It’s a bit paradoxical to discuss real estate mailer ideas that work.
Why?
You may know some marketing gurus on YouTube that throw around one hundred dollar bills using a cash cannon.
Most of the time, these are Ponzi schemes, but that’s for another topic.
They often seem to have helpful information.
And when they share a tip about a particular marketing method or tip that allegedly works, it likely doesn’t anymore.
The moment these tips are shared with a large audience, they will not work anymore.
Why?
Because if it were a method that truly worked, they would have milked it for as long as possible before sharing it.
But they can share it once it is saturated. It just doesn’t work as effectively anymore.
And once they share it, the saturation effect accelerates because everyone following the “guru” is now implementing it.
It looks like this graph I drew with my “highly elaborated” painting skills below.
So, all marketing methods and channels have a saturation point.
That’s more so if you copy something that allegedly still works.
This is especially true for concrete marketing tactics and tips, in contrast to principles that stand the test of time.
I researched a bit further to share real estate mailers that “work” with you.
And I found two websites with a collection of allegedly working real estate mailers.
At least in the title, it was mentioned that they supposedly work.
I found this one and this one.
Maybe I need glasses or contact lenses. I couldn’t find a word about marketing performance data (response or lead conversion rates for different designs, etc.).
Also, I couldn’t find what “work” means in the first place.
Yes, I know what “work” means, but when they write “work,” do they refer to a particular open rate larger than X% or a specific lead conversion rate?
I don’t know, and you don’t know either.
So, we can only take their word for it.
Now, what can we do to determine which ones most likely work regarding conversion rates?
Thankfully, copywriting principles can help us out.
Based on them, I will filter them out for you from the first source I mentioned above.
We can assume that the better copywriting principles are applied, the better they will convert. Thus, they likely “work,” provided they are sent to an ideal target group.
So, I went through them individually. I checked how well the AIDA or PAS copywriting formulas were applied.
AIDA stands for attention, interest, desire, and action. And PAS stands for problem, agitate, and solve.
As you know, on a mailer (especially postcards), there is not much space to use all elements.
So, especially in the case of the AIDA formula, I focused on whether headlines were attention-grabbing.
But I also checked whether pains and benefits were mentioned, and a call to action was included.
I made a table that collected the different real estate mailer copies. Then I analyzed them based on the above and graded them from 0 to 10 for each copywriting element.
Mailer Copy | Attention in Headline/ Design Elements | Pain Directly or Indirectly Mentioned | Desire/Benefit Mentioned | Call to Action Included | Total Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trouble Selling Your Home? You're Not Alone - Call today and speak to our professional realtors who specialize in expired listing sales. We Can Sell it for You. Free Home Staging & Yard Clean Up When You List With Us. Restrictions Apply. Call Today.... | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 |
If You Don't Buy It, Someone Else Will. We Guarantee It! - Just Listed [Address] - Call Today for a Free Tour And Home Buying Consultation! | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 |
Are You Tired Of..Rent? Having Landlords?Unexpected Rent Increases? Paper-Thin Walls? No Front Yard? No Back Yard? That One Maintenance Guy? No Parking Spots? Your Neighbors? Wasting Money? - Let Us Help You Find an Affordable Home You Will Love! - Call today and we'll show you how easy it is to own your own home! | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 |
It's what you DON'T know that can cost you! Selling your home in today's market can be tricky, especially when it come to negotiating and signing contracts. Understanding how to protect your family from predatory buyers is a must. As an experienced real estate professional, I can help you navigate what you NEED to know before selling your home on your own. Give me a call today. I'm happy to help. | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 |
Are You Experiencing Property Pain? - Symptoms Include: Bad Tenants, No Tenants, High Taxes, Back Taxes, Bad Property Managers, Too Much to Repair - We Will Buy Your Property and Give You a $500 Rebate at Closing! - Call Today to Be Pain Free! | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 |
Sometimes it Pays to Wait. Now is NOT that time! - Home prices are shifting across North America! If you've Ever thought about selling your home NOW is the time to do it! - Call me today to find out how much you can save by moving into the home of your dreams! | 10 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 35 |
Waiting Could Cost You Plenty! - If you've been waiting to see what the market is going to do, it's time to stop waiting and start planning. Don't make the mistake of waiting too long to list your home. Amazing opportunities don't last forever. Call me today. I'm here to help. | 10 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 31 |
Sell Your Home Fast With Your Neighborhood Real Estate Expert - Free Professional Home Staging When You List With Us. Restrictions Apply. Call Or Visit Us Online To Get Started! | 10 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 30 |
Home Values in Your Neighborhood. Real Estate Market Report | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 25 |
WANTED: Real Estate Agent Referrals - (Both Local and Out of State) Having a strong referral network is a vital part of success in today's market - right? I respect your work and would love to share referrrals when possible. - Let's connect today to find out how we can help both of our businesses grow. | 10 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 25 |
Thinking of Selling Your Home? Get a Trusted and Experienced Real Estate Professional on Your Side! - Free Professional Staging When You List With Us. Restrictions Apply. Call for Details. | 5 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 20 |
FREE COMPARATIVE MARKET ANALYSIS - Thinking about selling your home? See how your property stacks up compared to recent sales in your area. Call or text me today for a free market analysis. No cost. No obligation. Just answers! | 5 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 20 |
Get Honest Experienced Help Selling or Buying Your Home. Buyin, Selling, All Your Real Estate Needs | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 15 |
Open House - Jan 1 - 9am - 4 pm - You'll fall in love with this Dream Home - Call me today! [Contact information] | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 15 |
Attention: Homeowners in Sample School District - We have multiple interested buyers looking for homes in your school district. - We're the Trusted Experts at Selling Homes in Your Area! - Contact us Today for a Free Home Value Estimate! | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 15 |
Just Sold - Another home sold by John Smith - 3 Bedroom, 3 Bathroom, List Price: $250,000 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 |
Cowboys Football - Sally Agent | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
ENTREE - Seafood Gumbo - Mike Jones | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Happy Home Anniversary! Time flies! I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say I'm thinking of you and to wish you happy anniversary on the purchase of your home. If there's ever anything I can do for you or your family, know that I'm just a call away. - Sally Agent - 800-287-5710 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
From Our Family to Yours Happy Holidays - The Johnson Family | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
For All Your Real Estate Needs - First Time Buyers or Sellers - Buying - Selling - Appraisals - And More - John Smith - Real Estate Agent - 1-800 - 624 -1804 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
I would consider the ones that reached a total score of 40 as winners.
From the 21 examples mentioned in the article, only 5 reached a total score of 40.
For these, chances are high that they will “work.”
My absolute favorite of the winners is this one:
“Are You Tired Of… Rent? Having Landlords? Unexpected Rent Increases? Paper-Thin Walls? No Front Yard? No Back Yard? That One Maintenance Guy? No Parking Spots? Your Neighbors? Wasting Money? – Let Us Help You Find an Affordable Home You Will Love! – Call today and we’ll show you how easy it is to own your own home!”
It ticks all the boxes in terms of required copywriting elements (using formulas).
The design also aligns with the copy well.
What I want to bring home here is this. Instead of copying some marketing tactics that “work,” you may want to first understand the principles that make something work.
Concrete examples can inspire you, but then you modify these examples with knowledge about the principles.
Within this context, you may also want to read my article about direct mail here and “Just Sold” postcards here.
This article has been reviewed by our editorial team. It has been approved for publication in accordance with our editorial policy.
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