Using commercial real estate prospecting letters to generate leads through direct mail is a very smart choice.
Most agents and business brokers are sticking to email and online marketing. Since more people are relying on the Internet for their marketing there is less clutter in your prospects mailbox. This means that your marketing message will stand out more than it did prior to the popularity of online marketing.
Plus, nothing will ever replace a real piece of paper with your actual signature. It’s more personal than email and therefore it will make a bigger impact than a simple email.
Don’t get me wrong, you should continue with online marketing because it works and it’s relatively low cost (relatively speaking). But if you take the time to combine it with offline direct mail marketing, and you do it properly, you should see quality results.
6 Tips For Commercial Real Estate Direct Mail Marketing!
1. Find a good list. Make sure it’s an up to date list and it’s highly qualified for your purposes.
2. Keep it pithy. Don’t write a super long and boring letter.
3. Don’t put your logo on the envelope. It says ‘junk mail’ and it gets trashed before it’s even opened.
4. Sequence. Don’t send one letter and give up. Send a series of letters and postcards. Some of the best letter systems use a sequence of three to four letters sequenced 7-10 days apart. All non responders get a mailing every month.
5. Lumpy mailings. Consider putting a promotional item in your envelope in at least one of your mailings. This makes your envelope look and feel lumpy. It’s proven to increase open rates. Plus, you have the added benefit of getting your name in front of your prospect for weeks and months if you use a promotional item that has a long shelf life.
6. Send a newsletter. After you send your sequence of mailings and perhaps another followup letter or postcard, send a monthly newsletter. I am constantly harping on using this method because it’s a great tool and nobody is doing it!
Customized Sample Prospecting Letter For Commercial Realtors!
One prospecting method that I am very fond of is the use of one-off customized letters to get the funnel going.
For example, I am sure you read the news or stay up to date on local business issues in something like the Business Journal. Lets say you read several articles on businesses they spotlighted. You can use that article as a tool by referring to the article in your letter.
June 13, 2021
Recipients Name
Recipients Street Address
City, State Zip
Dear Name,
I read about your business in The Business Journal last month. It discussed how well you treat your employees and that your business is growing beyond your expectations in large part because of them. You must be very proud!
My name is (name) and I am writing you because I help growing businesses like yours buy or lease facilities that will meet or exceed your current growth projections.
I have several facilities in mind and I would love to meet with you for lunch or breakfast to discuss them with you. If you need a smaller facility for your staff, offsite storage, or manufacturing I can help you find those as well.
Please call me at 555-555-5555 anytime and see if I can help you now or in the future. I might even be able to save you money!
I look forward to meeting you and learning more about your business.
Sincerely,
Agent Name
Agency Name
XXX Street
City, State ZIP
Website | Email | Phone | Fax
PS: I included a notepad mug with this letter and a pencil. You can erase and write on the notepad lines on the mug. I hope you find it helpful and fun to use in your office!
Bonus Tips:
- In this example I included a special coffee mug (you can use a promotional product as a tool to follow. “Hey, I’m the person who sent you that yellow notepad coffee mug…”. In this case you can write down something like ‘Don’t forget to call (name) for lunch – 555-555-5555!’
- Include a separate sheet with your letter that has pictures of testimonials and/or pictures of your clients at the locations they moved into, bought, or leased.
- After you target several of these businesses you can follow up on the phone. All non responders should be on your monthly mailing list.
Combine The Above Prospecting Technique With This Idea, Or Use It Separately!
Commercial Real Estate Listings Lead Generation Sales Letter Sample!
Here is a sample letter for getting commercial real estate listings. This type of letter would be used for a slightly larger mailing to highly targeted group of businesses.
June 13, 2021
Recipients Name
Recipients Street Address
City, State Zip
Dear Name,
My name is (name) and I am a commercial real estate broker. I am writing to you because I have clients that have expressed an interest in buying a business such as yours in the (name of industry or niche).
