By a show of hands, how many people know someone who bought a house they first discovered in Homes and Land or The Real Estate Book? I bet it would be something like 1-2%. They do look shiny, and people used to pick them up when they came on vacation, but they stopped doing that a couple of years ago. Most people look online, where it is easy enough to also learn much more about the property (INCLUDING PRICE, which some agents don't advertise in the magazines), including location, without having to pick up a phone and talk to an agent. I find that most people like to browse listings on their own, online, until they are very serious about purchasing. Then, they contact a Realtor.