Why Should I Send Real Estate Postcards? 

Real estate postcards have been used for decades as a powerful marketing tool to connect with property owners, promote businesses, and generate leads. In today’s digital age, it may seem like direct mail marketing is a thing of the past, but real estate postcards are still an effective way to connect with motivated sellers. 

As a real estate investor, you want to utilize all the available tools to connect with motivated sellers. One of the most effective tools is real estate postcards and other forms of direct mail marketing. Used in conjunction with things like email and cold calling, direct mail marketing can be a powerful way to drum up interest in your business and disseminate your message.

But why, with so many other tools available, are real estate postcards still so effective? And why should a modern investor use them?

Visible

Real estate postcards are delivered directly to the property owner’s mailbox, making them hard to miss. Unlike emails or social media ads, postcards can’t be ignored or replicated. Plus, postcards don’t have to compete with other messages in an inbox or social media feed, increasing the likelihood that the intended recipient will see them.

Even if they wind up in the trash, real estate postcards will make some kind of impact on the recipient, even if they just saw your branding and headline! You can’t say the same about a digital ad.

Targeted 

Postcards allow you to target a specific audience. For example, you can choose to send postcards to a particular list of prospects in a specific neighborhood or zip code, which is helpful if you’re trying to generate leads in a specific area. This targeted marketing ensures that your message reaches the right people, increasing your chances of a response. 

The more targeted your sends are and the more personal your content is, the better your chance of seeing conversions from direct mail marketing alone.

Tangible

Being able to hold on to something physical is crucial if you are trying to make an impression! Postcards are a tangible marketing tool that people can touch, turn over, and move from place to place. They can be put on the fridge or pinned to a bulletin board, keeping your message in mind. A postcard can also be shared with friends and family, which can help spread your message even further.

Just the physical presence of a real estate postcard is beneficial because it may linger on someone’s kitchen table or counter for weeks as a constant reminder of your business and proposition. You can’t get that kind of presence in an email inbox where every message looks identical.

Cost-Effective

You may think that something that requires printing and mailing will be expensive, but you are wrong. Postcards are an affordable marketing tool compared to other forms of advertising. Printing and mailing costs are low, especially compared to digital advertising costs. You could easily spend double on a digital ad seeing far fewer responses. Plus, postcards have a high response rate, so you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck.

Postcards are especially effective when they are used for targeted campaigns. If you are trying to cast a wide net and let the world know about your business maybe a digital ad would be effective. But if you are trying to convert a specific list of prospects, you can’t do better than direct mail marketing supplemented by email and cold calling.

Branded

Real estate postcards can help build brand awareness. By consistently sending postcards to a targeted audience, you create a memorable impression that can increase brand recognition. This is especially important in real estate, where building a reputation and establishing trust is key. Everything from your tone to the colors on the postcards is important when establishing a brand. You want people to get to know you and what you do, so if they are looking for a buyer down the line, your business is at the top of their minds.

Personal

Postcards can be personalized to include the recipient’s name, property details, and a personalized message. This level of personalization can make the recipient feel valued and more likely to respond to your message. For example, Streetview Postcards include an image of the desired property from Google Streetview that will jump out and make the recipient interested in reading your message.

Incorporate Postcards Into Your Marketing Plan

Real estate postcards are a highly effective marketing tool in today’s digital age. Their high visibility, targeted marketing, tangible nature, and cost-effectiveness make them valuable addition to any real estate marketing program. By incorporating postcards into your marketing efforts, you can turn more prospects into leads and generate more deals!

5 Reasons Why Your Real Estate Mailers Aren’t Gaining Traction

Direct mail marketing is one of the most effective ways real estate investors turn prospects into leads – but that doesn’t mean every campaign is a winner. If your campaigns are falling flat, there is a reason.

A real estate investor sends thousands of postcards and real estate letters every year. These real estate mailers are part of an organized campaign to turn prospects into leads and move them onward to deals. But just sending out loads of postcards and letters doesn’t mean you will be successful. It takes thought and strategy to craft an effective marketing campaign.

