The road to prosperity as a real estate agent begins with prospecting.
And as all great salespeople know, the art of good prospecting begins with a single mindset shift—it’s not leads you’re after, it’s a long-lasting relationship.
But being a real estate agent is quite different from being any other kind of salesperson.
You’re not just selling bricks and mortar, you’re selling grandma’s house, perhaps someone’s childhood home. Sometimes, you’re helping a divorcing couple through a painful phase of their lives. Or you’re selling a space that turns a pair into a couple, one that nurtures families and memories.
And actually, compared to other industries, real estate agents actually aren’t doing too badly in terms of how their customer service is perceived. Forty-nine percent of respondents in our recent survey said that real estate agents provide “pretty good” to “very good” customer service. It’s not the best out of the industries, but it’s not terrible:
What better way to begin a relationship than with one of the oldest forms of long-distance communication in the world? The letter.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- 3 samples of real estate letters to send to prospective clients
- Why prospecting letters are still a real estate agent’s best friend
- The elements of a great prospecting letter
- How to make the most of your real estate prospecting letter
Download your free real estate prospecting playbook, featuring 9 prospecting letter/message templates! 🚀
3 templates to help you send an authentic real estate prospecting letter
There are as many templates as there are types of potential leads. But fear not, you can use the following templates as a guide and tweak it to apply to your unique scenarios at hand.
Remember to sign each letter personally and provide as many ways for your prospects to reach you as possible.
1. Real estate agent introduction letter
The scenario: Use this template when you find yourself without much information about your prospects and need to get the word out en masse.
Dear (Name),
I hope this letter finds you well. My name is (Name), and I’m an agent working with (Company). I’ve lived in (Area Name) a long time, and I’ve seen it blossom from the sleepy neighborhood it once was to the thriving commercial hub it is today.
I’m excited to let you know that from now on, I’ll be representing homeowners in this area. If you ever wish to put your home up for sale, purchase a home, or even just want to chat, feel free to reach out to me. I’ll be glad to help.
Regards,
(Name)
(Contact Details)
Why it works: You don’t know much about your prospect, but you can still make a personal connection by focusing on what you have in common—where you live.
2. Real estate introduction letter to friends and family
The scenario: When you’re all set up and ready to roll, let all your friends and family know about your new career. They will become your chief source of referrals and clients for the long term.
Dear (Name),
How have you been? How are (Partner’s Name) and the children? I hope that (Recent Life Event) is treating you well.
I’m thrilled to tell you that I am now officially a licensed real estate agent! I started working with (Company) a few days ago. I hope you like my business card!
Please keep me in mind if ever you’re thinking of selling your home—and tell everyone you know! As a small gift, I’m offering a free property analysis upon request.
Please reach out to me if ever you require my services.
Hope to hear from you soon!
Warmly,
(Name)
(Contact Details)
Why it works: Providing a free market analysis demonstrates to your network that you have the ability and resources to handle work—and also that you mean business.
3. Real estate referral letter
The scenario: Referrals are the holy grail of a successful real estate business. One happy client means a whole network of warm leads. If someone is referred to you through a happy client, send out this letter but make it super personalized for better results.
Dear (Name),
My name is (Name), and I’m a real estate agent with (Company). Recently, I had the privilege of serving our common friend/your (Relation)—his/her home fetched a pretty incredible price, and I’m helping him close a deal in (Neighborhood) now.
(Friend) told me you might be looking to relocate soon, and I did a quick market analysis of your neighborhood, which I’ve attached. It’s a little hard for me to contain my excitement, so I’ll come out and say it: I think your house has great potential, and I’d love to tell you more.
Please call me at (phone number), and we can set up a time to chat. I think there’s a huge opportunity here, and I’d like to help you take advantage of it.
Sincerely,
(Name)
(Contact Details)
Why it works: This letter does two things: It makes the prospect aware of your existence and willingness to go the extra mile to deliver value.
🚀 Get even more real estate prospecting letters for all occasions. Download the complete set of 9 templates!
Do real estate prospecting letters even work?
A United States Postal Service survey in 20181 reported that millennials (who currently make up a sizeable chunk of the real estate market) are surprisingly responsive to marketing mail, compared to older generations, with 38% liking mail from organizations not seeking donations.
So yes. People love letters.
Source: 2020 NAR Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends
Not what you’d expect of the generation that grew up with tech? Well, funnily enough, they appreciate companies that speak directly to them and offer a personalized experience to show they value their business. (On a related note, a Canada Post study also determined that direct mail can be 20% more persuasive than digital media2.)
Learn about the best software for real estate agents that’ll help you master the art of prospecting and closing on deals with clients.
How to craft real estate letters that sell
The funny thing about real estate letters that help you close deals is that, well, they… don’t sell.