If you think you might be interested in selling your business within the next year or two please call me and we can arrange a mutually convenient time to meet and see if it might be a good fit for my clients.
Please call me at 555-555-5555 anytime or email at email@email.com. I look forward to meeting with you.
Sincerely,
Name
Agency Name
XXX Street
City, State ZIP
Website | Email | Phone | Fax
PS: If you like, I can perform a basic valuation of your business, free of charge. Just let me know and I’ll bring the appropriate material for our meeting.
Alternate Letter #1!
June 13, 2021
Recipients Name
Recipients Street Address
City, State Zip
Dear Name,
My name is (Name) and I business owners and investors buy and sell businesses.
Have you thought about selling your business? The reason I ask this is because some of my buyers have shown an interest in buying a business such as yours in the (name of industry) and your business may be a good fit for one or more of them.
Why should you work with me? I have specialized in commercial real estate for 15 years with a very good track record. I have also owned (and sold) my own businesses and I know what it takes to run a business liking hiring employees, training them, scheduling, meeting payroll, maintaining inventory, etc. And I know how challenging it can be to deal with various government institutions.
If you have ever thought about selling your business or you are considering selling it I am confident that I can help you find the right buyer at the right price.
Please call me at 555-555-5555 anytime to schedule a convenient time to meet. There will be no pressure or obligation to work with me. I don’t work that way.
I look forward to meeting with you!
Sincerely,
Name
Agency Name
XXX Street
City, State ZIP
Website | Email | Phone | Fax
PS: If you are not interested in selling now or in the next year or two perhaps you would like my special free report called, ’11 Deadly Exit Strategy Disasters Business Owners Make and How To Avoid Them!’ You can get this 12 page free report by call my 24 hour voicemail at 555-555-5555. Or you can go to this landing page: www.11Mistakes.info.
Business Broker Prospecting and Lead Generation Tip!
As you can see I’ve used a free report offer in the PS of the last letter. This report idea is a proven lead generator. You can use a report on any number of subjects that may be of interest to your prospects and offer it as a completely separate lead generation marketing system. For example, you can offer the report for free on a postcard mailing. What report title (or subject) should you use? I’ll answer that question in a separate article so be sure to subscribe.
Alternate Lead Generation Letter #2!
This letter is more basic and does not target any specific type of business or niche. It can easily be changed to do so.
June 13, 2021
Recipients Name
Recipients Street Address
City, State Zip
Dear Name,
My name is (Name) and I business owners and investors buy and sell businesses.
Have you thought about selling your business? If you have ever thought about selling your business I am confident I can find you the right buyer.
Why should you work with me?
- I have specialized in commercial real estate for 15 years with a very good track record (see the attached sheet of testimonials).
- My agency has a network of over 100 offices worldwide which gives us instant access to thousands of potential buyers.
- If someone wants to buy a business in (name of industry) you need someone who knows how to get your business ranked at the top of the search results on the all the best business listing websites, including our own.
- Some buyers need financing and I have funding sources that are readily available which can help move the deal along.
- Everything I do is completely confidential so that you don’t disrupt the current business climate and culture you have worked so hard to build.
- I know how to market a business for sale outside of our own network of brokers resulting in more exposure which gives us a larger pool of potential buyers to potentially work with.
- I have also owned (and sold) my own businesses and I know the challenges and rewards of being a business owner.
If you have ever thought about selling your business or you are considering selling it I am confident that I can help you find the right buyer at the right price.
Please call me at 555-555-5555 anytime to schedule a convenient time to meet. There will be no pressure or obligation to work with me. I don’t work that way.
I look forward to meeting with you!
Sincerely,
Name
Agency Name
XXX Street
City, State ZIP
Website | Email | Phone | Fax
PS: If you like, I can perform a basic valuation of your business, free of charge. Just let me know and I’ll bring the appropriate material for our meeting.