So when paired with other types of marketing, real estate mailers can be a powerful (and effective) add-on\u2014let\u2019s dig into the most recent trends around direct mail advertising and then we\u2019ll get into best practices on how to make those print ads for your house work a little magic.<\/p>\n The concept of an agent using \u201csnail mail\u201d for advertising home sales might be cringeworthy to you\u2014especially if you\u2019re thinking about how many of those things you\u2019ve tossed without reading.<\/p>\n You may even worry that you\u2019ve got the wrong Realtor. Instead of hiring an experienced agent, you\u2019ve signed on with a dinosaur clinging to outdated, old-school techniques that are wasteful and ineffective.<\/p>\n At first glance, it looks like the data backs that mindset up.<\/p>\n Now that the real estate world has fully embraced the digital age, your local MLS sends your listing out to over 900 websites<\/a>, giving the world access to your home\u2019s photos, stats, and list price instantaneously. Plus, nearly\u00a0all generations of home buyers<\/a>\u00a0rely on the internet to help them house hunt.<\/p>\n In fact, direct mail doesn\u2019t even make the list of top information sources used by buyers to search for homes.<\/p>\n With so many home selling resources online, a lot of agents have significantly reduced the amount of direct mail marketing they do, and some have dropped it altogether.<\/p>\n But that fact can actually work to your advantage.<\/p>\n But how far can you really stand out if only a handful read your agent\u2019s direct mailer and printed mail is essentially dead<\/a>?<\/p>\n From that day in 1775 when Benjamin Franklin was appointed as the first Postmaster General<\/a> to the glory days of the Pony Express<\/a>, direct mail has been a powerful form of communication in the US.<\/p>\n Back in the day, it looked like \u201csnail mail\u201d was here to stay\u2014until Alexander Graham Bell<\/a> and his invention of the telephone<\/a> just over 140 years ago changed how we communicate forever.<\/p>\n Yet even while the world fell in love with the ability to talk to each other instantly, the power of written communication stayed strong. Everyday people still enjoyed sending and birthday cards, letters home, and even love letters, while the business community knew the value behind the phrase \u201cget it in writing.\u201d<\/p>\n Things looked bleak for direct mail once again when email gained popularity<\/a> in the 1990s. And this fact seemingly seals its fate: the number of adults sending the type of mail people actually enjoy getting has been steadily falling since 1996.<\/p>\n But direct mail isn\u2019t quite dead, yet. And recent data indicates that it may continue to show signs of life for some time to come.<\/p>\n A report from the United States Postal Service (USPS) shows that the decline in direct mail services has actually leveled off<\/a> in recent years.<\/p>\n And the Direct Marketing Association recently found that direct mail has a 4.4% response rate<\/a>. On the other hand, marketing emails (which often filter directly to spam before the consumer even sees it) have a miniscule 0.12% response rate.<\/p>\n Their data also shows that 66% of people have made a purchase<\/a> because of marketing materials they received via direct mail.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the fact that it\u2019s more exhilarating (relatively speaking\u2014mail\u2019s not a roller coaster or a rock concert) about opening the mailbox and sorting through paper mail than there is sifting through spam in your email.<\/p>\n This fact is true for every generation, as proven by a recent Gallup poll that found that even 36% of millennials<\/a> look forward to checking their physical mailbox daily.<\/p>\n So what does this mini history lesson on mail have to do with selling your house? It\u2019s proof that print has staying power<\/b>.<\/p>\n What\u2019s in your mailbox? And do you even bother to read it?<\/p>\n It\u2019s commonly accepted that most people walk right from the mailbox to the recycling bin. Instead of reading those colorful, expensive direct-mailed flyers and postcards, they ignore it as mass-mailed \u201cjunk\u201d and throw it right onto the trash heap.<\/p>\n In truth, more people are reading direct mail than you think. Surprisingly, 27% of recipients<\/a> surveyed by the Gallup poll reported having a positive reaction to advertising cards and mailers.<\/p>\n And just who are those marketing mailer-loving people? Believe it or not, millennials.<\/p>\n A 2016 InfoTrends study found that more than any other generation, millennials are likelier to read direct mailers<\/a>\u2014and 25% of those millennial readers actually enjoy reading it.<\/p>\n The mail-reading habits of millennials should matter to you because data from the National Association of Research tells us that\u00a0currently, millennials make up a whopping\u00a0<\/b>36% of the home buyer pool<\/b><\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n So if you want to sell your house fast and for the most amount of money, you need to target your marketing materials<\/a> at biggest buyer pool\u2014and millennial home buyers<\/a> read direct mailers.