Direct Mail: Long Copy Vs. Short Copy

General Real Estate Investing
1

My experience (not much):
I’ve done a lot of mailings in the past to owners of vacant properties that I’ve found while driving neighborhoods and for out of town owners (compiled from county appraisal data). The mailing sizes were not very big (usually 100 letters week).

For the properties found driving around, I’ve mailed yellow handwritten letters and professional letters, both with handwritten envelopes with stamps.

I get about 3%-5% response on the yellow letters. Convert and actually buy about .5%. The professional letters (short copy - 2-3 short paragraphs - that is not very interesting) I get about 3% response and buy about .4%. The letters were mailed in sequence of 3 different letters. (remember these are the houses that are vacant that I physically saw while driving)

I’ve sent postcards to the larger (about 1500 addresses) list pulled from the county data. Simple postcards that just say that I Buy Houses and small paragraph of copy stating the benefits of selling to me. I got about 1% response and maybe bought 1. It was several years ago.

To get to the point:
I haven’t mailed letters for a while as I have been focusing on REO’s the last couple of years. The competition has been growing rapidly for the REO’s so I am going to supplement with direct mail again. In order to get a better grasp on direct mail, I’ve been reading a lot of material on direct marketing and copywriting (mostly Dan Kenedy).

What I’ve learned is that most direct marketers preach that long copy always outperforms short copy. Ron LeGrand had some longer copy letters in one of his courses that I always thought was just way too long. “Who would want to read all of that!” But, I soon learned (from what I read) that the people that would want to read that LONG copy are the people that are most likely to respond to the letter. They will want to find out as much as possible about what you are offering before they ever pick up the phone to try and contact you.

I’ve always wondered if the people receiving the short letters (especially the yellow letters that just mention that I want to buy their house) were just confused by it or a little weary. I’ve had responses from recipients that wondered if it was a scam.

Your Thoughts:
So, what experience have you all have regarding long vs short copy?

What ideas do you have regarding using one over the other or a mix of both?

Even if you’ve never mailed before, I would like your input. Maybe considering it from a recipients perspective.

I realize there are a lot of variables that affect response with direct mail, but let’s discuss this with all else being equal.

Thank you all your help. Sorry about the length.

2

Good to meet you

I love direct mail done correctly… Here is a sample of letters I send to just the Foreclosure if I want maximum return from the prospect… They are

7- Professional Letters in a series
4- Yellow “Mary” Letter in a series
4- Postcards
2- Voucher

PL1
Sellers Name
Sellers Property Address
Sellers Property City, State, Zip

Dear Seller Name,

I noticed your house at Property Address is up for foreclosure and I have a solution for you. Please take a minute to find out what might be the most important thing you could ever know about how to save your house and even your credit.

Foreclosure is frustrating, especially when you’ve got so much at stake. And though you’ve probably been receiving mostly antagonistic phone calls and threatening letters, my letter to you is one that gives hope and offers help.

Though foreclosure is a real and serious matter where bankers/lenders are ready to play hardball, you’ve probably heard all sorts of lies about foreclosures. And because of this misinformation, you may have given up already and think there’s no hope. But did you know that there are ways of saving your house, your credit and even your equity?

I am an expert in these matters and would like to show you how you can put an immediate stop to the unpleasant phone calls, letters and even the foreclosure process, ultimately allowing you to completely resolve your present mortgage problem and to walk away without a single worry. And I won’t charge you a penny for my time.

You see, I’m not an agent with the intention of making money from your unfortunate situation while you lose out. I am interested in showing you how we both can totally win from this situation.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Call me now and I’ll show you how. Let’s see what other solutions there are so you can quickly and easily take action to save your mortgage from foreclosing, your equity and credit! I can only help if there’s still time. Don’t wait till it’s too late to do anything.

Call me right now and I’ll show you how. You can reach me at Your Telephone Number

Sincerely,

Real estate Professional Name
Telephone Number

PS: Don’t wait until it is too late.
PPS: Remember, it won’t cost you anything for the consultation. Call now!

PL2

Sellers Name
Sellers Property Address
Sellers Property City, State, Zip

Dear Seller Name,

I am concerned that you have not contacted me yet about your house foreclosure. I trust that either you were able to get the house out of foreclosure, or you found some other solution. If this is not the case, please take some time and call me to find out how you can save your house and your credit.

You don’t have to lose your house, nor your equity. You don’t have to have your credit jeopardized. There is a way to solve the crisis. And crisis it is! I know and understand how embarrassing this kind of situation can be, but you have to act now. I cannot emphasize this enough. The longer you wait the more difficult it will be to handle the situation.