If your direct mail marketing campaign isn’t giving you the expected results, it is probably because of one of the five reasons below…

Not Personal Enough

You can send out dozens of real estate mailers to each prospect, but if your message isn’t tailored to them, you will not see the kind of returns you are expecting.

Personalization is an essential part of any kind of marketing campaign. Blasting out one generic message to all your prospects will not give you the conversion you need because you aren’t showing the homeowners that you can solve their problems. Of course, you don’t need to write different copy for each prospect, but the more you can personalize your messaging, the better the campaign will perform.

You can see personalization in every kind of marketing! Each ad you see or email you receive is segmented in some way to appeal directly to you and those like you. If you can speak to someone’s interests or circumstances, you have a better chance of standing out and making a meaningful connection.

Not Using Other Marketing Tactics

You always want to supplement your real estate mailers with other forms of marketing to help educate and convert your prospects. For example, if you send out a branded mailer, do you have a website or some kind of web presence where people can learn more? 

Before anyone picks up the phone, they will likely Google your business. Does your business have an informative and professional-looking website? How about a social media presence? If not, you should create these things to empower prospects to learn more about you before you get them on the phone.

Additionally, you want to combine direct mail marketing with another kind of marketing to engage your prospects. For example, many investors utilize cold calling with direct mail campaigns to help motivate prospects that may be interested but haven’t yet reached out.

No Call To Action

If someone receives your real estate mailers, do they know what you want them to do? If you want someone to take a specific action, tell them! This can be anything from visiting a website to subscribing to a newsletter or calling you.

Make sure that you have a call to action for every one of your real estate postcards or letters. Make it easy for your prospects! Also, be sure to supply all the contact information they need – they may Google you, but it shouldn’t be required to contact you.

Not Providing Value

How can your business provide value to your prospects? In your messaging, you must focus on what you can do for your prospects rather than what they can do for you. 

Consider what they need to hear to be interested in selling you their home. How can you solve a problem for them? For example, if you are targeting vacant properties, you want to point out how the property owner is losing money to taxes and mortgage payments and receiving nothing in return. You want them to know that selling to you is in their best interest. You are taking away the burden of owning a property that isn’t getting any use or generating any revenue.

Send Lists Aren’t Specific Enough

As part of personalization, you want to ensure that your send lists aren’t too big and broad. To maximize the effectiveness of your mailers, you need to segment your prospects to find ones that are both high-quality and share some characteristics. 

By segmenting your prospects, you can send personalized messages that speak directly to these common characteristics. Also, by segmenting your records, you can send to your prospects with the most significant potential to convert.

Final Thoughts

If you are going to invest in marketing campaigns, you want to make sure you are doing everything you can to make sure they convert! These five mistakes are the most common culprits behind low engagement. So, before you send your next direct mail campaign, ensure each message is personalized, supplemented, provides a clear call to action, and provides value.

Why Are Real Estate Postcards So Effective?

Over the last two decades, our world transformed from a largely analog space to almost entirely digital. But that doesn’t mean that some of our more old-fashioned methods have stopped working. For example, direct mail marketing, especially real estate postcards, is still one of the most powerful tools in an investor’s arsenal.

It is no secret that people are addicted to their smartphones. The average person spends hours every day looking at their devices. In 2023 a person can do an entire day’s worth of work from a tiny phone screen. With technology all around us, it is logical to think that the only way to get someone’s attention is through their screen. But that is wrong.

In a constantly changing world, we are all still checking the mail every day the same way we have been for decades. As long as mail is delivered, people will take time to flip through it. So why be one of hundreds or thousands in someone’s email inbox when you can be one of 5 or 10 in someone’s actual mailbox?

Less Competition

An effective marketing strategy is one where you can make your brand stand out. Trying to appeal to property owners through social media or email marketing is necessary. Still, it will only bring in the interest or number of real estate leads your business needs to grow if you spend a lot of money. There is too much competition.

If you are looking for a way to get your business in front of homeowners, the old-fashioned way is best, with social media and email marketing in a supporting role. The value in sending real estate postcards is that there is much less competition. This dramatically increases the chances that your message will be read and digested. Sending mail directly to someone’s address when you are interested in purchasing their property also feels more personal.

