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What are the most popular postcards for real estate? These templates, examples and resources will help you set your business apart from others.
Real estate postcards are single-page mailings that real estate agents distribute to generate leads and create brand awareness. Most real estate agent postcards are 5.8 inches by 4.1 inches, glossy, and printed on both sides with information about the agent, particular property, and/or area, similar to normal postcards.
Here are the top 25 real estate postcards, as well as the factors that influence their effectiveness.
1. Postcards with Only One Listing – Concentrate on the Listing
While the back of the postcard includes the home’s price and specifications, as well as the agent’s contact information, what we loved about this postcard was that it did its job: marketing the property. The property, not the agent, should always be the focus of a “Just Listed” postcard. People will become more interested in the content of a new house for sale and will be more inclined to discard anything that seems to be self-promotional.
Coldwell Banker agent Kristen Lichetenthal is evidence that a well-crafted real estate agent postcard can be successful. “In the last year, I’ve received two ads from both a Just Listed and Just Sold postcard,” she said. Considering the cheap cost of the postcards, it’s very effective!”
2. Recently Sold Postcards – Add a Personal Touch
With a personal touch, Just Sold real estate postcards will be better appreciated. Not only does this well-designed card announce the sale, but it also highlights the new neighbors who will be moving in with it. People are frequently interested in newcomers to their area, what their houses look like on the inside, and who they may be. It’s a smart approach to sell your services while making the transaction seem personal.
Tabitha Kontur of Superior Realty Group in Huntsville said she’s had success with Just Sold postcards in unexpected ways. “After getting a Just Sold postcard, some of them may follow your company on social media out of curiosity, and with the right branding, they will remember to contact you when they are ready to make a move.” Others will call to make an appointment right away after picking up the phone from the postcard.”
3. Capture Attention with Expired Listing Postcards
Homeowners have a tough time when their listings expire, and they are often bombarded with calls and solicitations. You must thus stand out from the throng in order to grab their attention. Everyone is prepared to pay attention to the red stop sign in this picture, and the front makes a short but essential message.
You want to get a message through rather than having your marketing pitch be the first thing they see as you did with the “Just Listed” postcards. While your information will be on the reverse, the most essential thing is that the card gets read and that you convey your message.
4. Make It Clearly on Open House Postcards
It’s clear what this postcard is asking the homeowner to do, and it’s the ideal approach to create real estate postcards. This postcard has a welcoming vibe to it, kindly asking the owners to have a look at the property while also plainly displaying the date and location. This is the kind of postcard that a curious homeowner might easily attach to their refrigerator with a magnet and add to their calendar.
5. Postcards for Agent Introductions – Be Yourself
The efficacy of utilizing real estate agent postcards for new agent introductions is debatable, but personalization seems to be the key to successful results. Customizable cards, such as ones provided by ProspectsPlus (above), may allow you to include more of your personality into your introduction.
Don’t be scared to include a little bit of your personality or hobbies in your agent introduction cards. For example, if historic houses are prominent in the region, feel free to mention your pet or that you like them. People will feel more connected to you if you include a little of themselves in your message, rather than just another solicitation.
6. Be Direct
People seldom consider selling their houses unless they are reminded that they have a valuable asset. While these real estate postcards may seem generic at first glance, the value proposition that they will purchase your home is prominently displayed. A postcard like this might be the push you need to make a short call and see what you can get whether you’re a hesitant landlord, suffering financially, or thinking about retiring sooner rather than later.
6. Nudge Them
People are thinking about buying or selling a house right now, but they may need a little push. These real estate postcards are an essential element of assisting buyers and sellers in making decisions, so be sure to include all of the necessary information. On the card above, for example, the agent not only nudges the homeowner but also mentions bringing purchasers, making the possibility of selling even more appealing.
8. Emphasize Value on Bank-Owned Postcards
Buyers are constantly on the lookout for a good bargain, and although bank-owned homes aren’t as plentiful as they once were, there are still plenty of them available. Your real estate postcards for bank-owned homes may pique the interest of a hesitant buyer by highlighting value. While ProspectsPlus developed this postcard, you are free to add your own words and modify them for your own agricultural location.
