In order to keep leads coming in, it is necessary run direct mail campaigns as a real estate investor. . I send out post cards and letters to potential motivated sellers in my business. Motivated sellers are people in stress that can be relieved by getting rid of their properties.

The real estate market today has more motivated sellers than you can probably handle. In order to be more effective and save money, you must therefore maintain clean mailing lists.
Here is how to get a good return on investment in your direct mail.

People in trouble who own real estate form my mailing lists, such as people going through divorce, people with liens, bankruptcy, etc. Most likely these people are looking to get rid of their houses or they end up in foreclosure.

People with inherited properties also form part of my mailing lists. Usually, they must continue paying the mortgage, or if they are free and clear, they are looking to cash out. In most cases these properties need some rehab, and the beneficiaries do not have the money to fix them up, so they cannot easily sell them on the open market. These probate properties can be very profitable.

Absentee owners also form part of my mailing lists. Land lords, people who work out of town and divorced people usually own these properties. Landlords usually happen to have been burned by their tenants and they cannot wait to get rid of these properties. They sometimes own several properties which can turn out to be good deals.

Expired listings from the MLS also form a big part of my target properties. Of course, these are looking to sell, though they have been unsuccessful.

I can therefore have 1500 to 2000 leads a week. Cleaning them up is therefore a must.

1) Geographical area
I live in a big metro region, so I can only buy houses in a small area. I therefore target only certain zip codes. No matter where you live, avoid war zones.

My area is limited to not more than 30 minutes driving distance.

2) Price range
As a wholesaler the very low end and high end properties are not appropriate for me. I like to remain in the middle which also happens to have more properties and buyers, and properties that are easier to fix up.

3) Recording date
I target people who have owned properties at least 10 years. Sometimes inherited properties can have exceptions.

This means they could have accumulated some equity. If they have refinanced they may not have as much equity.

4) Return mail
I send 2 post cards and if sending direct mail to probate leads, I send several of them over a few months. Some of these addresses are undeliverable and bounce back. I remove these bad addresses to save money.

Simon macharia invests in real estate in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex. His real estate investing business is fuelled by leads generated by direct mail and through his real estate website. Learn how a good real estate investor website can help you close more deals while spending less money, time and effort.