Contact Center FAQs
Why should I mail postcards to homeowners in pre-foreclosure?
Sending postcards is a less threatening way (rather than a phone call or knocking on the door) to let a homeowner know you are interested in buying the property, and gives the owner time to think about your proposition. Remember, a property in the pre-foreclosure stage (before the property goes to public auction) is not necessarily for sale. The owner may be pursuing other options to cure the default, but may find a serious offer from a pre-qualified buyer is the best solution to stop the impending foreclosure.
RealtyTrac’s postcard system allows you to easily create, schedule and track postcards from your computer. Plus, your access to our nationwide database of pre-foreclosure listings makes it easy for you to conveniently find and send postcards to pre-foreclosure homeowners anywhere in the country.
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Can I mail postcards to properties that have already gone to auction?
If the property has already been scheduled for auction (NTS, NFS), you may be able to still contact the owner, but make sure the card will have time to reach the owner prior to the scheduled auction date.
If you contact the trustee who is managing the foreclosure auction, you will only receive the basic information such as the date, time, location and opening bid amount. Trustees represent the lenders and are legally prohibited from disclosing any other information prior to the scheduled auction date.
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How often should I send postcards to a homeowner in foreclosure?
Since a homeowner in pre-foreclosure is not likely to contact you after receiving just one postcard, we recommend that you send a total of three or four postcards to each pre-foreclosure property you’re interested in pursuing. Mail each postcard 7 to 10 days apart, so that your direct mail campaign is effective without being threatening. You want the homeowner to consider your offer, not be annoyed by it.
We’ve made it easy for you to send homeowners multiple postcards over a period of time. All you need to do is select the postcards you want to send to the homeowner, and then select the dates on the Postcard Schedule page you want each postcard to be mailed. We mail out a professionally printed postcard for you, so you don’t even have to leave your home to set up your direct mail campaign.
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How do I use the postcard feature on RealtyTrac?
On any pre-foreclosure property, just click "Contact Owner" on the Property Details screen and you will arrive at our Contact Center page. You can also access the Contact Center from My RealtyTrac – just click “Send Postcard” or “Postcard Status” on any Preferred or Recently Viewed Property.
The Contact Center page offers you three options for sending a postcard:
Send A Standard Postcard allows you to select from 12 pre-written postcards that are divided into three categories: Homebuyer, Investor, and Agent. Click the tabs to view the postcards within each category, and then select the postcards you want to send using the boxes to the right. You may select as many postcards as you like, but we recommend choosing up to four postcards within the category that best represents your buyer type or profession.
Send A Custom Postcard allows you to customize your marketing message on the postcard. If you choose to send custom postcards, keep in mind that your text should be alternating and incremental style. We do not recommend mailing multiple postcards with the same marketing message.
Send A Saved Postcard allows you to access postcards you have sent previously to other owners. Once you’ve saved a postcard, you can bypass the setup process and go directly to scheduling your saved postcards.
Once you’ve selected your postcards to send, you will have the option to edit your contact information and return address, and then set your mailing schedule for each postcard.
If you’d rather print the postcards yourself instead of having RealtyTrac send them for you, you may do so at no charge. However, when you print a postcard you must purchase your own stamps and mail the postcards yourself. Plus, since we have no way of knowing when you sent out the postcards, we can’t track printed postcards for you.
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Can I save the postcards that I’ve created?
Yes. Saved postcards include your marketing text, contact information and return address, so you don’t have to go through the setup process when you want to send postcards to different homeowners.
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How do I track the postcards that I’ve sent?
Simply click “Postcard Status” next to the property in My RealtyTrac and you will land on the Contact Center page. The page includes a Postcard Tracker section which shows all the postcards that have been sent to that property as well as postcards that are scheduled to be sent. If you haven’t sent postcards to the property, the postcard tracker will be empty.
You can also view the last 200 postcards you’ve sent by clicking “Send A Saved Postcard” link on the Contact Center page. You will land on your Favorites page, which includes your Postcard History.