9. Postcards with Free Offers – Inspire Your Audience
People are usually attracted by anything they can have for free, and if they’re on the fence about something, it’s frequently a fantastic approach to get a chance to talk with them. Free-offer postcards for things like house valuation may start a constructive discussion or generate leads with those who might want to sell in the future.
10. Open Their Eyes — Renter Postcards
If you just show tenants what is possible, these real estate postcards may work wonders. Some of the greatest real estate postcards not only show tenants how much they’re spending, but also that they might be paying a mortgage for the same amount. People are frequently ignorant of the statistics and how they may be used to their advantage, so be the one to open their eyes and point them on a new path.
These postcards for real estate marketing may be extremely targeted and successful. While many postcards are delivered in a “pay and spray” manner (with the hope of finding a perfect match), these postcards may be sent to apartment complexes where the bulk of the audience will likely connect to the message.
11. FSBO Postcards – Feel Their Anxiety
Sending FSBO postcards a few weeks into a listing may help alleviate some of the agonies. Despite some reservations at first, FSBO leads are among the simplest to convert. They have the same objectives as other real estate agents: to sell the home as soon as possible for the best potential price.
While most individuals believe they can handle the task alone, their marketing flaws typically surface early on, as open houses go unattended and the property sits.
12. Be Thoughtful With Your Home Anniversary Postcards
When the one-year house anniversary arrives, be a considerate professional and write a short message to individuals you’ve sold to in the previous year. If you recall any amusing or unusual aspects of their homebuying experience, make sure to note it here so that you remain top of mind for anybody in their network looking to buy or sell a home in the region.
13. Postcards for renters and first-time buyers – Highlight Benefits
Renters are an excellent demographic to target, and although you can show them the statistics (like the postcard above does), you can also offer them the advantages. Different methods will elicit different responses, so it’s a good idea to send them a range of messages. While this real estate postcard emphasizes the personalization element of owning and the potential to really transform a house into a home, it also has a sense of humor.
14. Postcards from Local Markets – Become an Expert
The local price information is of interest to every homeowner (and prospective homeowner), and this is an excellent approach for real estate marketing postcards. Some customers will want to sell, while others will be urged to purchase immediately before they can no longer afford it. Knowing the current condition of the market in the region also establishes you as the go-to person for their real estate requirements.
15. Holiday Postcard – Spread the Joy
Real estate postcards that reflect the festive season are a great way to spread holiday cheer. Notice how this postcard uses houses to serve as a gentle reminder of your company, allowing the recipient to remember what you do while bringing holiday cheer.
It’s much better to be a reminder than a pitch with Christmas real estate postcards. Someone likes to conduct business with people they like and think would like them back. While occasional nudges toward recommendations and business are acceptable, if customers believe they are always being advertised to, it may backfire.
16. Welcome Conversations Postcards for New Agents
Who doesn’t like a good happy hour? By mailing these postcards to past customers or individuals in your area that you’d want to meet, you can create an event that enables people to network, show the fun side of your business, and get to know your staff. While this isn’t a concept I’ve heard before, it’s a good one that may lead to some amazing connections.
17. Real Estate Recipe Postcards – Do Something Good
Custom recipe postcards may be a huge success or a huge flop, and the work you put in determines the outcome. Consider if the dish is suitable for the season, whether it’s simple, whether it’s something a lot of people like, and whether you can offer them a little exclusivity by including a “family secret” recipe they won’t find anywhere else.
People will pay attention to anything unique when there are so many mailers arriving in the door, and they’ve been trained to identify the generic for years. Make an effort, make it intriguing, and put your postcard on the fridge for the season.
18. Interest Rates Highlighted – Market Possibility
Many individuals dream of having their own home, but others may wait until the ideal moment appears. We liked that ProspectsPlus offers postcards that you may personalize for these people and put your own twist to the possibilities.
19. Postcard for a Short Sale – Give Them Out
Short sale and foreclosure real estate postcards are plentiful, but this one gets a lot of things right. Notice how this agent provides a path out for the customer, presents herself as an expert, and avoids using fear in her message. This real estate postcard is ideal for someone who is searching for a way out of a difficult circumstance and wants to speak with someone who is accessible.
