The Return to Handwritten Notes in Actual Property

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In a world the place communication is essentially finished on a display, it is perhaps tough to gauge whether or not a tried-and-true enterprise standby—handwritten notes—truly works.

For years, Ben Graham, chief of the Graham Group Actual Property at Infinity & Associates Actual Property in Chandler, Ariz., despatched old-school unsolicited mail and letters to potential purchasers with normal No. 10 envelopes.

He says it was doubtless uncommon that anybody opened these mailers, as he didn’t get a lot suggestions.

A couple of years in the past, nevertheless, he got here to the conclusion that handwritten notes—fairly than printed mailers and advertising and marketing supplies—work. He now averages three playing cards per day however makes use of a handwriting service to avoid wasting effort and time in his busy life as an actual property skilled.

He’d had a consumer inquisitive about shopping for an empty lot that bordered their property, however the consumer couldn’t determine how you can contact the proprietor of the lot. Graham did some digging and located contact data for the proprietor, and he determined to ship an unassuming, handwritten letter.

The handwritten card defined to the proprietor that Graham had a purchaser within the land. The proprietor did open the observe, and although it took some time, the deal went by way of.

The fact is that as a society, we’re overwhelmed by digital communication, to the purpose the place we are inclined to ignore all of it collectively.  

Analysis from Mailchimp, a widely known e mail advertising and marketing platform reveals that solely 20% of all emails despatched are opened. Handwritten notes, nevertheless, are practically all the time opened as a result of they’ve turn into such a novelty. The 2020 Family Diary research produced by the Postal Regulatory Fee estimates that households obtain a median of 21 items of handwritten mail per yr.

Briefly, should you’re searching for a recent advertising and marketing effort as a result of others are falling quick, it is perhaps time to tug out pen and paper. Although he says it’s laborious to quantify whether or not it’s the handwritten notes that flip into referrals, Graham says he is aware of his efforts are appreciated.

“Many instances, I get notes that inform me I used to be the one one that truly despatched them a birthday card.”

Utilizing Tech to Ease the Burden

Graham averages about three handwritten notes per day. To make this type of quantity manageable and to maintain prices low, he makes use of a observe writing service referred to as Handwrytten. He says he makes use of the service for enterprise and private correspondence and spends about $3.50 on every card.

Graham focuses on sending particular sorts of handwritten correspondence:

• Birthday, marriage ceremony anniversary and residential anniversary playing cards
• Thank yous
• Welcome-to-the-neighborhood playing cards
• “Good to fulfill you” playing cards

Phoenix-based Handwrytten supplies prospects with many choices for personalization. Graham has the corporate stick his enterprise card in with the written observe. He has his signature on file with the corporate, and he can customise the envelope along with his brand.

Handwrytten CEO, David Wachs, says the demand for this type of service is robust, and even stronger in the true property trade.

“At this level, out of our 100,000 purchasers, 30,000 to 40,000 are actual property professionals, whether or not they have a direct relationship with us or a intermediary firm that works with us,” says Wachs.

Although Handwrytten’s playing cards and letters aren’t precisely handwritten, they feel and look similar to a real pen-and-paper observe, which is the essential factor. Since brokers have such a variety of customization choices, Handwrytten’s service does exude a real private contact for the receiver.

“Having the ability to stand out and keep on high of thoughts by way of handwritten notes that get magnetized on the fridge is perhaps the way in which to go. It’s about taking part in the lengthy recreation, and it’s an funding.”

Wachs says the enterprise has round 175 robots producing the notes, and he’s continually engaged on enhancing the software program to make issues look much more genuine.

Whether or not an agent decides to make use of a service or write out every card individually, Wachs says “simply do it.”

Making Handwritten Notes A part of Firm Tradition

When Stacie Staub’s son graduated from highschool final yr, he sat down and wrote thanks playing cards to everybody who gave him a present. She says she had no thought on the time that he’d finished so.

“I began getting footage of the notes and texts from individuals,” says the co-founder and CEO of West + Maine Properties in Denver, Colo. “That meant a lot when individuals stated that I raised the child proper. I like that he did it. Its’s an affidavit on how few handwritten notes individuals get and the way they’re valued.”

She is aware of that purchasers and enterprise companions really feel the identical method once they obtain a customized, handwritten card or observe from an actual property skilled.

Staub says handwritten notes are embedded within the firm tradition. She encourages the five hundred brokers she manages to write down two notes a day to their purchasers and colleagues. The brokerage shares quite a lot of playing cards and envelopes in every workplace and frequently rotates in new choices. They even have coaching occasions centered on the topic.

Final yr, three of the brokerage’s Colorado places of work launched a brand new vacation card sequence with workshops and a Friendsgiving dinner.

“We inspired them to have a pair cocktails and get these Christmas playing cards written. They did it proper there. It simply makes it extra enjoyable, and it turns into slightly peer stress,” she says.

If brokers are fighting who to ship a observe to or what to write down, Staub advises them to scroll by way of their social media feeds. Who had a loss? Who had a child? Use social media to pinpoint life occasions and go from there.

“It’s a motivator to maintain knowledgeable and know what ache and alter individuals are going by way of, and actively acknowledge the wants in individuals,” she says.

The Energy of Private Connection

Staub believes that when the trouble in writing a observe and sending it off oneself is highly effective. She says there may be “one thing about that power that brings power again to you in that relationship.”

Nancy Schnoebelen Imbs, founder and president of Polished, a communications {and professional} improvement firm in St. Louis, believes handwritten notes not solely distinguish somebody from the remainder of the pack, however additionally they present an individual’s civility, sense of respect, gratitude and heat.

“In at this time’s digital world, pen and paper turn into extra private and can go away a positive impression,” she says.

She tells a lot of her enterprise purchasers that handwritten notes are a robust software. The great gesture will deliver a smile to the recipient and present that they matter.

“Certain, it’s faster, sooner, and simpler to whip out your telephone and ship a textual content or e mail. Nevertheless it doesn’t have the identical affect,” she says.

Listed here are Imbs’ greatest suggestions for writing honest handwritten notes and letters:

1. Don’t wait. Do it immediately or at the very least throughout the first three days after assembly with a possible consumer.
2. Don’t overthink. Don’t get caught up on how you can write it. Be your self. Touch upon one thing that touched you or simply that you just loved whereas within the firm of the individual.
3. Don’t fear about penmanship. Folks get too caught up displaying off their handwriting. Many will really feel prefer it’s a privilege to obtain a customized observe. Penmanship issues little (as long as it’s legible!)