Real estate advertising in the digital age

By Tal Klachook
May 23, 2014

L.A. Inc.'s David Klugsberg on his 20 years in the industry, and a look in the future of real estate advertising

With the rise of the social and digital era, the traditional methods of real estate advertising have changed.“The biggest change is the transformation to the digital market and the online world,” says David Klugsberg, the newly appointed president and chief operating officer at L.A. Inc. – a Toronto-based company specializing in branding and marketing, primarily for the real estate development industry.
Klugsberg (pictured left) was recently awarded the Riley Brethour Award at the 34th annual Building Industry and Land Development Awards, recognizing individuals who show outstanding and consistent professional achievement in residential sales and marketing. Klugsberg recently left his previous position as vice-president<br />of client services at L.A. Inc. to take on the role of president and COO of the company.
Real estate advertising is niche, Klugsberg explains. The key is to really understand the real estate environment – from floor plans to the tiny décor details – in order to better understand the target audience and the different media opportunities available to you.“Toronto is a very competitive and active market – in fact, the most competitive market in North America,” Klugsberg says. “The challenge is always how to stand out and create that urgency and ‘wow’ factor to get purchasers on board.”While social media has allowed marketers to reach more people at a quicker pace, Klugsberg explains that it can be difficult for advertisers to maintain control of the message they’re trying to convey. “People now have the ability to share their input and respond to these messages. It’s not like you’re putting up a sign or an ad where you have full control of the message,” he says. “You just don’t have that same control.”His team at L.A. Inc. works closely with their clients to create a unique strategy that covers all forms of media. “Everything has to work together for a brand to work. From signs to ads to social media – it all has to be consistent to promote the personality of the brand we try to market.”Regardless of the new methods of digital advertising available, Klugsberg praises tried-and-true methods for real estate advertising, like sales offices, and says they still play a vital role in marketing homes to potential buyers. “People still want to see, touch and feel the space that can be their home. It’s not something you just can replace.”But one thing is for sure, consumers these days have more access to information at their fingertips than was ever available to them 15 years ago. The tsunami of information on the Internet has created more educated purchasers, Klugsberg notes.As an expert in the field of real estate advertising and the housing market in general, he says there’s always a discussion of “boom or bust in Toronto.” In other words, is the market going to continue? “Toronto has a very strong market and there’s a reason why people want to live downtown. Whether it’s to be closer to work, or local amenities, you can find something in every neighbourhood,” he says. “As long as there are exceptional products at an attainable price, it will continue to thrive.”

About Tal Klachook

Tal Klachook is a journalism student at Carleton University. She is currently an Editorial Intern at Yellow Pages NextHome. Obsessed with all things related to cakes and social media, she enjoys learning and writing about the latest real estate trends.

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