20. Show Your Recent Activity Postcards
Recent activity postcards have the advantage of demonstrating your competence without having to shout “I am excellent at my work!” from the rafters. If a buyer or seller is searching for an agent, using these real estate postcards to highlight your recent activity makes you seem to be an apparent front-runner for the position and someone who obviously understands what they’re doing.
21. Postcards with Calls to Action – Make It Simple
Receiving real estate postcards like these may just encourage someone who has been considering relocating to take action. Receiving postcards or mailings is not unusual in high-demand regions with limited inventory, so make sure your message and even your choice of color stand out. Yellow is utilized to emphasize “short inventory” as well as the potential customers she can bring to the table, which is a clever technique to direct the attention when you just have a few seconds to make an impact.
22. Customer Appreciation Postcards – Stress Gratitude and Confidence
A recommendation is the highest praise a client can give you, so be sure to thank them by acknowledging and assuring them of your gratitude. The focus of these real estate postcards is on appreciation rather than solicitation.
23. Informative Postcards – Serve as a Resource
Many individuals utilize house care advice, but real estate postcards with distinctive seasonal events are the most popular. List any area haunted houses, pumpkin patches, hayrides, or other Halloween activities. This agent not only presents herself as a local specialist but also as someone you would find fun to deal with by reminding residents of the things to do in the area. Do something unexpected to increase the likelihood of your postcard being saved and your name being remembered.
24. Spring Reminder Postcards – Emphasize the Importance
The hot season isn’t usually on the minds of prospective sellers, so sending this a month or two before spring starts is a great reminder. Knowing the financial benefits of selling a property sooner rather than later may persuade sellers to rethink their intentions to list later.
25. Connect Across Platforms with Social Media Marketing Postcards
Postcards may seem archaic, but if you position yourself to interact across platforms by urging recipients to visit your social media accounts, you can reach both offline and online audiences. Driving traffic to social media with your real estate postcards allows you to share various aspects of yourself (and your business) with people who may not respond as well to conventional mailings.
“We utilize targeted postcards in our workplace every day,” says Aaron Norris, Vice President of The Norris Group. They do not, however, go out alone. Other forms of marketing are being used in tandems, such as social media postings, emails, and even direct phone calls. It’s the name of the game for us to do what others won’t.”
Why Do Postcards for Real Estate Work?
For decades, effective agents have utilized real estate postcards as a marketing technique. Real estate postcards, more than any other marketing strategy, enable you to target local regions with pinpoint precision and demonstrate to your leads that you are a market expert.
Real estate postcards have many advantages.
Developing Leads and Expanding Your Sphere of Influence
Postcards about real estate sow a seed. After your first round of postcard sending, don’t expect to see a lot of traffic. Consider it an investment in your future instead. Postcards assist you to generate a few leads quickly and developing brand recognition over time.
When you begin receiving leads from your postcard mailings, make sure you have a simple method in place to nurture them. Pipedrive CRM can send customized emails to your leads as they are entered or reach a particular point in your pipeline, in addition to keeping all of the information you need about them. This allows you to keep your leads warm while focusing on other important activities.
Targeting
Only the individuals who are most likely to react to your call to action may be targeted with real estate postcards. Consider mailing postcards as a kind of circle prospecting without the need for a phone. People who reside in the area of your newly listed or recently sold home are most likely to be interested.
Cost-effective
The typical cost of designing, printing, and mailing real estate postcards in small quantities is less than $1 per card. You can bring that number down to around 50 cents per card or less for bigger quantities. Real estate postcards are a fantastic method to promote your name or properties in front of people in your agricultural region at a little cost.
Exposure
Sending real estate postcards with current listings sends a powerful message to your target demographic. It sends the impression that all of your customers are subjected to a vigorous marketing effort, allowing a seller, for example, to feel more comfortable working with you.
How to Keep Your Postcards Out of the Trash
Postcards are the essence of quick and to-the-point communication. The majority of people have limited tolerance for direct mail, and you only have a few seconds of their attention before they decide whether to toss it in the trash or retain it. You can persuade prospective consumers to read or retain your postcards if you create a compelling message.
