Our members will play an integral part of this campaign so we encouarge you to read on.

As you know market conditions have never been better for prospective homebuyers. Mortgage rates are at near historical lows, inventory is high and we live in one of the most affordable markets in the nation. If this is the case then why are so many people sitting on that homeownership fence right now? They want to buy but they’re just not sure they should - naturally they’re nervous.. They hear the barrage of negative national news stories coming out that tell about how poor the market is and what a horrible investment real estate is right now. These stories bear little relationship to what is happening in our market.

CAAR has been working very diligently through its traditional communications efforts to get the word out to the public to let them know about the positive aspects of our real estate market. Although we are seeing some positive results it is evident that these efforts alone are not enough. As a result, CAAR’s Marketing & Member Services Committee has been working with a local media consultant in an effort to develop a media campaign intended to instill confidence in the local housing market and to reassure prospective buyers that it is indeed a good time to buy.

The primary theme of the campaign will be to “Buy Now”. Related sub-themes will focus on the local nature of real estate, our affordable market, the large selection of homes for sale and historically low interest rates. The delivery mechanism will include a combination of television and radio and will target a broad demographic. The campaign will begin in mid to late February and will run for about three months. We have budgeted $12,000 for this campaign.

Additionally, we intend to fully engage our membership in this campaign at the grass roots level through word-of-mouth and other means. In particular, CAAR has purchased buttons that have the REALTOR® logo on them and that say “Buy now! Ask me why”. We are asking members to wear these buttons out in public. The intent is for the button to serve as a conversation starter with the public. The wearer of the button should be prepared to give a brief overview as to why now is a good time to buy. To assist with this we have provided the attached talking points. Additionally, we have developed “Buy now . . . here’s why” companion stickers that are to be placed on the back of your business card. These stickers emphasize the four main points of the campaign. So, in addition to providing a brief overview of the market conditions our members are asked to also give their business card with the talking points on the reverse.

There are also other ways that you and can assist in this campaign. For instance, we would encourage you to incorporate the “Buy now! Ask me why” button within your print ads. You could also include the companion stickers in your print ads. We would also ask you to place the button on your website with a link to the talking points. Additionally, we hope that you will consider incorporating the radio commercials that are being developed for the campaign into your radio advertising campaigns.

Finally, the January 17th MIS Breakfast will serve as the official kick-off of this promotional campaign. We would encourage you and your sales associates to attend this breakfast to learn more about this campaign. Both buttons and stickers will also be distributed at this breakfast. If you cannot attend to pick materials up for your office we would encourage you to send a representative. Additionally, members of the Marketing and Member Services Committee are available to visit individual offices to make presentations about the campaign. If your office is interested in having someone come and speak about the campaign please contact Dan Sale at 217-698-7000.