Just Listed/Just Sold Postcards and Flyers

A lot of agents send a just listed postcard. Some even send just sold postcards. Are they maximizing the effectiveness of these pieces? Not usually. 

The goal of these postcards should be to get the person who receives it to take a single action. Here is the system that one of our agents uses. (If postcards and postage aren't in your budget right now, try doing flyers instead and hand them out yourself so you can meet the neighborhood.)

Remember, when you first list a home, your fiduciary duty is to the seller. Make sure you are marketing the home FIRST.

• When you get the listing agreement signed, send out postcards that night announcing "COMING SOON!" Your call to action should be "For a sneak peek before it hits the market, call me."
• Always allow at least 1 week between getting the contract signed and the home hitting the market to allow time for professional photos, a video, etc. Then send a second set of postcards to arrive the day the listing hits the MLS saying "Just Listed" Your call to action should be "To schedule a showing, call me."
• Any price reduction should trigger another set of postcards. "Price Adjustment!" or "Price Reduced!" Again, your call to action should be "To schedule a showing, call me."
• Once the home has gone under contract, a set of postcards goes out saying "UNDER CONTRACT!" Your call to action here should be "We have more buyers interested in this home. For a free, instant home value report, visit **your HVL Domain**."
• Once the home has SOLD, a set of postcards goes out saying "Just Sold!" Again, your call to action should stress that you have more buyers and to visit your site for a free home value report. 
• If the home is in an area you'd really like to hit hard, follow up again 3 or 4 weeks after the sold campaign goes out saying that your buyers haven't found a home they liked... "if you've thought of selling, please call me or visit *website* for a free, instant home value report."

What's the psychology behind this? Repetition means familiarity. If I asked you "When was the last time you saw an ambulance?" you may not remember... but tomorrow you will see 3 of them. It's not that you never see them, it's that you don't remember them. With the above campaign, the people are going to receive 5 or 6 postcards from you. If you are in a hot market, they may receive all of these in less than 2 months. Add on top of that seeing your sign in the yard and maybe some open house flyers... automatically they are seeing you "everywhere" and you must be the local expert. This builds trust and you will start to see good results by postcard 4, 5, and 6. 

Don't have many listings yet? Fear not, we have you covered. Here are some ideas:

• Do you know agents who do? Ask them if they send out postcards... if they don't, ask them if you would mind if YOU advertised the listings for them (at your expense) to help generate leads for yourself. Most agents will gladly accept free marketing. 
• Have any BUYERS that are looking for homes? You can use the 4th and 5th steps above (under contract and sold stages) to advertise that you sold the home and have other buyers interested in that area. 
• Ask an agent if you can hold an open house for them on one of their listings. How do you advertise that open house? In addition to signs, try sending out a set of postcards before the open house (with an appropriate call to action, of course) or you could try door knocking and inviting people from the neighborhood. Of course, you could always ask your open house guests if they would like a free home value report.