When consumers receive marketing messages, they usually only have one question in mind: “What’s in it for me?” While this may seem to be a simple idea, it should be at the heart of all you do in sales. If all you think about is what’s in it for you, your marketing will most likely fail.
This article is an excellent illustration of the idea. You saw the title, clicked on it, read the first few lines, and now you’re on this page. Why? What are the benefits to you? Perhaps you’re passing the time between meetings or preparing to start a postcard campaign next week and need some guidance. There’s a reason you’re here. If you can find out why your audience wants to read your postcard, you can use that information to increase the effectiveness of your postcard campaign.
Here are a few reasons why your postcard may be read and kept.
Considering Purchasing or Selling
This one should be self-evident. They may be actively searching for an agent or highly interested in local sales if they’re selling or buying soon.
If there’s one thing, people, like doing, it’s giving their friends (usually unwanted) advice. They may pass on your information if your message is persuasive enough.
It’s a Deal They’ll Take
The offer is the king of “what’s in it for me” responses. There are a plethora of things you may give your audience to pique their interest or get them to retain your business cards.
Here are some of the most popular postcard marketing offers:
Competitive Market Analysis for Free
While the pricing is reasonable, I would not make my offer contingent on a free CMA. First and foremost, every real estate agent within a hundred miles of them has most likely already offered them one. Second, people could certainly discover much of this information for themselves online with little research.
Sales contracts that are shorter
Long sales contracts are one of the main reasons why homeowners are hesitant to work with an agency. Offering a one- or two-week contract with contingencies is a real value proposition for homeowners, and it may entice them to look at your card.
Guarantees of Sales
A guarantee provides real value to your audience and is a compelling incentive for them to retain your card. If you can’t sell their house in 60 days, you may give them a monetary incentive.
Coupons
See if you can work out a deal with a local company to give a discount to your audience if you have a strong connection with them. If you know a contractor or handyman, for example, you may give them a discount on their services. You get to provide value to your readers, while the handyman receives a free promotion and perhaps additional business as a result.
Calendars
Local calendars, if designed and printed well, maybe worthy of being displayed on a person’s refrigerator. If you’re in a boating or beach region, you may provide high/low tide timetables, sports team schedules for local fans, or even places and dates for holiday festivities in the area.
Curiosity
Neighbors’ curiosity should never be underestimated. They may not be selling or purchasing today, or even this year, but they are interested in knowing how many homes are selling for since it impacts the value of their property. Perhaps the home on your postcard belongs to a friend or acquaintance of the person who receives it.
K.I.S.S.
Whether you’re considering what to say on your postcards, which listings to highlight, or how to organize your layout, keep one picture in mind: a person sifting their mail over a recycling can. Remember the acronym KISS, which stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid.
Because you only have so much time, keep your postcards as basic and as easy to read as possible. If they can’t figure out what’s in it for them in a split second or less, it’ll probably end up in the trash.
What Are the Prices of Real Estate Postcards?
Real estate postcards cost between 50 cents and $2 for each card sent to your lead, according to our study. As you would expect, the pricing of these items varies greatly based on the number requested, the size of the items, and the printing quality. Let’s look at the four major expenses associated with real estate postcards:
1. Postage Costs
With a postal service, the typical cost of sending a conventional postcard (4 inches by 6 inches) varies between 23 cents and 41 cents per postcard. Expect to spend approximately 18 cents per unit if you utilize EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) via the post office.
Postage Costs with a Mailing Service
If you’ve ever done an online search for postcard mailing services, you know there are a lot of options and costs range widely. It’s crucial to deal with a reputable business that will not charge you hidden costs despite the fact that it may seem more costly at first. ProspectsPLUS is a great choice to explore if you want to keep things simple.
ProspectsPlus provides two types of mailing services: first-class and ordinary (bulk). For time-sensitive real estate marketing materials, use first-class mailing since it is the quickest choice. Within three to five days, you will get your postcards. The cost per first-class shipping of a 46 postcard with ProspectsPLUS is .59 or less; for bigger postcards, the cost may rise to .89 per piece.
