The Power of Print and Direct Mail in Real Estate Marketing: 12 Expert Tips

Direct mail in real estate marketing is a powerful mix between traditional mail and modern technology. Naturally, as print marketing returns, this topic is hotter than ever.

Direct mail marketing is starting to show a positive impact on the housing market. But sending physical messages in the digital age can be quite a feat. How do you capture attention? How can you craft the designs to start with? And how do you send the actual mail?

If you’re ready to find out how you can turn curious eyes into excited homeowners, you’re in the right place. Let’s delve in.

Your Next Direct Mail Marketing Campaign: What | How | When

You’re probably here to find out the answer to this question: Does direct mail work? The short answer is: yes.

Direct mail marketing may seem like a thing of the past. Yet, with the recent comeback of print ROI, you’ll want to catch this wave ASAP.

Real estate agents are investing in flyers, catalogs, brochures, and modern postcards, which is a great way to boost your marketing strategy. You should do the same if you want to stay competitive in the industry.

What Is Direct Mail In Real Estate Marketing?

Direct mail is a marketing strategy in real estate that involves sending physical mail, like postcards or letters, to a specific list of potential customers’ mailboxes. This allows real estate agents to reach a wide audience and provide targeted messaging to potential buyers or sellers. Direct mail can create new leads and increase brand awareness in a cost-effective way, especially in competitive farming areas.

Direct mail efforts can be a lucrative approach to real estate marketing. That’s especially true if you pair it with digital strategies too.

How To Start With Real Estate Direct Mail?

Just like every successful marketing campaign, you should start by defining your target market. Apart from your ideal customer, this should include your target-specific demographics (neighborhood, age group, specific interests, etc.) and geography.

The next step would be defining your objectives for your direct marketing campaign. Do you want to raise brand awareness and become popular as the top of mind real estate agent in your farming area? Do you want to sell a house that’s been in your portfolio for a long time? Do you want to improve your long-term relationship building with your customers? Or perhaps increase traffic from new prospects to your real estate website? Decide on your goals to further outline the direct mail campaign.

Then, you need to define your go-to print materials. These can include:

• Flyers
• Brochures
• Catalogs
• Door Hangers
• Postcards
• Business Cards

Any many others…

👉Try Out Xara’s Free Real Estate Templates to kickstart your direct mail marketing campaigns!

Skip the Post Office! Design, Print, and Distribute to Your Farm Area with Xara.

Our new xpressdocs integration revolutionizes real estate direct mail marketing. Real estate agents can now design, print, and ship direct mail postcards and other materials to their specific farm area from one dashboard.

Xara simplifies the process of creating and distributing materials to a targeted mailing list in any region, whether specific streets, zip codes, or entire cities. Agents can filter by demographics to ensure their direct mailings reach the right real estate leads within the right neighborhood.

Enhance your agents’ productivity and improve their prospecting to ensure your brokerage closes deals more quickly.

When Is The Best Time To Run A Direct Mail Campaign?

Direct mail marketing works best as part of an integral marketing strategy of a real estate business.

Sending direct mail is most effective throughout the following:

• Important annual events (Black Friday, Mother’s Day, Christmas, etc.)
• Internal marketing campaigns (e.g., a brand awareness campaign for a start-up, a revamping campaign for a real estate business, etc.)
• Slow economic conditions due to seasonality (e.g., winter months in the real estate market)

A direct mail campaign may show positive results in senior-dominated neighborhoods. That’s because this group of potential sellers and buyers may not be interested in digital campaigns, such as Facebook Ads, as millennials do.

12 Tips For Your Direct Mail In Real Estate Marketing Strategy

A real estate direct mail campaign can work in many different ways. The difference between a great outcome and a poor ROI lies in the details.

Thus, make sure to go through each of our best practices if you want to make your direct mail marketing efforts worth it.

Invest in the Right Solution & Templates

Looking for the right direct mail marketing tool? Forget your old designs and the United States or UK postal service!

Embrace the Xara Cloud and Xpressdocs integration. Here’s a step-by-step example of how this solution can help you win over your real estate market:

• Design Excellence. Begin by creating stunning marketing materials using Xara Cloud’s intuitive custom design tools. Craft visually appealing flyers, brochures, and catalogs that resonate with your target audience.
• Seamless Integration. Once your design is ready, print it via XPressdocs for distribution. The integration ensures a smooth digital and physical transition, maintaining design integrity.
• Precise Targeting. Use Xpressdocs to distribute your materials to specific Zip Codes or local areas. This targeting feature ensures that your materials land in the hands of potential clients who matter most.
• Timely Deployment. Time your distribution strategically. Align with seasonal trends, market events, or momentous occasions.

