{"id":8354,"date":"2016-06-23T13:37:57","date_gmt":"2016-06-23T13:37:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.valpak.com\/advertise\/?post_type=post&p=8354"},"modified":"2018-03-23T13:30:33","modified_gmt":"2018-03-23T13:30:33","slug":"direct-mail-real-estate-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.valpak.com\/advertise\/blog\/direct-mail-real-estate-marketing","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Direct Mail for Real Estate Marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you look at everything that\u2019s going on with digital marketing and social media, it may feel as if using direct mail wouldn\u2019t be the best strategy. In real estate, it\u2019s daunting enough to put together a marketing plan that will pay significant dividends, never mind figuring out how direct mail is going to fit in and how successful it can be. But with the average homeowner moving every five to seven years and 3.9% of homes in America selling each year<\/a> (according to the U.S. Census Bureau), the opportunities for success are certainly out there.<\/p>\n

There is good news: targeting home buyers and sellers with direct mail doesn\u2019t have to be complicated. With the right tools and best practices at your disposal, you could easily create a powerful, affordable real estate marketing strategy.<\/p>\n

Check out the tips below, and we\u2019ll walk through how to use direct mail for real estate marketing effectively. When we\u2019re done, you\u2019ll know exactly how to make direct mail a key part of your agent marketing strategy, and most importantly, how to get results by influencing potential home buyers and sellers. Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n

Why Does Direct Mail Work for Real Estate Marketing?<\/h2>\n

Direct mail marketing works well in real estate partly because of the ability to segment your market. Different mailings can be targeted towards those with various housing situations, homeowners vs. renters, for example. You\u2019re also able to specifically target those in different financial situations, such as those in foreclosure\/default or those in the market to buy or sell. As a general rule, any direct mail marketing for real estate should focus on running the following three direct mail real estate campaigns<\/a>: probate & estate mailings, absentee owners, and neighborhood targeting.<\/p>\n

Direct mail can be particularly effective for sellers facing default, as they\u2019re under a lot of pressure to make a decision to avoid foreclosure or bankruptcy. Direct mail marketing is a way of easily communicating various options to those facing default. Receiving a postcard from a realtor or investor can show them that there are, in fact, other ways to solve their problems. Direct mail in the real estate market has about a five percent response rate<\/a> according to one source, which might not sound like a lot. But considering the price of a postcard versus the value of a great property, it\u2019s usually well worth the investment.<\/p>\n

Geography is another great way that you can target buyers and sellers with direct mail. You can either use your existing MLS database, or purchase a list with qualifiers like income, zip code, type of dwelling, etc. Using these criteria will help you micro-target segments of your community in order to both develop your brand and develop new sales leads.<\/p>\n

Affordability is another plus for direct mail marketing in real estate. Postcards, standard letters and circulars are just of the few low-cost ways of reaching your community with direct mail. In turn, you\u2019ll be able to produce digital website traffic, social media, and email inquiries for your services. From buyers and sellers, you can utilize direct mail to drive web traffic or contact those in your MLS to reach out to you directly in regards to your services. If you offer virtual tours, for example, direct mail is great for enticing people to engage with you in these kinds of top-of-the funnel sales and marketing activities.<\/p>\n

How Can Personalizing Direct Mail Improve Results?<\/h2>\n

Direct mail is effective for all of the reasons mentioned above, but there are certain things you can do to optimize them and improve results. For example, you\u2019ll want to personalize your direct mail whenever possible. Instead of addressing mail to \u201cResident\u201d or \u201cHomeowner,\u201d you\u2019ll want to substitute the person\u2019s first and last name.<\/p>\n

Another great way to make your direct mail seem more personal is by using short, hand-written notes. This will make your communication seem that much more personal, resulting in increased open rates and prospect engagement. Because they are more expensive, hand-written notes are best used on occasion in order to keep the homeowner engaged and intrigued. It\u2019s also important to note that there are direct mail services available that can make sending hand-written notes easier in bulk, although they do tend to be more costly. Hand-written notes are simply not something people receive often in today\u2019s digital age, and will usually grab someone\u2019s attention right away.<\/p>\n

How Can Direct Mail Photos Increase Real Estate Interest?<\/h2>\n

Adding a visual element to your direct mail is a great way to make your mailing stand out from the pack. It can also be used to personalize your marketing to various marketing segments, depending on the size of your mailing list. For instance, you can change the photos of the homes on your direct mailings based on zip codes, so people see which homes are for sale in their area.<\/p>\n

Another way to use visuals and photos in your direct mail is in tandem with customer testimonials as a<\/span> direct mail best practice<\/a>. If you provide a quote from a satisfied home-buyer along with an image of the house they purchased, it will really help tie everything together for the prospect in terms of how you might help them succeed as well.<\/p>\n

What Are the Average Results for Direct Mail?<\/h2>\n

The results for direct mail varies depending on factors such as age, gender, and geographic location. Here are a few quick stats on direct mail<\/a> that show what kind of results to expect:<\/p>\n