To save money, go with ordinary (bulk) mailing. It’s less expensive, but it’s a lot slower. It’s not ideal for event notice since the typical delivery time is between 10 and 14 days. With a 200-card minimum, expect to spend between .70 and .80 per card. As the amount grows, the rates drop. For giant (8.5-inch by 5.5-inch) postcards and bigger, ProspectsPLUS only provides basic mailing.
What does a mailing service include? As an example, consider ProspectsPLUS.
- USPS verification on-site
- For the lowest postal costs, CASS Certification is required.
- Coated cover stock paper (100#)
- Front and rear printing in full color
- The front of the card has a UV protective coating.
- 100% of your purchase will be tracked.
Postal Rates
Expect to pay between .25 and .34 per postcard if you want to mail it yourself via the USPS. The cost varies depending on whether you’re distributing it to a larger audience. The cost of sending real estate postcards without using a mailing service is broken out below.
You must mail at least 500 cards to qualify for a first-class commercial rate. The fee is .34. If you send 500 or more postcards, you may send them to a 5-digit zip code for .25 per postcard. Expect to pay .26 for 500 postcards if you want to cast a larger net and transmit to a 3-digit zip code region.
For a minimum of 500 postcards, the postcard pricing increases to.29 per postcard for presorted postcards. Keep in mind that the USPS charges an annual shipping cost of approximately $215. In addition, you’ll need to apply for a postal permit, which is free.
Mailing without the help of a mailing service may be overwhelming, which is why it’s frequently simpler to simply use a service to save time and effort.
2. The Price of Printing
The cost of printing is often cheaper than the cost of postage. Although prices vary greatly based on volume and business, expect to spend between .05 and .17 each postcard.
The expenses of shipping and printing a two-sided, full-color postcard on laminated cover paper are about as follows:
- 100 Postcards –.68 each (printing is.24; postage is.34)
- 250 Postcards –.53 each (printing is.19; postage is.34)
- 500 Postcards –.52 each (printing is.18; postage is.34)
Costs of Design
You have three options for design: create your own postcard, utilize a template, or engage a design company. Charges vary from $0 to $99 and more for a design team if you build it yourself or use a free template.
Because the design components are established and there are no surprises, templates are a popular choice. You just upload your own pictures, message, and contact details. It’s simple to do and the fastest choice.
Here are a few pre-made template options:
Graphic Designers
Another alternative for excellent design on a budget is to utilize Fiverr or 99designs instead of purchasing templates. Both services allow you to employ excellent designers at a low cost. You can hire someone to create a bespoke postcard for $5 on Fiverr, and you can put up parameters on 99designs and have multiple artists come up with mock-ups for your design. After they’re all in, you may pick your favorite.
4. The Price of Purchasing a Mailing List
Building a strong mailing list may be accomplished in a variety of ways. While you can build your own mailing list from current customers, you may not have enough individuals on your list if you’re launching a large campaign. Building a mailing list is a service that may help you improve your visibility.
Companies that specialize in list creation may assist you in making your work simpler. ProspectsPLUS, for example, allows you to create a list based on location (zip codes or neighborhoods), demographic data (number and age of children, projected house worth), and even behavioral indicators such as how recently they moved.
Expect to pay between .03 and .20 per record for the ProspectsPLUS lists, depending on the amount ordered. This is a normal price, although it will drop as volume increases. The more albums you purchase, the cheaper each record will cost. To get started, go here.
EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail)
For a little less than 18 cents per postcard, the USPS offers an EDDM service that allows you to send a postcard to every single house along a certain postal route. That implies you’ll spend a little less than $100 to reach 500 houses in your agricultural region. This is a fantastic way for new agents to focus on particular areas in which they wish to expand their orbit.
How Does EDDM Work?
EDDM is really very easy, especially considering it is managed by the US Postal Service. Simply design your postcard according to their standards and have your direct mail business deliver them through EDDM, or set up EDDM yourself at your local post office or on the USPS website. The USPS will then send your postcard to every single house on the postal route you choose, with a daily delivery limit of 5,000 postcards.
Cost of EDDM vs. Return on Investment
Most studies show that direct mail has a response rate of three to four percent. That implies you should get about 40 replies from the 1,000 postcards you sent through EDDM. You’d have a 1,000% ROI if you could obtain a listing or buyer customer from just one of those replies.