Most companies are not investing a significant portion of their marketing budgets in direct mail marketing. This means they are sending fewer mailers, so mailboxes do not fill up as quickly as email inboxes.

Concise And Eye-Catching

If you are designing a marketing campaign, you want to maximize the chance someone will either read your message or at least digest your branding. One of the easiest ways to do this is with a real estate postcard. Postcards, in particular, are concise and do not require someone to open an envelope. In addition, the ease of deliverability makes it almost impossible that someone won’t retain one aspect of your postcard, even if they look at it for 2 seconds before throwing it away.

Postcards are inherently visual, small, and familiar. It takes much less time to interact with a postcard than any other type of mail. Postcards work great for an initial campaign to reach out to a new list of homeowners, followed by a letter to provide more information. Postcards are versatile and can be used for any real estate investing campaign.

Fast And Affordable 

Not only are real estate postcards eye-catching and tactile, but they are also very affordable and can be put into production quickly.

Direct mail marketing is affordable, with postcards being the lowest-cost option. Postcards are small and do not require an envelope, making them more accessible and cheaper to produce. In addition, using a company specializing in direct mail marketing, like Open Letter Marketing, makes setting up and managing campaigns incredibly easy. Gone are the days of ordering postcards and tediously mailing them yourself! Instead, you can set up a multi-touch campaign with professionally designed postcards in minutes.

Look Professional

First impressions are essential! If you are looking to introduce your real estate investing business to a new neighborhood sending out a postcard campaign is the way to go! Unlike digital ads, which require graphic design experience, you can create a professional-looking, branded postcard in minutes using pre-made templates. At Open Letter Marketing, you can choose from a series of templates crafted for your specific message and add your branding to complete the message, or you can get a custom-designed postcard.

Final Thoughts

If you are a real estate investor looking to change prospects into leads, consider a good, multi-send postcard campaign to drive your marketing efforts. Postcards are a great way to get your business in front of the right people with targeted messages. Make sure you always design a campaign that includes more than one touch. Let’s start building that relationship with your first campaign!

What Is Direct Mail Marketing?

If you are trying to market your real estate business, there are a lot of methods out there for you to try. One of the oldest and most effective methods is direct mail marketing.

We have all opened the mailbox and flipped through various letters and postcards advertising some kind of service. Sometimes you keep a few pieces of mail if it piques your interest, and sometimes you look at them quickly and throw them away. But, believe it or not, this is one of the most effective real estate investment marketing methods.

Direct mail marketing has existed for decades and still holds significant power in specific industries. For example, in real estate investing, it has remained one of the most powerful tools for turning prospects into real estate leads and establishing relationships with homeowners.

What Is It?

Direct mail marketing uses physical letters and marketing postcards to market your product or service. A direct mail marketing campaign usually targets a particular demographic, age, location, gender, or other interests. Marketers then send marketing materials through the mail to their list of leads, hoping to establish a relationship with them somehow. 

Direct mail campaigns can send a one-off mailer with coupons or messages to build brand awareness and a relationship with the recipient. For real estate investing, direct mail marketing campaigns are sent to build awareness and establish communication with people interested in selling their homes in the coming weeks or months. 

Why Is Direct Mail Marketing Effective?

In a world of online advertising, how could something so analog still be so compelling? No app can replace the tactile feeling of going through the physical mail. Direct mail marketing is effective because it is straightforward, tactile, have less competition, and is memorable.

Less Competitive

Many companies and organizations still use direct mail marketing to promote their business, but there are far fewer than the number of groups advertising online. Think about how many emails you receive versus how many pieces of mail you receive. You certainly aren’t getting as much physical mail as you are email. This is a great reason to try direct mail marketing because you have a greater chance of getting noticed than someone in someone’s inbox.

It’s More Memorable

A big part of marketing is making an impression on the recipient. This is another area where direct mail marketing shines! In traditional digital marketing, you only have milliseconds to make an impression before someone scrolls away or deletes an email without opening it. When you send postcards or letters, your message gets much more time in front of the recipient. When someone goes through the physical mail, they read much more of the content than they would assess their email inbox. So even if your postcard ends up in the trash, the recipient absorbs a good portion, and the branding stays in their mind. When you send your next campaign, they will have some brand recognition already.

