Because our first year of the automated postcard program was a success, we are expanding it for 2016.
Next year, the program will have four additional postcards, an increase of 50 percent, so that recipients will receive one card per month. In addition, we recently enabled agents to send out postcards to their own contacts.
The 4.25-inch x 6-inch postcards’ topics include seasonal tips such as spring cleaning ideas and back-to-school organization, as well as real estate messages, from financing programs to how Help-U-Sell Real Estate helps buyers. The postcards’ messages cannot be customized in order to keep costs down, but brokers and agents can add a personal testimonial or choose a sold-and-saved example for the reverse of the cards.
The program was created to help our brokers (and now agents) stay in touch with their centers of influence (CIs), who are loosely defined as anyone who can put your name with your face. These people are highly important because most buyers and sellers turn to people they know to help them with their real estate needs. According to the National Association of REALTORS, in 2014, 52 percent of buyers either used a former agent or found an agent by referral from a family member or friend. That figure jumps to 60 percent for sellers.
Agents and brokers can send out as many or as few postcards as they would like. The postcards will cost approximately 45 cents each, postage included, depending on how many are sent out collectively. The price can drop by another 15 percent if the agent or broker opts to take advantage of a co-op with Movement Mortgage, which simply requires including the company’s logo and disclaimer on the reverse of the postcard.
The last mailing of 2015 has a holiday message, and the 2016 postcards will begin mailing out in January. Look for reminders toward the end of the year. If you did not participate in the program this year, get prepared for next year by uploading your contacts into the OMS. If you have any questions, please contact us at support.
