Commercial Investment Real Estate is the magazine of the CCIM Institute, the leading provider of commercial real estate education. CIRE covers market trends, current developments, and business strategies within the commercial real estate field.
Issue link: http://cire.epubxp.com/i/64804
TECHNOLOGYSOLUTIONS Flier Right by Rich Rosfelder O 20 May | June | 2012 they give fellow brokers something to carry home to remind them of my properties when that perfect buyer appears," says Richard X. Gonzalez, CCIM, agent with Crosby & Asso- ciates in Tavares, Fla. And in the age of the email blast, a paper fl ier with a personal note can have a power- ful eff ect. "Mass mailing hard copies is waste of money," says D.H. Watson, CCIM, CPM, manager/principal of Watson & Watson in Dallas. "Mail the fl ier to selected prospects with a note scribbled in the margin." Even if recipients call merely to get help decipher- ing the handwriting, it gives senders another opportunity to pitch the property. Once the cornerstone of commercial real estate marketing efforts, printed property fl iers have since been overshadowed by listing services, emails, and other digital platforms. But given the wealth of marketing options, why haven't fl iers disappeared altogether? "If CBRE, Colliers, NAI, Jones Lang LaSalle, and other large fi rms are still using fl iers, then so will I," says Ashley Bishop, CCIM, broker with Southeast Venture in Nashville, Tenn. "Fliers don't sell or lease properties, but they are eff ective references that allow companies to showcase their qual- ity and attention to detail." To produce high-quality materials, many large firms employ full-time marketing departments that use proprietary soſt ware. But how can small fi rms and solo practitioners produce eff ective fl iers on a limited budget? Print vs. Digital T e fi rst matter to address is whether fl i- ers should be printed, distributed digitally (usually as a PDF), or both. During the past few years, digital has overtaken print as the delivery method of choice among CCIMs. T. Sean Lance, CCIM, managing director of NAI Tampa Bay in Seminole, Fla., made the switch to digital for three reasons: time, litter, and cost. "I can distribute the informa- tion instantaneously, it reduces clutter, and costs associated with printing and mailings are virtually zero," he explains. Plus, if Lance amends the fl ier based on recipient feedback, he doesn't have to reprint them (or throw away the old ones). But paper fl iers have at least one thing going for them that their digital counterparts do not: tangibility. "Fliers are great ice break- ers at CCIM chapter marketing events, and Next Steps Whether print or digital, there's a tempta- tion to pack all property details, reports, and images into one fl ier. But for an initial push, succinctness may be more eff ective, according to David Sigg, CCIM, of Global Real Estate Advisors in Mentor, Ohio. "With information overload, limited attention spans, and other demands on recipients, shorter fl iers are less likely to get set aside," he explains. Bishop typically uses a two-page layout based on a CCIMREDEX template. He includes photos or aerials from STDB or Pictometry on the fi rst page and uses the second page for traffi c and site maps. "I always put my bullet points on page 1 of the fl ier," he adds, referring to the executive summary that includes property type, size, location, and other details. Of course, the details and reports must fi t the property in question. For example, investment sales fl iers should include net operating income and capitalization rate, whereas a land sales fl iers should include zoning information. Price and rental rates are generally included as well. However, two essential elements are branding and contact information. "Our sig- nage, advertisements, fl iers, business cards, e-newsletters, and website have a consistent look and feel," says Robert J. Dikman, CCIM, ALC, SIOR, chairman and chief executive offi cer of T e Dikman Co. in Tampa, Fla. "We have spent a great deal of time recreat- ing our brand." Phone numbers and email Commercial Investment Real Estate Ocean Photography/Veer