8 Tips to Make REI Direct Mail Work in 2024

We literally mail millions of pieces of mail a year. So here are 8 tips we’ve found to improve your mail strategy, and what to tweak for 2023…

From data we’ve gathered to testing and trying different strategies, copy, and mail I’m going to let you in on 8 small but big improvements to make.

And for 2023, here are 8 things you should be adding to your DM:

✅Match copy to audience — In marketing you have to be congruent. Whether it’s taking people to a website and making sure you have similar copy and feel… or making sure the design matches the copy… or making sure the design and copy is fit for a “senior list”; Incongruency brings confusion. And confusion kills conversion.

✅Try different CTA’s and copy — “sell your house fast” was not a great appeal when the market was hot and you LIST a house fast. So we used messages like: “Sell without realtor commission” which worked a lot better. Today, though, “sell your house fast” might be a much better message for your market if things have slowed down for sellers.

✅Have multiple methods of contact — In my letter I have included a phone number, I give instructions to call or text, I have a website, and I also have my brand name (that they can Google). 10 years ago the strategy for REI mail was to NOT place your website; so that you look more like a “local” person. Today, that doesn’t fly with common folk. They’re WAAAY too skeptical to trust someone like that. 30% of my leads come from my website, so that tells me people are searching our names when they get my mail.

✅ Be professional by personal at the same time — We don’t want to look sloppy in our mailings. We DO want to look like we’re professional and that we’re confident… but at the same time, you don’t want to look too “commercial-like”, or a big time national brand. I’ve experienced that being local has gotten me a lot more deals than trying to look like a corporation.

✅ Add layers of personalization — Handwritten, saying “dear…” Including the property address… these small things make it look like you’re personally reaching out to them. Yeah you’re not trying to “fool” them, but here’s a psychological effect to adding personal touches that make you more “likable”.

✅ use real ink — You can fool anything with the old “printer red ink” letters. No one likes those and they don’t get open. We use a real pen and real handwriting and it drives down our Cost Per Deal; getting more deals per total spend than other cheap stuff.

So there you have…

8 tips to improve your DM game in 2023.

Some of it is new, and some of it is old but a good reminder.

If there’s anyone you should take direct mail advice from, it’s people sending MILLIONS of mail a year and tracking those results.

[Eccentricmindu]

Great Video Ryan Dossey! Lots to think about when sending Direct Mail that we don't think about ....👍👍

[VictorOyoluRealtor]

Great video Ryan!! This was so useful and helpful!!

[OCUBOX]

I was looking at the pieces you were
showing and it looked like actual writing, and until the end I had no idea that there is an actual machine that “hand-writes” letters.

This is an incredible idea!
What’s more personal than a hand written note?

But I have to say your media is,
I think it’s too fancy
you should definitely TEST ordinary printer type paper

or notebook page type letters because the people you are reaching out to are probably in the older demographics

Also do you guys need help from a direct response copywriter, for your, I guess premade marketing stuff that you sell through your website?

Some controls you need challenged etc
Let me know!

[buildingbrothers]

Hey Ryan Thanks so much i was watching one of lilis youtube videos she talk about your biz ill definitely be in on having you guys help me with my marketing campaign. Love all the gems 💎 you dropping

[bluffpointeproperties]

Ryan, LOVE this video...man this is so timely, as I'm about to launch some new mail campaigns later this month (using BallPoint of course!). Thank-you SO much for sharing all these tips and being so transparent about how you operate, it's beyond helpful. I'm in the process of making some refinements to my existing mail campaigns based on the tips in this video, hope to have my carrot site good-to-go in next few weeks. Please keep the content coming, I can't tell you enough how much I look forward to these videos...Happy New Year brother! -Jon Erwin (Owner, Bluff Pointe Properties)

[BenRoethlisberger-fo]

Hey Ryan. Thanks for all the great videos. Its priceless information. Quick question. How often should you be sending a ballpoint dm campaign to the same list of about 1000 addresses (expired listings with equity, absentee with vacancy, and inherited). Id love your input. Thanks

[kareenjames]

Hi Ryan, I'm a realtor here in Scranton PA and I was looking for ways to start sending out direct mails. How do I go about doing that?

[wadecollier]

Do you coach Realtors? Specifically post card campaign we are considering. I'd appreciate an email.