9 Real Estate Prospecting Letter Templates for Lead Outreach
Kaylee specializes in real estate, B2B, and SaaS companies. You can find her expertise in sales and real estate content on Fit Small Business.
This article is part of a larger series on Real Estate Lead Generation and Marketing.
Prospecting letters are sent to leads, potential clients, or past clients to continuously grow a real estate business. Even though digital real estate marketing can be incredibly effective, most real estate professionals find that prospecting letters perform better when delivered via direct mail instead of email. To make sure that you make a positive impression, we’ve created real estate prospecting letter templates for nine different purposes.
We’ve also compiled this list of templates into a downloadable document that you can use to begin your prospecting campaigns. Keep in mind that the real estate market changes on a daily basis, so you’ll need to keep your letters up to date. The verbiage used in the following templates can be changed to accurately reflect your local market and the present economy.
1. The Introduction Letter
Intended audience: Your local community
This type of prospecting letter can help new and experienced agents generate more real estate leads within their niche location. Use this real estate letter template to introduce yourself to a particular neighborhood or community group, using as much relevant expertise or information as possible.
This letter will be particularly appealing for potential clients who don’t already have a go-to agent for their questions. By establishing your expertise and availability, you may take that place for clients who need a professional’s opinion. It’s possible that this letter may help you find leads who are ready to start a transaction, but even more likely that it will help you begin a long-term relationship with potential buyers and sellers.
Dear (Potential Seller or Buyer),
I hope this letter finds you safe and in good health! My name is (insert your name), and I am a real estate agent with (company name). I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and share some exciting real estate news.
I’ve lived in (town, city) for (number of years) years, and have helped residents buy and sell homes for (number of years) years.
Whether you are looking to sell your home or buy a new home, our present market is a “perfect storm” of super-low interest rates and a shortage of homes to buy.
What does this mean to you? If you are a buyer, low interest rates afford you an opportunity to have more buying power. Buyers are able to purchase a higher-priced home at a comfortable mortgage payment.
If you are a seller, basic economics play to your advantage in the present market. With supply being so low and demand so high, sellers are receiving multiple offers and selling their home at a higher price than expected.
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss any request or questions you may have.
Looking forward to visiting with you in the very near future.
Thank you for your attention!
(Insert signature)
Consider your real estate brand and target audience as you write your prospecting letters. Formal language like “I welcome the opportunity” or “our present market” will probably not resonate with young families or millennial buyers, while slang wouldn’t appeal to empty-nesters or retirees.
You can find out what type of clients are in your farm area by using a data source like Claritas. With a single report from Claritas, you can get extensive market data for up to three areas, including demographics, behavior, and even financial activity. If you aren’t confident in your knowledge of your audience, a marketing report is an important long-term investment.
2. Low Inventory Letter
Intended audience: Prospective sellers
The majority of agents quickly notice that people love to hear their perspective on the state of the local real estate market and where the most opportunity lies for buyers and sellers. Successful real estate agents are always ready to handle this topic with a clear and accurate explanation.
When there’s a shortage of homes and an influx of buyers, you are presented with a natural opportunity to attract sales listing clients. It’s not always necessary to think of unique or complex real estate marketing ideas. Instead, you can simply leverage the market.
Use the template below to promote your expertise to homeowners and potential sellers in your farm area.
Dear (Potential Seller),
I hope this letter finds you in good health! I’m reaching out today because it is an incredible time to sell a home.
There is a shortage of homes on the market, and sellers are benefitting from the influx of buyers. Many of these buyers are willing to pay more than the asking price for the right home—leaving you with a hefty profit.
We can start by setting up a visit, where I can talk in more detail with you about how to take advantage of this opportunity. Or you can call or text me directly at (cell phone #) or email me at (email address) with a day and time that works best for you.
Don’t hesitate to reach out with any additional questions! Looking forward to meeting with you in the very near future.
Sincerely,
(Insert signature)
Take advantage of old-school real estate marketing strategies, like direct mail, while simultaneously automating the process. With real estate direct mail services, you can have your letters automatically printed and delivered to your audience. This can save you hours of envelope stuffing and adding stamps, so you can focus on serving your clients.
One of the most popular direct mail services is ProspectsPLUS!, which is created specifically for real estate professionals. It provides thousands of unique, real estate-specific mailer templates as well as a variety of customized direct mail marketing solutions, like Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM), sphere of influence (SOI) calculator, and MarketDominator magazine. If direct mail is the marketing strategy you want to invest in, the solutions from ProspectsPLUS! are set up to maximize your impact.
