Key Takeaways
Real estate mailing lists are a great strategy for real estate investors looking to get the word out about their business. The process of sending direct mail is quite simple. Define your target audience, choose your type of mail (i.e. post cards, yellow letters, brochures, etc.), write actionable copy, and send away.
The benefits of direct mail marketing are endless. One major advantage is that this type of marketing is highly targeted, meaning you are only attracting the highest quality leads. Direct mail is also easy to measure. Track the right metrics to find out which strategies are (or aren’t) working and make decisions based on exact results. Lastly, investors have the ability to individualize their direct mail. You can address customers by name and manipulate your language based on each persons preferences and needs.
Sounds great, right? So how can you get started?
What Are Real Estate Mailing Lists?
Real estate mailing lists are curated lists of potential leads. As their names suggest, mailing lists will consist of a list of names (with the appropriate contact information) for investors to contact in the event they are looking for their next deal. The list will serve as the foundation of any direct mail marketing campaign. It is the list, after all, investors will use to determine who to send marketing materials to. It is worth noting, however, that many real estate mailing lists are carefully crafted and curated. Instead of consisting of several random homeowners, there is usually a theme to each respective list. For example, some real estate mailing lists may consist of only homeowners who are in distress and behind on mortgage payments. That said, it’s important to know the recipients on each list; that way investors will know how to approach each and every lead.
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How To Target The Right Real Estate Mailing Lists
In order for your direct mail campaign to be successful, you must target motivated sellers. Motivated leads are individuals who, for whatever reason, need to sell their home fast. Perhaps they are moving for a job, perhaps they are on the brink of foreclosure. Regardless of their motivation, investors need to pose themselves as the go-to source for help.
If you are ready for your direct mail marketing campaign results to sky rocket, start by targeting these five real estate mailing lists:
- Tax Default Lists
- Vacant House Lists
- Expired Listing Lists
- Pre-Foreclosure Lists
- Out-Of-State Landlord Lists
Tax Default Lists
Tax default lists consist of individual homeowners who were unable to keep up with their tax obligations. For one reason or another, homeowners on a tax default list have, well, defaulted on their taxes. The exact reason they are on the list may not be known, but the fact remains: defaulted homeowners are motivated homeowners. Those who fail to pay their taxes risk having a lien placed on their house, or even having their home taken away. Therefore, investors should use tax default lists to find distressed homeowners and offer them a solution. Often times, it may be better for individuals who have defaulted on their taxes to sell to an investor than to risk the ramifications. Any direct mail sent to a tax default list needs to express empathy, but—more importantly—offer a helping hand.
Vacant House Lists
Vacant house lists are lists of homeowners who own properties, but do not have anyone living in them. More often than not, vacant house lists consist of landlords with vacancies; that, or any number of other scenarios. Whatever the reason may be, the list is rather straight forward: it identifies homes without anyone living inside. That said, vacant house lists are a great place to start for investors looking to acquire a deal. Once again, the owner may be motivated to sell. If for nothing else, vacancies can be incredibly costly, and some owners may be willing to sell than to risk anymore losses. Therefore, targeting vacant house lists must be approached slightly different than tax default lists. The message will read differently, but still serve the same purpose: to buy the home.
Expired Listing Lists
Expired listing lists congregate the sales in a respective area that were never seen through to completion. That said, it’s possible to get a list of all the homes that failed to sell in their most recent attempt at a transaction. What’s more, expired listings are most likely the property of another motivated seller. At the very least, the owner is listing their home for sale, which bodes well for investors initiating a direct mail campaign. To gain access to expired listing, simply visit the MLS for the information. There, you’ll be able to curate your own list of homes that are already listed. The only thing left to do is convince the owner that you are the right person to sell to.
Pre-Foreclosure Lists
Local courthouses contain the information of anyone and everyone who is behind on mortgage payments. In fact, the information is public knowledge. Therefore, investors simply need to visit the local courthouse to see which homes are currently delinquent on their mortgage payments. The homeowners who are behind on payments may be motivated to sell sooner rather than later. It’s either that, or run the risk of actually falling into foreclosure. Once again, investors should exercise empathy here, and—above all else—offer a helping hand.
Out-Of-State Landlord Lists
Lists of out-of-state landlords have served as a viable source of leads. There is always the chance that owners who live out of state would rather not deal with the burden of managing an asset in another state. Therefore, investors should pay special considerations to property cards with out-of-state address on them; they may suggest a motivated seller is just a call away.
Summary
Real estate mailing lists are the foundation of any direct mail marketing campaign. With a highly-target list of motivated sellers, investors should be able to tailor a message that speaks to their recipients directly. Then, and only then, will investors be able to get the message they really want to get across to the most receptive audience.
Have you ever considered using real estate mailing lists? If so, what sort of experience did you have? Please feel free to let us know your thoughts on mailing lists in the comments below:
