Sending letters to homeowners

[tbodley74]

Is it not a bad idea to write letters to homeowners?  I need to tell you the homes I am referring to are vacant homes with the owners living somewhere else. I want to get  the properties under contract. I was considering handwriting a letter to homesowners letting them know I saw their vacant  house and ask them if they would be interested in selling.  I want the letter to be as short, simple, and straight to the point as it can get. Would it look bad if I hand write the letter or should I  make it look professional by typing the letter?

[acego2]

This is really a matter of "do you have the time?" I use handwritten return and mailing address to my probate leads and have the letter printed. It takes about 1 hour for 50 letters. Keep in mind that I later put these letters into the envelope, fold, seal, and stamp!

I actually have my wifey help me because it's just to much. This after coming home from work for about 10 hours a day. Believe me the last thing  I want to do is hand write any letters. I do it because I know that it will bring leads in and because I just love real estate.

FYI: I get about 1-2 seller leads+offers per month from 50 letters I mail every month. So yeah, you will reap rewards but just know that you have been warned.

[tbodley74]

I know it is a lot of work to mail all at the same time. I was talking more like hand writing one letter for one lead at a time. I can say that there is at least one of the many houses in my neighborhood that I was considering getting under contract. The idea was to send out one letter for that one house I want to get under contract. That is how I want to do this for all the properties I come across. One house I like = one letter that will be sent out to the owner. All I need is to find at least one or two deals that can profit me $5k and up per month and I am good.

This is really a matter of "do you have the time?" I use handwritten return and mailing address to my probate leads and have the letter printed. It takes about 1 hour for 50 letters. Keep in mind that I later put these letters into the envelope, fold, seal, and stamp!

I actually have my wifey help me because it's just to much. This after coming home from work for about 10 hours a day. Believe me the last thing  I want to do is hand write any letters. I do it because I know that it will bring leads in and because I just love real estate.

FYI: I get about 1-2 seller leads+offers per month from 50 letters I mail every month. So yeah, you will reap rewards but just know that you have been warned.

[1manflipper]

Always hand write them, or print them in your own handwriting. If its a small amount then hand write them for a more personal touch. If it looks like its from a company, it will go in the trash.

[tbodley74]

I kinda figure that wouldn't be such a bad idea. That is how I prefer to get letters because I know a real person sent me the letter versus something that was written by a machine. And the personal touch is an added bonus to me. Something short and straight to the point should be enough for me.

Always hand write them, or print them in your own handwriting. If its a small amount then hand write them for a more personal touch. If it looks like its from a company, it will go in the trash.

[Jack001]

The worst they say is 'no way' and proceed to think of you as some crazy person who wanted them to move. But they don't know you, nor will you ever interact with them so it's fine.

[bivsflips]

Matter of preference but I have never handwritten a letter to a prospective seller( I have terrible penmanship anyway). I use post cards, and phone lists. You can always sign your postcard as a private investor, not a company or real estate agent.

I wish you the best and maybe some others here have had the type of good fortune you are looking for but it takes me more than a few letters to get 1 or 2 deals a month.

In the end no way of marketing is wrong, if you are comfortable with it then go for it. Marketing is marketing, getting your interest out there is the bottom line.
 

[javipa]

The common denominator for about any mail piece that goes directly into the trash is that it has a  "corporate" face.  However, not every 'corporate' looking mail piece goes in the trash.  Otherwise all corporations would send handwritten mail pieces.   That's not true, so 'corporations' don't send anything that doesn't reflect that very corporate 'frame'.  Why? 

Because people will do business with corporations that maintain a congruent message, 'framed' consistently with their prior perceptions (if not already having a business relationship with them).

However, whatever else we send also 'frames' the offers we're about to make.

What might a hand addressed envelope, with a hand scribbled message, actually communicate to a prospect about us ...or our ability to perform ...our opinion of the seller ...or about ourselves...?

Presenting ourselves as organic is different than presenting ourselves as non-threatening.  Organic can communicate 'sweaty, pit-stained Hippies.'

I'm not sure there is poorer 'framing' of an offer than sending a prospect a handwritten letter.  Do people with 'real money' spend time hand writing letters to people they want to do business with, besides their wives, kids, mistresses or girlfriends?  Just asking.

If we do send handwritten mail to a prospect, will it confuse the prospect about our ability to perform, and perhaps make them question our credibility, seriousness, if not professionalism? 

Yeah, sure they open and read our ugly, organic letters, but that's not the end goal.  We can get a letter opened every single time, no problem.  We just type, "Termination Notice" on the envelope.  We've seen that used in email marketing all the time to get us to open emails.  Why not?  (That's not really a question).

So, what is the result, impression, now that the prospect thinks we're flakes after sending them a Jr. High-grade mail piece?

Prospects will swing their bats at straight pitches.  However, throwing curve balls is only for baseball, not marketing.  Again, cutesy, handwritten advertising may attract attention, but what does it actually communicate about us?

We're finding that straight-forward, non-cutesy, typed addresses, typed messages, with an informal, internal format with/w/o letter head, but with a wet signature (assuming the message is straight forward and resonates with our targeted prospect) works better than anything more organic at both framing the presentation, getting opened, getting read, and more importantly getting quality responses from. 

Moreover, we're not having to overcome unnecessary skepticism about our intentions, our credibility, or our professionalism.

Just a thought.

 

[tbodley74]

It wouldn't matter anyway because my printer ink is not printing. This means I cannot type the letters anyway even if I wanted to.

The common denominator for about any mail piece that goes directly into the trash is that it has a  "corporate" face.  However, not every 'corporate' looking mail piece goes in the trash.  Otherwise all corporations would send handwritten mail pieces.   That's not true, so 'corporations' don't send anything that doesn't reflect that very corporate 'frame'.  Why? 