I have had a lot of experience with these kinds of matters, helping good people just like you for years, and I am able to suggest a way to solve your mortgage problem and salvage your credit. The nice thing about it is that it won’t cost you one thin dime to speak with me about how I can help. It’s absolutely free. This can be a total win-win situation for you, but only if you call me right now.

Imagine resolving your mortgage problem, saving your equity and securing your credit. It can be done. You don’t have to read any more threatening letters or drown out annoying phone calls, or even listen to any more upsetting lies concerning your foreclosure.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain from simply speaking to me about this serious matter, so please don’t let another minute go by as it is getting closer to not being able to do anything.

Don’t put it off for another day. Don’t lose your house! Give me a call and you will be glad you did. My number is Your Telephone Number.

Sincerely,

Real estate Professional Name
Telephone Number

PS: You can save your house if you act now.
PPS: I am not a real estate agent and it won’t cost you anything to speak to me about this. This is absolutely free! Call me and I will help.

PL3

Sellers Name
Sellers Property Address
Sellers Property City, State, Zip

Dear Seller Name,

I am concerned that you have not contacted me yet about your house foreclosure at Property Address. I trust that either you were able to get the house out of foreclosure, or you found some other solution. If this is not the case, please take some time and call me to find out how you can save your house and your credit.

You don’t have to lose your house, nor your equity. You don’t have to have your credit jeopardized. There is a way to solve the crisis. And crisis it is! I know and understand how embarrassing this kind of situation can be, but you have to act now. I cannot emphasize this enough. The longer you wait the more difficult it will be to handle the situation.

I have had a lot of experience with these kinds of matters, helping good people just like you for years, and I am able to suggest a way to solve your mortgage problem and salvage your credit. The nice thing about it is that it won’t cost you one thin dime to speak with me about how I can help. It’s absolutely free. This can be a total win-win situation for you, but only if you call me right now.

Imagine resolving your mortgage problem, saving your equity and securing your credit. It can be done. You don’t have to read any more threatening letters or drown out annoying phone calls, or even listen to any more upsetting lies concerning your foreclosure.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain from simply speaking to me about this serious matter, so please don’t let another minute go by as it is getting closer to not being able to do anything.

Don’t put it off for another day. Don’t lose your house! Give me a call and you will be glad you did. My number is Your Telephone Number.

Sincerely,

Real estate Professional Name
Telephone Number

PS: You can save your house if you act now.
PPS: I am not a real estate agent and it won’t cost you anything to speak to me about this. This is absolutely free! Call me and I will help.

PL4

Sellers Name
Sellers Property Address
Sellers Property City, State, Zip

Dear Seller Name,

You are about to lose your house, equity, and ruin your credit! This can be embarrassing, not to mention devastating. Foreclosure on your house means all of this; not to mention the stress involved. But you don’t have to suffer this fate!

Buying a house is very exciting, but from the start the deck is stacked against you. Bankers, lawyers, title companies and real estate agents are all in it for their own Financial Motivation. They will make thousands of dollars out of your foreclosure.

Most homeowners are so excited about owning a house that they aren’t concerned enough to understand the system that is set up to make them fail.

I fell into this trap myself, so I have personal experience. My interest rate on the mortgage was higher than the lender promised, but I was told that in a couple of years my income would make up the difference. However, in those couple of years, I was still barely able to make the payments. Then the barrage of phone calls came. It was the same trap that you now find yourself in!

I would like to help you avoid a similar situation. I now know what can be done and have helped many decent folks like you save their house and credit.

But you can’t wait until it is too late to do anything about it.

Get out of the trap now and give me a call. I will not charge you a cent to give you the necessary information to help you avoid the foreclosure. Call me now at Your Telephone Number.
Sincerely,

Real estate Professional Name
Telephone Number

PS: I look forward to talking with you.
PPS: Please, don’t wait till it’s too late. Call me today.

PL5

Sellers Name
Sellers Property Address
Sellers Property City, State, Zip

Dear Seller Name,

Is your house at Property Address still under foreclosure? If not, that is great and I am relieved. Drop me a line and let me know. However, if you are still about to lose your house, I implore you to give me a call today. I am still interested in offering you a solution for the foreclosure that’s about to take place on your house. My goal is to help you save your house, credit and equity in the house.

It would be a shame to lose everything that you’ve put into your home when you can just as well take effective action to halt the foreclosure.

