Direct Mail Tips for New Agents

As a new real estate agent, it’s a perfect time to explore several marketing strategies. Digital marketing is a go-to strategy for most real estate agents, but it’s not the only route to growth. Email marketing is also a tried-and-true marketing strategy that yields strong conversions. 

With modern marketing techniques like paid ads on social media, it may come as a surprise that direct mail marketing continues to work for the real estate industry. Per Gallup, 41% of Americans check their mail daily, and 65% of millennials pay attention to direct mail advertising. That’s a lot of potential clients.

This article covers top direct mail marketing tips and strategies for new real estate agents. 

Choose your target audience

Determine your target audience before implementing your direct mail campaign. Spend some time researching and understanding your ideal clientele. In real estate, you can have several different clusters that make up your target audience. 

For example, you may want to target first-time home buyers as well as empty-nesters looking to downsize. At the same time, you may want to work with move-up sellers. Maybe your passion is helping real estate investors build their portfolios. Your target audience is up to you and can evolve to suit your business needs. Your direct mail marketing campaign, however, should be tailored to your target audience.

Create mailing lists

After solidifying your target audience for your direct mail campaign, you need to create your mailing list. You may need to separate your mailing list into subcategories if you have multiple target audiences. For example, your direct mail campaign for first-time homebuyers will look different than your campaign for move-up sellers. 

Consider creating a spreadsheet for each target audience. A spreadsheet allows you to upload names and addresses of prospective clients to one-stop shops like Vistaprint. 

You can quickly compile a direct mail list by searching public records. Public records provide details such as:

• owner age
• equity
• home type
• purchase date
• property size
• mortgage status

If the person is younger and renting, they are a great candidate for your first-time home buyer mailing list. If the person is older and owns the home free and clear, they may be an empty nester looking to downsize. Younger parents in a family-owned home may have some equity and want a home with more square footage. These are great potential sellers or buyers to include on your mailing list.

There are endless possibilities when it comes to direct mail campaigns. Your campaign can focus on buyer and seller resources, seasonality, community events, market forecasts, and more. It’s most important to offer something eye-catching and also beneficial to the recipient.

A motivated seller may need that last push to convince them to list their home. Consider creating a campaign sharing how hot the local real estate market is for sellers.

A long-time renter may be sick of paying for a place they don’t own. Create a campaign that details the benefits of owning a home versus renting an apartment. 

Another campaign strategy is to target a neighborhood and keep in touch. You can send a monthly postcard with cleaning tips, recipes, and local event details. Often, when one house sells in an area, other homeowners are eager to follow. You want to be the real estate agent they reach out to when the time comes. Stay top of mind with an aggressive but welcoming, direct mail campaign.  

Real estate postcards

Once you build your mailing lists and create your direct mail campaigns, it’s time to design your direct mail postcards. There are plenty of sites with real estate postcard templates to get you started. 

Here are some of our favorite design platforms: 

• Canva is a graphic design platform with accessible drag-and-drop features. Canva offers hundreds of free elements, graphics, and fonts. They also have a pro version available. 
• Vistaprint is a design and mailing platform. Search their template database to find your perfect postcard and mail it directly from the website. 
• Moo is a design and mailing platform. They offer free full-color printing and have a robust template database. 

Why direct mail still matters

Direct mail remains a powerful and effective marketing strategy for new real estate agents looking to build trust, generate leads, and grow their brand locally. When combined with digital campaigns, it can create a well-rounded marketing approach that reaches clients both online and offline. With the ability to launch a campaign in as little as a day, direct mail is one of the most straightforward ways to stand out in a crowded market. By identifying your target audience, curating tailored messaging, and designing eye-catching postcards, you can boost visibility and engagement.

For more tools to elevate your marketing strategy, check out Virtuance’s free real estate marketing resources and take your next campaign to the next level.

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