Postcard mailings - need advice!

Hi!! Long time no talk!!!

I have not actually done these, so please take my suggestion with a grain of salt, but I did a bunch of research about 6 months ago and I am confident the best way to send hundreds at a time is to print them. If you're looking for a personal touch, use a font that looks like handwriting but do not waste your time writing each one. This is ineffective.

Also, from my research I determined that the best post card is bright yellow with black font, similar to a bandit sign. Although I have not used post cards, I did use yellow letters which receive a lot of call backs.

Do you have a template selected for the content yet? I'm sure there are others who would love to see what you come up with!

GOOD LUCK!!
Kristin

Computer printouts are a better time to money investment. If you are going to print them, using a font that looks like handwriting will make no difference because your reader will know that you printed them on a computer. Chose a font that is clean and clear.

Post cards are less private and less personal. Readers will know that you are mass mailing them. I personally think that envelopes are much more private and considering the touch subject of foreclosure etc, it may be a gesture that a prudent reader will appreciate.

I think calling all rental ads on phone is the best way to deal with landlords.
Think about it, you get a tired owner who wants to sell OR you get an owner who is looking for more..WIN WIN..

Postcards, I always think of it as your "target area" hand write and send a few wording them different then wait to see which one works the best,do it by color so you know which one works the best, ask what color the card was then keep record of it.
If your not wanting to do the research then I recommend using the same wording and resending it every two weeks in a different color, after three weeks you know you might want to cross that one off the list.

Hope this helps.

Aaron

Hey! Yes great to hear from you!! Thanks for the feedback!!

We found an old thread with posts about yellow letters so we have done some reading...there is ALOT of good info and scripts on this thread.

We will be sending these out to vacant/distressed properties that we found by driving for dollars and also we requested farm reports from our title company for non owner occupies owners. Here's what we had so far:

I'm interested in buying your house at xxxxx
I can pay full price.
Please call me to find out how I can help you.
Sincerely,
name
google voice #
email

We were planning on sending these out once month for the next 3 months.

Thank you for the feedback. Its very helpful to us when deciding how to approach this.

We were thinking that with postcards there is nothing to open so they are easily readable and the postage is more a cost effective. I see your point though and appreciate your advice.

Thank you!

Great advice on calling for rent ads. I agree great way to find landlords and see if they want to buy or sell any props. I have also called prop management companies when qualifying them and asked them for references (aka landlords)similar script just another approach to get on the phone with landlords who don't manage their own props.

Good idea on sending out a few samples and see how the return goes. I appreciate your advice.

Thank you!

You will like this one..

Send a letter with two nuts and a dollar in it...Think about it, when they get the letter there thinking what hell is in here...They open it and find a note of all your details you can do for them and you saying there's more were that came from and your nuts if you dont take the deal...LOL

Love this one and it works..

Aaron

I love that idea about the dollar and the nuts lol. I generally send out an average 1,000 post cards. My postage generally runs anywhere from $230 to $350 depending on which regions im mailing. Different rates for sectional local, regional, or national with a postage permit.

Id love to try the dollar and nuts idea, that would get sellers attention but that could get expensive. Great marketing idea however...I LOVE IT !

I am just questioning the line about paying "full price". How will you be determining what is "full price"?

Karen

I'm interested in buying your house at xxxxx
I can pay full price.
Please call me to find out how I can help you.
Sincerely,
name
google voice #
email

What are the benefits of the owner doing business with you?

Full price will vary based on the condition of the property and the ARV using sold comps. It will also depend on if it is a cash offer or the owner is willing to offer seller financing. This is why I'm saying full price is because it is open to interpretation but all the seller hears is that they will get their price which as long as I get my terms they can have their price. If the house needs repairs than they can have their quick cash with an as is sale but I will deduct from ARV-closing costs/fees, rehab cost, flip profit, assignment profit = my offer price.

I will use my buyers criteria of cap rate for cash flow or certain percentage on a flip. I'm determining ARV using sold comps in last 90 days, within 1/2 mile, same bed/bath, ft2 within 20%, comparing home photos to see if it was a retail flip or TLC home (Retail flip: SS appliances, granite,tile/hardwood, new cabs, new bath etc. or TLC home: Formica counters with peel and stick flooring and 4 different wall colors)

What do you think? is this a good approach for a mailer? Have you sent out any mailers? Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you!

I also saw today that my local REI club is having a direct mail marketer speak Thursday so I planning to attend and see what he has to say...

Great point: What is the benefit to them?

I guess that I can offer full price...

I really need them to call me so I can determine their "hot buttons" to know how I can benefit them. I figure if they call they are at least a little interested in selling their house because they actually called me, now it is up to me to ask a few questions and listen carefully.

What do you recommend as benefits to put on the postcards for attracting the sellers to call?

Thank you for the feedback!

"Dear Seller. I am interested in purchasing your property at 123 Skid Row. I can buy it for a fair price in its present condition saving you the need for costly repairs and I can close on the date of your choice."

