The single best piece of direct mail I ever used
Over the years I've tried a lot of different prospecting letters. Some worked reasonably well. Others fell into the 'awareness-building' category.
But one stands out above everything else I tried. It's the 'We Have a Buyer' letter, and at one point in my career, it was generating more listing appointments than almost any other activity I was doing.
I've referenced it a few times in past guides, including the one on leveraging your last sale into more opportunities. But I've never given it a proper introduction. Until now.
Why it works when other versions don't
You've almost certainly seen letters or flyers that say something like "We have lots of buyers looking in your area!" or "Our database is bursting with motivated purchasers ready to buy now!"
Those generally don't work. Homeowners see through them immediately. They feel generic, because they are generic.
The version that works is completely different. It talks about one specific buyer. A real person with a real story, a specific budget, and a specific reason they haven't bought yet. It mentions the property they missed out on. It mentions that they have pre-approved finance. It reads like a letter written for the person receiving it, not a mailout blasted to thousands.
That specificity is what makes a homeowner pause and actually think: "Wait. That sounds like our house!"
How to use it
The key is to pair it with a targeted list. After you sell a property, search your online property database tool (RPNZ / PropertyGuru) for homes similar to one you recently sold. Same rough size, same bedroom count, similar land area, similar price range. Filter that list down to somewhere between 100 and 200 properties, and send them this letter.
Note: Your property seach tool should let you download a spreadsheet of the 100 - 200 closest matches. From there you can run a mail merge in Word or Google Docs.
This isn't just a good prospecting activity. It's one of the most time-efficient things you can do after a sale, while the buyer relationships are fresh and the sold evidence is working in your favour.
I've made the letter template available below for Agent Monday members. It's editable, ready to go on your letterhead, and includes notes on the details you'll want to personalise to make it land.
Tips and Notes:
In my experience, this letter has a strike rate of 1 listing for every 100 letters sent, especially if you already have a decent profile in your local area. Don't be afraid to spend the money on postage to get this to the right homeowners
However, if the idea of paying for postage in this day and age gives you the heebie-jeebies, or running a mail-merge in Word sounds way too hard, then consider these options:
- Personally deliver it. Be your own postperson.
- Address it 'Dear Homeowner' and drop it to every similar-ish home in your farming area. It'll have a lower strike rate but it will still work.
- Drop 200 directly around your most recent sale, addressed 'Dear Homeowner' with the street name (but no street number). It's a far more effective version of the 'Just Sold' DLE.
The question my coaching clients always ask me before sending this letter...
Do I actually have to have a buyer that fits this description?
Ideally yes, but remember that we don't know if any buyer will like a home until we actually take them there. And buyer situations can change quickly. So keep the bigger picture top of mind.
The point of this letter is to create an introduction. To give you an opportunity to meet with a potential seller, sit down with them and talk about the current market.
Once you are sitting at their dining table, you can explain that the way to secure the best possible price for their home is to go through a proper process, ideally finding more than one buyer so you can create a competitive situation. Use your evidence of past success to demonstrate how you market properties to secure exceptional results for your owners.
The point isn't to sell this home quietly to one buyer - it's to build relationships with owners who are thinking of selling high demand properties in your area.
