Real Estate Investor · Lakeview, NY · Member since 2009 · 309 posts · 49 votes
I am considering doing a mailing. Called a company yesterday...3200 names, absentee owners/landlords of SFH and multi's, in 3 different zip codes I selected. $980. By the time I buy stamps ($1400), envelopes, paper for my flyers, etc..I looking at $2500 maybe more by the time it all said and done. Not to include many, many hours of "licking envelopes". It's a BIT more than I wanted to spend.
I guess my question is does anyone know of a company that will do this cheaper? Or is there a better way to curtail all this leg-work? I far from lazy, but time is money.
Wholesaler · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2009 · 286 posts · 255 votes
17y
You don't have to pay for a list. Find a good local title insurance company (if they have them in your state), some of them give you access to lists for free if you're a customer. In my case I went to the title company and said "I want to be a customer, can you give me access to your comp service and lists?" They said yes.
Consider sending postcards instead of envelopes. Heck of a lot easier and cheaper. I get mine for $0.37 each including printing, postage, and mailing service.
Real Estate Investor · Lynchburg, VA · Member since 2009 · 41 posts · 3 votes
17y
I understand your problem, but am afraid I can't really help. I've been doing smaller scale mailings (~500) myself, but I believe my value lies in things other than stuffing and licking envelopes. It takes quite a bit of time to even do <500 houses, and I look forward to the answer to your question.
The only thing I could possibly recommend is to pick a neighborhood in the price range you'd be interested in which is located near you, and mail to them. That way you've narrowed your focus (and focus is everything) to a certain price range you're most interested in, and you could do follow-ups. Do a search on the web for reverse address searching, and see if you can find phone numbers for the houses you've mailed. Call them and "make sure they received your flyer," and open a dialogue with them about you, your company, and what you're looking to do.
I understand mailings become much more effective when you follow-up.
Real Estate Investor · Lakeview, NY · Member since 2009 · 309 posts · 49 votes
17y
They told me a lot of them do have numbers. I did ask. A follow up call is critical. Also it won't only be one time, I plan on mailing several, kinda like a drip mail campaign.
Wholesaler · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2009 · 286 posts · 255 votes
17y
You don't have to pay for a list. Find a good local title insurance company (if they have them in your state), some of them give you access to lists for free if you're a customer. In my case I went to the title company and said "I want to be a customer, can you give me access to your comp service and lists?" They said yes.
Consider sending postcards instead of envelopes. Heck of a lot easier and cheaper. I get mine for $0.37 each including printing, postage, and mailing service.
Real Estate Investor · Kihei, HI · Member since 2009 · 17 posts · 0 votes
17y
There is also a company called Sales Team Live. They have the vetted lists and the specific mail campaigns all completed and managed for you. They are an unbelievable time saver and very cheap. Before you spend $2500, I would check them out: http://www.salesteamlive.com. If you do use them, please refer my name. Thanks.
Kendrick Wright
P.S. Their market research indicates most responses come in the fourth to six mailing.
Real Estate Investor · North Central Arkansas · Member since 2009 · 509 posts · 178 votes
17y
3200 NAMES? Sounds like you better spend the extra $ and buy the envelopes you don't have to lick.
No but seriously, that is a lot of money to spend for a list of names. I would try to fine tune that list down to a more select group. Just getting absentee owners is not very valuable to me. In my area there are several absentee owners that bought at the TOP of the boom market and therefore have 0 equity. Those guys maybe candidates for a short sale but certainly not your traditional wholesale deal.
Figure out exactly what your looking for so you can fine tune your message to better fit their needs.
Also, there are a lot of places to buy lists, shop around a little. Andy gave you great advice about the post cards, especially for high volume mailings.
Real Estate Investor · North Central Arkansas · Member since 2009 · 509 posts · 178 votes
17y
Originally posted by Andy Jones:
Consider sending postcards instead of envelopes. Heck of a lot easier and cheaper. I get mine for $0.37 each including printing, postage, and mailing service.
Who are you using? That sounds like a great deal to me.
Wholesaler · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2009 · 286 posts · 255 votes
17y
Kessler Creative, the website is that plus a dot com.
I got that price with a contract for 10,000 ea. 4x6 full color both sides, so if you're doing less it may be slightly more expensive. I am doing variable print postcards so each card is personalized for the recipient.
You can also check out click2mail, they have about the same price, and can do variable printing as well, however their product line is more limited but they price the same whether it's 100 or 10,000. If you're working with a smaller list they may be a better option.