Believe it or not direct mail marketing for Realtors is still a TOP strategy for generating referrals. So NO, direct mail marketing for Realtors is NOT dead, it’s alive and well. Over 70% of all agent business is generated from referrals and repeat clients. Keeping that number in mind, where do you think you should spend the majority of your marketing budget, time, and energy? In this article I want to share with you the most profitable referral based marketing strategy for Realtors.
Direct mail marketing for Realtors is simple. Don’t overthink this because your clients are right in front of you.
The first question is very simple to answer. You get referrals and repeat clients from your past customers, clients, friends, family, or anybody else who knows of you, NOT STRANGERS.
So what does that tell you?
It tells you who you should to be marketing to. Real estate is one of the few businesses you can start in with a built in audience of client list. Everyone has some kind of database. Instead of spending tons of money on super duper ninja magical opt in websites, expensive internet lead programs, and other “noise”, why don’t you start by marketing the people you know first.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ THIS ARTICLE FIRST
Setting up a referral based marketing system is all about keeping in touch with past clients, prospects who aren’t ready yet, and your entire network remembers what you do for a living. It’s about keeping your brand in front of them with CONSISTENCY so you are not forgotten about. It’s not about telling them what you do for living but more of reminding them of what you do for a living.
When you are known as the go to real estate pro amongst your network, you win. It’s that simple.
Why direct mail marketing for Realtors is one of the most effective referral based marketing systems for your database
The reason why direct mail is so effective is because 100% of your “list” will receive it. You cannot say that in any other form of referral based marketing. It is also physical, which means they must engage with it. If they pick up your direct mail and throw it in the trash, they still physically engaged with you. That’s powerful for marketing.
Direct mail going to have one of the highest ROI of any referral marketing strategy you implement. Direct mail is not dead, it’s alive and well. As much of the world has gone digital, direct mail is still a tangible piece of marketing. This means that its recipient has to touch, feel, and see it. Don’t underestimate physical interaction. I know nowadays everyone wants to hide behind a computer, including myself, but good old communication is powerful and it sticks out.
Think about it…
How much mail do you get today as opposed to 10 years ago? Your mailbox is not cluttered like your email inbox, is it?
The only goal for your referral marketing strategy should be to stay on top of mind, nurture your relationship, and encourage referrals. When you are known as the go to real estate pro, you will begin ATTRACTING more referrals.
What kind of direct mail should you send them?
Does your direct mail have to be about real estate? HELL NO, as a matter of fact it shouldn’t. Quit trying to sell someone a house every time you are communicating.
If you are able to “touch” your database once a month with direct mail, that’s amazing! This does not replace email marketing or social media, it’s just part of an overall marketing approach.
I like to organize my database in a series of lists. Direct mail is just one of 3 lists I use to market my database.
Build A Direct Mail List First
A concept so many agents fail to understand is that you need to create your direct mail “list” with qualified relationships. You need people you personally know and like and they must feel the same way about you. Part of having an effective referral based marketing strategy is that you need to set up multiple ways to communicate with your database.
Setting up your direct mail touches is just one channel.
Marketing your database is much like farming a neighborhood, but we are farming your relationships.
Determining if you have someone worth marketing to comes down to a very simple test. If you were at the grocery store and came across someone you know, would you stop and say hi to this person with a smile? If that’s the type of relationship you have with them, then they definitely need to go on your direct mail list.
If you were at the same grocery store and saw someone you recognized, but turned and walked the other way, then that person did not make the cut. It’s not about the quantity, it’s about the quality.
The key here is to not sell your services, but to stay on top of mind while at the same time quietly encouraging referrals. The back of my postcards always asks for referrals. We call this referral programming. It also thanks the recipient of sending referrals ahead of time. Your company logo, headshot, title and information will all go on there, which is where you infer you are an agent. This is why you don’t need to sell them on real estate, it will be known. Just stay in touch with cool stuff and be you!
Direct Mail Marketing For Realtors Marketing Ideas
Sports Refrigerator Magnets 2 x’s a year
There are several times throughout the course of the year you can send out magnets, but I like the sports schedules. Yes, these are old school, but they work! Baseball starts back up in the Spring and football season in the Fall. I personally use baseball and football magnets with my local professional teams to send out at these times. The reason I like these two seasons is that they are about 6 months apart, which has the potential to keep you on someone’s fridge for most of the year!
Magnets serve as a constant reminder and people spend more time in the kitchen than any other place. The concept behind using direct mail for a referral based marketing strategy is being staying on top of mind. It’s not about creating leads, it’s about creating attention.
12 Monthly Postcards
You can send one postcard a month that features fun facts about real estate. Nothing needs to say anything about buying or selling a house Instead I cite interesting world record facts about real estate. I want to send my database content they will actually read like fun facts. One example is a postcard I send about the world’s most expensive house.
These are short, sweet, cute, and fun to read. Remember all I want it to do is keep me on top of mind.
9 Holiday Cards Touches
I also send out holiday-based postcards. They follow a very similar format. Each postcard cites a fun fact revolving around that holiday. We know that when there are more conversations, it’s more likely that a referral can be born since real estate is a highly talked about subject.
I send my postcards out on the following holidays.
- Groundhogs Day
- Valentines Day
- Patty’s Day
- April Fools Day
- 4th of July
- Labor Day
- Halloween
- Thanksgiving
- Happy Holidays
That’s and additional 9 touches a year. These cards are very simple and cute. They allow me to stand out and do not sell at all. The purpose is to wish a happy holiday in a cute way and to not be forgotten about when a referral situation comes about.
I hope this article helped you understand a very simple referral based marketing idea using direct mail. Now imagine using this same concept with video email and social media. If you take on a multi-channel approach to staying in front pf your database, you’ll start attracting more referrals and repeat business. If you like the content here, check out our YouTube Channel.