Choose the Right Audience

Choosing the right audience for your real estate marketing is crucial. Follow this specific guide to ensure your materials resonate with the right individuals:

• Set Clear Objectives. Define your goals – whether it’s selling properties, building brand awareness, or attracting a pool of prospective clients.
• Audience Examples. Identify specific groups, like first-time homebuyers, property owners, or real estate investors.
• Demographic Details. Gather data on age, income, and family size. Then, create targeted segments within your specific group.
• Interest Insights. Research preferences to tailor your content to what your target audience cares about.
• Neighborhood Focus. Customize materials based on particular neighborhoods, showcasing your local expertise. Try hyper-targeted direct mail campaigns by using personalized messages and local insights.

Target Your Farming Area

Focusing on your farming area can bring remarkable results. Word of mouth is powerful, and so is your local network.

By directing your efforts toward your community, you establish genuine connections. Thus, you will see better results from your direct mail real estate marketing efforts.

Follow these actionable steps to win over your local real estate market:

• Define the specific neighborhoods or regions where you operate as your farming area. Focus your direct mail pieces within that specific area.
• Understand the unique characteristics, amenities, and attractions of each neighborhood. Use this hands-on knowledge to make your direct mail sequences stand out.
• Craft materials that highlight how your properties align with each community. Let’s say your local community consists of young families with children. In this particular example, it’s best to show how your local properties are close to schools and parks.
• Maintain a consistent presence through regular updates about properties in the area.

👉For a complete guide on this type of marketing strategy, check out our guide on real estate farming.

Be Timely and Seasonally Prepared

When it comes to real estate marketing campaigns, timing is everything. Follow these tips to ensure your direct mail is well-prepared:

• Sync your campaigns with major annual events. Think of Black Friday, holidays, or local festivals.
• Stay tuned to seasonal market trends. For instance, promote cozy homes during winter or beachfront properties in the summer.
• Keep up with local events and customs. Tailor your materials to coincide with neighborhood festivities. This will make your prospective client resonate with you.
• Craft limited-time offers that align with the season’s demands. For example, offer discounts on renting beach houses during the last days of summer. Encourage quick action with your direct mail piece by using FOMO in your strategy.

Leverage Compelling Design For Postcards, Flyers & Brochures

As a realtor, you know that design plays a key role in driving attention to your services and listings. Here’s how you can use Xara to elevate your marketing materials:

• Innovative Design Tool. Xara is your creative playground. It offers design tools for beginners and pros that you can use to craft and edit any direct mail piece.
• Ready-to-Go Templates. Start with Xara’s collection of customizable real estate templates. Use the real estate letters, real estate postcard template, or any design you want to elevate your brand identity.
• Brand Guideline Integration. Connect your website’s URL to apply brand guidelines automatically. This will help you ensure a consistent visual identity across all materials.
• Batch Design. Streamline your workflow with batch design. With just a few clicks, you can create various materials for different campaigns at once.
• MLS Integration. Save time by auto-populating templates with MLS data. This helps you ensure accurate property details when you send direct mail.
• Personalized Branding. Incorporate your brand assets – logos, fonts, and images – from the Digital Asset Management section. Real estate marketers love this feature, as it saves time and effort on their side.
• AI Generator. Overcome creative blocks with Xara’s AI generator. Use it to add compelling copy to your templates.

Incorporate Persuasive Copy

In the real estate business, words hold immense power. They make or break a deal, and they’re often the ones that draw leads your way.

Here’s how you can create persuasive copy that captivates and converts:

• Concise and Clear. Craft succinct yet impactful sentences that convey your message with precision.
• Benefits First. Highlight the best side of your listings and services right from the start to pique interest.
• Action-Oriented CTAs. Include compelling calls to action that urge readers to take the next step. Some examples include “Explore Now” or “Contact Us”.
• Error-Free Content. Proofread diligently to eliminate grammar and spelling errors. As real estate professionals, this is the last thing you want to see after your direct mailers receive your mail postcards.
• Captivating Headlines. Create attention-grabbing real estate headlines that spark curiosity. They will encourage further reading from your leads.
• Factual Accuracy. Ensure all information is accurate and up-to-date. This can help you build trust with your audience and establish yourself as one of the local market experts. It also resonates well with any real estate investor that receives your mail.
• Emotional Appeal. Tap into emotions with relatable content or success stories. You can also use social proof examples like testimonials from home buyers who found their dream place or home sellers who enjoyed your professionalism.
• Give Yourself an AI Boost. Use Xara’s AI generator powered by Open AI to customize templates with compelling text.

Measure and Adapt

Observe response rates, engagement metrics, and conversion numbers. They will help you tweak your marketing strategies and see how well your direct mail works.

Also, you should analyze data to uncover trends and identify strengths. This will help your real estate agency get one step ahead of other real estate businesses.