3. Record Low Interest Rates Letter
Intended audience: Prospective buyers
Over the last few years, mortgage interest rates have plummeted to all-time lows, reaching as low as 2.28%. However, even when interest rates aren’t breaking records, you can still use this information to generate leads. The truth is that many potential buyers aren’t aware of how the state of the real estate market affects them, so you have an opportunity to help them connect the dots.
Although you can—and should—share this information with your audience through email and social media, it may receive more attention as a real estate mailer. Make sure to keep the letter focused on the recipient and how they can benefit from the current interest rates.
Dear (Potential Buyer),
I hope this letter finds you in good health! If you’ve been thinking of buying a home, I’m thrilled to tell you that there has never been a better time to do so.
Interest rates are incredibly low, which allow you to get more house for less money. In fact, mortgage lenders estimate that interest rates under 3% afford the buyer up to $30,000 more in buying power!
I truly don’t want you to miss this opportunity to find the perfect home. Let’s set up a visit to chat in more detail. You can call or text me directly at (cell phone #) or email me at (email address) with a day and time that works best for you.
Don’t hesitate to reach out with any additional questions!
Looking forward to meeting with you in the very near future.
Sincerely,
(Insert signature)
When discussing interest rates, which change on a daily basis, it’s more important than ever to keep the information accurate and up to date. Avoid printing large quantities of prospecting letters with highly time-sensitive information on them.
Keep in mind that it’s important to gather information from reputable sources. Since Zillow is the top real estate platform in the world, leverage the platform’s reputation and popularity to establish your own authority. Start by looking at Zillow’s resources for agents, like their Agent Toolkit and refinancing page. You can plug in your ZIP code and immediately view up-to-date interest rates, current charts, and refinancing data.
4. Renter Letter
Intended audience: Renters who may not realize that they can afford to buy a home
Real estate agents often falsely assume that all renters are financially unable to buy a home. While this is sometimes the case, the majority of renters simply don’t realize when they are able to purchase. It is the responsibility of real estate agents to use this opportunity to create marketing materials that inform and educate.
As with all prospecting letters, you’ll get better results as you get more specific about your audience. When you market to renters, you will naturally lead them to become first-time home buyers. For this reason, marketing to renters could be a profitable real estate niche and could help you become an expert in both renters and first-time buyers.
Dear (Potential Buyer Who Is a Renter),
I hope this letter finds you in good health! Did you know that you could buy a home right now?
Mortgage lenders estimate that low-interest rates give buyers up to $30,000 more in buying power! There are a few local lenders who can show you exactly how you can buy a home now and take advantage of the market.
Let’s plan a visit to talk about this in more detail. I truly don’t want you to miss this opportunity to find your dream home! Call or text me directly at (cell phone #) or email me at (email address) with a preferred time and date.
Don’t hesitate to reach out with any additional questions!
Looking forward to meeting with you in the very near future.
Sincerely,
(Insert signature)
Pro tip: Depending on the laws in your state, you can reach out to your title company and get a list of local renters. This can automatically become a mailing list to target with specific renter-friendly information.
5. Co-marketing Prospect Letter
Intended audience: Potential local business partners
As a real estate agent, you quickly realize that relationships within your community are crucial to your success. Your local connections present you with an incredible network for referral opportunities, and you need them to build a consistent, sustainable business.
It’s important to surround yourself with other professionals and business owners for your own growth and to help you guide your clients in the right direction. Start by searching for local lenders, inspectors, insurance agents, financial advisers, and attorneys.
Dear (Professional/Business Owner),
I hope this letter finds you in good health! I’m (insert your name), a real estate agent with (real estate company name). I’ve heard your name come up among my connections, and I’d love to discuss the idea of a mutually beneficial partnership.
By working together, both of us could increase our exposure to potential clients and businesses. Since our client databases have similar needs, our partnership can be a real source of value for our clients as well as our businesses.
I’d be thrilled to work with you and see how we can help each other. Let’s set up a meeting to discuss this venture in more detail. You can call or text me directly at (cell phone #) or email me at (email address) with a preferred time and date.
Don’t hesitate to reach out with any additional thoughts or questions!
Looking forward to meeting with you in the very near future.
Sincerely,
(Insert signature)
Use a community platform like Parkbench or Nextdoor to stay up to date with local events or hot topics. Parkbench allows you to create a real estate profile and become a neighborhood sponsor or “local leader.” This automatically puts your name in front of every resident who uses the platform and simultaneously helps you create hyper-local content that builds your authority.
6. Referral Request Letter
Intended audience: Your top-referring friends, family, and past clients
A study from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) noted that 41% of homesellers found their agent through a referral. For most agents, this is the most dependable source of new leads. Your past clients already know your business ethics and how you guided them through their transactions, so they are often happy to recommend you to others.
However, they may not always remember to actively recommend you or connect you with others. Therefore, it’s your responsibility to implement a referral lead generation system to prompt your sphere of influence to send you these leads.
