Direct Mail is Not Dead! 16 Examples That Are Working Now In Real Estate

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Direct mail isn’t dead. You just need to reconsider it. I interviewed 10 agents and industry experts and identified 16 examples of direct mail that are currently building brands and generating results.

Examples include sold letters and postcards, letters and postcards for geographic farms, expired campaigns, and classic brand-building campaigns with a modern twist.

These first four examples include variations on direct mail campaigns from Listing Leads co-founders Tom Ferry and Jimmy Mackin. The rest are examples of agents who are currently actively using direct mail in their business.

If you want to upgrade your use of direct mail in your business, this article is for you.

Just Sold Story Mailer, Noah Escobar

Noah Escobar, a native of the 30A market in the Florida Panhandle, has added a twist to Ferry and Mackin’s reimagined Just Sold campaign. They shared that the average Just Sold postcard says things like it sold within three days, had multiple offers, and sold for more than list price.

They also said that sharing these bullet points can lead homeowners to think the process is easy and that real estate agents are overpaid or, in some cases, not even necessary.

They talk about what agents do to sell homes fast, how they generate multiple offers, and how they negotiate to get the best price possible for their clients. I suggested you share your story. Based on that suggestion, Mr. Escobar prepared the following letter.

He also implemented one of Mackin’s suggestions to stir up curiosity through the letter’s headlines. In this mailer, Escobar states at the top of the page: “Have you heard about your neighbor?” This is the top fold of the letter, which is placed inside the envelope and pops out as soon as the homeowner opens it.

Next, create a storyline that covers the homeowner’s initial contact, the marketing process he used, and the process he used to negotiate a higher price and great terms with the seller. His use of QR codes to demonstrate the quality of his video marketing is an example of showing marketing rather than just telling about marketing.

This is a great example of how to rethink your Just Sold campaign.

Collins Group Realty Just Sold with a Twist

The following example is from Chip Collins of Collins Group Realty, serving South Carolina’s Lowcountry. This is an example of a more traditional Just Sold card with some modern upgrades. He capitalized on another suggestion that Mackin and Ferry use false Zestimates from Zillow to get readers’ attention.

In this example, you can see that it boldly states, “Zestimate was wrong!” I sold it on Zillow for $510,000 with the call to action “Ask Us How.” Collins also used the main line “Another Sea Pines Home Sold.” The subtle addition of “another” emphasizes their success in the neighborhood. Using a QR code that leads to a team video is also a great way to introduce your team.

Zestimate Letter, Fissori Real Estate Team

Zestimate letters are personalized mailings addressed to homeowners and used to generate listing opportunities. This is just one example of a strategy taught through Listing Leads by Kathy Fissoli and Peter Jonke of the Fissoli Real Estate Team, serving the San Luis Obispo County, California, market.

This strategy involves screen capturing the Zillow Zestimate of a particular home. Many Zestimates are lower than the actual value of the home. This creates an opportunity for mailers like these to generate conversations around listing opportunities. You can make your letter even more personal by adding a yellow sticky note with a handwritten message on it, like in the letter below.

Expired Results Notification Letter, Listing Lead, Jimmy Mackin and Tom Ferry

A final example of Listing Leads is a letter for an expired listing. This letter uses a copywriting framework called PAS. PAS is an acronym for Pain, Agitate, and Solution.

P: pain

At the beginning of the letter, he complains of the pain of not being able to sell his house.

A: Stir

The upset part includes recognizing their frustration, disappointment, and annoyance with the barrage of home relisting calls from agents.

S: Solution

The solution in this letter includes already identifying ways in which you can alleviate their problems differently than other agents.

This is an effective letter for agents looking to add lead generation strategies to their lead generation strategies for listings that expire in 2025.

Expired Listing Letter 6-24 Months Old, Jake Garay

As markets normalize, we continue to see an increase in expired listings. Good marketing often involves identifying groups of potential customers who have a need and whose competitors have little attention. Next, craft a message that grabs your prospect’s attention and compels them to take action.

That’s exactly what Jake Garay of the Garay Michaud team serving New York’s Hudson Valley does in the letter below. This is for homeowners who had their home on the market, but the listing deadline expired six to 24 months ago. This very letter resulted in three sold properties for over $1,000,000. This is another great example of an effective message to a receptive group of prospects.

Geographical Farming: Discard or Donate Events, Julie Collin

Julie Collin of St. Louis, Missouri, uses local events to add value to the community she farms. One of these events is her “Dump or Donate” event in the spring. The event involves setting up trash cans and Habitat for Humanity trucks near neighborhoods so residents can declutter their homes and garages and do some spring cleaning.

The postcard below highlights effective events that distinguish Collin as a neighborhood resource that provides everything residents need. Effective marketing is not limited to real estate. This is a unique example of a value-added service that ultimately pays off in your business.

Geographical Agriculture: Coherence for Recognition, Jason Gruner

Consistency is the key to brand recognition in geographic farming. Jason Gruner of Nashville, Tennessee, uses a simple and consistent postcard format to leverage four marketing opportunities for his listings. This increases the homeowner’s interest in the business and shows off his success in the area.

Geographical Agriculture: An Overview of Neighborhood Markets, Jason Gruner

The following example is also from Jason Gruner. In this postcard, he focuses on making the region a star. He limits branding and gives homeowners a video overview of the market via a QR code. This is an article that can be submitted monthly, quarterly, or as a year-end review for a specific region.