Over the last few years I have spoken to many Realtors who refuse to cut newspaper ads from their marketing plans. The reason is normally “Sellers expect to see their homes in the newspaper”. I respond with one of two questions; “How do sellers find you?” or “Where are sellers looking for their next home?” The answer is invariably “online”.
Newspaper ad revenues (their primary source of income) continue to decline but so the number of readers. The Audit Bureau of Circulations recently detailed circulation numbers for the top 25 daily newspapers as at the end of the first quarter this year. Every major area shows record losses leading some to fold (Rocky Mountain News, Seattle Post, Gannett Newspaper, The Independent) and it seems to be a global transition. Others are quickly heading that way with one of the largest being the Chicago Tribune.
So the next time a seller asks why you don’t plan on listing their property in a newspaper show them these figures:
Change in Circulation Numbers for the Six Months Ending March 2009
USA TODAY — 2,113,725 – (-7.46%)
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL — 2,082,189 — 0.61%
THE NEW YORK TIMES — 1,039,031 — (-3.55%)
LOS ANGELES TIMES — 723,181 — (-6.55%)
THE WASHINGTON POST — 665,383 — (-1.16%)
DAILY NEWS (NEW YORK) — 602,857 — (-14.26%)
NEW YORK POST — 558,140 — (-20.55%)
CHICAGO TRIBUNE — 501,202 — (-7.47%)
HOUSTON CHRONICLE — 425,138 — (-13.96%)
THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC — 389,701 — (-5.72%)
THE DENVER POST (02/28/2009 to 03/31/2009) — 371,728 — N/A
NEWSDAY — 368,194 — (-3.01%)
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS — 331,907 — (-9.88%)
STAR-TRIBUNE, MINNEAPOLIS — 320,076 — (-0.71%)
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES — 312,141 — (-0.04%)
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE — 312,118 — (-15.72%)
THE BOSTON GLOBE — 302,638 — (-13.68%)
THE PLAIN DEALER, CLEVELAND — 291,630 — (-11.70%)
DETROIT FREE PRESS — 290,730 — (-5.90%)
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER — 288,298 — (-13.72%)
THE STAR-LEDGER, NEWARK, N.J. — 287,082 — (-16.82%)
ST. PETERSBURG (FLA.) TIMES — 283,093 — (-10.42%)
THE OREGONIAN, PORTLAND — 268,512 — (-11.76%)
THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION — 261,828 — (-19.91%)
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE — 261,253 — (-9.53%)
