The simple reason to use direct mail campaigns for real estate businesses is simply that it works. More than likely, you’ve already seen the real estate direct mail campaign in action, even if you may not have employed it yourself. A real estate agent can send a postcard, magnet, or some other type of mailing to your home. Similarly, the use of direct mail marketing letters for mortgage brokers and real estate investors that outline their unique offerings in their campaigns.
In addition, recent research has shown that consumers trust direct mail much more than marketing efforts made through digital channels; These are some of the most common benefits of real estate direct mail campaigns. however, the rationale for employing direct mail marketing for real estate businesses goes deeper. Here’s a look at some of the compelling reasons to use direct mail marketing for real estate deals.
establish yourself as an expert in the local market
Perhaps the main consideration for anyone looking to move to a new place is location, which makes it an important aspect when it comes to real estate. Both buyers and sellers prefer to work with real estate professionals who are experts in the local market. why? because a real estate agent who is an expert in the local market is bound to know what exactly it has to offer, and also understands the minor details about the locality, such as zip codes, nearby cities or even the streets that could affect the value. of a property.
Using hyper-targeted direct mail can give your target audience the impression that you really know the locality inside out. This is true no matter what role you play, be it a marketer, investor, or real estate agent. Buyers also want to work with a real estate professional who is knowledgeable about both the property and their location. the right location or market information can help a buyer zero in on the right neighborhood.
In addition, such a real estate professional can also be trusted to find a better deal, and their familiarity with a specific market can help them intuitively choose the right property that best suits the buyer. Likewise, home or property owners looking to sell their property also look for similar features from their real estate agent or broker. A real estate professional who knows the area well will naturally know what ideas to present to potential buyers to get every possible ounce of value from a property or sale.
It would not be an understatement to say that knowledge of the locality and local markets is the trait most sought after by both buyers and sellers in a real estate agent/business. while the buyer hopes to get as much detail about the place he is going to live in, the seller hopes that the real estate professional can monetize his local knowledge and get a better price. a simple direct mail ensures that your message reaches the target audience within the market you serve.
automation capability for direct mail
Modern direct mail campaigns are far more advanced than their traditional counterparts and are equipped with features and capabilities that help you make results-focused decisions. But, the real game changer that direct mail really took for real estate agents is automation: Automation means you no longer have to invest your valuable time and effort in direct mail efforts to connect with more potential customers.
However, direct mail automation often requires you to have an online presence for optimal performance. Today’s real estate direct mail campaigns use both online and offline marketing methods and combine them for maximum penetration. Although automation may be possible through advanced direct mail tools like postgrid without having an online presence, the best results will require an online presence for you or your real estate business.
What’s more interesting is that in most cases, advanced direct mail tools like postgrid also come equipped with address verification functionality. this ensures that your direct mail reaches the target audience at all times. Furthermore, Postgrid’s fully automated direct mail boasts a 99% deliverability rate, which in turn promises the optimal result of your real estate direct mail campaign. With the help of an expert developer, you can integrate the solution into your website’s crm.
Having the ability to automate your direct mail campaign means that all processes, including printing and mailing, are already taken care of. This means that you now have free time and resources on hand that you can use to grow your real estate business. plus, automation allows you to avoid situations where you forget to send direct mail, especially if you intend to run a drip mailing campaign.
local social proof
Social proof is a term all marketers are familiar with and is a great motivator for customers, regardless of their industry vertical. And for those of you who don’t know what social proof is, it’s a psychological phenomenon that causes people to conform to actions taken by others by making them assume that those actions are, in fact, the correct behavior to follow. How does this fit into the landscape of the real estate business?
When your potential clients see that you have helped other clients with similar requirements to yours to achieve a positive result, it will undoubtedly act as a crucial motivator. assure your potential clients that you can deliver the desired result. you can use direct mailings to reach your target audience and present them with cases where you have successfully delivered sales for your other customers in the recipient’s local area.
It’s also important if you can sell such a property for above market value, as your potential clients will want to know. This is what you need to do if you are looking to attract new clients who want to sell their houses or other properties. As you may have guessed by now, if your goal is to find potential clients who want to buy a new home or property, you may need to try a slightly different approach.
When you’re trying to sell properties, your direct mail content focuses on scenarios where you were able to sell a property for less than market value. focus on stories with a personal touch and show how you were able to find your client’s dream home and how he managed to do it at below market price. Consider using visual elements in direct mail, including your client’s image and the property you successfully sold.
submit an offer at the right time
Identifying the right time to present your offer to the client can make a world of difference to all of your marketing campaigns, including direct mail to real estate agents. there are specific time periods throughout the year that are busier for the real estate market than others. When it comes to the real estate market, summer is the ideal time to step up your direct mail marketing efforts. why? because summer is usually the time most people choose to move because the weather is nice to move large shipments.
In addition, summer is the ideal time for families to move to a new home because their children will not have to miss classes or go through the paperwork to transfer to a new school. therefore, it is not hard to see why the real estate market really picks up in March and peaks in the month of June. once this demand subsides, you may see another spike in housing market activity (albeit much less than the summer) in August. This increase is due to families wanting to settle into their new homes before the new school year begins.
Also, you may see a spike in November just before the new year. again, this spike is largely attributed to families wanting to move during the time so that the children’s lives can continue uninterrupted, so to speak. this is a good time for children to move to a new place because it will allow them to settle into a new school right after winter break. Then there’s also the fact that shoppers are more likely to have a few days off at the end of the year. and some prefer this time to move because there are some financial or tax benefits to moving at the end of the year.
Now that we know that the demand for real estate varies at different times of the year, it is essential that you take advantage of these highly opportunistic periods to reach the maximum number of your target audience. That does not mean that you can focus your marketing efforts exclusively on these periods. you need to make sure you make a connection with potential customers in the months leading up to when they would be moving to a new place.
The logic behind this is simple. if someone plans to move to a new place, the decision is rarely impulsive. Your prospects will have already started looking at potential options and maybe even contacted a couple of real estate agents up to six months before the scheduled move. This means that someone who intends to move into a new home in June may require service from it as early as January or February.
Constantly staying in touch with your target audience through direct mail cements your real estate business in the minds of your target audience. This means that the next time they even remotely think of moving to a new place, your real estate business will pop into their minds almost automatically. This, in turn, allows you to capitalize on periods when the real estate market is booming in the Christmas or summer months.
establish long-term relationships
Although it may seem like establishing a long-term relationship with clients is not a priority for industries like real estate because, let’s face it, how often do we buy new real estate?
If you agree with what I just said, then I’m afraid you’re wrong because, according to statistics, the average American moves 11 times in their life. when you also take into account that real estate is a high-income business, it makes sense that you make a serious effort to establish a lasting relationship with your clients.
By establishing a long-term relationship with your real estate clientele, you are becoming the number one person they turn to whenever they are looking to move to a new place. Now, the question you’re asking yourself right now is “how does direct mail fit into all of this?” Well, because direct mail has long been considered the perfect medium for building a lasting relationship with customers/clients.
As we’ve mentioned several times before, direct mail is tangible and always has a personal touch. These outstanding features of direct mail make it the ideal choice for building lasting relationships with your customers. however, it is worth noting that direct mail works best after you have successfully delivered your services to the customer at least once. in which case, all you have to do is stay top of mind until the next time they decide to move, and direct mail can easily do that for you.