Dear (Previous Client),
I hope this letter finds you in good health! You’ve been on my mind over the past few months, and I’d love to hear how you are doing! How is your home treating you?
Since you are one of my favorite past clients, I always want to keep you “in the know” about what is going on in the real estate market. Right now, there is a low inventory of homes, making it a great environment for homeowners to sell. Mortgage lenders are sharing that with interest rates presently at and under 3%, it affords the buyer $30,000 more in buying power.
Do you know someone who is considering buying or selling their home? I’d love to help them take advantage of the current conditions.
Please feel free to call or text me directly at (cell phone #) or email me at (email address) and let me know if I can answer any additional questions.
As always, I am so very grateful for your confidence, loyalty, and support. I hope we can visit in the very near future!
Sincerely,
(Insert signature)
Consider delivering this letter with a fun pop-by gift or offering a gift in exchange for a referral. This will make your clients feel like they’re still valued, and prevent them from feeling like you are only trying to get something from them. You can even perfect and automate the art of gift-giving with Evabot.
Evabot is an artificial intelligence (AI) gifting assistant that connects to your customer relationship manager (CRM) and puts together branded gift boxes on a specified schedule, making an automated process feel personal. See how Evabot can boost your referrals today.
7. Expired Listing Letter
Intended audience: Homeowners with an expired listing
Expired listings happen when a home on the real estate market fails to sell within a specific period of time. For real estate agents, it can be an opportunity to showcase their ability to sell a home. For homeowners, however, it can be an extremely frustrating and scary experience.
Here’s a template to start with, but be sure to read and utilize all of our expired listing letter examples in the article Expired Listing Letter: Free Examples That Work.
Dear (Expired Listing Homeowner),
I hope this letter finds you in good health! Today I noticed your home at (insert address) is no longer listed for sale within the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).
My name is (insert your name), and I specialize in helping people who may be frustrated that their home didn’t sell the first time around. How? I offer my clients a different, unique approach to getting their home sold despite the market conditions.
Just one example of my marketing plan is the effective use of the internet to maximize exposure for your home. This is absolutely critical, as 86% of buyers today use the internet as their primary information resource.
In addition, when working with sellers, I offer my clients:
- Complete market overview and pricing analysis
- Enhanced RMLS listing and a linked virtual tour
- Dedicated website, specific to your listing
- Online classified advertising
- Complete email-ready property information kit for buyers
- Exclusive 25-point internet marketing strategy—local and regional marketing
If you are considering relisting your home, I would welcome the opportunity to interview for the job. Please give me a call at (insert phone #) or email me at (insert email address) at your convenience.
Sincerely,
(Insert signature)
If you decide to market to expired listings, make sure you approach the situation with empathy and sensitivity. Read how to write the best expired listings letter to ensure that your letter has a positive impact. Offrs can help you consistently reach expired listing leads at the exact right time with the exact right message. Through AI and extensive forms of data, Offrs can accurately predict and find expired listings before any other platform or manual search.
8. Preforeclosure Letter
Intended audience: Homeowners in preforeclosure
Just like expired listings, homeowners facing foreclosure are never in this situation by choice. While you shouldn’t assume you know their situation, it is safe to say that they will be extremely fearful and stressed out. If you are confident that you can help these homeowners and offer a solution to their problem, reach out with a letter that focuses on the potential positive outcomes.
Here’s an example from the National Association of Realtors:
Dear (Preforeclosure Homeowner),
As you know, the economic recession has left many homeowners in a challenging financial position. Navigating the foreclosure process can prove stressful, and identifying alternatives to foreclosure is tricky.
My name is (insert your name), and I am a real estate agent with (real estate company name). I specialize in working with homesellers who are underwater on their mortgage or are facing foreclosure. For many homesellers, foreclosure is a dark time in life. Through my work, I provide a much-needed beacon of hope for my clients to lift out of such a crisis.
A short sale is one alternative to foreclosure. In a short sale, the homeowner, real estate professional, and lender work together to form an agreement to sell a home at current market value. This agreed-upon value is typically below the existing balance on the homeowner’s mortgage. The property is able to transfer hands to a new owner, removing the overhead and risk from the lender’s portfolio and relieving the existing homeowner of the burden of an underwater mortgage.
The short sale process can prove challenging, stressful, and time-consuming. It requires persistence and dedication. As a specialist in short sales and foreclosures, I am well-versed in the ins and outs of this process and knowledgeable about the ways to move such transactions to completion. My work allows my clients to realize the freedom they desire from the unwanted weight of an underwater mortgage.
If you or someone you know is facing foreclosure, please do not hesitate to contact me. I would be happy to help during this challenging time.
