Do You Send Direct Mail for Real Estate Marketing?

Marketing Your Property
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Do You Send Direct Mail for Real Estate Marketing?

Joshua D.Pro Member
BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes

Hey All - 

I was just curious to hear from the folks on the site who send direct mail for marketing.  If you are someone who uses mail, I'd love some feedback:

- How often do you send mail?

- How much mail do you send?

- What kind of mail do you send?

Thanks!

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Michael Quarles
Flipper/Rehabber · Bakersfield, CA · Member since 2008 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
11y

I send out a lot of mail. Like millions of pieces

Yellow Letters -  3 colors 9 envelope choices

Text Postcards - 2 sizes 5 color some black only and some full color

Full color postcards - 4 sizes.  little 4x6.25, 6 x 9, 6 x 11 and 12 x 15

Zip Letters - 2 fold configurations black only, full color and partial color

Professional Letters OMG there are a ton of options

Bandit postcards - 2 sizes multiple colors

Express Envelope Letters... Way too many choices here. 

Greeting cards - Flat and Folded. All kinds of stuff

Yellow Letter Postcards - 2 sizes multiple colors

I am forgetting someone I am sure.

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  • Nick Williamson
    Lender · Warner Robins, GA · Member since 2012 · 38 posts · 16 votes
    11y

    1) Monthly

    2) 500 - 2,500 (actual amt depends on campaign / target market)

    3) Yellow letters & Postcards 

    0Reply
  • Curt DavisBusiness Member
    Flipper/Rehabber · Memphis, TN · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    11y

    @Joshua D.

    I have not done it in years but towards the end of last week I did send out a direct mail campaign.  I purchased a list of non owner occupied owners who have purchased in the last 9 months in my market.  There were about 1,450 but after scrubbing the list to remove duplicates it was about 675.  

    I sent a basic 1 page letter providing basic company info with our services we provide along with a property example. I was not a push or cheesy sales pitch letter, just information about our company. 

    Hope to get a 1% return on the campaign.

    I used a service that prints my flyers, stuffs the envelopes, addresses and puts the postage on for me. 

    Thanks!!

    Curt Davis - KAIZEN Realty538 Reviews
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  • Mike Mistry
    Houston, TX · Member since 2014 · 2 posts · 1 vote
    11y
    Hi Joshua Any info you can provide who do you use to purchase the initial list & what service provider you use for your direct mail program?
    0Reply
  • Joshua McGinnis
    Rental Property Investor · Beverly Hills, CA · Member since 2014 · 472 posts · 272 votes
    11y

    I'm going to be mailing about 1,000 yellow letter and postcards this month to the Cleveland, OH area with a blast going every three weeks.

    0Reply
  • Chris Bounds
    Investor · Sugar Land, TX · Member since 2012 · 554 posts · 232 votes
    11y

    I have two direct mail campaigns currently to absentee owners.  Each have about 900 addresses.  I am sending them every 4 weeks.

    Campaign 1 - Postcards: On my 2nd batch.  I just closed on my first deal from this campaign.  

    Campaign 2 - White typed letters:  My first batch goes out today.

    My target is to get 2-5 deals per campaign.

    0Reply
  • Joshua D.Pro Member
    OP
    BiggerPockets Founder · HI · Member since 2008 · 16k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    11y

    Hey @Mike Mistry - Can you post that as a new thread?  I want to keep this one to the question at hand.  Thanks!

    Podcast Guest on Show #100
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  • Michael Quarles
    Flipper/Rehabber · Bakersfield, CA · Member since 2008 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    11y

    I send out a lot of mail. Like millions of pieces

    Yellow Letters -  3 colors 9 envelope choices

    Text Postcards - 2 sizes 5 color some black only and some full color

    Full color postcards - 4 sizes.  little 4x6.25, 6 x 9, 6 x 11 and 12 x 15

    Zip Letters - 2 fold configurations black only, full color and partial color

    Professional Letters OMG there are a ton of options

    Bandit postcards - 2 sizes multiple colors

    Express Envelope Letters... Way too many choices here. 

    Greeting cards - Flat and Folded. All kinds of stuff

    Yellow Letter Postcards - 2 sizes multiple colors

    I am forgetting someone I am sure.

    6Reply
  • Brandon Foken
    Wholesaler · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2012 · 259 posts · 147 votes
    11y

    It all depends on the marketing list, time of year, etc., but in general here in the answer to your questions:

    1 - Weekly/Monthly

    2 - Roughly 1,500 pieces/month

    3 - Letters, no postcards

      1Reply
    1. Robert Laird
      Real Estate Broker · Portland, OR · Member since 2014 · 292 posts · 114 votes
      11y

      For the past couple of months we have consistently been sending out:

      1. Weekly mailers

      2. Roughly 1,000-2,000 pieces

      3. Postcards almost exclusively, however some yellow letters

      Its great to see all the different strategies!

      0Reply
    2. Peggy Liu
      Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2013 · 354 posts · 98 votes
      11y

      Thanks for sharing everyone.  I'm just starting to send out mailers and it gives me a good idea of what to do and expect.  

      0Reply
    3. John HornerPro Member
      Flipper/Rehabber · Columbus, OH · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 655 votes
      11y

      1. Weekly

      2. 1,500

      3. Postcards and yellow letters

      0Reply
    4. Richard Adjou
      Real Estate Agent · Montgomery Village, MD · Member since 2014 · 39 posts · 8 votes
      11y

      @Michael Quarles I just listen to the most recent podcast you were on (show 81 if anyone hasn't heard it yet). I really like how you break down the marketing budget to serve you goals and use a mix of different direct mail pieces to reach different people. But with such a variety of mailings, do you still worry about which type of mailer is most effective? Or do you use some other means of tracking?