Greater Response Rate

Many direct mail campaigns enjoy a higher response rate than their digital counterparts. The reason is that more people are seeing and interacting with physical letters and postcards than emails. In addition, the tactile nature of direct mail makes it take longer to discard than an email. To throw a letter or postcard away, you first have to handle and look at it to determine that it is something you want to throw away. That interaction is often much longer than a person will spend looking at a digital ad or reading an email subject line. With more exchange, you stand a much better chance of getting a response, especially if you have created targeted lists to send.

Try It And Stick With It

If you try direct mail marketing, you must invest enough time and money to see results fully. There needs to be more than just sending one mailing to build brand awareness and establish relationships with property owners. To see the best results, design a campaign with messages sent at various intervals to make that connection.

How To Get Handwritten Real Estate Letters (Without Writing Them Yourself)

If you are running a direct mail campaign for your real estate business you want to use every tool at your disposal to make sure your message gets noticed. And what better way is there to get noticed through the mail than with actual, handwritten real estate letters?

Even with the prevalence of email the average American still receives a lot of mail the old-fashioned way. The average US household receives around 11 pieces of marketing mail every week – totaling more than 500 pieces of marketing material every year! While that may seem like a lot, it is significantly less than what the average person receives through email, which is why direct mail is still such an effective tool.

So how do you make sure your message is not only received but read? You make sure it stands out! You don’t need flashy designs or bright colors to get your message seen, you only need to add a more personal touch. Handwritten real estate letters are critical to any investor’s business but not every “handwritten” service is the same. Real Penned letters give you the look and feel of a handwritten letter without hand cramps!

Real Penned Letters

Real Penned letters in progress!

Handwritten letters are one of the most effective ways to make sure your marketing letters and postcards will stand out. But do you need to sit down and hand-write all of your letters and postcards? If you really like writing you could, but that would be kind of crazy and certainly not an effective use of your time.

Real Penned letters and postcards use technology to craft handwritten letters that are almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Unlike the usual “handwritten letters” offered by other direct mail companies, Real Penned letters and postcards do not have their text printed on them in a handwriting font. Instead, each letter is written by a machine using a real ballpoint pen, just as you would write them yourself. The only difference is that the handwriting is always legible and consistent!

Real Penned letters give your business authenticity and make your recipients feel like you are making a personal connection with them. Each piece of Real Penned mail looks and feels high effort and high quality. You can achieve the perfect handwritten look and feel without worrying about maintaining legible handwriting or employing your friends and family to spend hours scribing letters for you! Get hundreds or thousands of handwritten letters and postcards sent out while only using a few minutes of your precious time.

Handwritten Letters Stand Out

When you get your mail what stands out first? Aside from a red letter from the IRS, anything handwritten usually jumps out first because we automatically perceive it to be some kind of personal communication. This means that your recipient will not only see and digest your company name and branding, but they are also much more likely to read your message in its entirety. With 81% of people reading or scanning their mail every day, your business has a good chance of getting noticed immediately.

By now many of us can distinguish between printed and penned text at a glance, even if it is written in a handwriting font. This is why the ballpoint writing of Real Penned letters and postcards is such a big advantage. The familiar look and feel of ballpoint pen ink immediately feel personal and authentic in a way printed text cannot mimic.

Handwritten Letters Are Cost Effective

If you are trying to connect with property owners your best bet is to appeal to them directly with something they can hold onto. While digital marketing is necessary to grow your reputation, these direct connections can be made through the mail.

Direct mail, even with the addition of handwritten text, is one of the most cost-effective ways to reach potential leads. When purchased in bulk, Real Penned personal or professional letters cost between $1.55 and $1.30 each, only about 50 cents more than the usual printed mailers. If you compare each send to what you would spend running a social media ad campaign you are getting a lot more bang for your buck and getting your business in front of the right people.

Additionally, handwritten letters using Real Penned technology get seen and read more often than typical mailers. So even with the marginally increased cost, the return on investment will always be worth it for whatever campaign you are running.