Best wishes,
(Insert signature)
9. For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Prospecting Letter
Intended audience: Homeowners selling their home without an agent
Homeowners who are selling their home without the help of a realtor are not doing so by accident. Although many agents mistakenly think negatively of FSBOs, they are often ambitious homeowners who simply want the best for themselves and their families.
When you put together a FSBO prospecting letter, make sure you approach these leads with respect. It’s important to explain to them how you can actually help them get more money for their home, even with the fees included. Your best chance of converting for sale by owner properties is by presenting a clear solution to their objections.
Dear (FSBO Seller),
I hope this letter finds you in good health! I recently found your listing online, and I must say that I’m impressed with the quality of your listing photos. Your home looks beautiful, and these photos are surely helping you attract buyers.
You’ve probably heard too many real estate agents say things like, “You really need an agent’s help to sell your home” or “You’ll never be able to handle all the paperwork.”
As you’ve probably realized, those things are not true. It is very possible to sell your home without an agent—especially in a market with such low inventory. And although the paperwork isn’t usually anyone’s favorite part of the homeselling process, I’m sure you’ve faced tougher things in your lifetime!
However, I’d love to extend a hand if you have questions about the process at any point. I know that you want to do the best thing for yourself and your family, and that’s what I want for you too. There are a lot of things to consider, like disclosures, buyer financing, marketing, and pricing, so it’s important to have support when questions inevitably come up.
I love to help people buy and sell their homes and move their families closer to their goals. Whether you just need someone to consult with questions or you’d like to see real numbers about your profits with or without an agent, I’m here for you—no obligation.
Sincerely,
(Insert signature)
In order to see consistent results from marketing to FSBOs, you need to approach them correctly and at the right time. Your approach will improve over time, and you can perfect your timing with the right FSBO lead sources. With a lead source like REDX, you can get accurate contact data for FSBO sellers before any other platform has it. Armed with accurate data and strategic scripts and marketing materials, marketing to FSBO sellers can be extremely profitable.
Tips for Successful Real Estate Prospecting Letters
Research shows that first impressions of websites and marketing materials are formed in about 0.05 seconds. When you send a real estate letter, you only have a few seconds for the recipient to make a judgment about you. For this reason, it’s extremely important to put time and effort into the look and content of your letters.
Here are some tips for getting you noticed in the first 15 seconds:
- Address envelopes by hand: Handwritten envelopes get more attention because they are more personal. It shows that you took the time to add a personal touch in a world of automation and disconnection.
- Use a postage stamp: Instead of relying on a postage-paid envelope, use a unique stamp. This is another way to personalize your envelope and show that it isn’t junk mail. You can also consider using colored envelopes or even adding stickers.
- Defining the topic with a headline: Readers only have so much time and patience to read through letters. A headline draws their attention to the topic and the end result you are offering.
- Check for spelling or grammatical errors: One small mistake can make your leads question your professionalism. Make sure you proofread your letter multiple times and have others confirm that it’s free of mistakes before going in the mail.
- Keep letters short and sweet: The longer the letter, the more likely it is to end up in the trash bin. Get to the point of your letter quickly to show respect for the reader’s time.
- Use custom letterhead: Add professionalism and familiarize leads with your branding by using a custom letterhead and envelope. You can easily design your own letterhead on PostcardMania and use prospecting letters to simultaneously build brand recognition.
Custom letterhead from PostcardMania
The days of printing out boring, black-and-white documents are over. Use a free tool like Canva to easily add design elements to make your letters look unique and professional. You don’t need to be a professional designer to add even subtle elements to your letters, like modern font, your logo, and a brand color. Canva also gives you more customization abilities than a typical document editor. Plus, Canva is free to use—try it today.
Resources to Distribute Your Prospecting Letters
Designing professional prospecting letters is only half the battle. There are also plenty of available resources to help you distribute prospecting letters to more homes with more efficiency. You may think that the only budget-friendly solution is to manually stuff envelopes and add stamps, but this isn’t always the case.
Check out a few of the top distribution tools below, and you may find a solution that fits your budget and your needs:
Company |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
Best For | Agents and brokers wanting real estate-specific print templates and mailing lists | Real estate professionals wanting a unique style of postcards, brochures, letters, or business cards | Real estate professionals wanting the widest range of products to customize for unique marketing |
Key Features |
|
|
|
Starting Price | 64 cents per flyer | 20 cents per letter | 73 cents per letterhead |
Read More |
Bottom Line
Even though so much marketing has moved online, direct mail should still have an important place in your lead generation and nurturing systems. Up to 90% of all direct mail is opened, so your prospecting letters are likely to be opened and actually read by potential clients. With the templates and tips above, you can generate new clients by writing strategic prospecting letters.
