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Direct mail isn’t dead; it just needs to be reimagined. I interviewed ten agents and industry experts to identify sixteen examples of direct mail pieces that are currently building brands and driving results.
The following examples include Just Sold letters and postcards, geographic farm letters and postcards, expired campaigns, and classic brand-building campaigns with updated twists.
These first four examples include variations of direct mail campaigns from Tom Ferry and Jimmy Mackin, co-founders of Listing Leads. The rest are examples of agents who are now actively using direct mail in their business.
If you want to improve the use of direct mail in your business, this is the article for you.
Just sold story mailer, Noah Escobar
Noah Escobar, from the 30A market in the Florida Panhandle, put a spin on a redesigned Just Sold campaign from Ferry and Mackin. They said the average Just Sold postcard says things like sold in three days, multiple offers, and sold above list price.
They went on to say that sharing these points can lead homeowners to think the process is easy and that agents are overpaid or, in some cases, not even necessary.
They suggested sharing the story of what the agent did to get the house sold quickly, how they generated multiple offers, and how they negotiated for the highest possible price for their client. Based on that suggestion, Escobar created the letter below.
He also implemented one of Mackin’s suggestions to arouse curiosity through the letter’s headline. In this mailer, Escobar starts at the top of the page with the text: “Did you hear it from your neighbor?” This is the top fold of the letter and it is placed inside the envelope where it will pop out as soon as the homeowner opens it.
He then creates a storyline that covers the process: from the homeowner initially contacting him, to the marketing process he used, and the process of negotiating a higher price and good terms for his seller. Using a QR code to display the quality of its video marketing is an example of showing its marketing instead of just talking about it.
This is a great example of how you can redesign your Just Sold campaigns.
Just sold with a twist, Collins Group Realty
The next example comes from Chip Collins of Collins Group Realty, serving the Lowcountry of South Carolina. This is an example of a more traditional Just Sold card with a few modern upgrades. He took advantage of another suggestion Mackin and Ferry made to use an incorrect Z estimate from Zillow to get the reader’s attention.
In this example you will notice them boldly saying, “Z estimate was wrong! We sold for $510,000 on Zillow” with a call to action of “Ask Us How.” Collins also used the key line of “Another Sea Pines Home Sold.” The subtle addition of ‘other’ emphasizes their successes in the neighborhood. Using the QR code that leads to a team video is also a great way to introduce the team.
Z estimate letter, Fissori Real Estate team
The Z estimate letter is a personalized mailing to a homeowner that is used to generate advertising opportunities. This is an example of the strategy, taught through Listing Leads, by Kathy Fissori and Peter Joehnk of the Fissori Real Estate Team serving the San Luis Obispo County markets in California.
This strategy involves screen capturing the Zillow Z estimate for a specific home. Many of the Z estimates are low compared to the actual value of the home. This creates an opportunity for a mailer like the one below to generate conversations about offer opportunities. Another way to make the letter even more personal is to add a yellow sticky note with a handwritten message, like the one in the letter below.
Expired Letter for Results, Listing Leads, Jimmy Mackin and Tom Ferry
The last example from Listing Leads is a letter for expired listings. This letter uses a copywriting framework called PAS, an acronym for Pain, Agitation, and Resolution.
P: Pain
The beginning of the letter evokes the pain of the house not being sold.
A: Stir
The agitation part involves recognizing their frustration, disappointment and annoyance at the barrage of calls from agents to relist their home.
S: Solution
The solution in this letter means that you have already identified how you can help alleviate their problem in a different way than the other agents who contact them.
This is an effective letter for agents looking to add prospecting expired listings to their lead generation strategies in 2025.
6-24 month old expired offer letter, Jake Garay
As the market normalizes, we continue to see more expired listings. Good marketing often involves identifying a group of prospects who have a need that few competitors are targeting. It then crafts a message that grabs the prospect’s attention in a way that prompts them to take action.
That’s exactly what Jake Garay of the Garay-Michaud team serving New York’s Hudson Valley does with the letter below. It is aimed at homeowners who had their home for sale, but the listing expired 6 to 24 months ago. This exact letter has generated three sold listings in excess of $1,000,000, another great example of effective messaging to a receptive group of potential customers.
Geographic Agriculture: Dump or Donate Event, Julie Colin
Julie Colin of St. Louis, Missouri, uses local events to bring value to the neighborhoods she serves. One of these events is her “Dump or Donate” event that she hosts in the spring. This event involves setting up a dumpster and a Habitat for Humanity truck near a neighborhood so residents have a way to declutter and clean their homes or garages.
The postcard below highlights the effective event that set Colin apart as the neighborhood resource for everything residents need. Effective marketing isn’t just about real estate, and this is a unique example of a value-added service that will ultimately be rewarded with sales.
Geographic Agriculture: Consistency for Recognition, Jason Gruner
Consistency is the key to brand awareness in geographic agriculture. Jason Gruner, from Nashville, Tennessee, uses a simple, consistent postcard format to leverage four marketing opportunities for his listings. This increases the homeowner’s exposure to their business and showcases their successes in the local area.
Geographic Agriculture: Overview of Neighborhood Markets, Jason Gruner
The following example also comes from Jason Gruner. In this postcard he focuses on making the neighborhood a star. He limits his branding and drives the homeowner to a video overview of the market via a QR code. This is a piece that can be sent monthly, quarterly, or as a year-end review for a particular neighborhood.
Geographic Farming: Results-Oriented Postcard, Collins Group Realty
Collins Group Realty creates sleek postcards with a clear message about the results-oriented value they offer their clients. The posts include bullet points of their strategies and how they help their clients through the process. This is an example of a postcard that will catch the attention of the homeowner who is considering selling now or in the future.
Geographic Farming: Neighborhood-Specific Results, Collins Group Realty
The more specific the message, the better the results. This is another example of how Collins Group Realty uses creative messaging to capture the potential customer’s attention and highlight their successes as an industry leader in a specific community. This comes as a folded card, creating a different packaging than the typical postcard. This makes the piece stand out even more.
Sphere of Influence Cards: Branding Postcards, Heidi Harris
Heidi Harris, of the Home Sweet Heidi Team in Raleigh, North Carolina, uses postcards to stay in touch with her circle of influence and past clients. At the beginning of the year, she maps out her monthly mailings for the year to ensure she stays top of mind with the group of people who send her the vast majority of her sales.
These mailers are less about real estate and more about brand awareness. Below are some examples of the mailings she has done for this audience over the past year.
Recipe cards with video for connection, Reganne Queen
Reganne Queen, from the Fort Cavazos area of South Texas, uses recipe cards with a twist to connect with her ideal customers. She uses the front of the card to introduce herself and connect with other military spouses and mothers.
She then provides a recipe card, but what sets her apart is that she uses a QR code where people can go to a video of her cooking the recipe. This unique twist on the traditional recipe cards that some agents have used in the past has led to two listings.
The reason direct mail is still used is because it works. The key is to identify the types of mailers that reflect who you are and target your ideal customers. Through consistency and creativity, direct mail can be one of the most important strategies to help you have your best year ever in 2025.
Jimmy Burgess is a broker and national team builder at Real Brokerage in Northwest Florida, serving the 30A, Destin and Panama City Beach markets. Connect with him Instagram And LinkedIn.