You have to get inside the mind of your owner and look at things thru his eyes. What would you think if someone offered to buy your house for full price then offered you 70 cents on the dollar? If he has any inkling of selling, now he thinks, "Hmmm, I can sell this place without fixing it up and won't have to move until I have another place to move to. It could be a done deal. I wonder how much I could get?" When you say full price, he expects retail. When you say fair price, you have given him an expectation of a negotiated price.

We send out postcards every week. What we found is that the label itself is to be handwritten we tried it with preprinted labels and we got zero response with the handwritten address and the handwritten address on the wording side of the card we get 2 to 10 responses a week. Do all of them end up as a deal no but those people hang onto those cards and then they'll call us in a few months so yes we have but houses effectively off of postcards. I can send it to you if you like p.m. me let's make 2014 the best year ever

Great advice! Thanks for explaining the benefit approach. It makes a lot of sense!
Thank you for taking the time!

Great Ok I will PM you thanks for reaching out to me!

Funny approach with the nuts and the dollar! I can see using it on a few specific properties that I'm trageting.

Thank you1

Can you share a little about what type of post cards/mailers you send out and what kind of success rate you have on it?

I have heard of several successful wholesalers that use this wording:

Dear (Owner's Name):

I was driving around in your area and noticed your house and was wondering if you might be interested in discussing selling your house. One of the areas I work in is buying houses that need some repair and rehabbing the property to improve its appearance and value.

I am local real estate investor that buys properties in (name your area) area. I am able to buy properties quickly for cash and usually can close within 30 days or less.

The typical process is a preliminary discussion over the phone to obtain some basic information. If that conversation is mutually agreeable then we can arrange for me to come by and take a look at your home to get a better understanding of its condition and what repairs may be needed. Then, we can work toward a fair selling price for your home.

If you are interested you can either provide me with a phone number where you can be reached or if you prefer you can call me at (your phone number) or via email at (your email address)

Sincerely,

(Your Name)

Great letter, thanks for posting it!

Ok I attended the REI meeting last week with a mail marketing specialist and here were some of the take home messages I picked up:

"It's how you show up, you only get one first impression"

"Build a relationship from the phone call"

"You're approach is you're there to help"

"There is no perfect letter that works the best"

Question caller asks: "Why did you mail me?" Answer: "We mail a handful of letters in neighborhoods to homes that we want to buy to see if we can help you."

Here is the order of the process they do which he said takes about a week:

Call 1: Just get basic contact info, address of prop. mention you will call them back in the next day or 2.
call 2: Schedule an appt and meet them at the home
visit1: Explain what you do and why you do it.
Visit2: Explain cash offer vs retail listing. make offer but tell them to sleep on it and you will call tomorrow.
call3: discuss offer and yes or no?

What if you get a NO???

You can pass on their info to a realtor, banker, contractor etc and get a small amount for a referral fee (have this agreement ahead of time). Make sure to confirm with owners on call 3 that it is ok for you to have your realtor/contractor/banker friend give them a call.

This way you can not feel like you must close the deal and you can really focus on how you can help them, making yourself more real and authentic!

The most important part is listed above above BUT

He did say that they use yellow letters, black handwriting ("red is angry"), no return address, slightly crooked stamp placement, invitation size envelope A2s 4" x 6", use google voice # and that you need to be the one answering the calls or returning them.

Ok that will be $20 and I do take paypal, Just kidding LOL. Lets all pay it forward!

Get advice Thom! Thank you for sharing.

I would definitely have them printed, not handwritten, unless you do a few at a time... I would also replace 'will pay full price' with 'I pay cash' 'can close fast'; also, you don't need to include the cost of each property; that would take up a lot of time for properties that sellers may not call you back... and... what if you find a motivated seller that is willing to sell for less than what you write on postcard? You want them to name their price first

I have handwritten my yellow letters, but because I only send to few homeowners

Happy and Prosperous New Year!
Val

Thom...did they go into list selection at all? What kind of owner are you marketing to with their scenario, pre-foreclosure? What kind of problem are you targeting to "help them"?

Just be aware that if you are sending out invitation sized envelopes that the postage is going to be significantly more per piece then when you use a standard sized envelope. To catch their attention, try using a standard envelop but in a different color or write the address by hand on the envelope. I personally do not think a crooked stamp is an important items - but making sure it is not a bulk mailing stamp is.

Thanks for the advice about the letters and the offer price. I hope I find a deal for less than the price of the postcard!

Hope you're doing amazing!

Happy and prosperous New Year to you too!
Thom

Yes, he went into list selection saying that your target list will determine what kind of letter you write. The speaker said his clients mostly are trying to do subject to deals and that he has clients all over the US.

Thanks Simon good points!

Anytime glad I could pass on something I learn to others! Thank you for the postcard template!

Thom

I have sent out hundreds of yellow letters in brightly colored invitation sized envelopes and have always used standard postage. My return address was on them and I never got one back for lack of postage.

Karen