Final Thoughts

If you want your business to stand out you need to invest in the latest technology that allows you to do that. Using Real Penned technology on your real estate letters and postcards not only elevates what you are sending but increases your conversion. Get the look and feel of handwritten real estate letters, without having to write them yourself.

5 Ways To Get More Real Estate Leads

If you are a real estate investor, your leads list is the lifeblood of your business – and your ability to turn leads into deals will determine whether or not you are successful at what you do. But before you can start making deals, you need to be able to build high-quality prospects and leads lists that will propel your business forward.

One of the most significant factors in determining whether an investor will succeed or fail is the quality of the leads they can generate. Without a solid list of leads, a real estate investor will not be able to secure consistent deals to keep their business afloat. So how do you find high-quality leads and make those essential connections?

Use Direct Mail Marketing

The most effective lead generation tool in real estate investing is also a timeless classic – direct mail marketing. Direct mail marketing is a simple concept that has not lost its effectiveness, even in our increasingly digital world.

Direct mail marketing campaigns are effective because they send a physical letter or postcard to the prospect’s home. Unlike an email or digital ad, a prospect will have to look at it for a few seconds before throwing it away or keeping it in a safe place to reference back when they need it. Direct mail marketing is more effective at getting your message to the intended recipient. And if you send out enticing mailers, your chances of getting more than a two-second look increase.

Personal letters and postcards are much easier for prospects to remember than emails or social media posts. Even if your first message is disregarded, they will recognize your branding when they receive the next one, increasing the chance they will read it.

But blasting postcards to an entire town isn’t necessarily the best way to run a campaign. Creating lists based on similar characteristics and sending more personalized messages is the best way to ensure your direct mail campaign succeeds.

Be Active On Social Media

If you are looking to connect with leads there is no better space than social media. As an investor, you should have some kind of social media presence on Facebook and Instagram for people to refer to. Beyond that, you should become involved in groups and discussions based in the neighborhoods where you want to find leads. Getting your business in front of as many people as possible is a great way to network and build brand recognition digitally.

The most effective way to find leads is through advertising. Setting up Facebook Ads in the areas of interest will make sure that people in those places are seeing your ads on their feeds. Direct your ads to your website where you can provide prospects with more information about the process and what you do. You can also build ads that point to a short questionnaire where you can capture information about leads and market to them in different ways later.

Utilize Content Marketing and SEO

If someone is looking to sell their home for cash in their area and they type that into Google will your website pop up? Spend some time on content marketing and SEO to make sure that it does. The leads with the most promise are the ones who are looking for you, not the other way around.

You don’t have to become a prolific blogger to use content marketing to your advantage. Regularly publish articles on your website’s blog about the real estate industry, the local market as well as FAQs sellers have when working with an investor. This activity will not only make you look more knowledgeable and professional, but it will also give you a boost in SEO. Blogs also make great content to include in your social media posts and email marketing blasts!

To make your website and blog the most search engine friendly as possible, do a deep dive using an SEO tool to find popular keywords that you may be able to hop on in your area. If you add keywords in page titles, URLs, and headers, Google will understand what your business is about and serve it up in relevant searches.

Display Advertising

Another traditional method of lead generation is display advertising. This is an excellent strategy if you are interested in a neighborhood with many prospects and are trying to establish your business before making contact.

Display ads can be great tools for generating leads as long as your message is short, direct, and easily actionable. Always include a phone number or website (or ideally, both) to tell people how they can find more information.

Before purchasing ad space make sure you are advertising in the best locations possible for your budget. You don’t want to purchase a billboard ad on a road that isn’t frequently traveled.

Networking

There is nothing quite as effective as word of mouth, which is why networking is so important in real estate investing. While creating an effective network of contacts is time-consuming and difficult, the leads that it will generate tend to be warmer. People trust the people they know, so if someone in your network recommends you to a prospect you have a much better chance at securing their business.

You want to build a network with other investors, real estate agents, and brokers, contractors and laborers, and others in your community. You want to know people who know the neighborhood inside and out. Befriending and giving your business card to a postal worker may seem silly but no one knows the homes in a certain area better than them. And when they notice someone on their route falling into financial hardship they can refer you to them.

Now, you don’t have to connect with everyone you see! You just have to make sure that you are active in the community and making connections with people who are in the know.