Remember, I am experienced in this and can take a lot of worry and burden from your shoulders just by sitting down with you and working out a way to solve your situation. I have done this very thing with many folks like you, and they were able to get out from under the burden of foreclosure.

If you are like most people, the first day your child went to school you were right there holding his hand making sure everything was perfect, making sure that he had the right clothes and that his backpack was full of pencils and paper, and that he was ready to learn – everything was perfect. You were concerned and made sure your child had all that he needed to make the right choices.

That is the same with the foreclosure process. As a homeowner, you need to be concerned about what you’re up against, and how to beat the odds. I know what these odds are and what actions to take.

There are solutions! You just have to take the right action and that is what I can help you with.

Procrastinate no longer on making the right choice for your house.
Call me now at Your Telephone Number.
Sincerely,

Real estate Professional Name
Telephone Number

PS: It is quickly approaching the mark where nothing can be done to stop the foreclosure. Please call now before it’s too late.
PPS: It costs you nothing to have me go over my successful solutions for your house.

PL6

Sellers Name
Sellers Property Address
Sellers Property City, State, Zip

Dear Seller Name,

I have written you several letters without hearing back from you, and this worries me. You see, I care when good, decent people like you are in the unfortunate circumstance of losing their home. Especially when there are ways to prevent this from happening.

Foreclosure means loss of home, loss of equity, lowered credit rating, moving expenses and lots of other upsetting situations. And it’s embarrassing to say the least.

Bankers and lenders and even real estate agents will only turn a deaf ear. They actually benefit from foreclosures and so have financial interest in your loss.

I am none of these types of individuals, so I have no interest whatsoever in allowing your foreclosure to take place. I know what you can do to prevent one from happening and save your house, your equity and your credit.

Don’t wait any longer. I beseech you to call me now before it is too late. As I have mentioned in the previous letters, my services to help you find a way to handle the foreclosure will cost you nothing at all.

I am looking forward to your call. Call me at Your Telephone Number right now to talk to someone who is on your side.
.
Sincerely,

Real estate Professional Name
Telephone Number

PS: Don’t set this letter down to call later; you may forget.
PPS: Call me right NOW!!

PL7

Sellers Name
Sellers Property Address
Sellers Property City, State, Zip

Dear Seller Name,

Since I have written several letters without a reply from you, I can only assume that either:
• you have lost your house under foreclosure and have been driven out,

• you really don’t care about losing your house or

• you have already found a solution to the situation and your house is no longer under foreclosure.
But just in case you are still at this address, your house is very much still under foreclosure and there is still time to save your house. I am making one final attempt to offer my assistance. There is still no obligation or any fees to have me sit down with you to assess the situation and propose viable solutions.

If foreclosure is only just around the corner, there might still be a window of time that we can use to our advantage. Call me so that I can look over the details of the situation. I still might be able to help you.

Don’t hesitate. Your house, your equity and even your credit are at stake here. Don’t you think you owe it to yourself to protect these things? I think you do. Otherwise I wouldn’t be so persistent!

So, go ahead and give me a call at Your Telephone Number. You won’t regret it.
Sincerely,

Real estate Professional Name
Telephone Number

PS: I am awaiting your call. There is not much time left.
PSS: This is the last letter you will be receiving from me. Don’t lose this opportunity to resolve your dilemma. Call me now.

ML1

Sellers Name
Sellers Property Address
Sellers Property City, State, Zip

Hi Sellers First Name,

I know the foreclosure you’re going through at Property Address is embarrassing, maybe I can help. I buy houses and can give you cash in as little as 10 days…Please give me a call.

God Bless,

Real estate Professional Name
Telephone Number

ML2

Sellers Name
Sellers Property Address
Sellers Property City, State, Zip

Hi Sellers First Name,

Time is running out… Don’t let the bank sell your house at Property Address and give you nothing… Please give me a call so I can talk to you about buying your house and give you cash in 10 days.

God Bless,

Real estate Professional Name
Telephone Number

ML3

Sellers Name
Sellers Property Address
Sellers Property City, State, Zip

Hi Sellers First Name,

You probably have had a lot of people contact you about your foreclosure at Property Address… Before you make the wrong decision and sell it to someone you don’t know please give me a call…

God Bless,

Real estate Professional Name
Telephone Number
Call me even if you have already told someone that you would sell your house…

ML4

Sellers Name
Sellers Property Address
Sellers Property City, State, Zip

Hi Sellers First Name,

I buy 4-5 houses a month and thought that before it was too late and the bank took your house that you might want to call me… I can stop the foreclosure at Property Address but you have to call me first…Please give me a call…

God Bless,

Real estate Professional Name
Telephone Number
P.S. Time is running out!

