At the dawn of 2020, Metro Detroit small business owners were expecting the area's retail economy to expand by 4.1%. This optimism was stoked by the National Retail Federation's chief economist who said, "Consumers remain upbeat and have the confidence to spend, and the steady wage growth that has come with the strong job market is fueling their spending. The state of the consumer is very healthy."

By February, however, the country entered into a COVID-19 induced recession. Then, to slow the spread of the pandemic, on March 24, the Governor of Michgian locked the state down. This brought the Detoirt area's $78,3 billion retail economy to a standstill.

As stores, restaurants, and offices in the Detroit area begin to re-open, consumers' appetite for spending is returning. According to Nielsen, loyal radio listeners are very likely to be first in line at the cash registers.

Metro Detroit small business owners are learning that 're-opening' may not be an appropriate word for the challenges they face as the Coronavirus crisis winds down.  A better term might be 're-introducing'.

Since the Governor of Michigan shuttered the state on March 23 to slow the spread of COVID-19, Detroit area consumers have discovered new ways to buy the goods and services they need.  It's now the burden of local business owners to lure these customers back. The first step is re-introduction.

On August 20, 1920, WWJ signed-on as the first radio station serving Southeast Michigan. Since then, local business owners have used radio advertising to introduce themselves successfully to new customers. Radio has also helped these businesses survive recessions, depressions, world wars, tornados, and blizzards. By any metric, advertising on Detroit radio remains the most effective tactic a small business owner can use post-pandemic, as well.

Type "DETROIT REAL ESTATE AGENTS" into Google. In slightly over a half-second, the search will deliver 13,000,000 results. Similar searches for Troy, Bloomfield Township, Ann Arbor, Grosse Pointe Park, or Birmingham produce a proportional number of returns.

Despite the economic hardships imposed by the Coronavirus crisis on Southeast Michigan consumers, the demand for real estate is booming. 

The Wall Street Journal published a trend yesterday indicating that mortgage applications for purchase a home have achieved levels equal to last year.

According to redfin.com, home buying demand is 16.5% higher now than it was pre-COVID-19 on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Redfin attributes this explosive growth in real estate shoppers to two factors, including record-low mortgage rates. The other primary driver is a migration trend from expensive metropolitan areas as buyers hunt for more space at lower prices.

To capture a larger share of the robust market, local real estate agents need to stand apart from the millions of Google results.  Advertising on Detroit radio will help accomplish this.  Here's why.