Getting Started
What do you mean by saying the areas I choose are "Exclusive"?
Once you choose an area we will not mail reports into your area
on behalf of any other agent as long as you continue to mail with AgentMailings
®. Your chosen areas will show as
"Taken" on our Live Maps ... no one else can choose them.
(Return to Top)Is there any setup fee?
No. Signing up for any of the AgentMailings
®
direct marketing programs is free. You are charged only for the reports you mail and a nominal monthly
account services fee.
(Return to Top)How and when do I pay for my mailings?
AgentMailings
® is a pay-as-you-mail system.
We accept all major credit cards. Your card will not be charged for your mailing until your report
is prepared/forwarded to you for review. The monthly administration fee is also paid from your
credit card with each passing month. For your convenience, we accept a
personal or business check in advance for your first year's mailing/program fees in
full. Remember, if you're using your credit card, its
always pay-as-you-go.
(Return to Top)When do my program costs start?
Billing of the monthly program fee begins with enrollment
in the program, at which time you have 60 days to assist AgentMailings
® to mail
your reports or be subject to release of your target areas and termination of your enrollment.
(Return to Top)Can I send you my photo and signature?
Yes. Once you have signed up you will have the opportunity to upload your
photo. Your signature may also be uploaded or you can fax us your
signature to scan into your reports.
(Return to Top)Which mailing products should I choose?
Our prospecting system, custom designed for real estate agents,
focuses on three primary targets -- Buyers, Sellers and your Sphere. This allows you to easily choose which
groups are the most important for you. Many agents specialize in Buyers while others focus on Sellers/Listings. However,
ALL agents should prospect their Sphere which is why AgentMailings
® developed a lower cost Sphere program that enables
high quality reports to be emailed (or mailed) to your Sphere on a consistent basis, thereby producing continuous referrals from
this important target group.
(Return to Top)Why do you have a contract to mail reports?
The key to being successful is to mail the same target audience important/newsworthy
information they want to receive over-and-over. Sometimes it produces results
immediately while other times it could take longer. An
Independent Research Study shows conclusively that results increase dramatically after the fourth
mailing. This is after prospective buyers and sellers get a chance to know you and build perceptions of you
as the Local Real Estate Expert. A contract is in place to make sure that all parties are aware that results do not come overnight,
but after consistent mailings. Our contract is for six mailings. After your six mailings are completed, your mailings continue
without a contract on a month-to-month basis. The vast majority of agents continue after the first year because they experience
success that continues to build the longer you mail. See our
Terms & Conditions for detailed
information.
(Return to Top)How much do the reports cost?
All reports are printed and delivered to your contacts for $0.79 per report
except the Sphere of Influence report that has a FREE email option (most agents know the email address of Sphere contacts).
Monthly marketing management fees are dependent upon which types of reports are being delivered and take into account applicable
discounts for participating in multiple report programs. Volume Discounts are available -- subtract 2 cents when over 500 are
sent per mailing and 4 cents if over 1000 are sent for each mailing through the USPS.
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How much does it cost to do Personal Branding on my reports?
There is a one-time design cost to add personal branding to your target reports.
The process is handled by our creative staff who have over 20 years experience working with real estate agents in the design
of personal branding programs. AgentMailings
® offers three target reports -- Home Buyer Reports, Home Seller Reports and
Sphere of Influence Reports. The one-time design fee to add Personal Branding to one of these three reports is $295. To add
Personal Branding to the second report is an additional $150 and only $50 more to add it to the third. Any request for specific
imagery for use in your customized report, that we do not have in our image library, could result in an additional cost to
acquire the image.
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What do you need from me to get Personal Branding Set-up?
How long does it take to have my reports done with Personal Branding?
Once we receive the Personal Branding Survey Form and Photographs, you
will receive a PDF file of the first draft of your customized report within 5 business days via email.
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What if I want changes made to Personal Branding creative?
After receipt of the first Personal Branding PDF proof from our
AgentMailings
® creative staff, you will
be allowed up to two rounds of creative revisions to your customized report. Any additional creative
revisions may incur additional design costs. The cost for creating your custom reports includes the
preparation of your photograph, design and layout of the reports, and any background imagery from our
extensive library that we utilize to create your customized report.
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Which web browser works best with your site?
What does the monthly administrative cost pay for?
We charge a very reasonable monthly fee to prepare and review all of your reports.
