Even according to scientific studies, thank you notes generally have a positive effect on the sender and receiver. The same is true for real estate thank-you notes.
Using them can give you an edge over your competition because they can increase your conversions in different moments before, during, and after real estate transactions.
Today’s article will, therefore, discuss…
- What they are
- The 5 benefits of sending real estate thank you notes from a marketing and persuasion perspective
- Four types of real estate thank you notes with examples for the right moments
- How to write real estate thank-you notes with evergreen building blocks
Sounds interesting? Then please keep reading.
What Are Real Estate Thank You Notes?
Real estate thank you notes are a written expression of gratitude you can use for long-term real estate lead generation.
They are one way of doing real estate follow-ups (my article).
Real estate transactions can be complex and can have multiple steps and milestones.
Each presents an opportunity to send thank-you notes to different participants and stakeholders involved in the real estate transaction.
These stakeholders and participants can be past clients, sellers, buyers, and partners.
5 Benefits of Sending Real Estate Thank You Notes from a Marketing and Persuasion Perspective
According to a study published in Harvard Health Publishing, writing and sending thank you notes, in general, have a positive effect on the sender and the receiver.
It states, “Not surprisingly, the letter writers felt more positive afterward. However, they overestimated how awkward the recipients would feel receiving their letter and underestimated how positive it would make them feel.”
This is confirmed by an article in Psychology Today stating that “the prosocial gesture of expressing gratitude in a handwritten note boosts positive emotions and well-being for both the letter-writing “expresser” and the recipient of the stated appreciation.”
The next benefit is related to real estate marketing and persuasion.
Knowing that you will likely cause positive emotions in the receiver of your real estate thank-you note, we can assume that they will associate this emotion with you, keeping you easier in mind for potential future business.
In other words, you will likely be more liked.
And being liked is one of the three essential elements of the KLT (know, like, trust) factor making up relationships.
This factor is a concept based on the assumption that you increase the likelihood of people buying from you when they have a relationship with you.
Suppose we use a scoring system from zero to ten for each of these three elements, and you send a real estate thank you note to a past client.
Before sending the thank you note, the score for knowing you could be a 9, for trusting a 9, and for liking a 5, adding up to a total KLT score of 23.
By sending the thank you note, you increase the liking and may get a score of 9, resulting in a total score of 27.
Suppose this real estate thank-you note is sent to a past client.
In that case, you will be positively remembered, and positive emotions will be associated with you, resulting in increased referral chances (read my article on real estate referrals here).
In summary, these are the benefits of real estate thank-you notes with complementary ones:
- They cause positive emotions in the recipient
- You are more liked by the recipient and strengthen the relationship
- Increased chances for future business and referrals
- Writing them makes you feel more positive; this is unrelated to real estate lead generation.
- You stand out better from your competition (more so if you do them hand-written)
Four Types of Real Estate Thank You Notes with Examples for the Right Moments
Due to the different steps and milestones before, during, and after a real estate transaction, there can be plenty of different types of real estate thank-you notes you can send or receive.
In various combinations, they can be related to particular recipients and the moments before, during, or after a real estate transaction.
Below you will find four categories or types of real estate thank you notes including examples, based on the particular real estate transaction moment.
1) Thank You Notes for Real Estate Clients (Sellers and Buyers)
Thank you for having me as your agent:
” Dear [Client’s Name],
I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for choosing me as your real estate agent. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with you on the sale/purchase of your property. I am confident that together we can achieve great results.
I appreciate your trust and confidence in me to represent your interests in this important transaction.
[“USP-Injection”]
As we move forward, please know that I am committed to providing you with the highest level of service and professionalism at every step of the way.
I will work tirelessly to ensure that your needs and goals are met and that the process is as smooth and stress-free as possible.
You can count on me to be there for you every step of the way, from preparing and marketing the property to negotiating the best deal on your behalf.
Thank you once again for choosing me as your real estate agent. I look forward to working with you and achieving a successful outcome together.
Best regards,
[Your Name]”
Thank you for your business:
“Dear [Client’s Name],
I wanted to express my gratitude for your business.
It was an absolute pleasure working with you and representing your interests in the sale/purchase of your property.
Your trust and confidence in my abilities meant a great deal to me, and I am honored to have been a part of this important transaction.
I hope that your experience working with me was a positive one and that you were satisfied with the results we achieved together.
[Referral Business]
If there is anything else I can do for you or your friends and family in the future, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
I would be pleased to assist you again in any way I can.
Once again, thank you for your business. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
Warm regards,
[Your Name]”
Thank you for your trust during the selling/buying process:
“Dear [Client’s Name],
I am writing to express my sincere appreciation for your trust in me during the sale/purchase process.
Your confidence in my abilities and expertise was truly meaningful. I am honored to have been a part of this important transaction.
I understand that buying or selling a property can be a significant event in one’s life, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have been by your side throughout the process.
[“USP-Injection”]
Your trust allowed me to provide you with the highest level of service, and I am pleased that we achieved a successful outcome together.
[Referral Business]
Should you, your friends, or your family ever need any assistance with real estate matters, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I would be honored to serve as your trusted advisor again.
Thank you again for your trust in me. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]”
2) Thank You Notes for Client Referrals (from Partners and Past Clients)
Thank you for referring XYZ:
“Dear [Client’s/Partner’s Name],
I am grateful for your kind referral of John Doe to me.
