Old School Works: How Direct Mail Still Closes Real Estate Deals

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Direct mail remains one of the most effective ways to connect with motivated sellers when done right, helping real estate investors find off-market deals even in competitive markets. This episode provides a seven-step blueprint for creating direct mail campaigns that build trust and generate real estate opportunities.

• Start small by focusing on just one town you know extremely well
• Target motivated sellers facing real challenges (vacant homes, pre-foreclosures, tax liens, code violations, divorce, probate)
• Follow the "law of seven touches" - consistency builds trust over time
• Approach sellers with genuine empathy and understanding of their situation
• Focus on the outcome and relief you're offering, not just buying their house
• Keep your call-to-action simple - just ask for the meeting
• Position yourself as someone worth meeting, not trying to close the deal in a mailer

Thanks for listening to Demos to Dollars. If today's episode helped you move one step closer to your first or next deal, do me a favor follow us wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss a show. I'm grateful to be part of your journey. Now get out there and get cracking.

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CLICK HERE to learn more about our upcoming boot camp, Flipper Camp.

Episode Transcript

Ed Mathews (00:00):
Your mailer is not going to close the deal.
It's not designed to.
All you can do is positionyourself as someone worth
meeting.
Ever sat in your car scrollingthrough Zillow and thought, man,
if I just knew where to start Icould flip one of these.
Yeah, I've been there too.
Most people who want to fliphouses never even start, not

(00:21):
because they're lazy, butbecause they don't have the
blueprint.
Well, that changes today.
If you give me five minutes,I'll give you real-world
flipping strategies thatactually work.
No fluff, no theories, nogatekeeping, just real how-to
information for you to applytoday.
Today, we're diving into astrategy that helped me close my

(00:41):
very first off-market deal andcontinues to work like a charm,
even in a noisy market.
Direct mail simple, old schooland still one of the most
effective ways to connect withmotivated sellers, if you do it
right.
So let's walk through it.
Step one start small.
Seriously, don't try to blanketfive counties on your first

(01:04):
campaign.
You'll waste money and drown inchaos.
Pick one town and only one.
Know it like the back of yourhand and the streets, the
neighborhoods, the price ranges.
Starting small lets you scalesmart.
Step two pick the right list.
Not all homeowners are equalwhen it comes to motivation, you
want to reach out to peoplefacing real challenges,

(01:24):
situations that create urgencyand a need to sell.
But look for these Vacant homes, pre-foreclosure, tax liens or
other financial burdens, codeviolations like blight, divorce,
probate situations.
These folks aren't justthinking about selling.
They often need a solution andthat's where you come in.
Step three understand the law ofseven touches.

(01:46):
This is huge.
Direct mail is not aone-and-done kind of deal.
Don't expect results after asingle letter or postcard, and
it takes at least seveninteractions to build
familiarity and trust.
Your first mailer is just anintroduction.
The real win comes when youfollow up consistently, creating
a conversation over time untilthey're ready to do their

(02:06):
homework on you.
Consistency builds trust.
Trust creates conversations.
Conversations lead to contracts.
Step four be a human being.
Look, a lot of these homeownersare under real pressure
Financial stress, legal issues,family problems.
So your tone matters, yourwords matter.
You're not here to exploit.

(02:26):
Have a heart, speak withempathy.
Let them know you understandand that your goal is to help
them get to a better place andsolve their problem.
Step five focus on the outcome.
Don't just say I'll buy yourhouse.
Paint a picture, imagine beingfree from that property by next
month.
No more bills, no more stress,just a clean break and a chance

(02:49):
to move forward.
That's what they care about.
The relief, the fresh start.
Sell that.
Just one clear next step Callme.
Scan this QR code, visit thislink to schedule a meeting.
More than one CTA.
You lose them.
A confused mind says no.

(03:11):
And step seven sell theappointment, nothing more.
Your mailer is not going toclose the deal.
It's not designed to.
What you can do is positionyourself as someone worth
meeting.
Make it crystal clear.
I'd love to hear what's goingon and see if I can help.
That's it.
No pressure, no pitches,because sometimes that meeting

(03:32):
turns into a deal.
Other times it turns into areferral to a good agent, an
attorney or a financial advisor,and that's okay too.
Your job is to listen,understand and help them move
forward.
So wrapping up direct mail works, but only when it's thoughtful,
consistent and human.
Start small, target rightfollow up.
Be a human, paint the outcome,keep your CTA simple and just

(03:55):
ask for the appointment.
That's the playbook.
If this helped, make sure tofollow the show.
Tomorrow I'll be sharing how torun ARV comps like a pro, even
if you're new to real estate.
This is Demo to Dollars.
See you next time.
Thanks for listening to Demosto Dollars.
If today's episode helped youmove one step closer to your
first or next deal, do me afavor follow us wherever you get
your podcasts so you never missa show.

(04:16):
I'm grateful to be part of yourjourney.
Now get out there and getcracking.
Bye for now.