In a world full of email inbox notifications, and endless ad scrolling on social media, you may be wondering if direct mail is still an effective way for your agents to reach the right homeowners.
If you’re a new real estate agent or looking to expand your sales pipeline, adding Just Listed/ Just Sold (JLJS) direct mailing to your multichannel marketing strategy is a must.
What are Just Listed/Just Sold mailings?
Just Listed/Just Sold mailings are postcards that showcase properties that have either recently been listed for sale or have recently sold. The postcards have professional photos of and list details about the property: square footage, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and any special features.
You send these postcards to a specific group of people with whom you want to do business that have properties near the ones that have been recently listed or sold. It can be particularly powerful to send to expired listings or for sale by owner (FSBO) properties nearby.
When someone receives your JLJS mailing, it’ll let them know that you’re there to help when they’re ready to sell. But that’s not the only benefit of a JLJS mailer.
Why use JLJS mailing?
Direct mailing helps you reach a large number of your ideal clients, establish your reputation as an expert in the area, and position yourself as the go-to agent when the time is right to sell. The more you connect with your prospective client through direct mail marketing like Just Listed and Just Sold postcards, email newsletters, and special event announcement emails, the more credibility you build and the stronger the relationship.
Just Listed and Just Sold mailers create a scarcity mindset and enforce a sense of urgency to act now. Whether your prospect has listed and was unsuccessful, the listing expired or they didn’t receive the type of offers they wanted, your JLJS mailer could be the nudge they need to contact you.
Want to learn how Cole fills your pipeline with quality prospects?
Another advantage to deploying direct JLJS mailers in your marketing is creating a fear of mission out in your target audience.
If a potential prospect who has been living in their home for about 7 years, the average amount of time before a homeowner starts thinking about selling, receives a Just Sold postcard from your agency featuring a home similar to theirs that sold at a desirable price, they won’t want to miss out on being the next to list and sell while the market is in their favor.
A direct mailer is easy to scan for important information at a glance and is something they can retain and refer to when the time is right to consider selling.
When you stack up the psychological effects JLJS mailers have on prospective clients, it’s no wonder nearly 40% of homeowners decide to list with the first agent to contact them via direct mailer.
So, now that you know why JLJS direct mailers are effective, how do you get started with your mailing campaign? Next, we will review our best practices for launching a solid JLJS campaign and how Cole can help.
How to get started with Just Listed/Just Sold mailers.
- Use professional, high-quality photos.
The imagery in your mailer should be clear, high-quality with good lighting and centered around the best features of the property; large soaking tub, coffered ceilings, spacious lot, etc. - No cellphone photos.
Nothing cheapens your mailer and your reputation quicker than low-quality, poorly framed, cellphone pictures. - Keep copy and design simple.
The pictures of the home should be the main imagery, not a giant company logo. The goal of the mailer is to get your prospect to visualize their own home on a similar mailer by seeing the beautifully staged home featured, not about you or your agency. Make it about the client. - Your headline should stand out against all other copy on the mailer
Keep it simple with clear copy like: “Just Sold”, or “Another Home Sold in Bel Air Greens” - Always include a clear Call to Action.
What is a Call to Action? It’s the action you are asking your prospects to take! “Contact Us Now”, “Call Now”, etc. are examples of strong, clear calls to action. Tell them what you want them to do to engage with you. Avoid phrases like, “Learn More”, and “Have Questions?”, these are passive and it’s not clear what you are asking your prospect to do. - Deliver something of value.
Offer a free home value analysis or comparable properties that have sold in the last 90 days.A special offer, like a discount on closing costs if they mention the mailer is a good incentive to get them to take action. - Follow up.
Lead generation is a long game and consistent contact keeps you top of mind while building your credibility as the expert on that particular area. You should aim to send a mailer approximately once a month with any updates that your curated lead lists will find useful and relevant.
Start your mailing campaign off on the right foot with Cole Realty Resource. Cole gives agents like you the power to fully customize your lead lists and take a strategic approach to prospecting by reaching the right people at the right time.
Equipped with these helpful tips, you are well on your way to launching a powerful Just Listed/ Just Sold campaign.
We can’t stress enough the importance of starting with a quality lead list for a successful direct marketing campaign. This is where Cole’s powerful data gives agents like you the edge you need to reach the right people first. Using Cole’s customizable lead list, you can select the attributes you want in your ideal client. Attributes like: expired listings, FSBO, or homeowners who are approaching 7 years of ownership, and take a more targeted and strategic approach to prospecting.
Tired of not being first in mind?
Contact us now to get started on a better prospecting journey.