Instead, what they do—and what they’re meant to do—is spark a connection and lay the first brick to a foundation of trust. It’s not like an open house follow-up where you have a point of reference with a prospect that you can mention. You don’t close deals in just one shot, especially when there’s a lot of money involved, like in real estate. You need to lay that foundation first.
“Top professionals in real estate… understand they are in the people business. They don’t sell homes. They get people happily involved in owning property by satisfying their real estate needs,” writes Tom Hopkins in his book, Mastering the Art of Selling Real Estate.
Here’s how you can write people-first real estate prospecting letters that help you get the leads you need.
Personalize
Send out differently worded letters to different segments and try to personalize each one as far as possible. Handwrite your prospects’ names instead of referring to them as “Ma’am” or “Sir.”
Be professional
Even as you’re trying to appeal to your prospects’ hearts, still try to use a professional tone. Place your letter in a blank envelope and cut out the bells and whistles of typical direct marketing mail, like loud, salesy headlines and brightly colored flyers.
Be authentic
But don’t be too stuffy. Remember, the goal here is to build a relationship. “When you write direct mail, don’t suppress your natural style. Let the words flow in your own voice. Write the direct-mail letter as if you were writing a letter to a friend,” says Robert Bly in The Copywriters’ Handbook.
See how real estate company ERA Grizzard provides virtual tours to its clients while optimizing its staffing.
Throw in some free stuff (of value)
Free stuff, aka gifts, aka what people (almost) never complain about. This could be a local neighborhood newsletter, a free property analysis, or some coupons to a local restaurant.
If your gift is thoughtful and perfect for the season, you will be remembered. This is especially effective when you’re new to the area and are competing with other agents who are already known in the neighborhood.
Don’t give gifts (only) during festive seasons, as everyone will be doing it, and yours will get lost in the heap.
Okay, you’ve got a real estate prospecting letter—what next?
Of course, as useful as it is, direct mail can’t be your only strategy (though it can often make a fantastic first impression).
No matter what the surveys and statistics say, the best way to communicate with your prospects is the way they want to. Some prefer text messages, others prefer calls. Other homeowners, maybe those who live in a different town, might want to have a video conference call.
It might seem hard to stay on top of all this, but you can’t afford to drop the ball.
Use an integrated communications approach
Of course, you’re not going to communicate with your potential clients using just letters.
Follow-ups are crucial after you’ve made that initial outreach attempt—how are you doing it? (If you’re like some real estate brokerages, you might not be doing it at all.) Whether it’s a follow-up with a prospect or giving your team a monthly update, communication is crucial.
Did you know that at least $500,000 in annual revenue is wasted every year because of poor communication? Having more collaborative communication tools is a simple way to start solving that problem.
For example, how do you keep track of people you’ve sent a prospecting letter to, and who you’ve followed up with? A sales enablement tool or some kind of outbound contact center solution can be handy here.
Let’s take RingCentral’s Engage Voice platform, for instance. Not only can it log helpful scripts for real estate agents to use and customize, it can also let you keep track of campaigns and record which prospects have already been contacted by your team:
And when it comes to working together with your brokerage’s team and other agents, RingCentral’s desktop and mobile app is designed for work on the go.
Beyond the basics like call forwarding and cool-but-useful stuff like visual voicemail, RingCentral just flat out makes your client experience better. Here’s how.
Running back and forth between open houses? You can make and take calls from your phone (while hiding your personal number), flip the call to your computer when you arrive at your desk—without interrupting the conversation…
And you can even switch a phone call to a video call just by tapping a button:
If you’re working in real estate, you need different communication options. Sometimes, a quick phone call is easiest. Other times, you want to talk face-to-face. RingCentral gives you that flexibility—and even lets you create tasks and events for yourself and your teammates. For example, to follow up on a direct mail campaign:
Personalization and follow-ups can be painstaking, but with the right sales apps and follow-up strategy, it’ll pay for itself—and then some.
Making a ton of calls? See how Fidelity Resales, one of the biggest resale timeshare brokers in the world (and Disney’s preferred broker), saved an incredible 50% on its phone bill—by doing one thing.
🕹️ Get a hands-on look at how top-performing real estate brokerages and agents are using RingCentral by booking a product tour:
💰 You can also use this calculator to see roughly how much your business could save by using RingCentral to support your team’s communication with each other, clients, freelancers, and more.
Ready to start prospecting for real estate clients more effectively?
Even in a modern world, there’s still a time and place for using real estate prospecting letters.
Use these templates and tips to hunt for potential home-buying and home-selling clients—and don’t forget to follow up!
1uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/document-library-files/2018/RARC-WP-18-011.pdf
2canadapost.ca/assets/pdf/blogs/CPC_Neuroscience_EN_150717.pdf
Originally published Feb 01, 2020, updated Mar 03, 2022
