Real Estate Direct Mail Guide by Industry Experts
Direct mail is an effective strategy to generate more real estate leads.
Yet, many agents overlook direct mail and instead rely on costly strategies like PPC and buying leads.
Today we share our expertise on how you can create a direct mail campaign that grows your sphere, establishes your expertise, and drives consistent results.
This article explores:
- The very basics of direct mail for REALTORs.
- How to implement your own direct mail campaign.
- Tips and tricks to help you generate consistent results.


Agents have been predicting the death of direct mail for decades. The truth of the matter is there have always been 2 camps of direct mail — effective direct mail and ineffective direct mail. When you know the difference, you can reap huge rewards.
Tom Ferry
What is Direct Mail Marketing for Real Estate?
Most likely, you already know what direct mail for real estate is.
It’s a marketing strategy that involves sending postcards, brochures, letters, and other mailers directly to potential clients’ mailboxes.
The key is understanding what makes direct mail marketing better than other forms of real estate marketing?
Simply put:
- Direct mail offers a personal touch and a tangible connection that digital methods often lack.
- Direct mail has one of the highest open rates of any marketing channel.
- Direct mail is less complex than most digital advertising methods.
- Direct mail has a high return on investment (ROI).
How Effective is Direct Mail?
Direct mail is highly effective and consistently achieves strong trust levels, response rates, ROI, and consumer engagement.
- High trust levels: 76% of consumers trust direct mail when making a purchasing decision.
- Strong response rates: Direct mail achieves a response rate of 4.9% for prospect lists and 2. 9% for house lists.
- Significant ROI: Direct mail delivers a median return on investment (ROI) of 29%
- Consumer engagement: About 42.2% of direct mail recipients either read or scan the mail they receive.
- Preference for physical mail: 54% of consumers prefer direct mail over email because it feels more personal.
How Long Does It Take to See Leads?
Leads from direct mail typically take six to twelve months. The key is to stay patient and persistent for the best results.
The time it takes to generate leads can vary based on several factors:
- the quality of your mailing list
- the attractiveness of your design
- the timing of your campaign
Although direct mail marketing offers the potential for immediate results, its true strength lies in being a strategic, consistent investment.
By regularly sending out targeted mailings, you can gradually build brand recognition and trust within your farming area.
What is the Cost of Direct Mail for Real Estate Agents?
The cost of your direct mail campaign will vary depending on numerous factors, such as postage services, design, printing, and the number of mailers you plan to send.
Here’s an approximate breakdown of the cost of direct mail.
- Cost of design: Professional graphic designers range from $50 to $500 for a postcard design. However, this can be free if you use a design software like Canva.
- Cost of printing: The cost will vary depending on the printing service you choose and the type of mailer you need to print (e.g., postcards or flyers). For a quantity of 500 mailers, the price can range between $100 and $400.
- Cost of mailing: Your direct mail will require one stamp for standard-size postcards, letters, or brochures. Mailing 500 pieces will cost you around $365.
Benefits of Direct Mail Marketing in Real Estate
There are many advantages to direct mail. The most underrated advantages include:
- Higher visibility with your audience: Direct mail guarantees that your marketing materials reach your target audience. With a 90% open rate, your message is seen and not lost in the digital clutter.
- Allows for more targeted marketing: Direct mail enables you to focus on specific neighborhoods or demographics, known as your farm, in real estate terms. By tailoring your message to the unique needs and interests of a particular audience, you ensure it resonates effectively.
- Direct mail is tangible. Real estate mailers are tangible, and recipients can physically touch them. This creates a real connection that can’t be achieved with digital marketing.
- Recipients who act on your mailers have a high intent to convert: Anyone who makes an effort to act on your mailers has a very high chance of converting into a lead.
7 Steps to a Successful Real Estate Direct Mail Campaign
As Tom Ferry said, there are two camps of direct mail:
- effective direct mail,
- and ineffective direct mail
Below, you’ll find the exact steps on how to create an effective direct mail campaign that generates leads.
1. Set Your Direct Mail Campaign Objectives
Define clear and actionable goals to guide your direct mail campaign. This will determine the type of real estate mailers you send and will help you determine its effectiveness.
Some common objectives include:
- Generating leads: The objective here is to collect contact information from potential clients. An example is to include a call-to-action on your mailer offering a free home valuation in exchange for their email address.
- Boosting brand awareness: The focus here is to increase your brand presence in your local neighborhood. Set a goal to distribute 1,000 mailers in your target area. Because direct mail has a high open rate and is highly targeted, you are almost certain to establish your brand in your farming area (but you must be consistent).
- Driving sales: Here you can set a goal to close a specific number of property listings. This can be achieved by sending out promotional offers or highlighting recent successful sales in the area to attract recipients to choose you as their real estate agent.
2. Understand Your Target Audience
Identify and analyze your ideal audience before you start your campaign. This involves understanding their demographics, unique needs, preferences, and pain points.
Your understanding of your audience will help you identify the perfect real estate mailers to send.
Here are a few examples:
- First-time homebuyers: Focusing on their needs, such as finding affordable properties and understanding the buying process. Content that might interest first-time homebuyers includes tips for getting pre-approved for a mortgage, budgeting for a home, and navigating their first home purchase.
- Luxury homebuyers: Emphasizing high-end features and exclusive neighborhoods, showcasing amenities like custom kitchens, home theaters, and proximity to elite schools and shopping districts.
- Family-oriented suburban community: Highlight family-friendly amenities such as top-rated schools, expansive playgrounds, safe neighborhoods, and community events like farmers’ markets, and holiday parades.
- Urban condo market: Emphasize the perks of city living, including walkability to work, diverse culinary scenes, exclusive rooftop lounges, cultural hotspots like theaters and museums, and state-of-the-art fitness centers.
- Emerging neighborhoods: Showcase the potential for high returns on investment with details about upcoming commercial projects, new residential developments, enhanced public transport links, and a growing trend of trendy cafes and boutique shops.
3. Build a Targeted Mailing List
Defining your farm is an essential step of the direct mail process. This will make or break your campaign.
To define your farming area, start by researching neighborhoods that align with your target audience’s preferences and needs. You should be familiar with the area to ensure you can effectively market and serve clients within that specific region.
Consider the following factors when building your list:
- Agent saturation:
Evaluate the number of real estate agents already operating in your target area.
High agent saturation can make it challenging to stand out, so look for neighborhoods with fewer competing agents to increase your chances of success.
- Property turnover rates:
Research the area’s property turnover rates.
High turnover rates indicate a more dynamic market where homeowners are more likely to buy or sell.
Focus on neighborhoods with frequent sales to maximize your opportunities for engagement.
- Community amenities:
Identify areas with desirable community amenities such as parks, schools, shopping centers, and recreational facilities.
Highlighting these features in your mailers can attract potential clients who value these amenities when choosing a new home.
- Local demographics:
Analyze the local demographics to ensure they align with your target market.
Consider factors such as age, income, family size, and lifestyle preferences. Tailoring your mailers to resonate with the specific needs and interests of the local population will enhance their effectiveness.
There are multiple tools you can leverage to help narrow down your target list. Platforms like Wise Pelican allow you to leverage unique filters to define your real estate farm and ensure you get the most out of your direct mail list.
Wise Pelican’s mailing lists let you targe addresses by neighborhood, zip codes, or by drwaing a polygon.
Use advanced features to filter through the exact property type you want to target and to get competitive insights into your area.
4. Choose a Direct Mail Format
Choosing the right type of mailer is essential for engaging your target audience and achieving your campaign goals.
Whether you’re sending mail to raise brand awareness or prove that you can sell homes, each mailer must serve a specific purpose.
- Postcards: Using real estate postcards delivers quick, impactful messages and is most effective for building brand awareness.
- Letters: Letters are a professional and personalized communication method that is most effective when showcasing your past success and offering recipients the same success.
- Brochures: Brochures effectively showcase multiple properties and include stunning images and detailed descriptions of amenities. They provide a comprehensive overview of specific properties or developments.
5. Design an Impactful Mailer
Creating an impactful mailer is essential for grabbing your audience’s attention, increasing brand awareness, and enhancing recognition.
Focus on eye-catching designs, clear messaging, and a compelling call-to-action to ensure your brand remains memorable and encourages engagement.
Consider the following:
- Visual appeal: Using high-quality images, bold colors, and a clean layout, you create attention-grabbing content.
- Clear messaging: Highlighting key information like property details, event dates, or market updates, you ensure the essential details are immediately visible.
- A strong call to action: Including a strong call to action so recipients know exactly what to do next. Phrases like “Visit our website for more details,” “Call us to schedule a viewing,” or “Scan the QR code to see virtual tours” drive engagement.
- Personalization: Adding the recipient’s name makes the message feel more personal, which can enhance the recipient’s connection to the content.
6. Printing, Production, and Distribution
Printing and Production
- Printing: Choosing a Printer: Select a reliable printer capable of handling the volume and quality required for your campaign. This can be done through local print shops like FedEx Office, Staples, or independent print shops.
- Personalization: Personalizing your recipient typically increases attention and engagement. Use variable data printing to personalize each mail piece with the recipient’s name and other relevant information. This technique allows for the customization of each printed piece, increasing engagement.
Distribution and Mailing
- Postal Services: Work with postal services to handle the distribution. Options include bulk mailing, first-class mailing, or using services like Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM).
- Timing: Schedule the mailing to ensure it arrives at an optimal time, taking into account holidays, weekends, and other timing factors that might affect response rates.
7. Staying Consistent
Applying these steps consistently will transform your direct mail efforts into a powerful marketing tool.
Stay focused on your goals, understand your audience, and deliver compelling content to generate leads, boost brand awareness, and drive sales.
Your ongoing commitment to these strategies will set you apart from the competition, help you generate more listings, and establish you as a local real estate expert.