Because people will do business with corporations that maintain a congruent message, 'framed' consistently with their prior perceptions (if not already having a business relationship with them).

However, whatever else we send also 'frames' the offers we're about to make.

What might a hand addressed envelope, with a hand scribbled message, actually communicate to a prospect about us ...or our ability to perform ...our opinion of the seller ...or about ourselves...?

Presenting ourselves as organic is different than presenting ourselves as non-threatening.  Organic can communicate 'sweaty, pit-stained Hippies.'

I'm not sure there is poorer 'framing' of an offer than sending a prospect a handwritten letter.  Do people with 'real money' spend time hand writing letters to people they want to do business with, besides their wives, kids, mistresses or girlfriends?  Just asking.

If we do send handwritten mail to a prospect, will it confuse the prospect about our ability to perform, and perhaps make them question our credibility, seriousness, if not professionalism? 

Yeah, sure they open and read our ugly, organic letters, but that's not the end goal.  We can get a letter opened every single time, no problem.  We just type, "Termination Notice" on the envelope.  We've seen that used in email marketing all the time to get us to open emails.  Why not?  (That's not really a question).

So, what is the result, impression, now that the prospect thinks we're flakes after sending them a Jr. High-grade mail piece?

Prospects will swing their bats at straight pitches.  However, throwing curve balls is only for baseball, not marketing.  Again, cutesy, handwritten advertising may attract attention, but what does it actually communicate about us?

We're finding that straight-forward, non-cutesy, typed addresses, typed messages, with an informal, internal format with/w/o letter head, but with a wet signature (assuming the message is straight forward and resonates with our targeted prospect) works better than anything more organic at both framing the presentation, getting opened, getting read, and more importantly getting quality responses from. 

Moreover, we're not having to overcome unnecessary skepticism about our intentions, our credibility, or our professionalism.

Just a thought.

 

[javipa]

Well, that pretty much sums up your options..!!! 

[bivsflips]

You dont have to type the letters out, just upload a list of names to click 2 mail, let them do the work, that is what I do..I may change the wording on the postcard but it only takes a couple minutes, and poof it gets sent out in the mail..no muss, no fuss, no time for me..my time is too valuable

[tbodley74]

That works only if I could afford to pay to use click2mail. For me that is costly. I want to do something that still works but is not going to cost me a great deal of money or money at all.

You dont have to type the letters out, just upload a list of names to click 2 mail, let them do the work, that is what I do..I may change the wording on the postcard but it only takes a couple minutes, and poof it gets sent out in the mail..no muss, no fuss, no time for me..my time is too valuable

[Mdhaas]

That works only if I could afford to pay to use click2mail. For me that is costly. I want to do something that still works but is not going to cost me a great deal of money or money at all.

Then you probably need to limber up those fingers and start writin'

[tbodley74]

That's alright with me.

That works only if I could afford to pay to use click2mail. For me that is costly. I want to do something that still works but is not going to cost me a great deal of money or money at all.

Then you probably need to limber up those fingers and start writin'

[nsu1997]

The common denominator for about any mail piece that goes directly into the trash is that it has a  "corporate" face.  However, not every 'corporate' looking mail piece goes in the trash.  Otherwise all corporations would send handwritten mail pieces.   That's not true, so 'corporations' don't send anything that doesn't reflect that very corporate 'frame'.  Why? 

Because people will do business with corporations that maintain a congruent message, 'framed' consistently with their prior perceptions (if not already having a business relationship with them).

However, whatever else we send also 'frames' the offers we're about to make.

What might a hand addressed envelope, with a hand scribbled message, actually communicate to a prospect about us ...or our ability to perform ...our opinion of the seller ...or about ourselves...?

Presenting ourselves as organic is different than presenting ourselves as non-threatening.  Organic can communicate 'sweaty, pit-stained Hippies.'

I'm not sure there is poorer 'framing' of an offer than sending a prospect a handwritten letter.  Do people with 'real money' spend time hand writing letters to people they want to do business with, besides their wives, kids, mistresses or girlfriends?  Just asking.

If we do send handwritten mail to a prospect, will it confuse the prospect about our ability to perform, and perhaps make them question our credibility, seriousness, if not professionalism? 

Yeah, sure they open and read our ugly, organic letters, but that's not the end goal.  We can get a letter opened every single time, no problem.  We just type, "Termination Notice" on the envelope.  We've seen that used in email marketing all the time to get us to open emails.  Why not?  (That's not really a question).

So, what is the result, impression, now that the prospect thinks we're flakes after sending them a Jr. High-grade mail piece?

Prospects will swing their bats at straight pitches.  However, throwing curve balls is only for baseball, not marketing.  Again, cutesy, handwritten advertising may attract attention, but what does it actually communicate about us?

We're finding that straight-forward, non-cutesy, typed addresses, typed messages, with an informal, internal format with/w/o letter head, but with a wet signature (assuming the message is straight forward and resonates with our targeted prospect) works better than anything more organic at both framing the presentation, getting opened, getting read, and more importantly getting quality responses from. 

Moreover, we're not having to overcome unnecessary skepticism about our intentions, our credibility, or our professionalism.

Just a thought.

 

Interesting! I never fail to learn something when Javipa posts. 

Couple of question -

1. Where do you physically type the "Termination Notice" on your envelope, and how big are the fonts? Are you using standard size white envelopes or something else?

how do you tie in the "Termination Notice" on your envelope to your message on your letter? Or do you tie it in at all? In other words, how does your mailpiece read?