Each month a writer on our staff composes special up-to-date, newsworthy articles for each type of report. Your Personal
Marketing Assistant will download the listings you choose to
feature on your reports as well as edit each description allowing each to fit within the areas provided on each report.
Every report is proof read by four different staff writers before it is mailed. We take great pains in providing extremely high
quality control because when the reports go out, the data/figures must be correct without requiring any work on your part to
review/proof materials. Think of AgentMailings
® as the least expensive marketing assistant you will ever have!
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How does AgentMailings® access my local MLS data?
AgentMailings
® has special relationships with many real estate agencies who provide daily MLS
access enabling AgentMailings
® to access and utilize listing data and other information needed to prepare your various report formats.
Once the Broker of Record of your agency establishes this special relationship with AgentMailings
®, no further action is necessary.
In the event that your agency has not established a special relationship with us, we will instruct you as to the proper method of forwarding
the necessary data to us for use in your report.
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Mailing Parameters
How often do the reports go out?
Each type of report requires a different type of mailing frequency. Home Buyer Reports are
delivered on 30, 45, or 60 day cycles. This allows you to contact buyer prospects that might not be at the same address for as long as a
homeowner. Home Seller Reports are delivered every 60 days. This allows for consistent contact with seller prospects while allowing
enough time between reports for new local sales activity sales data to be sent. Delivering the Home Seller Reports more frequently than
every 60 days would defeat the purpose of providing fresh data on each new report and simply won't show enough activity to hold its value
with your target market. For those agents mailing Home Seller Reports who wish to keep in contact with their seller prospect contacts on
a monthly basis, AgentMailings
® offers an optional postcard that can be delivered to your contacts on the alternate months that your
reports are not delivered. Contact your Personal Marketing Assistant for more details. Sphere of Influence Reports are delivered
on 30, 45, or 60 day cycles. This allows you to keep in touch with your clients, personal and professional contacts as frequently as
every month or every other month. A less frequent mailing of any marketing material doesn't put your face and name in front of your
prospects frequently enough to produce the dramatic results you want.
(Return to Top)Why is there a minimum mailing quantity of 200?
Anything less than 200 reports will not give you the kind of market reach to succeed with
a direct marketing program. Most agents participating in our marketing programs have considerably more reports (over 500) produced
and delivered to their target contacts. A smaller number may work for your sphere of influence, but when you market to a specific
target prospect group, anything less than 200 will not give you the kind of market reach to succeed. The rule of thumb is: "The larger
your target group, the more results you'll achieve".
(Return to Top)How often is the information on the reports updated?
All addresses are updated prior to each report™s production guaranteeing that your
reports will be delivered to the proper chosen homeowners and qualified renters each and every time. The MLS data on Home Seller
Reports is up-to-date as of the time your reports are initialized for printing. All articles
on all reports are written especially for that current version of each report type. Current mortgage rates averages are updated
weekly, as Freddie Mac makes them available.
(Return to Top)Can I use my own list of contacts?
AgentMailings
® lets you choose the areas that you want your reports delivered to by using
our live, interactive mapping technology. Once your list of buyer and seller contacts is produced, you have the opportunity to remove any
names or addresses from that list that you would not like to contact. Of course you must provide your own contacts for the Sphere of
Influence Reports, as this is a list of your personal and professional contacts and clients. Because your Sphere list is made up of
personal contacts who already know you, an email option for Sphere reports is available that allows you to send a large quantity of these
reports out for free.
(Return to Top)What happens with people that own more than one home -- do they get multiple reports?
Owners of multiple properties are combined so that they are only mailed one
report ... this is an exclusive service that is part of our business patent. On average, netting out owners of more than one
property saves agents 10% of their total mail cost!
(Return to Top)Can I change my list of areas after I start mailing?
Yes. However, we recommend that you stay the course with the areas/contact you have
begun mailing to as consistency is key to a direct marketing program, but you may change your areas/contact any time you want.
We also encourage agents to add on more areas as they experience success with our programs, as the more areas you contact, the more
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How do I remove someone from my mailing list?
Before your first mailing, a list of your contacts will be emailed or faxed to you for review.
You may then choose to remove those from your list(s) that you would not like to contact. As you continue with your mailings, you continue
to have full access to your mailing list to remove others or put them back into the mailing list at any time.
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Report Options
Can I change my cover letter?