How to Measure the Success of Your Real Estate Direct Mail Campaign
After launching your direct mail campaign, you will want to track and measure its success to understand what works and what doesn’t. Thereafter you can optimize future campaigns for better results.
Some of the most important things to track include:
Return on Investment (ROI)
- Calculate costs: Sum up all campaign costs, including design, printing, and postage.
- Measure revenue: Track the revenue generated from the campaign, including closed sales and new listings (this should be tracked over a 6 – 12 month period).
- Determine ROI: Calculate ROI by subtracting the total costs from the total revenue and then dividing by the total costs.
Engagement Metrics
- Monitor engagement: Track engagement metrics such as the number of visits to your website, downloads of resources, or sign-ups for events.
- Analyze behavior: Use tools like Google Analytics to analyze the behavior of visitors who arrive through your direct mail campaign.
Conversion Rate
- Identify conversions: Track how many responses led to successful conversions, such as appointments or listings.
- Measure effectiveness: Calculate the conversion rate by dividing the number of conversions by the number of responses.
Response Rate
- Track responses: Measure the number of recipients who responded to your campaign through calls, emails, or website visits.
- Calculate rate: Calculate the response rate by dividing the number of responses by the total number of mailers sent.
Expert Guidelines for Every Mailer You Send
Adhering to direct mail best practices ensures your mailers stand out and resonate with recipients. From consistent branding to strategic planning, these tips will help you maximize the impact of every mailer you send.
Be Consistent With Your Brand Colors and Logo
Maintaining consistent branding with your logo, colors, and style helps potential clients recognize your mail instantly.
As people repeatedly see your branded mail, it becomes familiar, increasing the likelihood that they will remember you when they need real estate services.
Send Out Mailers Consistently for the Best Results
Sending out real estate mailers consistently over an extended period helps build trust with recipients.
Trust is paramount in real estate. Clients need to feel confident in your expertise and reliability before they decide to work with you.
By maintaining a regular schedule for your mailers, you establish a reliable presence in their lives.
By consistently delivering high-quality, professional mailers, you reinforce your commitment and reliability, ultimately building trust with your clients.
Don’t Send Out Random Postcards; Be Strategic
A common mistake in real estate direct mail is that agents often send out mailers without first establishing a measurable strategy.
Every mailer you send must serve a purpose. Here are some examples of an effective direct mail strategy for real estate agents:
- Send out an ASV postcard every single month to generate leads over the year.
- Send proof of production mailers whenever you get a listing or make a sale. This informs homeowners of your successful track record.
- Send out postcards during major calendar events to stay top-of-mind during seasonal celebrations.
Don’t expect good results if you send out your mailers without any real thought.

Respond to Enquiries Immediately
After sending out direct mail and making a connection with potential clients, it’s crucial to follow up immediately.
Responding promptly to inquiries not only shows your dedication but also helps build trust and keeps the conversation going, increasing your chances of turning leads into listings.
When you follow up, personalize your messages and tailor your responses based on how they reacted to your direct mail.
Addressing their specific interests and needs shows that you understand their preferences. This could mean offering property recommendations that match their criteria, sharing timely updates on market trends, or using their preferred communication methods.
Use High-Quality Print Materials
The quality of your print materials reflects the quality of your services. High-quality paper, vibrant colors, and professional finishes make a lasting impression on recipients.
Investing in premium print materials demonstrates your commitment to excellence and attention to detail, which are critical in building trust and credibility with potential clients.
Bottom Line
Direct mail marketing for real estate reaches your potential clients right at their homes, offering a personal touch that digital methods often lack.
When recipients open their mailboxes, they will see your professionally designed materials, making a memorable impact.
This method not only helps you stand out from the competition but also increases the chances of engagement and response.
With its proven success rates and cost-efficiency, real estate direct mail is an effective strategy for real estate agents looking to generate leads, build strong relationships, and close more deals.
Explore Wise Pelican’s direct mail solutions to enhance your marketing efforts and achieve these benefits.
Our Latest Blogs

Real Estate Farming Ideas to Become the Neighborhood Expert

Boost Your Success With These Real Estate Farming Tools

Measure Your Direct Mail Marketing: Success Metrics, Formulas, and More
Sign Up For Free

Customize Template

Start Mailing!
Just 89¢ each, including printing, posting, and mailing. Prints and mails in just days.
