This is re-posted from Inman News.
The Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate franchise network has launched a new direct marketing platform, the Realogy Corp. subsidiary announced Tuesday.
Through the PinPoint platform, real estate professionals can identify potential clients by geography and demographics and create customized direct-mail advertising that they can order from an online vendor.
"This easy-to-use system saves our agents time while guaranteeing a highly targeted campaign to ensure optimal success," said Sherry Chris, the network's president and CEO, in a statement.
Agents and brokers can use the platform to send out mailers targeting consumers who fit certain segments of the population. These include first-time homebuyers without children, first-time homebuyers with children, move-up consumers, empty-nesters, mature consumers, and second-home buyers, the announcement said.
The platform is based on a database of more than 85 million consumers maintained by media and marketing company Meredith Corp., which owns the Better Homes and Gardens trademark and publishes the Better Homes and Gardens magazine, among others.
The Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate network has about 125 offices and 5,000 sales associates in 16 states.
The Weichert, Realtors franchise network also recently launched a direct-mail platform. Weichert LeadLink automatically creates a "Just Listed" card for each new listing from data entered in a multiple listing service. The listing agent can preview the postcard before placing an order, and the cards are then mailed to 50 addresses around the listed home.
The postcards help "sales associates increase marketing recognition in the neighborhood," the company said. Each card includes a web address and a unique code to a customized web page. "The system then provides real-time leads to sales associates via e-mail, including a notification for every person who visits the website and another for those who fill out the (contact) form," the company said.
Weichert developed LeadLink in conjunction with digital marketing company QuantumDigital. Weichert has about 500 sales offices, both company-owned and independently franchised, and about 18,000 sales associates.