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not easy to make sure your mailer gets read by potential buyers instead of tossed with the rest of the junk mail. The keys to success are: the right look, catchy content, and impeccable timing.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re clicking through hundreds of houses on an MLS-fed website, every listing starts to look the same\u2014but a direct mailer offers a better chance that buyers will remember your house.<\/p>\n Why? Because they can\u2019t just quickly click past a direct mailer.<\/p>\n They have in their hands a hard copy, physical reminder that your gorgeous home is up for sale\u2014whereas digital listings are out of sight, out of mind.<\/p>\n So your mailer needs to make it look so gorgeous that buyers are inspired to schedule a showing.<\/p>\n \u201cDirect mailers should be similar to the glossy handout that you\u2019d have at open houses,\u201d explains DeFrancesco.<\/p>\n So make sure your mailer is printed on heavy cardstock with the best photos<\/a> of your home. What you say on the mailer is just as important.<\/p>\n Real estate mailers have a singular purpose\u2014selling houses. So the basic content of the copy<\/a> (or text) that\u2019s written on it is pretty straightforward.<\/p>\n \u201cYour mailer should include all of the information about the property, the price, the square footage, and its best features,\u201d says DeFrancesco.<\/p>\n But just because your limited word count needs to be information-heavy, doesn\u2019t mean that it has to be boring. The better your mailer copy is, the better your chances are that buyers will book a showing.<\/p>\n The more showings you have, the higher your odds are to get multiple offers.<\/p>\n So get creative with your word choice. For example, instead of using a vague descriptor like \u201cspacious\u201d to describe your kitchen try \u201cchef\u2019s kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n And ask your agent what buzzwords are currently trending with buyers. If \u201copen floor plan\u201d and \u201cresort-like\u201d yard are drawing crowds (and offers), put them in your direct mailer copy.<\/p>\n Just make sure your home actually has those features you described so creatively, or they\u2019ll walk away disappointed and without making an offer.<\/p>\n Great-looking mailers with killer copy don\u2019t stand a chance of bringing in buyers if they aren\u2019t sent out at the right time.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t send out mailers until the property is listed, because I don\u2019t think it benefits the seller,\u201d says DeFrancesco. \u201cYou want maximum exposure for the property, so you want the listing to hit with a big marketing push.\u201d<\/p>\n Unfortunately, some agents only send out mailers after a property has sold.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen used for a seller, most direct mailers are what’s called \u2018just sold\u2019 announcements where agents advertise sales they\u2019ve just had in that area. That only benefits the agent,\u201d says DeFrancesco.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the better way to use mailers to sell property is a \u2018just listed\u2019 announcement, because now it’s not just advertising the agent, it\u2019s marketing on behalf of the seller. I\u2019m a big fan of \u2018just listed\u2019 mailers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2019Just listed\u2019 mailers are typically sent to other homes in your area\u2014whether the homeowners are planning on moving or not.<\/p>\n Okay, so your neighbors probably aren\u2019t going to buy your house\u2014they already live there! But if your neighbors love where they\u2019re living, they\u2019re the best advocates for the neighborhood and your listing.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen your neighbor gets that \u2018just listed\u2019 notification, they\u2019ll pick up the phone and tell a friend, a family member, or a coworker about your house,\u201d says DeFrancesco. \u201cWhen the recommendation comes from a trusted source, that has a lot more value than coming from an agent trying to sell them a house.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Stack](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/mail-real-estate-mailers.jpg\")
<\/a>Not sold on snail mail in the 21st century?<\/h2>\n
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<\/a>The rise and fall of direct mail<\/h2>\n
![\"Infographic](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image2-1-1.png\")
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<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Infographic](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/unnamed-3-1.png\")
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<\/a>The true fate (and benefits) of direct mailers<\/h2>\n
![\"Chart](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/maile2.jpg\")
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<\/a>The 3 keys to producing successful mailers that people will read<\/h2>\n
1. The right look<\/h3>\n
2. The catchy content<\/h3>\n
![\"Infographic](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/How-to-Write-Real-Estate-Copy.png\")
<\/a>3. Impeccable timing<\/h3>\n