Even as search and social dominate attention, print mail keeps winning where it counts: attention, trust, and action. New 2024–2025 research shows direct mail is performing strongly—especially when it’s targeted, measurable, and integrated with digital. Below are 10 best practices for real estate marketers, each anchored in the latest stats so you can plan with confidence.
1) Prioritize your house lists (they deliver the best ROI)
Campaigns to your own contacts (past clients, sphere, warm prospects) continue to outperform. In the 2023 ANA Response Rate Report (published 2024), direct mail to house lists posted the highest ROI—161%—among all measured channel/segment combinations. Translation: the people who already know you are your cheapest wins; keep mailing them consistently.
Action tip: Build and maintain segmented house lists (past buyers, sellers, open-house sign-ins, website leads) and rotate message themes (home value, market updates, referrals, community news).
2) Make data quality your superpower
High-performing direct mail programs are 163%+ more likely to have high-quality data for precise targeting, according to the 2025 State of Direct Mail (Lob + Comperemedia). Clean data fuels better personalization, timing, and deliverability.
Action tip: Standardize addresses, suppress movers/undeliverables, and enrich owner/renter status and tenure so creative and offers match the homeowner journey.
3) Add an always-on QR + URL that tracks to the lead
Direct mail works even harder when it moves recipients seamlessly from paper to phone. QR usage keeps rising in performance studies, and USPS’s 2025 Integrated Technology Promotion offers a 3% postage discount for eligible mail that uses enhanced tech (e.g., QR codes with advanced features, AR, voice activation). That’s performance plus efficiency.
Action tip: Drive to a mobile page that auto-tags campaign/source, pre-fills forms, and triggers instant follow-up (text + email).
4) Pair every mailing with USPS Informed Delivery®
USPS Informed Delivery adds a free digital impression in the recipient’s inbox the morning your piece arrives. In the 2025 Year in Review, USPS reported ~60% open rates on the Daily Digest emails (Q2 FY25), and case studies show 30%+ lifts in response when brands add ride-along creative. For real estate, that’s extra visibility for “Just Listed/Just Sold,” market reports, and event invites,
Action tip: Always upload a full-color ad (ride-along) and clickable link for your campaign. Treat it like a mini banner campaign that matches your mail piece.
5) Use format strategy (letters for depth, postcards for speed)
Format choice still matters. Industry syntheses of 2024 data show letters tend to pull higher response than postcards, while postcards excel for quick reads and lower costs. If you need more copy space (e.g., CMA offers, seller guides), test a letter package; for farming “Just Listed/Just Sold,” use large postcards for visibility.
Action tip: Test at least two formats per audience with a single changing variable (offer or CTA) and a holdout control.
6) Farm smarter with EDDM—layered with your own lists
Every Door Direct Mail® (EDDM®) is still a cost-effective way to saturate neighborhoods by route + census filters (age, income, household size)—no list required. Pair EDDM for top-of-funnel farming with your house lists for mid-/bottom-funnel conversions.
Action tip: Select routes around recent listings/sales and mirror the creative to local proof (“Sold in your subdivision at $X over ask”).
7) Mail to the market you’re actually in (use NAR buyer/seller shifts)
National Association of Realtor’s 2024 Profile shows the journey is getting longer and older: many buyers start online (43%), but 86% still use an agent; down payments reached multi-decade highs (median 18% for all buyers). Tailor your message to those realities—education, financing options, and trust cues matter more than ever.
Action tip: Feature “how to buy now” content (rate buydowns, equity bridges, offer strategies) and reinforce your agent value with social proof and local stats.
8) Make it omnichannel (mail + digital = lift)
Combining mail with digital boosts response—multiple independent studies show lifts when channels are coordinated. Lob’s 2025 research highlights omnichannel as a hallmark of high-ROI teams; USPS Informed Delivery further multiplies touches on mail day. Build journeys where a postcard triggers retargeting and email nurtures the hand-raisers.
Action tip: Set up an automated workflow: social ads → email → mail drop → Informed Delivery → retargeting ads → phone follow-up for QR scans/form fills.
9) Test like a scientist (offers, timing, and creative)
Comperemedia’s 2025 insights spotlight continuous “test and learn” as a key differentiator. In real estate, test: offer framing (free CMA vs. “equity check”), timing (listing seasonality), and proof (just-sold comps vs. testimonial quotes). Small, consistent tests compound learning and lower acquisition costs.
Action tip: Use a simple test matrix (A/B each drop), measure by unique QR/URL/phone, and keep a rolling champion/challenger in market.
10) Control costs (and avoid surprises) with rate & promo planning
Postage volatility is real. Plan mail dates against the USPS Promotions Calendar (e.g., Integrated Technology Promotion) and be aware of mid-year price changes and peak season surcharges. Pitney Bowes’ July 13, 2025 overview confirms average ~7.4% mailing-services increases, while USPS lists time-limited holiday price changes (Oct 5–Jan 18) for packages—useful if you ship kits or packets.
Action tip: Lock production calendars early, and claim eligible discounts. Even 3% off on a farm route adds up across multiple drops.
Bonus: What to mail this year (proven, time-boxed plays)
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Just Listed/Just Sold farm series (postcards) → fast recognition, leverages social proof.
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Equity/valuation letters to owners (letter package) → highest-intent seller leads; include QR to instant CMA.
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Open House invites + follow-up → pair mailer with Informed Delivery and a short landing-page form.
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Local market update digest → quarterly cadence to house list; nurture until timing is right.
How to measure the lift (a simple scorecard)
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Reach: pieces delivered + Informed Delivery impressions.
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Engagement: QR scans, landing-page visits, form starts.
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Response: form submits, call tracking, appointment sets.
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Conversion: listings won, buyers closed.
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Unit economics: CPA, cost-per-listing, GCI per campaign.
Tie every mail touch to a unique QR/URL and forward-to-text number so you can see which neighborhood, format, and offer is winning.
Bottom line: In 2025, real estate direct mail wins when it’s (1) fueled by clean data, (2) integrated with digital (especially Informed Delivery), (3) measured end-to-end, and (4) cost-optimized with USPS promos. Do those four things—and keep testing format + offer—and your farm will feel a lot more like a pipeline.
