Cross the Threshold into Real Estate

The real ESTATE market bubble might be losing some air, but, despite cynical expectations, the bubble is not going to burst. In a recent Reuters newswire, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke stated, “It looks to be a very orderly and moderate kind of cooling at this point.” This is good news for distributors of promotional products in this market. Although it is cooling, the real estate niche still has a balmy temperature guage in the upper double digits.

Cary Shevin, president of Dard Products, Evanston, Ill., agreed, stating the real estate market is not only huge, but continuous. “And, the prospects are plenty,” he added, “for homes, as well as commercial properties.” Shevin said distributors can sell to real estate brokers, the construction market, the home remodeling market and banks that offer loans.

According to Shevin, banks have used real
estate-type incentives to get extra business or new accounts. In particular, one bank advertised that during a 30-day period, existing customers who added $5,000 to their accounts, or new customers opening an account with a minimum $5,000 deposit, had a choice of several free gifts, such as a house bank, tool set or clock.

Every month BFL&S’s sister publication, Promotional Marketing, magazine showcases hundreds of promotional products in its feature stories and product departments. The following are a sampling of products that distributors can use to pump up sales in the real estate market.

Sweet Sales

Leave it to Fresh Beginnings to offer a product that will reach recipients where it counts­—the stomach. With its gourmet cookie jar, there’s no doubt those in real estate will make new friends and plenty of good impressions.

The white, ceramic jar comes with 20 fresh-baked gourmet chocolate chip cookies. The jar features a one-color imprint standard, and cookies are wrapped in plastic inside the jar.

For more information, visit www.freshbeginnings.com.

Freshen Up

Offer those in the housing business professional and productive ways to freshen up with the house-shaped mint cards from Taylor & Grant
Specialties.

Approximately the size of business cards, the mint cases can be imprinted with a client’s name and contact information. To ensure the information sticks around on refrigerators or file cabinets, the product can include a magnet. End-users can choose from a variety of colors.

For more information, visit www.taylor-grant.com.

Dissolve Financial Fears

Thoughts of fluctuating interest rates will simply dissolve at the site of the chocolate house from Chocolate Inn.

The edible item is made from Nestlé premium chocolate and can be shaped into any size and bear any message or logo. For a sweet impression, the house-shaped chocolate product can be presented inside a gift box or wrapped in cellophane.

For more information, visit www.chocolateinn.com.

Try These on for Size

BBQ oven mitts from Busrel
display a company’s logo in the most popular meeting place in the home—the kitchen.

The padded, heat-proof mitts are a must-have for any cook and feature a cozy, quilted design. They are available in red only and measure 61⁄2x121⁄4 ˝. The handy oven mitts can be silkscreened on an area measuring 4x4˝.

For more information, visit www.busrel.com.

A Snapshot in Time

When searching for a thoughtful product with just the right sentimental quality, look no further than International Merchandise Concepts’ house-shaped Futura photo frame.

The frame is double-sided and features a photo insert that can be angled at any degree. It boasts brushed aluminum accents and acrylic photo sleeves. The frame measures 4x6˝ and provides a 2x3⁄4˝
imprint area. The desk accessory is ideal for real estate agents, mortgage brokers and architects.

For more information, visit www.imc-miracles.com.

Clearly Classic

Filled with flowers, wine, home-made dressing or any other home-related gift, the liter carafe from Glass Graphics is sure to please recipients.

The one-liter glass carafe measures 11˝ tall and has a 3x21⁄2˝ engraving area. It can be placed in a dishwasher and is an ideal promotional tool for real estate agents, landscaping companies and insurance appraisers.

For more information, visit www.glassgraphics.com.