Final Thoughts

You cannot rely on one method of lead generation to keep your business moving. People simply are not always looking in the same direction! 

To make sure your business gets its message to every prospect you need to make sure you are diversifying your messaging. Maybe some people will respond to a display ad more while others need to get a postcard in the mail. You want to make sure you allow every prospect to turn into a lead by approaching them in different ways.

A well-thought-out and multi-channel lead generation strategy will make any real estate investment business unstoppable!

What Makes An Attractive Real Estate Postcard?

Mailbox with mail in it.

If you are a real estate investor looking for leads, you already know how important direct mail marketing is. But what can you do to ensure your real estate postcards convert as best as possible?

Direct mail marketing is a necessary investment if you want to contact homeowners and potential leads. One of the most popular mailings used by investors is real estate postcards. Regardless of the message you want to send to potential leads, you want to make sure your postcard is both eye-catching and informative. You want sellers to be drawn to your postcards enough for them to absorb and process your message. Sending out something boring or drab will not help your business unless your goal is to end up in the trash bin!

So what can you do to ensure your real estate postcards get noticed? Here are a few things that make an attractive, eye-catching postcard.

Clean Design

If you are creating a real estate postcard, you have to make sure you use a clean design that conveys your message. Creating a postcard that is overly complicated or has every inch filled with copy or color makes it hard to read and pulls focus from the message. 

When designing a postcard, you want to ensure that your message is front, center, and clear. It is okay to add color and images but make sure you have a decent amount of white space left so it doesn’t feel overstuffed. Great designs often have big bold geometric elements that create clean lines that are easy for the eye to follow.

Eye-Catching Images

A good postcard gets views! You want to make sure your postcard stands out from all of the other mail a homeowner might get that day. That’s why you should include an eye-catching image or bold headline. Depending on your message, this image could be anything from a fun illustration to an image of you and your team to an image of the home itself. 

Make sure that you select something visually interesting and also reflects the content of the postcard. If you are writing to introduce yourself, definitely add a photo of you or your team! If you are writing to let them know what you can do for them, create an image that reflects that. You want your image to make them want to continue reading while also getting your point across fast. A homeowner will only give a postcard a quick glance before deciding to either read it or trash it. Make sure whatever you include in the design catches their eye. Feel free to get creative! What kind of image would catch your eye?

Personalization

One of the most important aspects of any direct mail marketing campaign is personalization. Regardless of what channel you are using, personalized marketing campaigns get better results. Aside from creating targeted lists, you can also use personalized elements within your postcards and other mailings.

One way you can do this is with street view postcards. Street view postcards include a Google Street View image of a prospect’s home on the postcard itself. This is an extremely effective tool for getting your message read by homeowners. If you see an image of your home on a postcard, you are much more likely to read it and see why you are being contacted. This is also a great eye-catching image to include in a design!

Another way to give the appearance of personalization is to send real, handwritten messages. You can do this by using real penned technology. Real penned postcards are written by a machine using a real ballpoint pen, making it look like the message was handwritten by a human. This is a great way to get more eyes on your message or at least make the homeowner give your postcard a second look.

Branded Colors & Logo

When sending any direct mail campaign, you want to make sure you appear professional and your branding is recognizable. This is why you should always use branded colors and a company logo in your design. 

Using branded elements will make it more likely that homeowners will take you seriously and allow you to build brand recognition through each subsequent send. Using consistent branding in all of your marketing efforts will tie all of your messages together. If you are also sending email messages to homeowners, they will recognize your logo across channels. That recognition is often the first step in creating a relationship with a potential lead.

If you want to play with color a bit, feel free to but make sure that you always include some branded elements to maintain consistency in design. If you send out postcards in a campaign you want to build up that recognition so that sellers remember who you are.

Simple & Direct

You don’t want to send a postcard that is covered in copy from margin to margin – no one wants to read an enormous block of text. If you want to write a novel, opt for sending something with a little more space, like a letter! Postcard copy should always be simple, concise, and direct. Let the homeowner know why you are reaching out and what you can do for them, and direct them to take action to learn more or get in touch. If you find yourself indenting for a new paragraph, you are probably writing too much.