Here are some reputable sources to use when watching trends:

• National Association of Realtors (NAR)
• Zillow Research
• Realtor Magazine
• Local Real Estate Associations
• Real Estate Conferences
• Industry Blogs and News Outlets

Establish a Multichannel Approach

In a nutshell, a multichannel approach means having both a physical and a digital marketing strategy. Digital channels, combined with direct mail touches, are a winning combo for an estate professional.

Here are the elements you need to integrate into an effective marketing strategy:

• Digital and Print Fusion: Combine digital and print marketing efforts to create a consistent brand image across all channels. This can involve running targeted digital ads alongside print ads in relevant publications.
• Social Media Engagement: Engage with potential customers on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Share news about your business, showcase your properties, and highlight your successes.
• Email Campaigns: Inform subscribers about your latest properties, promotions, and news. Use email automation tools to send targeted emails to specific email list segments.
• A Functional, Well-Optimized Website: Ensure your website is easy to navigate, appealing, and optimized for search engines. Use high-quality photos and detailed property descriptions to attract potential buyers and renters.
• Video Marketing: Use video to showcase your properties in a visually compelling way. Create virtual tours, property walkthroughs, and neighborhood guides to help potential buyers and renters better understand what your properties have to offer.

Nurture Relationships; Network or Net Worth?

Here’s how to nurture connections and enhance your net worth:

• Tailor interactions to individual needs, showing genuine care and interest.
• Attend local events, industry gatherings, and conferences.
• Show gratitude through personalized messages and follow-ups.
• Implement referral incentives to encourage satisfied clients to spread the word.

Check out all the major real estate conferences you need to attend in 2023.

Outsource When It Makes Sense

Recognize tasks that could be outsourced or automated to free your time.

Xara integrates with xpressdocs. So, you can craft your materials in Xara and directly print with xpressdocs. You can even distribute them to specific local areas using Zip Codes.

You can delegate other non-core tasks like creating print and online materials.

👉 Sign up for Xara Cloud now!

Automate all your real estate marketing materials and brand management from one intuitive dashboard.

Run A/B Tests for Your Door Direct Mail

Enhance your real estate direct mail campaigns by conducting A/B tests. Follow these steps before you send mail:

• Identify one element to test, like headlines, visuals, or calls to action.
• Divide your audience into groups and send different variations to each.
• Measure response rates, engagement, and conversions for each variant.
• Analyze results and apply them to future campaigns.

Employ Guerilla Marketing

Guerilla marketing is all about being unconventional and thinking outside the box. This powerful tactic can help you achieve ultimate success in the real estate industry.

Here are some ideas to use if you want to leave a memorable impact on your real estate mailers:

• 3D Pop-Ups. Design mailers that turn into 3D shapes when people open them. Showcase property layouts or unique features.
• Puzzle Postcards. Send postcards that recipients assemble to reveal a captivating property image or message.
• Mini Brochure Scrolls. Roll up essential property details in a scroll format to unravel your offering.
• Fold-Out Maps. Provide neighborhood maps that fold out to reveal highlighted amenities and nearby attractions.
• Custom Cut-Outs. Create mailers with intricate cut-outs that reveal stunning visuals. They could also reveal important property information like its market value or number of rooms.
• Discounts for existing clients. Design loyalty cards for property maintenance services or future real estate transactions.

As a Real Estate Agent, You Need to Embrace Both Digital and Print

As print is coming back, you should stay informed about direct mail services and print materials. Still, as a real estate agent, printing and digital methods are essential.

If you want to establish yourself as an authority among real estate agents, you need to learn from pro real estate marketers.

Create a free account in Xara Cloud and get access to our weekly resources, free real estate templates, direct mail materials and print marketing integration, and many more!

👉Get access to our free real estate resources here! 

FAQs About Print and Direct Mail in Real Estate Marketing

Q: Is targeting a farming area more effective than a broader approach?

A: Targeting a farming area allows you to create a local presence and connect with nearby clients.

Q: How can I ensure my direct mail campaigns are well-received?

A: Craft personalized and relevant messaging. Use appealing designs. Time your campaigns for the best response rates.

Q: What role does timing play in real estate direct mail?

A: Timing is crucial. Align your campaigns with seasons, market trends, and relevant events.

Q: How can I measure the success of my direct mail campaigns?

A: Measure direct mail success through:

1. QR Codes. Monitor engagement with included QR codes.
2. Tracking Forms. Gather feedback on customer sources with online forms asking customers where they heard from you first.
3. Revenue Analysis. Compare total revenue pre/post print marketing.

Design, print, and ship today!

Start with a library of print templates or import and work with your own materials.

• Same-day printing and shipping
• Reach new customers in your target areas
• Easy customization and high-quality finish to stand out

Send those mailers today!