Despite all the hype around digital marketing, direct mail is still an extremely efficient means of real estate marketing, especially if you’re targeting baby boomers and beyond. We’ll share the top five providers we recommend for your next mailer campaign. And if you’re not sure what to send, we’ve also compiled 16 types of real estate postcards, plus some effective examples to inspire you.
Top Five Real Estate Postcards Providers of 2022
| Real Estate Postcards Provider | Best For |
|---|---|
| ProspectsPLUS! | A real estate-specific company with tons of options for just about every postcard type |
| LCA Marketing Center | A marketing suite for creating an entire marketing campaign, including awesome postcards |
| Postcard Mania | Agents who want to try before they buy, offering free samples delivered straight to your mailbox |
| VistaPrint | Cross-over merchandise (like mugs or key chains) to supplement your postcard efforts |
| Canva | Absolute creative control to customize your postcards |
The Close recommends: Each of these real estate postcard providers offers serious value, but if you’ve only got time for one, it should be ProspectsPLUS!. This company has one goal: to create high-quality, converting postcards for real estate agents. They’ve got a solid selection of road-tested postcards that will consistently get the job done for you.
16 Real Estate Postcards That Actually Work
OK, now that you know our suggestions for the best places to get real estate postcards, let’s take a look at 16 mailers that you can use to create conversations, generate leads, and ultimately, get to the closing table more often.
1. Just Listed Real Estate Postcards
Where to find this postcard: VistaPrint
Where to find this postcard: Postcard Mania
Where to find this postcard: ProspectsPLUS!
Where to find this postcard: LabCoat Agents
Where to find this postcard: Canva
Best for: Generating buyer leads for your subject property and additional seller leads from the surrounding neighborhood
When to send: Every time you send a new listing live
The Just Listed postcard is the perfect place to start because it’s a mainstay of the promotional strategy for any successful Realtor.
This Just Listed postcard serves two purposes: The first is to alert buyers in your network of a property they might be interested in. The second is to alert the neighbors that you, the local area real estate rock star, just listed a great home. And if they’re interested, they could be next.
Circle prospecting, or the act of sending out media to homes surrounding your existing listings and past sales, is a great place to use the Just Listed postcard. This technique gets more efficient over time if you are consistent with it too—the more the neighbors hear about your success, the higher your return rate will be on each communication.
How Circle Prospecting Got One Tampa Realtor 200 Leads in ONE DAY
2. Just Sold Real Estate Postcards
Where to find this postcard: VistaPrint
Where to find this postcard: Postcard Mania
Where to find this postcard: ProspectsPLUS!
Where to find this postcard: LabCoat Agents
Where to find this postcard: Canva
Best for: Generating new seller leads from the surrounding area
When to send: Every time you close a property
Similar to the Just Listed postcard, the Just Sold postcard is all about making your presence in the neighborhood known, and specifically, your successes.
Every time you sell a property, get the word out about it. Having your sign in the yard is great for visibility. Leverage that visibility with a message that tells everyone you’ve finished the job, and you can do the same for them.
Your results from this approach to circle prospecting will improve dramatically when you practice this consistently. So build it into your process of closing out a file. It’s sure to get you more listings.
How to Get Listings: 21 Luxury Listing Agents Spill Their Secrets
Free Guide: How to Design Real Estate Postcards That Will Actually Get You Leads
Postcards can be a powerful tool for marketing, brand development, and lead generation—if done right. Don’t know where to start? Use our FREE guide to create unique postcards that will stand out.
3. Open House Postcards
Where to find this postcard: VistaPrint
Where to find this postcard: Postcard Mania
Where to find this postcard: ProspectsPLUS!
Where to find this postcard: LabCoat Agents
Where to find this postcard: Canva
Best for: Inviting the neighbors and prospective buyers to your events
When to send: The week of any open house you’re conducting
Open houses are fantastic opportunities to kill multiple birds with one stone. You get to show your sellers you’re committed to exposing their property to as many people as possible, you get to collect a treasure trove of buyer leads thanks to the people coming through your event, and you get to show the neighborhood and your sphere of influence (SOI) that you’re active and working in the market.