Final Thoughts

Creating an attractive real estate postcard campaign is actually quite simple. Working with a direct mail partner like Open Letter Marketing will allow you to utilize several proven postcard templates that hit all of the design best practices. All you have to do is add your content, customize the branding, select your cadence, and you are ready to send! 

If you choose to create designs of your own, always ensure that you are creating something that enhances your message and relays it in the most simple way possible.

5 Reasons Why Your Real Estate Business Needs Direct Mail Marketing

If you are running a real estate investment business you are always looking for your next deal. One of the most effective, and perhaps unexpected, ways of generating real leads is a timeless classic – direct mail marketing.

In a world of smartphones and smart devices you wouldn’t necessarily think that something so analog as direct mail marketing would be an effective lead generation method for real estate – but it is!

Direct mail marketing, especially in real estate, is one of the best ways to connect with leads, build relationships and get your business in front of the right people. Physically sending out postcards or letters is one of the best ways to reach out to homeowners to show your interest in a direct yet passive way. This approach allows an investor to turn an awareness into a relationship over time without spending a ton of time and energy making calls and knocking on doors.

So why is direct mail marketing such an effective tool for real estate investors? Here are five reasons you shouldn’t count out the power of the mail…

It’s Cost-Effective 

One of the most important things about direct mail marketing for real estate is that it’s quite cost effective. In comparison to other marketing efforts that are less direct, direct mail costs less and has more inherent engagement.

Depending on what kind of campaign you are running and how many people you are sending to, the cost per piece could be less than 50 cents each! You can send to a few dozen leads or a few thousand. It’s easy to scale and only gets more cost-effective as you go.

Direct mail also has an excellent return on investment, specifically in real estate. Even if you send out thousands of postcards over the course of a year and get a handful of deals out of it your income will significantly outweigh the cost. Plus, you are building relationships over time that may come to fruition in the months and years ahead. You can simultaneously close deals now and grow relationships for the future!

Gets More Engagement

If you are running any kind of marketing campaign you want to make sure as many people as possible see your message. Getting attention is the point! With digital marketing efforts you can reach people far and wide, but those campaigns are pretty easy to ignore. How many digital ads have you seen today? The number is probably somewhere in the hundreds. And how many of those do you remember? Probably very few.

Sending custom, personal mail directly to homes ensures that your message will be seen – even if it’s glanced at for a couple seconds on the way to the trash. 

That kind of visibility is invaluable in building relationships and establishing yourself as a business. The homeowner may have thrown away your first postcard but when you send another they will recognize your logo or business name and maybe take a closer look. Those are the first steps to establishing a relationship and putting the idea of selling into a homeowner’s head. And once they make that decision to sell, who do you think they will reach out to first?

It’s Easy To Automate

Despite being very analog, direct mail is actually a highly efficient way to market your real estate business. The days of handwriting your own letters, stuffing envelopes and heading to the post office are gone! Direct mail campaigns can be highly automated using real estate marketing software that lets you run full campaigns in a few clicks and businesses like Open Letter Marketing that do everything for you!

You can create a campaign in a matter of minutes using proven postcard templates that can be easily customized and your list of targeted leads. In fact you don’t even need to have a completed list of leads – you can build one right in the same place!

You can easily craft multi-faceted drip campaigns that can run for weeks or months to nurture your list of leads in no time at all. This is a great way to keep your leads engaged while giving you a ton of time back to negotiate sales and plan future campaigns.

Allows Endless Customization

One of the most important assets of any business is its reputation. With direct mail marketing you have complete control over how your business is represented to potential clients. 

Not only can you brand your mailers fully, you can also customize the message to better connect. One of the biggest attention-grabbers is the Streetview Postcards. This style of postcard automatically adds a Google Streetview image of the home you are sending to. This kind of personal customization makes it easy to stand out and make a connection. A lead will be certain to take a look at your postcard if they see an image of their home!

In addition to adding dynamic visual elements to mailers you can also create postcards and letters that look fully handwritten. Real Penned products (also known as autopen) use real ballpoint pens to write out your message. Think about the mail you receive – are you more likely to take a closer look at something typed out or handwritten? Handwritten almost always wins.

