Are you a realtor looking at strategies to improve your reach? Since 82% of consumers trust print advertisements for their purchases, it may be time to look beyond the digital world. There are 1,566,354 realtors in the U.S., so adding more traditional advertising and marketing materials can give you a competitive edge and help you excel in this saturated biz. 

So, what collateral should you start your journey with?

Research from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) suggests that a listing brochure is a good choice. Seventy-nine percent of people who receive it will either keep it, pass it on to a friend, or glance at it. It’s also easy to share online which is good since 97% of homebuyers use the internet to search for homes.

What is a listing brochure in real estate? Will they be replaced by virtual tours? Read on to become familiar with what it is and how you can maximize it with photorealistic renderings from Plus Render.

What Are Listing Brochures?

A listing brochure is a popular print marketing tool that allows consumers to engage with the content at their own pace. In real estate, it is used to help buyers compare the features and benefits of different properties through high-definition photos, eye-catching designs, and informative content. The key is to provide all the details clients need to consider when evaluating different properties.

When this results-driven marketing essential is leveraged correctly, it can help your listings stand out, which can help them sell faster. 

What Is the Purpose of a Brochure? 

Brochures are jacks of all trades so naturally they serve more than one purpose. 

For starters, they’re not annoying or invasive like digital advertising. You can include information about your company’s vision and mission in a visually appealing design to build brand awareness, credibility, and trust. And you get to do that without feeling limited by the word count! You can go up to 400 words with the right format. Out of those 400 words, there are usually around 30 characters for the headline and 90 in the copy. 

In essence, it gives you the creative freedom to provide your audience with an insane amount of detail about properties. Plus, the information is presented in an organized fashion while appealing to their senses.  

Along with that, you can also advertise bonus deals, no pre-EMI schemes, cash-back offers, and info about financing to generate interest.

Benefits of Real Estate Listing Brochures Combined with Virtual Tours

How do I know if my business will benefit from listing brochures? There are many benefits you stand to gain by investing in this marketing tool. Let’s take a look at the top ones below:

The Gift of Convenience 

It requires 21% less cognitive effort to process direct mail than digital media. This is probably because users get a comprehensive view of the properties on offer—without getting redirected to other links. All the features are conveniently highlighted to create awareness in an easy-to-read layout with simple words to spark interest. 

Moreover, it can be folded into a small and portable size while supporting plenty of distribution methods. You can:

• Set it on counters at open houses.
• Distribute it at community events.
• Send it through a direct mail campaign.
• Insert it in newspapers and magazines.
• Leave it in high-traffic areas like lobbies and reception areas. 
• Personally hand it to people—they’ll find it hard to say “no.”

In addition, brochures are quick to print and easy to update, making them the perfect solution for promoting your property listings.

How do you reconcile this with Virtual Tours? Very simple. You don’t need virtual reality glasses or the latest technology to be able to present your building projects to interested parties. You can send them the virtual tour via email marketing or SMS campaign. This will allow you to show the interested parties an immersive experience that will convince them to take a step forward.

Customer comfort

If there is one thing customers value, it is convenience. And both brochures and virtual tours guarantee it. Being able to show them a property with images or videos will save the cost of traveling to the destination.

In fact, Virtual Tours go one step further. You can show them minute details that a brochure cannot. You can create personalized proposals so your clients can decide without leaving their homes.

Eliminate Competition

With 5.3 billion internet users, which happens to be 65.7% of the global population, taking a digital-first approach to marketing seems appropriate. However, as 77% of real estate agents use social media for their business, there’s some stiff competition out there.

Just picture it. Your rival’s ads are placed right next to yours. If they use better tactics, there’s a risk you won’t have visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs). Because 75% of people will never scroll past the first results page, your business may drown before it has a chance to come up for air.

That’s not a concern you face with brochures and virtual tours.

Brochures concentrate solely on your business, so you’ll have an engaged audience right away. It also reinforces your branding so you can cultivate trust in your expertise. 

Moreover, 61% of people agree that it fosters a positive brand image. You will be able to send the videos in a personalized way to the interested parties and they will be able to watch it from wherever they are.

What To Consider Before Creating Your Real Estate Brochure and Virtual Tour

In fact, if you only bet on one method, you will lose. The combination of both will be the key to success.