Sending an open house invite postcard is a great way to boost your attendance numbers. Postcards can also serve as a convenient conversation starter for anyone who didn’t attend your event (“I sent you a postcard about an open house I had, sorry you couldn’t make it, can I tell you about the home?”).
27 Open House Ideas That Will Actually Get You Leads
4. Expired Listing Real Estate Postcards
Where to find this postcard: Postcard Mania
Where to find this postcard: ProspectsPLUS!
Where to find this postcard: Canva
Best for: Generating new seller leads from expired listings
When to send: Every time a property expires
Expired listings are valuable leads if you know how to convert them. Many Realtors who are frustrated with a low success rate with expired listings lack the right message or the right timing.
As far as messaging goes, this postcard is a great place to identify the seller’s pain points, let them know that you are aware of how frustrating an expired listing can be, and that you are there to help.
24 Best Expired Listing Scripts & Objection Handlers 2022
5. FSBO Real Estate Postcards
Where to find this postcard: Postcard Mania
Where to find this postcard: ProspectsPLUS!
Where to find this postcard: Canva
Best for: Generating new seller leads from FSBO properties
When to send: Whenever you find an FSBO listing
FSBO sellers are also great candidates for postcards. An FSBO seller has announced to the world that they want to sell their home. It’s up to you to show them why you’re the perfect person to help sell it.
Your postcard messaging should focus on addressing what you can do to eliminate the challenging aspects of selling a home. Identify the problems, but don’t dwell on them. Instead, focus on your solutions, and then follow your postcard up with a solid phone conversation or drop-by to close the deal.
The 7 Best FSBO Scripts of 2022 & Why They Work
6. New Agent Real Estate Postcards
Where to find this postcard: VistaPrint
Where to find this postcard: Postcard Mania
Where to find this postcard: ProspectsPLUS!
Where to find this postcard: LabCoat Agents
Where to find this postcard: Canva
Best for: Generating new buyer and seller leads
When to send: Any time in your first year at a new office
Early in your career, getting the word out about your new business is critical, and postcards can help you accomplish this goal. Be cheerful and optimistic with the copy. Make sure to mention what’s important to you as a Realtor and why it’s important to your community.
For this type of postcard, a bigger mailing list isn’t always better. While it may be tempting to pepper the entire city with new agent postcards, keep in mind who the most receptive audience will be: people who already have a rough idea of who you are. Perhaps this could be the first point of contact in your new neighborhood farm campaign?
7. Offering a Service: Seller CMA Real Estate Postcards
Where to find this postcard: VistaPrint
Where to find this postcard: Postcard Mania
Where to find this postcard: ProspectsPLUS!
Where to find this postcard: Canva
Best for: Generating new seller leads
When to send: Once before the start of the busy selling season; once as the busy season is wrapping up
Sometimes all a property owner needs to start the selling process is verification that what they’ve heard about the market is true. Creating a postcard that details your offer of a free, no-obligation market analysis is a postcard strategy that gets responses.
Try this postcard when you’re testing new potential farm areas. Find a neighborhood that has been HOT in recent months, and customize the message just for them by offering a free comparative market analysis (CMA).
How to Do a Comparative Market Analysis: A Step-by-Step Guide
8. Rental Communities / Potential Buyers Real Estate Postcards
Where to find this postcard: VistaPrint
Where to find this postcard: Postcard Mania
Where to find this postcard: ProspectsPLUS!
Best for: Generating new buyer leads
When to send: Up to once a quarter
Many Realtors overlook rental communities in and around their farm areas. These are perfect places to prospect for buyers using a postcard. Quite a few residents in these communities are potential first-time homebuyers, so targeted marketing aimed at them can offer a decent return on investment (ROI).
