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Snail-mailing real estate prospecting letters is still an effective lead generation strategy.
Why?
Because it leverages the power of person-to-person communication. And with that comes trust, which is the key ingredient you need to turn leads into clients.
Now that just about everything can be digitized in some way, the novelty of this kind of personal communication offers a serious advantage over your competitors who send generic emails and texts en masse. For the average consumer, there’s something special about receiving a letter in the mail from an agent who took the time to address you by name and write a message about your specific situation.
Plus, the reach of real estate direct mail tends to be highly focused because it simply has less to compete with than other mediums, such as email. That’s also why print pieces tend to have very impressive open rates.
Ready to incorporate prospecting letters into your marketing strategy? Here’s a how-to guide that includes a handy checklist and several samples you can adapt to fit a variety of common situations.
The Checklist
There’s an endless number of ways you could go about writing your real estate prospecting letters. But keep in mind that the most effective approaches will include all of the following.
Authenticity
The whole concept of sending letters to generate leads is built around this. So if you’re not going to craft your letters to sound highly personal and to convey a sense of genuine care, you might be better off pursuing a different strategy altogether.
A Personal Touch
It’s a good idea to handwrite your letters because “the medium is the message,” as the saying goes. In other words, your dedication to provide excellent customer service is evidenced by the fact that you took the time and effort to write them a letter.
But of course, you don’t have to. You could type them out or make it look like you wrote them by hand – there are some realistic handwriting generators and fonts available if you want to save time.
Regardless of which format and design you decide to go with, veer toward simple. The overproduced look often undermines the personal touch you’re going for. After all, you want it to look like it’s coming from a person, not a company.
Proof of Credibility
Remember – real estate prospecting letters are meant to help you establish trust. So share (brief) points that highlight your expertise, such as how long you’ve been in the industry or how many homes you’ve sold in the last year.
Clear Benefits
Make sure your prospecting letter is mostly about the prospect and their situation and less about you and why they should hire you.
Clearly state the precise benefits they’ll receive from working with you – that they’ll discover their dream home, for example, or that they’ll be able to buy or sell at a great price, or that they won’t have to deal with the hassles of selling on their own.
A Call to Action
What do you want them to do after they’ve read your letter? Tell them plainly. And make it easy for them to know how to contact you.
In other words…
- Don’t be overly salesy.
- Don’t make it too long. (Wordiness isn’t worth the hand cramps it’ll cause!)
- Don’t forget to explain the benefits you’re offering
- Don’t make it all about you.
- Don’t leave them wondering what they should do next.
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7 Templates for Real Estate Prospecting Letters
If any of these sample letters work for you “as is,” great! But they can also function as a source of inspiration or a good starting point to help you craft your own. Feel free to adapt them to fit your brand voice and the situation and prospect you have in mind.
1. The All-purpose Introduction Letter
2. The FSBO Prospecting Letter
3. Prospecting Letter to the Owner of an Expired Listing
4. Prospecting Letter Written to an Open House Attendee
5. The CMA Offer
6. Letter to a Referral Lead Who’s Interested in Buying
7. Reaching Out to a Potential Business Partner
1. The All-purpose Letter of Introduction
Dear [first name],
We haven’t met yet. My name is [your name], and I’m a real estate agent with [brokerage name].
I’ve helped people all around the [neighborhood or city] area buy and sell their homes for [number] years now, and I was curious to know if there’s anything I can do for you. I know how stressful buying and selling can be.
When the time comes to search for your dream home or sell the one you’re in, know that I’m here to help you through the process.
If you have any questions about how I can help or if you’d simply like to get an insider’s perspective on the local market, feel free to give me a call at [your number]. I’d be happy to chat!
Thanks for your time.
[your name, website address, and contact information]
2. The FSBO Prospecting Letter
Hello [first name],
I’m [your name] with [brokerage], and I just wanted to reach out to you to ask how selling the property at [address] is going.
I noticed it’s been listed for a while now, which surprised me because my listings in that area usually don’t last long. I have [number] years of experience in the [neighborhood or city], and I think I may be able to help if you need it.