PC1

Cant show

PC2

Cant Show

PC3

Do Not List Your Home with a Real Estate Agent
I Will Buy Your Home & Process a Short Sale - FREE!

Sellers Name, I am not a Realtor® trying to list your property and hope it sells. I am a real estate investor who will buy your house before the bank takes it from you. I noticed your house at ADDRESS is up for foreclosure and I have a solution for you. Please take a minute to find out what might be the most important thing you could ever know about the foreclosure process and the benefits of a short sale by calling me today at telephone

The foreclosure process is a real and a serious matter where bankers/lenders are ready to play hardball, you must act quickly before it’s too lake. Did you know that there are ways of saving your credit and putting this frustration all behind you?

I know this because I am an expert in these matters and would like to show you how you can put an immediate stop to the unpleasant phone calls, letters and even the foreclosure process, ultimately allowing you to completely resolve your present mortgage problem and to walk away without a single worry. And I won’t charge you a penny for my time.

Foreclosure is frustrating and devastating, especially when you’ve got so much at stake and though you’ve probably been receiving mostly antagonistic phone calls and threatening letters, my letter to you is one that gives hope and offers help.

I’m not an agent with empty promises and the intention of making money from your unfortunate situation while you worry if your home will ever sell. Know this, if it doesn’t you could owe the lender a huge amount of money.

I am interested in showing you how you, I and the bank can all win from this unfortunate situation. It’s a win – win – win situation. I want to buy your home!

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Call me now and I’ll show you how it works. There are solutions to your foreclosure but you have to act quickly and take action to save your mortgage from foreclosing and your credit! I can only help if there’s still time. Don’t wait till it’s too late to do anything.

Please call me right now and I will stop the foreclosure and buy your home. Call me at TELEPHONE.

Sincerely,
NAME
TELEPHONE anytime
PS: Don’t wait until it is too late.
PPS: Remember, it won’t cost you anything for the consultation. Call now!

For more information about the short sale process visit - WEBSITE.

PC4

Hi Sellers Name,

My name is Michael; I work with a professional real estate investment company who
Buys houses in distress. I noticed that your house at 100 S Kellogg Ave in Goleta may qualify.

Sellers Name Let me tell you a little about what I do. I buy houses like yours all the time.

I work with the lender to stop their aggressive actions and I stop the process. I pay all the costs – I never charge for my service of working out a win – win – win with your lender.

I will buy your house in an “as is” condition; vacant, needing repairs…anything.

It doesn’t cost you a cent for me to help you. That’s right there are no costs to you for me to work something out with your lender and buy your house.

All I ask is that you call me today so I can start the process and stop the lender from taking your house. TELEPHONE

Continued from page 1

Believe me, there is nothing more frustrating than the process your lender is forcing upon you. I can help. I can stop the process and save your credit at the same time.

I am not a Realtor trying to take a listing or a loan modifier trying to charge you thousands of dollars. I want to buy your house and stop the lender free of cost.

Please call me before it is too late. Time is not on our side. The lender will use everything under their legal power to do what they have to do. I know how to stop them from doing that and save you from this embarrassing and frustrating situation.

Once we begin you can get on with your life and not have the burden of your house or your lender hanging around your neck.

You can consider your problem solved.

Isn’t that really what you want? If you are serious about stopping the lenders actions you owe it to yourself to… call me today!

Thank you
NAME
TELEPHONE

PS.I can only buy so many houses, please call me so I can show you how fast and easy it is to sell your house to me. Call Today!

3

V1

A Professional Service Company Date: February 20, 2010
ADDRESS
CITY TELEPHONE
Void after 90 days
Exactly**********************************************$500.00

___________________ Five Hundred Dollars and .00/100____

Seller Name
Seller Mailing Address
Seller City State Zip
Deposit to Purchase Property Address
This is not a check or a negotiable instrument

I Buy Houses in Foreclosure and Process Short Sales at
NO cost to you!
Sellers Name Is a Short Sale the best thing for you? The simple answer is YES.

Seller Name Let me put it simply, a Short Sale will avoid a foreclosure on your record and decrease the length of time a lender will require prior to lending to you again and also the cost of a reduced credit score. Sellers Name when doing a Short Sale, the amount of time that must pass before you can borrow again and buy a new home is reduced considerably.

The second and maybe the biggest reason is that by doing a short sale the lender is agreeing to the reduction of the principle balance on your loan and because of this the lender will not, in most cases, file a deficiency judgment against you. Which they may have the right to do with a foreclosure.