Any postcard that you print yourself will not appear in your Postcard Tracker. Since we have no way of knowing when you mailed the postcard, we can’t track it for you.
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How do I schedule a postcard?
Anytime you’re sending postcards, whether you’re setting up new postcards or sending favorites, you will need to set a mailing schedule. On the Schedule page, select a date using the pull-down menu next to each postcard you are sending. The date you select is the date it will be sent to our printer for mailing, not the date it will arrive in the homeowner’s mailbox. From this point, it takes 3 to 4 days for the homeowner to receive the postcard.
If you’re sending multiple cards, we recommend scheduling in 7 to 10 day increments. You run the risk of annoying a homeowner by inundating them with postcards on a daily basis, and they’ll be less likely to consider your offer.
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Can I cancel or reschedule postcards that I’ve scheduled?
Yes. To cancel postcards that are in the queue to be sent, simply go to My RealtyTrac and click “Postcard Status” next to the property for which you want to cancel postcards. You’ll find postcards that are still scheduled to be sent under the “Postcard Tracker” section. Just click the “Cancel” link to cancel delivery of the postcard.
To reschedule a postcard, follow the instructions above but click the “Reschedule” link next to any postcard in your Tracker that’s scheduled to be sent. You will land on the Schedule page where you can select a new date for the postcard to be sent out.
You can also cancel or reschedule postcards from your Order History page. Just click “Send A Saved Postcard“ on the Contact Center home page to access your Order History page.
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How much does it cost to send postcards through RealtyTrac?
It costs anywhere from $2 to $3 per postcard, depending on the postcard selections you make. The cost of each postcard you mail through RealtyTrac will be deducted from your Report Wallet.
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Will I be reimbursed for postcards that I cancel?
Yes. Upon canceling a postcard, the cost of the postcard is credited back to your Report Wallet.
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Why do I get "The property is no longer available" when I try to print postcards?
When you follow the directions to send a postcard and the page that you print out has a message, "The property is no longer available," there may be an issue with the Internet browser you are using. You should be able to get the print option to work using one of the two following solutions:
1. When you get to the postcard screen, don't use the "Print Postcard" button at the top. Instead, just right-click anywhere on the window and select "print" from the pull-down menu.
2. Upgrade your Internet browser to Internet Explorer 6.0. Internet Explorer 6.0 can be downloaded free of charge at the following website:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp
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Do you have tips for creating a successful postcard campaign?
While RealtyTrac has simplified the process of mailing postcards to homeowners in default, getting these owners to contact you is still difficult because they are already under pressure and may not want to talk with buyers and investors interested in purchasing their property. Other homeowners are simply in denial about their situation and won’t consider your offer.
If you market yourself properly to a motivated seller, you will likely get a response. Here are some tips for making your postcards count:
- If you write your own text, make sure your postcard tells homeowners what you can do for them. Tell them how a sale could benefit them and that you are prepared to move quickly. Avoid any mention of foreclosure or default because it could humiliate the homeowner if someone else reads the card.
- Give multiple ways for a homeowner to contact you. If you’re only providing a phone number, consider including your e-mail address too.
- Be sure you’re sending enough postcards to homeowners. A single postcard is not likely to generate a response. We recommend sending 3 to 4 postcards to each property you’re interested in purchasing.
- Mail your postcards in 7 to 10 day increments. If you’re mailing them too close together, you may further annoy an already stressed homeowner.
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Is sending a postcard the only way to contact a homeowner through RealtyTrac?
No. In fact, we recommend that first-time buyers seek professional assistance rather than send postcards to pre-foreclosure homeowners. An alternative to contacting the homeowner yourself is to have a real estate professional from the RealtyTrac Agent Network assist you. On the Contact Center page, click Have An Agent Contact The Owner and you’ll be taken to our agent landing page. Just fill out the buying form and we’ll connect with one of our prescreened agents who can contact the owner on your behalf.
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