Rookie Realtors: Should You Be Using Direct Mail?

As a new real estate agent, you want to set up your real estate marketing in the right way, so you generate real estate leads and build your referral business. At the same time, however, you’re probably on a limited budget and, therefore, need to spend your “marketing dollars” wisely.

So, is it wise to include real estate direct mail in your marketing mix?

Let’s take a closer look at that question…

Direct mail has been around for decades. So, it’s easy to assume it’s old-school and no longer works well in our internet-connected world. You might even think no one reads direct mail anymore.

But those assumptions couldn’t be further from the truth.

As discussed previously in this blog, studies show that direct mail is read by a surprisingly large segment of just about every demographic. Even millennials! Direct mail is tactile and, therefore, gets handled, making it uniquely interactive. People tend to trust marketing messages in a mailer more so than other marketing channels. (There’s something about your words being “in print” that heightens credibility and impact.)

In addition, real estate direct mail is the only marketing media with a 100% delivery rate. Assuming the address is correct, it will get there.

So as a Rookie Realtor looking to set up your real estate marketing for success, how would you use direct mail?

Let’s look at a couple of scenarios.

The first is real estate geographic farming. To establish yourself as a go-to agent in a particular community, you must stay in touch with those residents and get them to “know, like and trust” you. By far, the best way to do that is with a geo farming newsletter mailed monthly. It’s the next best thing to you visiting everyone personally each month.

Your geographic farming newsletter should be eye-catching, feature your picture and brand, include your personal message, and be packed with original content (tips, articles, advice) that recipients will be eager to read.

Another scenario is to use real estate direct mail to build relationships with your contacts. Those can include family members, professional contacts, and any buyer and seller clients you’ve worked with so far. Doing that with a real estate newsletter will set the stage for getting referrals, now and in the future. In fact, you should be adding every new contact to your real estate newsletter list if they are a potential referral source.

As you can see, tactically, real estate direct mail makes sense. But is it affordable on a tight first-year budget?

Yes, it can be — very affordable, in fact — if you sign up with a proven real estate marketing system that includes direct mail newsletters.

So, from a cost-benefit standpoint, real estate direct mail not only makes sense for first-year agents, but it’s also arguably a necessity.

By the way, we have a program for Rookie Realtors that makes it easy and affordable to get started. Find out more here.

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Want more success tips for your first year as an agent? Check out these articles.

15 Ways to Make Your First Years as a Rookie Realtor a Big Success

Real Estate Marketing Advice for Rookie Realtors: Advice from Your Future Self

4 Ways to Stay Motivated as a Rookie Real Estate Agent

Top 5 Real Estate Marketing Myths That Cost Rookie Realtors Time and Money