Top Tips for Writing Amazing Real Estate Thank-You Notes

Thank-you notes are a boon and a bane for real estate agents.

A boon because they can do wonders for generating new and repeat business.

Sending a thank-you card to the person whose business you didn’t win? You’ll get ‘em — or their friend — next time.

A bane because they take time. And creativity. And did we mention time? Writing thank-you cards is just another thing to add to your already long to-do list.

Buuut, they’re a fact of life. Just a part of being in the real estate biz.

Use these time-saving, quality-boosting tips to write amazing real estate thank-you notes that generate leads for your real estate business.

Don’t Wait Too Long

“Fashionably late” does not apply to sending thank-you notes.

Real talk: if you wait too long to send a card, you might as well not send one at all. The thoughtfulness of your gesture will be completely overshadowed by the lateness of its arrival.

Send out your thank-you card between three and seven days after the occasion.

That means three to seven days after the sale of your client’s home is finalized. Three to seven days after the listing appointment you didn’t win.

Tip: block out an hour in your calendar every week for thank-you card writing. Save it as a recurring event so you don’t have to give it a second thought. No cards to write some weeks? Lucky you; you’ve now got a free hour.

Use Nice Stationery

So you’ve got professional letterhead and greeting cards with your headshot on the front. That’s nice.

Don’t use either for your real estate thank-you cards.

Letterhead is too official and too impersonal. A greeting card with your photo is a bit cheesy. Both scream “I’m a hungry real estate agent” right out of the gate.

Instead, go to your local paper goods store and purchase a few boxes of thank-you cards and envelopes.

You can pick a design that matches your personal real estate brand or go with something simple and understated.

A nice card offers a lot more sincerity than something blatantly branded.

Start With a Template

Maybe writing is one of your strong suits. Maybe, like most of us, you find it hard to write an eloquent, thoughtful card that doesn’t sound cheesy or forced.

Enter: real estate thank-you card templates, courtesy of us.

These templates cover four different common scenarios that call for a thank-you card:

• When a client signs on as a buyer
• When a client signs on as a seller
• When you didn’t win the listing (but hope to win a referral and/or future business)
• When you sold the house

These templates are an excellent jumping-off point for writing your own thank-you cards. Use them as inspiration, adding your own spin, voice and personal details to make it clear that the card is coming from you — not a blog 😜

Remember the Occasion

The reason you’re writing should shape the tone and length of your card. A one-size-fits-all approach might save you a little bit of time, but it won’t help you win those glowing referrals and return business.

For example, a card for a seller whose listing you’ve just won should instill confidence and drum up excitement and optimism.

A card for a seller whose listing you didn’t win should express understanding and best wishes. Both cards should be fairly short and sweet.

A card for a buyer who just finalized the purchase of their dream home might be a bit longer, and should be congratulatory and full of elation.

Write Them By Hand

We can hear the groans from here.

We know you want us to say that typing and printing a thank-you letter is totally acceptable in 2019. But it’s not. Not if you want to make a lasting impression.

Suck it up and take the time to write your thank-you cards by hand. If you need to, practice first to get the kinks out. If your penmanship is so awful that it’s bad for your brand, ask your partner or assistant if they can help you out.

Add Personal Details

The whole strategic point of sending a thank-you card to a real estate client (or could’ve-been client) is to have an impact. You want the recipient to read your note and think “Wow, what a kind and thoughtful person.”

A big part of achieving that impression is to weave in personal details that communicate just how thoughtful you are.

When we say personal details, we mean anecdotes from your relationship to your recipient or information you gathered from your conversations.

For instance, maybe a seller whose listing you didn’t win mentioned that they’re nearing retirement and are looking for a condo. Your thank-you card should wish them the best of luck in their next chapter.

A thank-you card to a buyer might include an inside joke or two, and a reference to some feature of their new house that you helped them buy.

Of course, it will be hard to include these kinds of details if you don’t remember any.

Now’s the time to start keeping a client file, where you record notes on everything you know and have observed about your client. Check out this post for more tips on real estate client files.

Leave Out the Sales Pitch

It’s tempting to end your thank-you note with one last push — a request for a referral, asking for a follow on your real estate Instagram account. But doing so just undoes all of the good vibes you created with your handwritten, personalized, thoughtful note.

Resist the temptation. You’ll notice that our real estate thank-you card templates mention that the recipient can get in touch with the agent — you — at any time. That’s enough.

Trust that your card is doing the work to keep you top of mind.

 

Do you love or hate writing thank-you cards? How do you save time and make your notes awesome?