A good real estate letter is the real deal.

It seems I’ve written at least a couple hundred real estate letters in the last year. So it may surprise you when I say “I hate writing letters.” Writing for me is a knot in my stomach, a tension in my fingers, a wrinkle on my forehead, a harrowing experience. I guess that’s why I avoid writing them as often as I do.

However, there is one good thing about the ordeal of letter writing and it is this… I love what a good real estate letter does for my business. A good letter generates leads that can be leveraged to pay customers, customers who buy, sell, and rent real estate. Nothing has had as big an impact on my real estate business as a single, well-written letter.

I wish I could say my lyrics are magical, but they’re not. However, I have found that somewhere along the way to becoming a good salesperson, I learned the formula for successful letter writing. Specifically, the letters are not about how good I am, but rather a reflection of how well I serve the needs of the readers.

Real Estate Letter to Sellers

For example, most sellers want to sell their homes as quickly as possible and for as much money as possible. So my letters to them tend to emphasize the things I do to effectively market their real estate; networking with agents known to always have buyers, explaining the unique ways I will market your home (for example, I will market to graduate students, college professors, doctors, investors, law enforcement personnel, Fortune 500 Company employees, etc.).

I tell them the things they want to hear and then I follow through on what I promise. I also sell them the idea that I’ll be available to them 24/7 while secretly hoping they don’t call at 2:00 am But just between you and me it would be okay if they did.

Real Estate Letter to Buyers

On the other hand, letters to buyers emphasize finding them a good deal, no matter how long it takes. Of course, you want to sell buyers’ houses as quickly as possible, but you have to respect the fact that they will be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, so a little patience is required.

The difference between rushing a buyer into a home after just 2-3 days of searching versus 2 weeks of searching before finding the perfect home is HUGE. In the first instance they will know that you are all about you and that your main goal is to make a sale. However, in the second example, they are likely to think that you have their best interests at heart and are therefore good candidates for a lifelong relationship…and referrals.

Capture the interest of readers

In short, an effective real estate letter captures readers’ interest and compels them to action. Start with an opening line that grabs attention and makes them stop and really think about what you have raised. That is followed by a solution to your proposal expressed as a preview. To get all the details of your solution, it will be necessary for them to pick up the phone and give you a call.

But when it’s all said and done, I still hate writing letters, but I love what they do for my business.