Zero in on Your Audience

Who is your ideal customer? Is it a first-time buyer, a move-up buyer, a real estate investor, an empty nester, or a vacation home renter? Try to customize your brochures for your preferred demographic to make them more impactful. 

Content Is King 

Attract potential clients with enough information about the properties in your presentation. But before you get down to business, ask yourself: what is the customer looking for? What will attract them to the properties in your listing?

• Is it the safety of the neighborhood?
• What amenities and facilities do they want nearby?
• Are they looking for a sprawling space to raise their families?
• Do they want smart features in their homes?

Create a presentation based on these details for a specific focus, using simple, clean layouts for easy navigation. This will go a long way in generating leads. Also be sure to include your contact details: email address, phone number, and social media contacts so interested buyers can easily get in touch with you.

Get Creative 

Traditional advertising is excellent for your marketing needs. But since images are more easily recognized because our brains code them twice, accompany your text with attractive photos that represent the properties as realistically as possible. This is where virtual tours make sense.

While taking pictures with your phone may be tempting, we advise against it.

By using technology to zoom in and focus on the winning features, you sacrifice quality, even on smartphones with high-megapixel cameras. Also, the wide-angle lens can be quite disappointing. That’s why it’s better to use renderings and videos to get clients excited about your listing and convey the professionalism of your real estate agency. Leave it in the hands of professional experts in the field.

Publish the Brochure Online 

Although the use of these 2 methods may sound contradictory, the reality is that they make a great team.

You can—and totally should—hand out real estate listing brochures to leverage tangible ads. But don’t neglect the fact that out of the nine houses buyers typically search for in an eight-week period, five are online. So, you’ll need to be able to translate paper to reality with virtual tours.

Historically, videos have had a much higher success rate in terms of audience engagement, leads, clicks, brand awareness and customer retention.

Virtual Tours: A Substitute for Listing Brochures?

Virtual tours can be an effective substitute for traditional listing brochures in real estate marketing. While listing brochures provide static information and images, virtual tours offer a more immersive and interactive experience for potential buyers. Here are some advantages of using virtual tours as a substitute for listing brochures:

1. Enhanced Visualization: Virtual tours allow potential buyers to virtually walk through a property, providing a more realistic sense of its layout, size, and features. This enhanced visualization can help buyers better understand the flow and design of the space compared to static images in a brochure.
   
2. Remote Accessibility: Virtual tours enable remote viewing, allowing potential buyers to explore a property from the comfort of their own homes. This is particularly valuable for out-of-town buyers or those who may not have the opportunity to visit the property in person.
   
3. Time and Cost Savings: Virtual tours can save time and resources for both sellers and buyers. Sellers don’t have to schedule as many in-person showings, and buyers can quickly narrow down their choices based on the virtual tour before committing to physical visits.
   
4. Broader Audience Reach: With virtual tours, properties can be showcased to a wider audience through online platforms and social media. This can attract more potential buyers and generate increased interest in the property.
   
5. Interactive Features: Virtual tours can include interactive features such as clickable information points, floor plans, and additional multimedia content. This allows potential buyers to gather more detailed information about the property during their virtual exploration.
   
6. 24/7 Availability: Virtual tours are available 24/7, providing flexibility for potential buyers to explore properties at their convenience. This is especially beneficial for individuals with busy schedules or those in different time zones.
   
7. Competitive Edge: Using virtual tours can give sellers and real estate agents a competitive edge in the market. It demonstrates a commitment to leveraging technology for effective marketing and may attract tech-savvy buyers.

Virtual tours offer numerous advantages and are the “living” brochures of the 21st century. In fact, it is expected that in a few years, traditional brochures will disappear completely.

Use Virtual Tours Today. The New Listing Brochures of the 21st Century

At Plus Render we understand the importance of both methods. That’s why we combine the original presentation design of brochures with the latest virtual reality technology. This way, you can present those interested in your properties with an immersive experience.

Take the doubt out of the equation by connecting with our experts at Plus Render. 

We will use our knowledge and experience to help you create virtual tours in conjunction with listing brochures so you can focus on what you do best: helping people find the home of their dreams.