Five Tips for Great Real Estate Letters

Lead generating real estate letters can be an unpaid, tireless salesman of your listings and services - 24/7. Good ones can result in more listings and sales, while ineffective ones will be a waste of both your time and money, neither of which you can afford.

So how do you go about writing real estate letters that will yield the results you need? Well, it's actually kind of easy once you know the formula for success.

Here's how...

One. Start by analyzing letters that other agents use. Don't worry, they're easy to come by. You probably receive some in the mail just because you're in another agent's farm area. Or, or you can simply ask coworker agent for samples of letters they currently use. Most will be more than willing to help you out.

When you come across one that is compelling keep it, file it away and the next time you have to write a letter take it out and examine it.

Examine the wording, the layout, the offer and how it is presented. What were the positives that made you keep it? What language did the writer use that would make you call them about your real estate needs if you weren't an agent yourself?

Next, examine a lesser letter; one that's good, but less compelling. What is there about it that makes it less appealing? Then, build on the positives of the good one and avoid the negatives of that one.

Two. An often-neglected part of a real estate sales letter is the call for your Most Wanted Response (MWR), which is usually at the end of the letter. The MWR is what you want the reader to do after reading your letter.

State in no uncertain terms what you want the reader to do. Call? Email? Whatever it is, state it clearly. A positive, directive statement gets results, so don't be shy about asking for what you want and expect the desired response.

Three. Make it easy for your prospects to contact you. Include a contact address, email, and fax number and your phone numbers, all of them, especially your cell phone number. Encourage them to call anytime, day or night, thereby removing all potential barriers to reaching you. This will reflect on you as being one of the most accessible agents they'll ever work with.

Four. When people first see a sales page they scan the headline, and then go to the bottom of the page to read the PS. This is because the PS often summarizes the offer and restates the MWR. Make sure your PS does this, too.

If you feel you need more than one PS to fully give the benefits you are offering use three, not two. Odd numbered items get better results in real estate advertising letters than even ones...hence "five tips for a great real estate letter" instead of "four tips...."

Five. Finally, after your letters have been before your prospects for a while take some time to analyze the results. How many most desirable responses did you get - calls, email messages, listing appointments, appointments to show properties, etc?

Did you accomplish what you set out to do? If not, why?

Summarily, a real estate letter can work for you, or be a waste of your time and money. Ultimately, you can control the outcome by incorporating these simple concepts.