How long have you been publishing with Custom House?
We have been publishing with Custom House since the end of 2005.

Which stories do you use on the front cover? What stories have been the best received by your readers?
We either write our own articles or modify an article supplied by Custom Home Publishers to fit our local market. From the feedback we’re getting, the readers want information about what’s happening locally.

How many customized pages do you substitute into your paper? What do you think is the most well received portion of The Charleston Home Front News?
We customize two pages: one with local home sales information, and another with ads and a calendar of upcoming events or another short article. The most popular aspect is our “Featured Homes” section, where we have a list of recent home sales.

Describe the content you include to ensure your publication is of interest to your community.
We’re finding the local information is by far the most popular. We include a list of recently closed properties along with addresses and sales prices. Sometimes, we include a calendar of local events. In future publications, we plan to include more information about our local market.

Which businesses have appeared in your paper? Why did you choose these particular businesses?
In the beginning, we included an ad for a lender we frequently work with, a local car wash and a fast food restaurant. In exchange for the ads, the restaurant and car wash allowed us to put our Custom House Publishers display boxes in their establishments. Just this month, we began soliciting new advertisers.

Describe some of the community feedback you’ve received. Is your paper helpful for potential home buyers?
Most readers like to see the real estate information: how much homes in their neighborhood have sold for, how their properties have appreciated, the best time to put their home on the market, selling and buying tips and local real estate trends and forecasts.

Have you attained any direct listings as a result of publishing The Charleston Home Front News? Does your newsletter generate leads?
Absolutely. The Charleston Home Front News has become our primary source for qualified leads. In the past, we relied on our Web site and Internet presence for leads, but now everyone has a Web site! The Charleston Home Front News is a great, cost-effective marketing tool to stay in contact with a large farm area. We also send our paper to past clients who have moved out of the area, as well as prospects throughout the U.S. and abroad.

What types of houses are you selling? What is the market like in your target area? What is the usual demographic of your clients?
Our market consists primarily of single-family homes in the $200,000 – $600,000 price range. The Charleston area continues to experience strong economic growth, which translates into a strong real estate market. A large military community and a large number of smaller, diverse companies support our market. Charleston is growing steadily as Baby Boomers migrate south to escape the snow, cold weather, high taxes and congestion of the Northeast.

How long have you and Julie been Realtors®?
Julie has been a Realtor® for seven years and I, for five. Samantha, our buyer’s agent, is in her second year in real estate, and Kelly, our transaction coordinator, has just enrolled in the licensing class.

Any other comments?
Not only is Custom Home Publishers a great product, but the staff is awesome, too. Putting a paper together and getting it mailed couldn’t be easier. We used to do our own newsletter; spending hours writing the articles, laying it out, printing, folding and mailing. With Custom House Publishers, I just send an article, pictures, description of our listings and our personal mailing list, and they take care of the rest. It’s less expensive than doing it ourselves! Mark Touris in the art department is incredible. Regardless of what I send him, he always finds a way to make it look professional—and he does it fast! Stacey Wayt, our account executive, is great! She keeps us on track with a publishing calendar and with gentle reminders of when it’s time to submit our material. It’s just too easy!