Yes. You may change your cover to any subject matter you choose. Our staff writes
new articles for each report mailing, but you may edit them or write your own. However, over the years we have found that most agents
simply use the letter of the month already prepared for you. It is professionally written and is another feature that takes all the
work off your shoulders.
(Return to Top)How is the initial list of Featured Listings developed?
Once you sign up for your AgentMailings
® direct marketing program, a Personal Setup
Specialist will contact you for a list Featured Listings you would like included on your reports. If you do not have any preferences,
your Personal Setup Specialist will find listings in your local area within your agency that are within the guidelines of your contact
groups. If you have a personal website, we will look there first, then your company website, and then utilize other sources. Please note that
featured active listings must come from the broker/agency where your license resides UNLESS we have an email from you stating that
you received permission from associated competitive brokers/agencies to advertise/promote their listings.
(Return to Top)Can I change the list of Featured Listings?
You can change one or all of the featured listings for each mailing,
as you like.
(Return to Top)Can I enclose an insert within my report mailing?
Yes, and there is no charge to insert the enclosure inside your mailing (reports mailed in envelopes only).
You can either send us the enclosure materials OR we can print them for you, professionally and at a competitive rate that is typically
far below that of a local printer. Most agents prefer that AgentMailings
® print the inserts because the cost is lower and to avoid the
hassle and expense of shipping them to us.
(Return to Top)How much work is required on my part to get each mailing ready?
Very little, or none at all. We are a total turnkey direct marketing company. We do ALL the
work to get your reports ready. If you want to be involved to customize each report with many of the report options available, you may.
But this is NOT necessary to obtain success with the program. Most agents let AgentMailings
® do all the work, reaping the rewards of a
well written/delivered direct marketing campaign consistently delivered to target contacts while, at the same time, allowing them to focus
their time on working with clients.
(Return to Top)Can I order additional report copies to hand out myself?
Yes. Many agents do. Just let us know which reports you want extra copies
of.
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Printing Parameters
What is the difference between a report delivered "Tabbed" versus "Envelope"?
A "Tabbed" report is printed on card stock, folded in half and sealed with two "tabs" (tabs are round circles
with adhesive on the back) that can easily be opened up to view your reports. This option is available on all reports for agents who prefer that their reports
be fully visible upon delivery (similar to a postcard). "Envelope" reports use a window to show your photo and return address information and provide the ability
to include an enclosure. AgentMailings
® does not charge to insert enclosures.
(Return to Top)Can several agents participate as a TEAM?
AgentMailings
® work with individual agents, pairs, and large teams. You may include a
single portrait photo, two separate portrait photos, or a landscape photo of whatever size team you have. All report articles are
written in both a singular and plural version (i.e. I, we etc.) to accommodate each type of report. We can also split billing
between members of a team.
(Return to Top)Do you offer print/mail volume discounts?
Yes. As the number of reports printed for each cycle increases, your cost for each
report printed within that cycle goes down. Please refer to our pricing page for
details.
(Return to Top)What postage options do I have?
All AgentMailings
® reports are delivered standard rate USPS mail. First Class postage is
available for an additional cost. Please consult your Personal Setup Specialist or Personal Marketing Assistant for more
details.
(Return to Top)What are the typical delivery times with your postage options?
The U.S. Postal Service averages 2 to 9 business days for Standard Mail
and 2 to 3 business days for First-Class Presort.
(Return to Top)Do report/program costs change over time?
As stated in our
Terms and Conditions, report/program costs can change as we experience increases
in the cost of postage, labor and materials, many of which are not under AgentMailings
® control. Any change in program cost will be announced
in writing 30 days prior to taking effect.
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Follow-up Options
Can I receive a copy of my mailing?
Yes, a copy can be mailed to you at your office or home address, whichever
you prefer. You are also sent an advance PDF preview for review/approval
a week in advance of the next scheduled mailing. If we do not hear back from you within
this week prior to your next scheduled mailing, the reports are released for delivery to maintain your mailing cycle
consistency.
(Return to Top)Will I receive a proof of my reports?
Yes. You will receive an "advance proof" of your reports approximately two weeks
before your reports are scheduled to be delivered. A "final proof" will be sent the week prior to the report going
out.
(Return to Top)Can I receive a list of my homeowners that received my mailing
for follow-up purposes?
Yes. When you start-up with the program, you are sent a list of
those you have chosen to receive a report. You can also order mailing labels at any
time for just 8 cents each.
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