"Whether tis nobler in the mind" to have an info tube (box) or not seems to be a question of philosophy among Realtors®. We can probably all come up with dozens of reasons to use info boxes but I have heard more than a few times a reason for not using them. It's not even the cost of them or the cost of keeping them filled with colorful flyers that seems to be the concern either.
It's the philosophy that if a potential buyer can pick up info on the home without going in the home that they won't call for an appointment to see the inside of the home. Quite frankly, I look at this a bit differently. The person who has picked up the info from the tube and calls for an appointment has already liked the home enough to stop and pick up the info and still likes the home after seeing photos of the inside and seeing the price. The one who has picked up the info from the tube and not called because they didn't like the inside photos, the features weren't what they were looking for, or didn't like the price have just saved me the trouble of showing a home to someone not interested in it.
But wait, you ask, "If you don't have an info tube, you won't get your contact info into the hands of a buyer, will you?" This question leads to a different philosophy. What is the best information to have on an info tube flyer? The answer may not be as easy as you think. If you said, info on the features of the home, the price, photos, and your contact info, you might be pleasing your seller but you may not be doing a good job of capturing a buyer prospect. NOTE: I realize some believe this may be a conflict of interest to your seller clients and some Realtors® only list and don't work with buyers and still others have state laws against dual agency, etc. Please read on laying aside these issues for now.
If you only tell about the home where the tube was hanging, you risk never hearing from the buyer if just one item found on the flyer is not desirable. May I suggest that you include something like the following in your flyer. AR's Margaret Rome wrote You can't afford NOT to use me! and 38 comments were added, some of which offered more ideas. I submit that your sellers will ultimately be happier with you if you end up talking with more buyers because you offer buyers solutions such as financing, home information that won't fit in a tube, and a whole lot more by meeting with them first for a consultation (with a referral to a buyer agent if you don't work with buyers for one reason or another). The buyers then are able to make a more informed decision about whether they can afford the home, find financing for the home, the sellers' disclosure will prevent them from wanting the home, and other important decisions that could end up tying up a sellers' home by having an unqualified, uninformed, or uninterested buyer on down the road. If everything does check out in the consultation then most of the unknowns have been removed which can make for a smoother course from offer to close. NOTE: Having pre-inspections, appraisals, and home warranties can smooth the way even better.
You also benefit by having a loyal informed buyer to work with if the sellers' home is not right for them. You may even get a listing out of the deal on their current home. Ask yourself these questions. Where do all the buyers go if you have an info tube with the info on the home and the buyers don't like what they see on your flyer? Are you successful in having them call you for info on other homes that might work for them?
This is just one philosophy of real estate that may be different from common practice. What are your comments on the info boxes? What info should be on the flyers inside? What other philosophies of real estate do you have that are different from common practice? Blog on them and then share the link in a comment here so we have an index of all the philosophies of real estate in one place.
Thanks!
Rob Lang, ePro, GRI Realtor®
Realty Executives, Hedges Real Estate
300 Rockfence Pl, Lawrence, KS 66049
785-393-2274 (cell) 785-542-1661 (fax)
rob@LetRobDoIt.com (same website name if you want to visit)
NOTE: This blog was written in the past about properties on the market at the time of the blog being written and should not be considered as active listings beyond the date of this blog.
I tried info tubes several years ago and didn't like them. Rain or snow got in them, the paper was always damp, sure they were empty many times, but I rarely got a call (I ask my buyers how they found the property). I suspect other agents and looky loos took the info sheets. I opted for "The Talking House" transmitter and am a strong supporter because the interested buyer will sit in front of the house and listen to my recorded message for 5 minutes and maybe re-listen to it again. The message will have my tele# mentioned several times. Buyers will remember the house as the one with the radio.
I've had MANY offers on houses because of the transmitter method even BEFORE my print ad came out in the newspaper.
I have never used info tubes, and here is the reason, which is just a basic premise of any type of marketing in any industry: If I can't track the results of my marketing, why spend the money? So, if I put out 200 of these flyers, how do I know how many a person took, did a kid stop by and take them all, etc?
What do I use instead? I use sign riders with a toll free info line. this also captures and pages to me the customers phone # they are calling from immediately. I call back and discuss, to see if they need anything else. That way, I can not only track it's effectiveness, I can also maybe grab a few buyer leads from it.
The info tubes are extremely useful in letting the neighborhood know what the house is priced at...
I use the net and let them type in the address of the listing for more information. No trees cut down in the equation and color pictures, also a link back to my website.
Hi Kaushik,
Please try this link http://activerain.com/blogsview/19957/You-can-t-afford and see if it works better.
Thanks TLW and to everyone for your comments. I may need to re-think the radio transmitter and toll free number ideas vs tubes.
The comment was made about the tubes letting everyone in the neighborhood know the price. I have a question. I'm guessing then that putting the tube out with flyers for the neighbors, saves my having to distribute them personally to the neighbors, am I right? Obviously, I want the neighbors to be aware of the price of the home and its features to hopefully refer the info to a friend, relative, or associate who has mentioned they would like to live in the area. If the neighbors go and pick up the info themselves then I won't need to wear out my shoes as fast.
Rob,
Congrats on the featured blog!
I use flyer boxes regularly. Definately a seller appeasement, however I frequently get good calls from them.
Sending postcards out to surrounding neighbors announcing the new listing saves on flyers being "rushed" but more importantly helps to secure the next listing in the neighborhood. I also follow up with postcards to them when it sells. Great tool!
Thanks for the thoughts,
Lucky
We use flyer boxes wherever we can - lots of photos, lots of text, lots of facts. Let the buyers self select. A good flyer is also price justification.
Buy clear boxes so that if it is empty, prospective buyers can tell that before getting out of their car. We leave extra fliers with the sellers so that they can keep them full, and call us when their supply is getting low but before they're out. If it's a vacant listing, hire a neighbor or neighbor's responsible childto keep the extra supply, keep the box full, and call when they need more flyers.
I've had people call to list their home commenting they chose me because I was the only agent whose flyer boxes always had fliers in them.
You are making weekly follow up calls, aren't you?
Thanks for the mention, Rob!
Kaushik, here is the link; You can't afford NOT to use me!
www.Homerome.com
Baltimore,Md
I have the ability to print property flyers, on each property, right from my website. Sellers, agents and buyers can easily go to www.homerome.com and click on any of my propeties and print.
Baltimore,Md