By Michael McCann
During the month of May Birchcliff was under siege.
Our mailboxes were under a constant and steady volley of direct mail.
The barrage started at the first of the month and didn’t seem to abate until almost mid June.
It seems everyone was vying for our attention with our mailbox being the access point.
The direct mail certainly came in all shapes and sizes ranging from postcards to full page glossy colour magazines.
This got me thinking. What do you when you discover this unaddressed mail in your mailbox, does it immediately go into recycling or do you read it?
My wife has spent almost a decade in direct marketing and she was able to provide some statistical insight.
According to a USPS Household Diary Study done in 2014 here are their findings:
- 42% of us actually read or scan our direct mail
- This means 58% of us ignore it
- In 2008 you could expect 25 pieces per week
- In 2013 it is down to 19 per week
- 48% of us retain this direct mail
I did a tally for May and during the entire month I received 55 individual pieces of unaddressed mail. In terms of volume realtors took the lead with fast food flyers coming in a very close second.
So the question that comes to mind is… If you were hiring a realtor would this direct mail influence your decision of who to hire?
I would love to hear your answer.
Real Estate statistics
Now for a quick look at our neighbourhood housing statistics over the last two months.
If you see that April’s Birchcliff prices dropped compared to April 2015, it is primarily due to a larger number of million dollar homes selling in 2015 as opposed to 2016.
The demand for our detached homes continues to be strong so there is definitely increasing value.
We are certainly seeing a change in Birchcliff. Next month I will be writing about new millennials buyers with some great statistical insight into their financial background.
Birch Cliff – Cliffside Home Sales in April 2016 – 34 homes sold
Source:Toronto Real Estate Board. Excludes commercial properties, condos and vacant land.
Birchcliff/Cliffside
- In April 2016, 34 homes sold compared to 37 in April 2015
- In April 2015 our neighbourhood average sold price was $834,076 while April this year it came in at $790,681 – a 5.2% decrease year over year*
- It took 12 days on average to sell a home last April and this year
Toronto Real Estate Board
- 11,254 sales in April 2015 with April of this year showing 12,085 – Up 7.4%
- The average selling price in April 2015 was $636,094 and April of this year $739,082 – Up 16.2%
- April last year it took an average of 18 days to sell a home and in April 2016 only 15 days
Birch Cliff – Cliffside Home Sales in May 2016 – 34 homes sold
Birchcliff/Cliffside
- In May 2015, 24 homes sold and in May of this year 36
- The average sold house price in May last year was $612,235 and in May 2016 it was $843,433 – an unbelievable 38% year over year
- Last May it took an average of 11 days to sell a home and only 8 days in May 2016
Toronto Real Estate Board
- In May 2015, 11,640 homes sold and in May 2016 12,870 sold – Up 10.6%
- The average sold price last May was 649,648 and in May of this year $751,908 – Up 15.7%
- In May 2015 it took an average of 18 days to sell a home and this May only 15 days.