If you’re open to it, I’d love to share some ideas with you that have worked well for me in the past. My number is [number].
I wish you all the best!
Sincerely,
[your name, website address, and contact information]
3. Prospecting Letter to the Owner of an Expired Listing
Hi [first name],
I was sorry to see that your listing for [address] didn’t end up selling. I’ve worked with many people in your situation, and believe me, I know how frustrating that can be.
This isn’t a sales pitch. (That can be frustrating too!) I simply wanted to reach out in case you needed help in any way.
After [number] years of being in this industry, I’ve learned a thing or two about expired listings. If homes don’t sell, it’s often because a) it wasn’t priced to sell and/or b) the marketing was sub-par.
I have solutions to both of those problems, which is how I’ve helped many sellers in [neighborhood or city] get offers after bringing their houses back on the market.
a) My free comparative market analysis will reveal the ideal listing price that ensures you sell at top-dollar value.
b) I always put spectacular aerial shots and top-of-the-line photos in front of the right buyers.
Call now if you’re interested in discussing further.
[your name, website address, and contact information]
4. Prospecting Letter Written to an Open House Attendee
Hi [first name],
I’m so glad you came to my open house at [address] on [day]! I always enjoy helping people discover their dream home.
Whether you have questions or if you’re interested in seeing other listings, I’m here for you. Don’t hesitate to reach out.
I’m very familiar with this area – I’ve helped [number] people buy their dream homes in the last [number] years working here. I guarantee, you’ll find the home that’s right for you. It’s just a matter of time.
Thanks again!
[your name, website address, and contact information]
5. The CMA Offer
Dear [first name],
Did you know that the median listing price in the [neighborhood or local area] is [dollar amount]? That means the value of [bed/bath] homes like yours have increased by more than [percentage] within the last three years!
I would love to give you a detailed comparative market analysis that will provide an accurate idea of what your home’s current market value is. If for no other reason, it’s just good to know what you’re home is worth, right?
If you’re at all interested in selling, let me know and we can set up a time to grab a quick cup of coffee so we can discuss my research and how much your home could sell for in today’s market.
I look forward to hearing from you!
[your name, website address, and contact information]
6. Letter to a Referral Lead Who’s Interested in Buying
Dear [first name],
I hope you and your family are doing well. My name is [your name] and I was referred to you by [referrer’s name], who I know because we [share the connection].
[She/He] mentioned that you’re interested in purchasing a home. Is that right? I’m curious to know what kind of properties you’re looking for. I’m confident that we can find the right place at the right price.
Right now is a great time to buy. [Explain, using what you know about current interest rates, median listing price changes for the local area, etc.]
I would love to meet you, answer any questions you might have about the buying process, and browse through some listings that I think might interest you.
Please contact me on my cell phone at [your phone number] whenever you’re ready. I’m excited about this!
[your name, website address, and contact information]
7. Reaching Out to a Potential Local Business Partner
Hi [first name],
I’m [your name], an agent with [brokerage], and I wanted to run this idea by you to see what you think because it could help you generate more business.
What I love about [name of the business] is that you [share one or two characteristics about the company that you appreciate].
I’ve noticed that our audiences overlap in significant ways, and our brands are similar in that we both [explain the commonalities/similarities].
Would you be interested in working together to help each other increase exposure and expand our audiences?
If you’re interested, I’d be happy to stop by sometime soon for a quick meeting so we can discuss further. Please call me at [your phone number] so we can set something up.
Thank you!
[your name, website address, and contact information]
Pro Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Real Estate Prospecting Letters
- Follow up. Haven’t heard back from the recipients for a while after sending your letter? Give them a quick call or send them an email.
- Track your results. If you don’t monitor the results of each prospecting letter campaign it’ll be very difficult to repeat successes and identify ways to improve. Tracking results allows you to test and iterate so you can turn every letter into a learning opportunity.
- Use a real estate CRM. The best systems (like the CRM that comes along with Market Leader Pro, for example) allow you to do it all from one place: automate your marketing, text, email, and listing alerts; track website behavior; and leverage advanced filtering options so you can send the right messages to the right segments at the right times.
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- 25 helpful ChatGPT prompts for agents
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