If you’re short on time, you may outsource the EDDM setup to a printing firm like ProspectsPLUS!®. They have a $20 setup cost per carrier route, in addition to normal printing and EDDM postage charges. The only catch is that they only do this for postcards that are “Panoramic” in size (11 inches by 5.5 inches) or larger.
What Is the Best Way to Create a Real Estate Postcard?
You should concentrate on usefulness rather than beauty when creating real estate postcards. That means making sure your design is legible, clear, and intriguing enough for people to pick it up and read it. It will be critical to choose particular aspects such as design, paper type, and size.
Consistency in Design
Because you’ll be sending out numerous mailing campaigns, keep in mind that you want your style to stand out and be recognized. At the very least, five mailings should be sent out. When creating, bear in mind that your prior attempts should all have a similar appearance so that they seem to be part of the same family. Use the same self-portrait. Place the logo in the same location as the text. Maintain the same color scheme and layout. All of these things have a role in brand awareness.
Select a Paper Type
When it comes to postcard printing, your choices may vary based on the printing provider you choose, but in general, you will have four major possibilities:
- Stock for the cover
- Laminated
- UV protection
- Heavy
Because of its glossy, high-end appearance, UV coating is often the most preferred option. You may also choose a professional matte finish for your postcards if gloss isn’t your style.
Select a Paper Size
Although you may make your postcard whatever size you like, the most popular size is 4 inches by 6 inches. In many instances, it’s also the cheapest choice. Although a bigger postcard will stand out, the cost of printing and shipping will be more. The following are the most common postcard sizes:
- 4-inch x 6 inch
- Size: 5 x 7 inches
- 6″ x 9″ x 6″ x 9″ x 6″
- 6″ x 11″ x 6″ x 11″ x 6″
How Often Should Real Estate Postcards Be Sent?
“Effective postcard frequency is nine to twelve times yearly to your highest-value market, and four to twelve times annually to other targeted areas,” says real estate consultant Rich Levin. Any marketing effort should aim to achieve top-of-mind awareness. That implies your name should come to mind when the targeted market thinks about real estate.”
Another noteworthy fact is that after the sixth contact, 81 percent of transactions are closed. Here’s how it works:
- On the initial call, there was a 2% close.
- On the second call, the price closed at 3%.
- On the third call, the price closed at 4%.
- On the fourth call, a ten percent close was made.
- On the sixth call, there was an 81 percent close.
When you consider that most company owners get discouraged and abandon their postcard marketing campaign after the third round, it’s easy to understand why so many individuals don’t see the benefit. When you send postcards to a target demographic on a regular basis, however, something miraculous occurs, and after the sixth contact, you’ll start to notice a larger reaction.
Measuring the Return on Investment (ROI) of a Real Estate Postcard Campaign
Determining the success of your postcard marketing campaign may be difficult at times. There is no method to monitor metrics in an easy-to-read dashboard or get analytics feedback, unlike websites and Facebook advertising. Here are some methods for assessing the success of your postcard marketing campaign.
Inquire about the source
When a lead contacts you, inquire as to how they learned about you and keep note of their responses. In your CRM (customer relationship management) system, record when the source responds and what business was generated as a result of the engagement. You’ll be able to monitor the effects of your postcard marketing over time and with consistency, but this technique will not be instantaneous.
Request the Card’s Return.
Give the customer an incentive if they return to your office with the postcard on your postcard. Special discounts on your services or even complimentary coffee are examples of unique offerings. Whatever you believe will persuade the prospect to contact you. Make a note of it in your CRM system when they return with a postcard in hand.
Create a landing page
Create a simple landing page to track how many visitors saw your postcard and then went to your website. You’ll know how many visitors originated from postcards if you use a unique URL address to the particular landing page.
Make use of a QR code
Another method to track who visited your website after receiving one of your postcards is to use a QR code that leads to a specific landing page. Although QR codes may be a useful tool for tracking, they can take up precious space on your postcard.
Final Thoughts
You may generate leads and target your region in ways that appeal to particular prospective consumers by sending real estate postcards. A real estate postcard campaign may have a significant effect on your bottom line if you send them to the appropriate individuals, keep your message focused, and provide value.