Everyone Wins in a Short Sale. It isn’t often in real estate transactions that virtually all parties with a financial interest can be winners in the same transaction. A successful Short Sale is one of those rare situations where everyone wins.

Sellers Name, you win by avoiding foreclosure and all the credit damage that goes along with it. The property gets sold, all the loans get paid off, or forgiven and the existing lender pays all the sales costs. In most all cases, the Seller has no out-of-pocket expenses.

The Mortgage Holder Wins by reducing the loss they absorb to get the delinquent loan off their books. Mortgage companies know that the costs associated with acquiring a property through a foreclosure hit their bottom line - hard. To resell the property, the mortgage company frequently needs to invest money in clean up and repairs, and they need to pay staff to manage and maintain the property as well. This is precisely why they have set up Loss Mitigation Departments to resolve delinquent mortgages before the foreclosure is complete.

To start the process of a Short Sale call TELEPHONE or go to the website www.WEBSITE.com.

V2

Mortgage Relief Plan Voucher Date: February 20, 2010
«Investor_Address»
«Investor_City_State_Zip» Void after 90 days

Exactly**********************************************$500.00

Voucher Amount___ Five Hundred Dollars and .00/100________________________

«Seller_First_Name» «Seller_Last_Name»
«Property_Address»
«Property_City», «Property_State» «Property_Zip»
Mortgage Relief for «Property_Address»
This is not a check or a negotiable instrument

OBAMA HOMEOWNER AFFORDABILITY AND STABILITY PLAN
Great news; because of your existing high loan balance compared to the current market value of your house your first mortgage may be eligible to be restructured and/or even paid off at a highly reduced value.

«Seller_First_Name» «Seller_Last_Name», during our review of your mortgage on «Property_Address» our records indicate that your lender may have over loaned on your property. In fact some lenders are under investigation for predatory lending. It is imperative that you contact us immediately so that we may help you solve this issue.

«Seller_First_Name» «Seller_Last_Name» That is correct; you may be eligible to pay off your existing mortgage at pennies on the dollar while being forgiven of the burden of the over leveraged mortgage on your house.

The attached voucher, thanks in part by the Governments “Affordability and Stability Plan”, will be authorized and negotiated once your house qualifies for the Governments Restructuring.

The Government has authorized 7 to 9 million homeowners to receive assistance and our research indicates that your homes may qualify. However it is important for you to take advantage of this limited opportunity before the authorized funds dry up and are no longer available to help you in this matter.

«Seller_First_Name» «Seller_Last_Name» previous attempts to contact you have been made and this will be our final attempt to help you. Due to the statute of limitation laws, time to participate in the OBAMA HOMEOWNER AFFORDABILITY AND STABILITY PLAN is very limited. It is extremely important that you contact us today.
To confirm that you qualify you must call 225-555-1212

Not sure if this helps or not…

4

Michael , I only been here a few weeks and I am very impressed by your knowledge and contributions to help those that are still trying to make it in the biz.

I wanted to know if you go after expired lsitings and what kind of campaign you do with those? I am about to work on those to target for lease options. I would love to see your ideas/samples if you work these.

God bless!

5

Mike,

Thank you so much for all of this information. I can’t tell you how much it has helped. I have been sending out about 300 mail pieces per week with different messages just as you prescribe. My mail lists come from a title company every week for NOD’s - I believe they are good leads. I don’t have my first deal yet, but I remain very hopeful. I will continue to mail until I get a deal or two or three, etc…

You’re very appreciated here at reiclub.

Best Regards,

Chris

6

Hi Michael,

Do you or anyone else reading this thread have a good source for the cheap vouchers/voucher paper?

Thanks

7

Thanks a ton for the sample letters. That was just what I needed.

I will try them out and let you know how they do in the Cherry Hill, New Jersey area.

Steven

8

Long letters are really informative. Get creative. Make sure that you send them one of the envelopes that grandma sends to you. You know the ones with the red, white, and blue colors on it. You want that letter to get opened. :deal

9

I haven’t done direct mail for a long time and I never actually closed a deal from it. But here’s my experience…

I mailed houses listed on the MLS. I tried both a 1 page letter and a postcard. Because of privacy laws here in Ontario I couldn’t get the owner’s full names from tax records so I had to use last name and first initial or whatever was available from the phone book.

The letters got a 3% response.

The postcards got an 11% response.

But I felt much as you do. The response from the postcards although much higher was generally confused. They were no better leads than had I just cold called them and saved the postage.