Just Listed Postcards: Design a Clear Invitation to Call

Who Should Get a Just Listed Postcard?

Send it to the homes around the listing first. Neighbors watch prices on their street, they know friends and family who want to move in, and some are thinking about selling themselves. A just listed card tells them you are the agent active on their street.

Add your sphere: past clients, friends and contacts who might know a buyer. Keep the list current, so cards are not wasted on old addresses.

Follow with a just sold card when the home closes. The pair, listed then sold, shows neighbors you get results on their street.

What Goes on the Back of a Just Listed Postcard?

The back carries the details and the call to action. On the left half: beds, baths, square footage, one line about the home, your photo, your name, your brokerage, your phone number and a QR code to the listing or your website. The right half is for the address and postage.

Include the brokerage information and any disclosures your state and brokerage require on advertising. Your broker can tell you exactly what is needed.

Add a reason to call beyond the listing: "Thinking of selling? Ask me what your home is worth." Neighbors who are not buyers may be future sellers.

Which Postcard Size Should You Use?

Use 4 x 6 inches for most mailings. It is the cut that mails at the USPS postcard rate, which tops out at 4.25 x 6 inches. The product page also offers 5 x 7 and 6 x 9 inches, which stand out more in the mailbox but mail as letters at a higher postage rate.

A larger card suits a premium listing or a smaller, targeted mailing where standing out is worth the postage. For a few hundred homes around a listing, 4 x 6 keeps the mailing affordable.

What Makes a Postcard Photo Work?

A postcard photo works when it shows the home at its best, sharp and bright, at a size the eye can read in a second. Choose the main exterior shot, taken straight on or from a slight angle, in daylight with a clear sky. Twilight shots with the lights on also stand out in a mailbox.

Crop it to fill the card. A 4 x 6 postcard is a 3 to 2 shape; a photo shot for a listing site often is too, but check that the home is not cut off at the roof or the driveway.

Use the professional listing photos when you have them, with the photographer's permission for print. A dim phone photo makes a good home look ordinary.

How Do You Write the Headline and Hook?

The headline is two words: Just Listed. Put it at the top of the front in large type, so it reads before anything else. Add the price and the neighborhood just below.

On the back, write one line that makes the home memorable: "Corner lot with a new kitchen and a pool" says more than a paragraph. Then add the line that brings calls from people who are not buying this home: an offer of a free home value estimate, or an invitation to the open house.

Keep the voice warm and plain. Neighbors respond to an agent who sounds like a neighbor.

What About Coming Soon and Open House Cards?

The same postcard layout works for every stage of a listing. A Coming Soon card builds interest before the home hits the market. An Open House card invites the neighborhood in. A Just Sold card shows results and opens the door to the next listing.

Design them as a series, with the same photo treatment, colors and agent block, so neighbors recognize your cards over time. Order the next card in the series as soon as the date is set; postcards print in 48 hours, so the card can follow the news quickly.

How Often Should an Agent Send Listing Postcards?

Send a card at each real event in the listing's life: coming soon, just listed, open house, price change if it helps, and just sold. Each card is news, which is why neighbors read it.

Between listings, a steady mailing to a neighborhood you serve keeps your name in front of future sellers. Choose a rhythm you can keep up, and keep the design consistent so each card builds on the last one.

How Do You Mail Just Listed Postcards?

Postcards are printed and shipped to you; Inline does not mail them. Address them with labels or a printed address list, add postage, and take them to the post office. For a large mailing, the post office can explain sorting and bulk rate options.

Leave the address area on the back clear of design, as postal rules require. See how to mail postcards for the details.

Hand delivering is another option for the closest neighbors. Hang a door hanger instead, since mailboxes are reserved for postal mail.

How Do Postcards Work With Signs and Open Houses?

Postcards work best alongside the sign in the yard and the open house. The yard sign tells people driving by; the postcard reaches neighbors who never drive past; the open house gives both a reason to visit. Put the open house date and time on the postcard when you have one.

Use the same photo, colors and branding on the postcard and the sign rider, so neighbors connect them. For the full set, see real estate listing marketing.

What Should You Check on Just Listed Proofs?

Check first for the price, the address and the details. A wrong price on a mailing is a problem for you and the seller.

Next, check for the QR code. Scan it from the proof with two phones and make sure it opens the right listing.

Also check for the required brokerage information and disclosures, and that the address area is clear.

How Do You Order Just Listed Postcards?

Send the photo, the price, the details, your agent information and the brokerage requirements, and approve the proof. Artwork prep is $14.99 per item if you send a phone photo or a ChatGPT image, and a free proof comes with every order. Postcards print in 48 hours after proof approval and ship for a flat $10 to any US address.