Any Advice on Data provider for Direct Mail? Good Lists?

[Logan Hand]

Hey guys I hope everyone here on BP is doing great and ready to crush this 4th quarter! 

We do alot of marketing here at my company, and although we do Direct Mail, I would say it could use some work. 

I am open to any suggestions or advice, but please back your advice up with data like response rates etc. 

Here is what I am currently doing with Direct Mail. 

We do between 5-7,000 pieces per month. We have tried Jumbo Post cards, Minis, and the handwritten letters. Ultimately we stick with Minis because they are cheaper and the first class mail helps alot. 

We mail to the following Lists from the following Sources: 

- NOD Tax defaults ------- From Rebogateway

- NOO (Non Owner Occupied) --- Rebogateway

- PRe-Foreclosures --------- Realty Trac. 

We have tried these methods also and weren't exactly a fan

- Absentee owners with Equity....... Listability data

- Inherited Property Lists.......... US Leads List. 

We are in the process of scaling and we have plenty of money to throw at these marketing initiatives. Anything that can help me fine tune the machine will help. 
Thanks so much guys!

[Justin Silverio]

@Logan Hand that's great you guys are so ingrained in DM.  I get 90% of my deals from this lead source so I'm a big fan as well.  The majority of my deals are coming from my driving for dollars list.  I currently have 5k+ in that list.  The next list is my Super Lead List which is a combination of multiple lists and intense scrubbing.  My 3rd list is tax liens.  

Notice that all of the above lists are not just pulled from an easy data source.  Because of that, many investors don't spend their time working these lists and when I send mail, I have less competition.  Pulling lists from Listsource like absentees, equity, seniors, etc. are fine but they work best when executed in conjunction with the other lists that I mentioned.  

Once you have a solid lead list, I'd recommend selecting mailers that stand out from your competition.  Mini postcards are fine for a single touch, but I would recommend that you use letters as well.  General response rates for postcards are 0.5% and letters are 3%+.  Now, this is where you can really maximize your results - creative mailers, that actually stand out from your competition's mailers have provided me with a 26.7% increased response rate from using a standard yellow mailer type.

Finally, the deals are in the consistency and follow up.  I NEVER stop mailing my lists unless they tell me to or they sell their house.  I'm getting deals off my 12th, 13th, 14th touch.

Good luck!