Customer Story: Sotheby’s International — The Burr Group
The portfolio of real estate under the Sotheby’s International brand encompasses some of the most stunning luxury properties from around the globe. Leading the way as one of the highest performing agencies in the U.S. is TTR Sotheby’s International Realty in Washington, D.C. Started in the 1970s, TTR Sotheby’s now has more than 10 offices in the D.C. area. One of the firm’s top producers is Corey Burr, President of The Burr Group.
Recently, as a part of our Customer Story series, we had the unique opportunity to sit down with Stephanie McGovern, Real Estate and Business Marketing Manager, who works for broker Corey Burr. McGovern shared with us how Issuu is used by their team to create high-quality publications that showcase the luxury appeal of their real estate.
Can you first tell us about your organization and what you do?
Sotheby’s International Realty is a luxury real estate network that spans the globe. Our agents list and sell some of the most stunning luxury properties and homes in the world. All of our branding at local offices must adhere to global brand standards, which is part of my work. At the same time, we are interested in differentiating ourselves through our content.
How did you initially discover Issuu?
Corey Burr had admired marketing pieces from various organizations previously, and I inherited Issuu when I joined the team. The hardest part for me when it came to digital marketing was actually learning the graphic design work needed to create marketing collateral, but using Issuu to transform it into digital content was easy and super intuitive.
What role does digital content play in your overall business and marketing strategy?
Sotheby’s International Realty produces our Reside magazine. However, I put together specific assets and collateral to support our team, The Burr Group. I create this for our team, but we have a full marketing department that supports the 500+ agents at TTR Sotheby’s.
I put together brochures using Figma, print the PDF, and upload the files to Issuu to host and share digitally. We use our very attractive brochures in new client meetings, social media postings, and in emails that we send out to current and past clients.
What type of content do you share most often?
We use Issuu to share brochures showcasing new properties and to publish our digital magazine. This allows our agents to quickly share information with clients and close sales faster. Check out some of our recent publications to get a taste of the content:
RESIDE by TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. Summer ‘22 by TTR Sotheby’s International Realty
2021 Annual Market Review, presented by TTR Sotheby’s International Realty
Do you combine print and digital publishing efforts or are you strictly digital?
We use a combination of print and digital publishing efforts. I recently discovered the ability to print via Issuu. It was magazine quality and cost $6/copy instead of $13/copy on an order of 50 from the NL-based printer. Everyone was really happy to have the option of printed assets and digital assets available for them and their clients. We got a better price point and a totally seamless experience.
Aside from Issuu, what tools are in your content marketing toolbox?
We also use Figma for creating our brochures, Canva for design tools, and another internal platform. All of these sync up seamlessly with Issuu.
How do you typically share your publications with your audience?
I link our Issuu publisher profile in our email signatures, and we always give clients a brochure and listing presentation to gain their business.
We also share on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. I help oversee these and maintain consistency but don’t run the day-to-day posting and management. The owner, Cory Burr, also uses Twitter. Individual agents use their own platforms to share content as well.
What kind of impact has digital publishing had on your organization and on the success of your marketing efforts?
Our leader, Corey Burr, felt it was really important to have listing presentations available for potential clients online on any device. With Issuu, we don’t have to wait around for it to be printed. It’s quick and fast, and I can text a link to a document in minutes.
When thinking about future content publishing plans, what excites you the most? Is there anything you’re looking forward to trying?
I’m really interested in trying out Articles.
TTR Sotheby’s International Chooses Issuu for:
Flipbook Magazine and Brochure Design: Through Issuu, the team can quickly transform PDFs and designs into easily shareable digital formats.
Printing Capabilities: In addition to sharing their publications digitally, the Burr Group utilizes Issuu to print physical copies of their brochures.
Thank you, Stephanie, for taking the time to share with us your Issuu experience.