Builds Relationships

You aren’t going to convert a ton of leads right away, it’s a journey. With direct mail you can set long-term drip campaigns that supplement some of your other marketing efforts. This constant drip will keep your business visible to the leads you are targeting and let them get to know you over time.

With each send you can let the lead in on new information about your business showcasing your expertise within the industry and local market. This will also allow you to establish some social proof in the area.

Not only does direct mail ingratiate yourself to your leads, it also reminds them that there is someone out there that wants to buy their home. You could plant a seed that could grow into a deal a little down the line!

Just make sure you are using all the tools in your tool belt to connect with homeowners. Following up with a phone call, text or email is a great way to get the conversation started and your established relationship will make it more likely that they will respond.

Final Thoughts

Direct mail marketing is an important part of any real estate investment business. This tried-and-true method of lead generation has been used for decades to find interested homeowners and uncover hidden deals. Create your first real estate postcard campaign right now and put your business on the track to success!

Marketing Direct to Home Sellers

Marketing directly to homeowners is the best strategy for today’s competitive housing market. Off-market deals are the winning choice for real estate investors.

Bright MLS had the following to say about this topic: “Bright’s On/Off MLS Study reveals the median sale price for homes promoted through MLS was 16.98% higher than homes sold off MLS.”

What this means for the investor is that they gain an advantage over MLS with direct to seller mail.

What Makes Real Estate Direct Marketing Work?

There are several reasons marketing direct to home sellers works for investors. First, it allows them to form a connection to the seller, which can feel more personal, especially in times of stress, such as with probate situations or foreclosures.

You’re also providing the home seller with a tangible reminder of who you are. A letter or postcard includes your information for contact when they are ready to take the next step. You can automate your direct mail marketing campaigns as well, which allows you to reach more people and track results.

Direct mail sent to the seller also enables you to contact people from your local market or another specific market. Over time, it will help you build a solid reputation as a knowledgeable real estate investor, leading to more sellers interested in your services.

You can use direct mail marketing to sellers for better timing. Whether you’re taking advantage of seasonality, the economy, or life situations, your marketing is in front of the audience when they are most likely to make a decision.

Custom Options for Direct Mail Marketing

With so many options for real estate direct mail campaigns, you can customize your marketing to fit your intended audience. Send out handwritten letters for those who are going through a tough time or a quick postcard for sellers who are busy.

Let Open Letter Marketing help you create the perfect campaign for your prospects. We make it easy to transfer lists and select the products with the best response rate. Call us at 978-269-0245 and let us help you make the most of your direct marketing efforts. 

Do I need a Logo?

Surprisingly, a large number of real estate investors don’t have a professional logo as part of their direct mail or other marketing strategies. They are often individuals who work with a team, but even companies may fail to create a true company logo to put on their marketing materials. For them, the question is, “Do I really need a logo?”

When the Answer is Yes

Most of the time, the answer to this question is going to be “yes.” Studies have shown that people are visual. They remember pictures more than words. They will remember a logo more than the name of the company. If you want to make your brand stick in your audience’s minds, a logo will help you achieve that goal.

Multiple real estate investment companies are sending mail to your prospects. Many of them won’t have a logo or one that is clean and memorable. You can stand out from the competition by creating a powerful image to go with your brand.

A logo ties all the mailers from your multi-touch campaign direct mail marketing campaigns together, which makes it even more memorable. If you send out five different mailers, you want to make sure your prospects realize that mailer number 5 comes from the same company as mailer number 1.

When the Answer is No

There is one instance where a logo may not work for you. If you are presenting yourself as a one-on-one connection, a business logo may feel cold. In this situation, you may be using your own name instead of a business name. Instead of a logo, you could put a photo of you to show that you are a real person. In this situation, you may want to use one of our handwritten letters that convey personalization to your real estate prospects.

If you want to add a logo but haven’t been using one, you can start any time. You can hire someone on Upwork or Fiverr to design a logo that fits your brand. Once you have a logo, it’s easy to add it to your mailers with Open Letter Marketing.

To learn more about any of our products, you can contact us at 978-269-0245.