[“USP-Injection”]
Your recommendation is a testament to the level of service I strive to provide. I am honored that you trust me enough to refer your friends and family/clients to me.
I am committed to providing the same exceptional service to John Doe that I provided to you, and I will work diligently to ensure that their real estate needs are met.
[Referral Business]
If there is ever anything else I can do for you or anyone you know regarding real estate matters, please do not hesitate to reach out. I would be happy to assist in any way that I can.
Once again, thank you for your referral. I truly appreciate your trust and confidence in me.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]”
Thank you for your confidence in my services:
“Dear [Partner’s Name],
Thank you for referring your friend [Referral’s Name] to me and for your confidence in my services.
Your recommendation not only means a lot to me but also shows that you have impeccable taste in real estate agents!
I promise to provide the same exceptional service to [Referral’s Name] as I did to past clients from you.
And who knows, if they’re as great as you, we might have to start a “Client Referral Hall of Fame”!
In all seriousness, I am truly grateful for your referral and for the opportunity to assist [Referral’s Name] with their real estate needs.
[Referral Business]
Should you or anyone else need any assistance with real estate matters in the future, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
I am always here to help.
Thanks again for your support and for being a fantastic partner.
Best regards,
[Your Name]”
3) Thank You Notes for Property Showings
Thank you for attending the property showing:
“Dear [Client’s Name],
I want to extend my gratitude for taking the time to attend the property showing.
Your presence at the showing is greatly appreciated, and I am grateful for the opportunity to assist you in your search for the perfect property.
[“USP-Injection”]
As your real estate agent, I am committed to providing exceptional service and helping you achieve your real estate goals.
Your attendance at the showing not only shows your interest in the property but also allows me to understand that you [mention client’s needs].
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any further questions or concerns.
I am always available for guidance and assistance throughout the real estate process.
Thank you once again for attending the property showing.
It was a pleasure working with you and I look forward to the opportunity to assist you further in the future.
Best regards,
[Your Name]”
Thank you for your feedback and questions during the showing:
“Dear [Client’s Name],
I would like to express my gratitude for the feedback and questions you provided during the property showing.
Your input is truly valuable and helps me better understand that you [mention client’s needs].
[“USP-Injection”]
As your real estate agent, I aim to provide you with the best possible service and assist you in finding the ideal property to meet your needs.
Your feedback and questions during the showing enable me to tailor my recommendations to your preferences and needs, providing a more personalized experience.
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am always available for guidance and support throughout the real estate process.
Once again, thank you for your feedback and questions during the showing. It was a pleasure working with you, and I look forward to assisting you in the future.
Best regards,
[Your Name]”
4) Thank You Notes for Collaborating Agents and Vendors
Thank you for your collaboration on XYZ:
“Dear [Client’s Name],
I wanted to express my sincere appreciation for your collaboration during our recent transaction of [property address].
Your input and cooperation were critical to the success of this transaction, and I could not have done it without you.
As a real estate agent, my top priority is to provide my clients with the highest level of service and support throughout the entire process.
Your collaboration made my job easier, and I am grateful for your trust in me to guide you through this experience.
Once again, thank you for your collaboration on [transaction name or property address].
It was a pleasure working with you, and I look forward to working with you again.
Best regards,
[Your Name]”
How and What to Write Real Estate Thank You Notes (Evergreen Building Blocks)
Let’s look closely at the above examples.
You may start to see a pattern that can be translated into a formula of evergreen building blocks for effective real estate thank-you notes.
And by effective, I mean that you can use them to express your gratitude for different real estate transaction scenarios and generate additional real estate leads.
And these are the building blocks of the thank you note message itself:
1) Personalization and Specificity
You want to address the recipient by name and refer to a particular real estate transaction or situation for which you are grateful.
2) A sincere and Professional Tone
You want to use a sincere and friendly conversational tone, so you better connect with the recipient.
At the same time, you want to sound professional and not too casual. One exception is a thank you note to a real estate partner you know already well.
Here you can be more casual or even use some humor.
3) USP-Injection
You may have noted that I marked some sections with [“USP-Injection”] in the above examples.
Here, you can mention your unique selling proposition, what value you bring, and how it differs from your competition.
In the examples, I stayed generic, but this should be more specific, for example, mentioning that you are the only agent in your area offering house staging for free.
4) Call to Action
This is the last part of the real estate thank you note you could use to generate additional leads (referrals) or convince a potential buyer or seller to sign a contract with you.
Your call to action depends on the type of thank you note you use for a specific real estate situation.
The call to action doesn’t need to be as blunt as you may find in sales letters, such as “Call Us Today for a Free Consultation.”
The latter would be too direct, and it should be a bit more indirect, like the following:
“If there is ever anything else I can do for you or anyone you know in regards to real estate matters, please do not hesitate to reach out. I would be happy to assist in any way that I can.”
Final Thoughts
As you could learn above, real estate thank you notes can greatly increase your likability with potential, current, and past clients and partners and help you get business or referral business.
You can also gain an edge over your competitors that may not use them.
Timeliness is also important because you want to send the notes as soon as possible.
At the same time, the real estate situation or moment is still fresh in your prospect’s, client’s, or partner’s mind.
The focus should be on the gratitude message of the note. Still, you can combine it with some copywriting elements (my article) to increase your conversions.
These conversions can be entering negotiations after having a showing with a potential buyer client or generating further business via additional referral clients in the case of past clients, partners, or vendors.
If you want to stand out even further, write them by hand.
You can use one of the service providers I covered in this article.
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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