An advertisement is like an iceberg: most of its substance is out of sight.

With icebergs, the visible tip can be a warning of danger ahead. Advertisements, in any medium, have earned a similar rap in our "pull not push" world.

Consumers are leery of what intentions lie behind an ad. Instead, they dive into the online information pool searching out their own solutions and the "been there done that" experiences of others. Since that approach has its own serious flaws, an alternative reaction to advertising may be useful for those interested in confident decision making.

Advertising still plays important roles in real estate, but its effectiveness has been diluted by the net and by changing technologies. Now that the cell is king, mobile computing will challenge advertising traditions and effectiveness even further. What will change? What will improve? What will stay the same? How will consumer reactions to "we-pay-we-say" promotion evolve?

Tips on Savvy Interpretation of Advertising:

To prepare to recognize the constructive and destructive shifts ahead, begin to broaden your understanding of advertising and marketing principles like stressing benefits not features. These concepts will become useful communication tools for you and they will also give you the advantage in deciphering pitches and promotions.

Once you start paying attention to what is said and why, you’ll realize that advertisers and professionals often overlook, or forget, core communication concepts like those below. As a result, their advertisements are not as effective or on-point as they could be.

Those who create advertising and promotions often believe that because they’ve paid, the ad should be about them and what they do or offer. As I’ve discussed in my latest book, experience has taught me that "the most effective advertising is not condensed telling, but distilled listening."

For instance, advertisements that list features like amenities or services tell readers what the advertiser thinks is important. Ads that demonstrate respect for and interest in how these features benefit the target reader are repeating what has been learned from experience in delivering the amenities or services. Less is more here. The distillation involves selecting one slice of the broad range of the target’s issues and concerns and highlighting one or two benefits of particular relevance.

Here our focus is real estate, so consider the following suggestions for revising your reactions in any real estate situation from shopping for a new home or selecting a lifestyle community to deciding on a listing broker or which listings to view. The selected Tips are written from the consumer’s point of view—the same perspective that should drive creation of advertising, whichever medium or whatever message is involved.

These 3 Tips are just the tip of the advertising iceberg, but they will get you off to a strong start as discerning consumers:

• TIP #1. Don’t allow good advertising to bring you closer to making a buying decision and don’t hold bad advertising against the advertiser.

  A "good" ad may be the result of a team of professional communicators trained to attract target prospects. That same degree of professional care is not automatically invested in customer service or follow-up. An effective sales team will be expert at converting prospects to buyers, but there is no guarantee that this is the best result for the buyer. Hence, the motto passed on by the Romans remains true in the 21st Century: Buyer Beware.

  A "bad" ad may poorly describe the ideal product or service for you. If the advertiser is a weak communicator or uses do-it-yourself approaches, you may have to ask questions to discover where the value lies for you. That ineffective advertiser may not receive deserved attention and, therefore, may be more receptive to your needs and negotiations. Concentrate on being "aware" so you don’t need to "beware."

• TIP #2. When advertising goes beyond grabbing your attention to hold your interest, kindle desire and call you to action, consider whether your reaction is based on genuine need or skillful manipulation before you act on this impulse.

  Real estate is not a box of chocolate, so impulses can be expensive. Since creating urgency is a classic purpose for advertising, don’t be surprised if you are suddenly struck by the need for a speedy response after reading or listening to an ad. Tease out urgency words like "on sale," "act now," or "only 6 left" to discover where the value lies. Wisdom dictates you consciously separate impulse from intention before you act. Gathering accurate information and expert knowledge is the next step. How easy has the advertiser made it for you to dig deeper into their value offering? What pre-appointment follow-up do they provide beyond "call now" or a brochure-style website? How transparent is their value?

• TIP #3. Don’t rely on advertising to learn about new choices, expanding opportunities and common problems.

  Traditionally, advertising is purposeful "push" messaging, not educational communication. Consumers who rely on reading and listening to ads to learn about the world of real estate are short-changing themselves. Ads may alert consumers to new ideas, fresh approaches and constructive content, but they typically are not about delivering content other than a biased pitch. Just as advertising has become relegated to one arrow in the quiver of 21st-Century communication, consumers who rely heavily on being "advertised at" to learn will fall short of their goals. Although well-targeted advertisements may start a conversation, ads themselves have typically not been intended to build knowledge. We’re long overdue for a shift to atypical advertisements that reveal a determination to genuinely share what has been distilled by listening to consumers.

Whether you direct communication and determine the outcome, or let the advertiser do it, is determined by which side is the more aware and purposeful communicator. And you thought real estate was just about granite counter tops and commission percentages.

Published: January 26, 2010

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Futurist and Strategist PJ Wade is "The Catalyst" - intent on "Challenging The Best to Become Even Better." PJ earned this title by translating the dynamic impact of Boomers and their multi-generation families into relevant insights that start people thinking and taking action—in business and in life. Author of 8 books and more than 1800 published articles, PJ encourages individuals to become their own futurist. PJ writes and speaks about the insight, knowledge and solid decision-making skills that professionals and their clients need to live and work in this vortex of change. For instance, since PJ knows that home is headquarters for the new decades-long "unretirement," she wrote the popular book "Reverse Mortgages: Best Friend, Worst Enemy...Your Choice!", which is filled with suggestions and cautions on protecting, building and managing home equity. Her new business book, "What's Your Point?: Cut The Crap, Hit The Mark & Stick!" will be published in 2012. As The Catalyst, PJ provides strategic communication, client appreciation and advanced education services to the financial, tourism, lifestyle and service sectors - and the clients they serve. A frequently-quoted financial and business commentator, PJ is a thought-provoking strategic speaker who offers practical, real-life suggestions on leaving "the box" behind and embracing Forward Thinking - a talent she regularly demonstrates in this column. For more on keynotes, blogs, books and information on a range of 21st-Century topics, visit TheCatalyst.com.