New Magazine to Hit the Stands

At a time when journalists are being laid off left and right, and magazines are closing their doors either for good or "until things pick up," I came across some news that a brokerage firm is launching its own print and online magazine. Yes, you heard that right -- a print magazine at a time when most of the world is saying that print is dead! That aspect alone was enough to pique my interest in reading the rest of the press release.

Brokers have had some spare time to get back to the basics, get to know their customers and work on sharpening their skills. We've all heard it, and we've all seen their guest articles throughout the various media outlets. So for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Arizona, it made sense to pool together their resources and create a magazine called Arizona View.

The View hit the Arizona Daily Star on August 28, 2009 and the Arizona Republic on August 29, 2009 with more than 80,000 copies. The 60-page inaugural issue featured properties for sale across the state and commentary from Malcolm MacEwen, president and COO of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Arizona. The AZ View program also integrates an online version of the magazine at www.arizonaviewonline.com, which allows visitors to view the current issue, as well as past issues. The Web site also links to www.AZmoves.com to search additional properties for sale and to find open houses. The company rolled out a Tucson version of the magazine earlier this summer.

"We are responding to the complexity, diversity and highly competitive nature of the real estate market today," says MacEwen. "The View allows us to cross-market our properties, while leveraging the Coldwell Banker brand to reach a broader group of consumers who receive their information from a variety of news sources."

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Orange County, Calif originally developed the concept. That version of the View launched in March 2007 with an annual distribution of 1.7M copies, and increased to 7.2M copies in 2008.

Nearly 1,500 sales associates in 26 offices throughout Arizona have embraced the new advertising platform with enthusiasm. Many within the sales profession agree that the magazine provides Arizona homebuyers and sellers a fresh approach to marketing.