      1Reply
    5. Richard Adjou
      Real Estate Agent · Montgomery Village, MD · Member since 2014 · 39 posts · 8 votes
      11y

      @John Horner why weekly? Is that for all 1500?

      0Reply
    6. Michael Quarles
      Flipper/Rehabber · Bakersfield, CA · Member since 2008 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
      11y

      @Richard Adjou I think Josh wants to keep this thread to his question.  

      0Reply
    7. Richard Adjou
      Real Estate Agent · Montgomery Village, MD · Member since 2014 · 39 posts · 8 votes
      11y

      @Michael Quarles oh sure thing!

      0Reply
    8. John HornerPro Member
      Flipper/Rehabber · Columbus, OH · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 655 votes
      11y
      Originally posted by @Richard Adjou:

      @John Horner why weekly? Is that for all 1500?

       We used to send monthly when we were only sending 2500-3000/month, but with 6,000/month it is better to break it up so you don't get slammed one week and slow the next.  We are a small company and trying to utilize our resources.

      1Reply
    9. Dev HornPro Member
      Flipper/Rehabber · Arlington, TX · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
      11y

      We do a LOT of direct mail here at WeBuyHouses.com.  We use mostly postcards, sometimes professional white letters (letterhead w/ logo), but mostly I like postcards because I can send 2 for the cost of 1 letter.  We use letters for probate mostly.

      I like the absentee owner list, with 40%+ equity, SFR only, in the desired price range. I don't think it makes sense to send yellow letters to absentees, many of whom are landlords. They don't care if "my wife and I love your house" and want to "$BUY$" it. Instead, we speak to their problems - crappy tenants, need for repairs AGAIN, financial/cash-flow issues, the burdens of maintaining vacant properties, etc. etc.

      You don't want tire kickers.  Might make you feel good to take more calls at the beginning, but soon you'll realize you're wasting money and time with them.  Use a well-targeted list and a well-targeted message >>> Why should they contact you?  what problem do you solve?  why call you instead of the 9,999 other "investors" out there?

      5Reply
    10. Rob Caldwell
      Investor · Mooreville, NC · Member since 2008 · 139 posts · 58 votes
      11y
      • We send mail at least once a month.  Sometimes twice.
      • Depending on the market, as many 3,000 at a time.
      • We send a letter.  

      Direct Mail is foundation of our advertising meaning that everything starts with mail first.  From there we do Internet > then outdoor (Billboards) > then Broadcast (TV & Radio) > then market and audience specific advertising.  

      0Reply
    11. Cesar Romero
      Real Estate Investor · North Brunswick, NJ · Member since 2014 · 9 posts · 3 votes
      11y

      I'm just starting out but my intention is to send out every week a mix of white letters/yellow letters/postcards. The white letters are intended for absentee owners, probates and expired listings who are in a better socio-economic bracket. The yellow are for lower socio-economic bracket and in pre-foreclosure status. The postcards are for 2nd-4th follow-ups. Follow-ups I intend to keep on a monthly cycle. 

      0Reply
    12. Jade Davis
      Syracuse, NY · Member since 2014 · 143 posts · 35 votes
      11y

      We won't begin our first campaign until January however we plan to do montly mail, around 1000 pieces and we hope to use a variation on lumpy mail, yellow letters, business letters, and post cards. 

      0Reply
    13. Joseph Chen
      Houston, TX · Member since 2014 · 62 posts · 23 votes
      11y

      I do. It's one of the useful marketing strategy to reach out clients. I send emails to prospect clients every month. I usually consider the sending frequency in terms of using emails because too much is not always better. I send email newsletter with multiple topics and tends to educate (vs. sell). I also send them welcome emails, post cards and some are yellow letters.

      1Reply
    14. Mark Brogan
      Investor · Roanoke, VA · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 374 votes
      11y

       weekly/monthly

      we send out about 400 a mnth in a smaller market

      they are all letters

      0Reply
    15. Aaron Mazzrillo
      Investor · Riverside, CA · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
      11y

      Mail goes out every week. Minimum 20K pieces per month. Mostly postcards, but certain people/lists get higher cost pieces; letters, invitation & oversized envelopes, priority mail envelopes, bank deposit bags, etc.

      I'd mail you an elephant if I thought we could put a deal together that would justify the cost.

      5Reply
    16. Brian BurkePro Member
      Investor · Santa Rosa, CA · Member since 2012 · 2k+ posts · 7k+ votes
      11y

      I did some direct mail 25 years ago, I got nothing out of it and wouldn't have known what to do if I did. I didn't even know what I didn't know. 

      After years of high deal flow began to wane, I thought, "what the heck" and tried again.  I started in February.

      I have 7,500 names on my list, all out of state absentee. I mail 2,500 postcards every third week and then repeat. I've closed two deals.

      So...I realize that I still suck at direct marketing, but I've made more than its cost so I'll keep doing it for now. Someday I'll figure out how to do it right!  Or not...

      Podcast Guest on Show The Truth About Real Estate Investing in 2024 (What Investors NEED to Know)
      1Reply
    17. Joel OwensBusiness Member
      Moderator
      Real Estate Broker · Canton, GA · Member since 2010 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
      11y

      My strategy is different. I haven't mailed anything in a awhile but need to start back.

      I am starting around where I live. Then I am picking specific commercial properties I know my clients or myself would like. Then I am putting those owners on a once  a month campaign. Now sometimes you will see that one owner owns multiple properties or that they have contact info on their website with e-mail.

      If that's the case I will switch to that. If not I will keep them on snail mail. I am going after highly targeted prospects. I used to do the bulk thing with an assistant but some owners had properties that were non optimal for my clients. Then I was putting too much time into properties that were very hard to move.

      Podcast Guest on Show #47
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