3 Simple Direct Mail Marketing Strategies for Real Estate Agents

Why Direct Mail Is An Effective Marketing Strategy for Real Estate

1. You are able to establish yourself as the go-to expert in your farming area. 

Consistently sending out real estate mailers in your farm over an extended period of time ensures that you stay top of mind when homeowners are looking to buy or sell properties.

In fact, a study from MarketReach revealed that mail is 49% more memorable than email and 35% more memorable than social media.

2. Your real estate mailers will be seen almost every single time.

Again, MarketReach reports that 97% of direct mail is either opened, sorted, read, put aside for later, stored, or displayed.

If you were to send 1,000 mailers and 1,000 emails:

• 970 prospects will interact with your direct mail
• only 370 open your email

The fact is, direct mail is one of the few marketing strategies where your audience will almost always see your real estate marketing materials.

3. Direct mail is highly targeted.

Advanced mailing list builders allow you to customize your farming area, ensuring that your mail reaches the exact addresses of your most relevant prospects.

This level of precision allows you to focus your direct mailing efforts on specific neighborhoods or demographics, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion.

4. Direct mail takes little time and continuous effort. 

Let’s face it: as real estate agents, we don’t want to spend day-to-day creating ads, writing blogs, or setting up an email marketing campaign.

We’re not marketers!

Our time is valuable, and it’s essential to spend it on activities that have the highest impact on our business growth.

Direct mail allows you to set up a targeted campaign and let it run throughout the year.

3 Effective Direct Mail Marketing Strategies for Real Estate

Before we get into the strategy, I want to highlight some key points to ensure the success of your direct mail marketing strategy: 

1. Have a goal in mind.
2. Be consistent with your mailing efforts.
3. Allow enough time to see results (at least six months).
4. Track and measure the success of your direct mail efforts.
5. Respond to client queries immediately.
6. Do more of the things that work.

#1 — Send 1 Postcard Per Month with the Exact Same Design

As the title suggests, design one postcard that will be mailed every single month to your farming area. 

Why this works: 

Farming is all about establishing your brand. By continuously sending the same postcard with the same design, you effectively reinforce your presence and stay top-of-mind with your target audience.

Here’s what your postcard design will include: 

1. A strong call-to-action
2. A headshot of yourself
3. Your logo
4. And your brand colors

Postcard type: 

We recommend sending an Automated Seller Valuation (ASV) postcard. The ASV postcard includes a QR code, which you’ll be able to track as soon as a prospect scans it. This allows for quick follow-ups with any potential leads. 

Set and forget: That’s all. Continue sending these postcards for the next 6 – 12 months, and repeat the following year. 

The “set it and forget it” direct mail campaign is our #1 strategy and has helped 1000’s of agents generate a consistent stream of leads. It’s a simple strategy that establishes you as the go to agent in your farm.

Learn the Secrets of Our #1 Direct Mail Campaign

#2 – Set Up Your Proof of Production Mailers

As soon as you receive a listing, your proof of production mailers will act as tangible evidence of your successful track record. 

Sending these mailers will demonstrate your expertise and build trust in your area. 

What to send: 

Every time you get a listing in your area, there are five potential proof of production mailers you should send: 

1. Coming Soon postcard (optional) – informs your area that a property will soon be available. 
2. Just Listed brochure – showcases the property. 
3. Open House postcard (optional) – invites your prospects interested in the property. 
4. Under Contract postcard – indicates that you are able to close a deal.
5. Just Sold postcard – indicates that you are successful at getting a property to sell.

Why this works: 

Whenever a prospect in your farm wants to sell their property, your successful track record will be top of mind, increasing the likelihood that someone in your farm will use your services in the future. 

#3 – Send a “Just Sold Your Neighbor’s Home” Letter

Once you’ve established a brand presence and are able to sell a property, you’ll want to send a personalized “Just Sold your Neighbor’s Home” letter to your area.

Why this works: 

This approach leverages social proof by showcasing your recent success in the local community, which builds credibility and trust among potential sellers. 

It creates a sense of urgency and opportunity by highlighting high buyer demand and limited inventory, making homeowners more likely to consider selling.

The design of your letter should include: 

1. Your name and contact information
2. Your logo
3. Your brand colors
4. A handwritten note for personalization

Your letter will include something along the following lines:

Best Practices for Your Direct Mail Marketing Stratey

• Perfect your farm: Consistently target a specific geographic area to build familiarity and trust within that community.
• Consistent mailing: Send direct mail regularly to build recognition and trust with potential real estate clients. A consistent schedule helps ensure your services are remembered when recipients need real estate assistance.
• Define your brand: To build recognition, clearly communicate your brand’s unique value proposition and personality in every mailer.
• Clear call to action (CTA): Include compelling CTAs that guide recipients on the next steps, such as visiting a website or calling for more information.
• Compelling design: Use eye-catching visuals and professional design to grab attention and create a lasting impression.
• Integrated digital elements: Incorporate QR codes or URLs to bridge the gap between physical and digital marketing. This provides a seamless experience for recipients, enhancing engagement and tracking capabilities.
• Personalize your content: Use recipients’ names and tailor your message by including local market trends, nearby listings, and personalized offers based on their interests and location to make your mail feel relevant and valuable.
• High-quality marketing materials: Use professional design and high-quality printing to create visually appealing and durable direct mail pieces. High-quality materials reflect the professionalism of your real estate services and make a strong impression on potential clients.

Common Mistakes to Avoid with Direct Mail Marketing

• Running a campaign without a goal: Without a clear goal, it’s impossible to measure the success of your campaign or understand its ROI. Define specific, measurable objectives such as increasing leads, driving traffic to a website, or promoting an event. Staying updated with the latest marketing strategies through real estate courses can help you set and achieve these goals effectively.
• Neglecting your target audience: Sending generic messages to a broad audience can result in low engagement and wasted resources. By segmenting your audience, you can focus on farming-specific neighborhoods or demographics.
• Overloading with information: Providing too much information can overwhelm the recipient, causing them to discard the mailer without reading it. Keep your message concise and to the point. Highlight key benefits and features and direct the recipient to a website or phone number for more details.
• Lacking a strong call to action: Without a clear call to action, recipients may not know what steps to take next, reducing the effectiveness of your campaign. Include a compelling and clear CTA that directs recipients to take a specific action, such as “Visit our website to learn more,” “Call us today for a free consultation,” or “Scan this QR code to view current listings.” Make sure the CTA stands out visually.
• Using poor quality materials: Low-quality materials can make your business appear unprofessional and reduce the perceived value of your offer. Invest in high-quality paper and printing. Use professional design services if needed to ensure your mailer looks polished and credible.

Bottom Line

Using the insights and tips for direct mail outlined in this article, you’ll be equipped to create, send, and track dynamic direct mail campaigns!

While many real estate agents focus solely on digital marketing, incorporating a direct mail marketing strategy can set you apart and significantly improve your ROI.

If you’d like to learn more about the power of direct mail marketing for real estate, or you’re ready to see how our services can benefit you, create a free Wise Pelican account today.