You’ll get a much better response rate when you tailor your message to the community itself. Here’s an example:
Say you want to farm an apartment complex where the average rent for a two-bedroom is $1,200 per month. Use a mortgage calculator to determine the purchase price range that correlates to their monthly rent payment, then customize your message with this information.
Looking for more info on how to crush rental community prospecting? Check out our video below all about how to effectively message to and convert rental community leads.
9. Stalled Funnel Real Estate Postcards
Where to find this postcard: Postcard Mania
Where to find this postcard: ProspectsPLUS!
Where to find this postcard: LabCoat Agents
Where to find this postcard: Canva
Best for: Generating new seller leads
When to send: Up to once a quarter
We’ve all had prospects who hover in our lead funnel for months—people who just can’t seem to pull the trigger. Delivering a postcard message of encouragement directed at the soon-to-be buyers or sellers who need a little nudge can be very effective.
If you want to maximize your ROI, you need to personalize your message to the market in which you work. For instance, add some details about the median days on market for your particular area—make your postcard recipients feel like the market isn’t just good, it’s good for THEM.
Roll this postcard out to property owners who have demonstrated their interest in selling but who haven’t yet moved much past the interest phase of the funnel or to your farm area, in general.
10. Fence-sitting Buyer Real Estate Postcards
Where to find this postcard: VistaPrint
Where to find this postcard: Postcard Mania
Where to find this postcard: ProspectsPLUS!
Where to find this postcard: LabCoat Agents
Where to find this postcard: Canva
Best for: Generating new buyer leads
When to send: Up to once a quarter
When a homebuyer doesn’t feel any urgency in their decision-making process, it’s easy for them to linger in or fall out of the lead funnel altogether. Obviously, you never want your clients to feel rushed into a decision they aren’t ready for, but sometimes a message of urgency is what it takes to get them thinking again.
The Fence-sitting Buyer postcard is perfect for any prospect who is getting slower at returning calls and texts, who decided not to stop by the open house last weekend, or who is considering “just renting for another year.”
Get More Real Estate Buyer Leads Using These 11 Proven Strategies
11. Personal Sphere Real Estate Postcards
Where to find this postcard: ProspectsPLUS!
Best for: Generating buyer and seller leads
When to send: Twice a year
As an active Realtor, your sphere knows that they’re going to hear from you. Whether it’s in the form of text messages, phone calls, email, or lively conversation at the local watering hole, the longer you do this job, the more your social circle comes to expect it.
Do the unexpected and include them in your postcard mailing too. Since they know you, they will be more likely to save your postcard longer. Your messaging can be a little lighter and a little more familiar, but make sure it’s deliberate and has a well-defined call to action.
7 Tips for Building Your Sphere of Influence in Real Estate (+ Script)
12. Referral Generation Real Estate Postcards
Where to find this postcard: VistaPrint
Where to find this postcard: ProspectsPLUS!
Best for: Generating new seller leads
When to send: Once or twice a year
Some of the most valuable communication with your prospective clients doesn’t come from you—it comes from buyers and sellers with whom you’ve closed.
A postcard you can use to actively solicit referrals pairs really nicely with a follow-up phone call 24 hours after the postcard has been received. You’ll begin to see if your past clients can provide you with new prospects.
7 Savvy Ways to Generate More Real Estate Referrals
13. Home Purchase Anniversary Real Estate Postcards
Where to find this postcard: ProspectsPLUS!
Best for: Generating new buyer and seller leads
When to send: Once a year, on the closing day anniversary
Keeping in contact with satisfied clients is the best way to keep top of mind when they or (even better) someone they know is considering a new transaction or is in need of real estate advice.
An easy way to stay top of mind is to send a closing day anniversary postcard to every one of your closed sales. Since these are one-off postcards, consider an image that you can use for multiple clients. Include a short, handwritten note, and make sure you put your send date on the calendar so you don’t miss the day.
14. Real Estate Postcards for Farming
Where to find this postcard: Postcard Mania
Where to find this postcard: ProspectsPLUS!
