every market and every buyer.

Then came the digital revolution and the rise of IDX, portals, and agent, brokerage and property-specific websites. Search bars and filters replaced the coffee table stack of glossy dream homes.

Now, of course, some brokerages have decided that the time is right to bring back a print book of listings. Do they know something we don’t? Are they playing 7-D chess, while the rest of us are playing checkers? Is this just a fun, retro nod to real estate nostalgia and the Gen Z love of tangible media?

Are listing books worth revisiting?

For a lot of buyers and sellers in today’s market, that empty magazine box mirrors a feeling that’s all-too familiar in today’s real estate industry: Promises are being made, but the delivery just isn’t there.

There’s a gap between consumer expectations and agent services, along with the past several years’ struggles with interest rates, inventory and affordability. During that same time, many agents have leaned into tech to get more efficient, more streamlined and more professional — and, arguably, more distant.

Some of you, I’m sure, still get face-to-face with people in your communities, reach out to your sphere of influence personally and provide personalized service — but a lot of agents don’t. A lot of people got into the industry during or just after COVID and are used to keeping clients and colleagues at arm’s length. 

If you’ve gotten too deep down a digital rabbit hole in your lead generation and marketing, you might need to come up for air and try a good old-fashioned conversation from time to time.

Is your marketing telling a story?

I remember luxury marketing back in the day, with glossy spreads in listing presentations and property portfolios that served as status symbols for both agents and their buyers. Those created an aspirational vibe that online portals just can’t replicate.

What we gained from IDX, portals and algorithms is convenience, but it came at the cost, in many cases, of experiential marketing and brand storytelling. After all, all of the listings start to look the same when you’re scrolling, sorted (and differentiated) primarily by price point.

While we can argue about the motives behind Compass’ listing books, there’s no denying that they offer an opportunity to market with personalization, emotional impact and a sense of presence. In an increasingly virtual process — where a client and agent can theoretically move through an entire transaction without ever meeting or exchanging words outside of text chains and email threads — there’s something that feels meaningful in adding a tangible element to the process.

Can we blend the logic of digital efficiency with the emotion of analog?

Listen, I’m not remotely saying that these listing books are a great idea — and you know I love the process of planning and creating new websites and online platforms — but they do make me think about the potential of tangible marketing collateral. Maybe there’s a craving for slower, more curated, high-touch experiences in a fast-paced world.

There’s tremendous potential in the luxury market for this type of marketing hybrid. Besides high-impact physical marketing items, there’s the crafting of deeply personal writing, photography and imagery that speaks to the one-of-a-kind nature of high-end listings and locations. 

To hear proponents tell it, the whole private listing and multi-pronged marketing approach is primarily driven by the needs of high-net-worth, high-profile sellers. Why not lean into that with more analog marketing products, especially for that segment where the higher commissions justify a bigger ad spend?

From your agent website to your social media feed to your online listings, here’s how to add the best of analog marketing to your online footprint:

• Use consistent and updated branding to unify your digital marketing platforms and IRL marketing materials.
• Use print materials as a prop in your digital marketing, with video content featuring unboxings of flyers, lookbooks and signage.
• Consider print media for high-end luxury listing books, market reports and client consultation materials, and use QR codes and custom URLs to drive traffic to additional online resources.
• Make an impression with tangible marketing materials like handwritten notes or small, personal gifts for your favorite past clients and referral sources.
• Think about all of your marketing materials, both digital and analog, as part of a holistic marketing campaign that includes a variety of resources for all types of leads and clients.

Most of all, think about the last time you led with the personal instead of the efficient. Stop thinking exclusively about what’s fastest or easiest. Instead, think about the ties that bind you to clients and make you a valued resource, and find ways to strengthen those ties with an array of marketing resources.