When you mail out information to say expireds, do you use a regular envelope where you tri fold the papers or do you use a large envelope where you can just slide the papers right in without bending them?

I was going to use the big ones but that would take at least two stamps. That can get expensive!

Thanks!

I got very little response from mailings - the best way to go is just call them

Standard sized envelope is fine - just make sure you write the mailing address by hand.

Most people are on the DNC list. I have been going door to door but that takes a lot of gas in a V8 truck. I may go door to door for locals and send a letter to the ones that are 20 miles aways.

Mail out 10 new ones aday. Wait about 3-4 days then call. The letter has got to be great. I first mailed about 100 letters that were not great, got one call. Then changed my letter now get about 1 call for every 15.

ttown- can you share your letter?

ttown,

How'd you develop your letter? Time? Trial and error? Use an example or book to help develop it?

I have yet to master it. The first time I sent letters, looking back, it was full of fluff. Im sent expired postcards with little results. I would much rather call. But rather than skip expireds the expireds I cant find the number for I started mailing this week to improve the number ratio. This little was basic more direct. I'll let you know if I have any results and then share. I mailed 55 out today so Ill see. I did try somethings different: 1. hand wrote address instead of using labels 2. signed my letter 3. Folded the letter inside out(words facing out) to get the seller to read.

Please, let us know some results. I mailed out some yesterday. Printed my address but hand wrote theirs. Included a expired brochure that I made along with a letter that I also signed. Plus, each letter starts out with Dear (their name).

Maybe someone with more knowledge can tell us, but I think the letter serves as a setup/icebreaker for when the agent calls. Be sure to drop the letters in the mailbox the morning it expireds that why the seller receives before they resign.

The problem I have with mailing expireds is by the time they're expired, they're vacant and they come back to me. I haven't got one lead from an expired either by mail or calling. Most of the expireds are on the DNC list. Also the MLS in my area is not so accurate. If a house is pending, it shows up on the expired list occasionally. I do hand print the envelope and I use a standard envelope to save money. I heard of someone putting an expired packet on top of an expired's newspaper or on their porch. I may try that...

If they open the envelope, they are going to read the letter.

If I saw it folded inside out, I'd think you did not have any business training at all.

How is it working out for you though?

How is it working out for you though?

Just started again. I only got like 1 call last time that I mailed out 150 so just trying something new. It cant get any worse.

Thank God. There are other business etiquette purists still left. I thought I was the only one. There are those out there that would not hire a person based on this alone.

Like I said, I wasnt getting anywhere with the old way so I tried something new.

I haven't tried mailing but I am doorknocking. I have been to 65 homes in the last 2 weeks. Made contact with 20 owners, 5 renters and then left packets at 25 homes no one was home. The other 15 I am going to keep going back to until homeowner is home because I have found that leaving the packet on the doorstep isn't producing results. However, out of the 20 owners that I did make face to face contact with I have a listing appt tonight and one next week. I also have 2 others holding off till the end of the year.
I think my results would've been better if I had better scripting in place when I started this a couple of weeks ago. I am working on that and things are starting to falling into place.

I have a tendancy to get myself sidetracked easily so mailing consistently wouldn't work out too well for me. If I can get things going with the doorknocking then my plan is to hire someone a few hours a week to handle a follow up mailing campaign for those that aren't ready to relist now.

Hope all works for those of you prospecting the expireds and let us know the results as you go and what worked best for you.

Majona, I'm a fresh rookie agent and I use the exact same system up here in Washington. Even though my scripts suck and I know very little about the business, most homeowners that I speak with are somewhat welcoming and allow me to chat with them for a few minutes.

In my very first week, I knocked on about 40 doors, left 32 flyers, met eight homeowners, got three direct "no thank you, not interested in listing anymore" responses, another three homeowners said "maybe they would reconsider listing later in the year," one said he was relisting with his former Realtor, and ONE agreed to a listing appointment. I'm assuming the listing appointment I got was pure luck because I have read of other agents in this forum knocking on hundreds of doors without any results. Still, I've done the math and even if I get ONE listing appointment for every 100 doors I knock, it will be worth the effort.

Incidentally, I have not gotten one email or phone call response from any of the custom, hand-addressed and personalized flyers I've left at the doors when sellers were unavailable.

My goal for week #2 is to both revise the pitch so that I can somehow convince the homeowners I meet that now is a good time to list, as well as put more "YOU, YOUR HOME, YOUR PLANS" etc. in the flyer in order to get hopefully a 1% response rate.

This seems like an iterative process, with constant perfecting of a system until you find a way to maximize results.




[quote=majona]I haven't tried mailing but I am doorknocking. I have been to 65 homes in the last 2 weeks. Made contact with 20 owners, 5 renters and then left packets at 25 homes no one was home. The other 15 I am going to keep going back to until homeowner is home because I have found that leaving the packet on the doorstep isn't producing results. However, out of the 20 owners that I did make face to face contact with I have a listing appt tonight and one next week. I also have 2 others holding off till the end of the year.
I think my results would've been better if I had better scripting in place when I started this a couple of weeks ago. I am working on that and things are starting to falling into place.

I have a tendancy to get myself sidetracked easily so mailing consistently wouldn't work out too well for me. If I can get things going with the doorknocking then my plan is to hire someone a few hours a week to handle a follow up mailing campaign for those that aren't ready to relist now.

Hope all works for those of you prospecting the expireds and let us know the results as you go and what worked best for you. [/quote]

Mailings?

Wanna find out something about mailings? Ask the sellers and listen to their response.

I have asked hundreds of sellers in my market what they think about real estate agents and their stuff (mailings) it's a real eye opener, what they say! What would knowing that information do for YOU?

O, first do NOT go there with the mindset to get a listing!!!!!!

Build rapport first, the best way is ask questions, easy ones -then more critical ones. (Questions) Keep it simple!

Don't over do it at the door, what they want (sellers) is something they don't know and YOU should have what they don't know. But..............they have to set down will you to get that information that they don't.

You will also get information that you didn't have.....deciding if YOU should work with these people.

Work with the right people and you life will be good.

Learn to ask people if you can set down with them for just a few mintues.

Best Wishes

Morris Benningfield

yea I agree... I have had some success with mailings... I mailed out maybe 15 letters got a call and listing from that.

From what I see when agents send out mailing even pre-list packet/listing presentation. They say a lot of stuff about themselves.

With me I include really on my name maybe 1 quote from a previous client. Because I do not think the seller really cares how man houses you have sold, how many people you have helped etc...They want to know what are you going to do differently to get my house sold.

I just created the ultimate prelist packet I think..I will test it out next week and see how it goes.

Also with me going into the listing (although not sure if this is recommended). I never take a tour of the home 1st. We immediately sit down at the table and talk about the best features in their home etc...(I usually say three things will happen at the end of the meeting 1) You will not want me to list your home. 2) I will turn down your listing. 3)We will agree and have your home back on the market tonight
(usually puts them in a mode where they feel like they are being interviewed too and less hostile)..Once we talked about 10 minutes we tour the home takes another 20 or so minutes. We then come back to the table and talk price. Whole appointment takes maybe 45 minutes.

But back to the mailings. Send them out in an odd colored envelope so that way they will want to know what it is. When you follow up....Basically say this is *your name*.... How are you... I am calling to see if you received the red envelope i mailed to you

Something along those lines... It helps or rather it has helped me

What you want to find out is their real motivation for selling.

You can do alot to help that person if they really are motivated.

This is best done before you go set down with them, it's over the phone, where your probing for motivation. Doing so will set up the appointment in the right direction.

What do you say?

Morris Benningfield