Where to find this postcard: LabCoat Agents
Best for: Generating new seller leads
When to send: Up to once a month, best every 45 to 60 days
Part of working a real estate farm area is providing content that shows you’re a part of the community and care about its long-term growth. Therefore, your message has to deliver consistent value, including keeping people up to date about the state of the market.
Market updates are a great way to remind potential clients that real estate deals are happening in their community. Market info may prompt them to consider what their home is worth as an investment in today’s market—a sure-fire way to generate conversations with potential sellers.
Real Estate Farming: How to Become the Go-to Agent in Your Neighborhood in 2022
15. Special Occasion Real Estate Postcards
Where to find this postcard: VistaPrint
Where to find this postcard: Postcard Mania
Where to find this postcard: ProspectsPLUS!
Where to find this postcard: LabCoat Agents
Best for: Generating new buyer and seller leads
When to send: Special occasions, up to once a quarter
Special occasions are great times to connect with your entire sphere. Major holidays are awesome opportunities for communication, but don’t forget important but overlooked milestones like back-to-school, daylight savings, or Earth Day. Your clients will likely identify with these relatively universal themes and seasons.
Do your best to time the delivery of a piece of mail like this for maximum effectiveness. For instance, a daylight savings reminder won’t do any good if it arrives two weeks early and certainly won’t work if it arrives late. Make your message positive and concise, and include an invitation to connect as well.
16. Special Event Calendar Real Estate Postcards
Where to find this postcard: ProspectsPLUS!
Where to find this postcard: Canva
Best for: Generating new seller leads
When to send: Once or twice a year
Take advantage of your local area’s major events by creating a calendar of can’t-miss happenings that you can send out to all your contacts once a year. Major sporting events, concerts, local festivals—even school calendars can be permanent fridge additions, along with your name, face, contact information, and a call to action.
Special event postcards are great because your consistency breeds effectiveness. If someone gets the football schedule from you one year, they’re more likely to accept it and make it a fixture in their kitchen again and again. Just make sure you pick a theme that is timely and appeals to a broad audience.
Must-Have Design Elements for Your Postcards
- Big, bold imagery: The postcard is a visual medium, and even if your message is delivered in the text, you need to catch your recipient’s eye as your postcard is pulled from the mailbox.
- Headshot: Similarly, a postcard’s primary image is so important, and including your headshot is important too. Make sure you leave no doubt who is behind the message that your audience is enjoying.
- Relevant contact information: The response rate on your postcard is guaranteed to be zero if you don’t include ways that people can reach out to you. Name, phone number, and email at a minimum.
- A call to action: What do you want the audience of your mailer to DO after they have read your message? Make sure you direct your audience, whether to call you to discuss home prices or put the football game schedule on the fridge.
- Brokerage information: Many states require a return address for unsolicited mail pieces, and in the case of real estate-related marketing, your brokerage information. Make sure you include your brokerage name and address.
Don’t Forget About NAR’s Disclaimer
The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Code of Ethics prohibits the solicitation of business from buyers or sellers already exclusively represented by a Realtor.
When sending out larger mail pieces, you may inadvertently mail to addresses currently on the market or to buyers already represented by an agent. To avoid the headaches of potential ethics complaints, include the following somewhere on your postcard (we suggest in very fine print):
“If your property is currently listed with a Realtor and/or you are currently represented exclusively as a buyer by a Realtor, please disregard this notice. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other Brokers.”
Create Your Own Real Estate Postcards
Real estate postcards are powerful tools for marketing, brand development, and lead generation. While you won’t find any top producers out there that rely SOLELY on postcards to get the word out about their business, postcards are still impactful—especially if you’re purposeful and strategic about deploying them.
If you’re looking for an excellent resource for designing, printing, and sending postcards, check out ProspectsPLUS!. They can help get your postcard strategy in motion with professional and affordable direct mail services.
Tell us about you so we know what to send.
