There's Something About a Good Old Fashioned Letter

You've Got Mail

If you know me, you know I love snail mail. Back in 2013, at the wise age of 25 I had this brilliant idea to bring back the lost art of the postcard. The business name: Snail Mail Is Cool®. The idea, an app that was full of interesting and unique postcards created by local artists that a user could select, type a note on, and send off from their phone or laptop. On the business end, we would handwrite that postcard for you and get it in the mail the same day. Brilliant, I know. I had gone so far as to contract the services of the cheapest web developer in all of San Francisco to make my idea a reality. $1500 later, my developer ended up going back to Sri Lanka to visit family and got stuck there due to some civil unrest that prevented him coming back to San Francisco. So he stayed in Sri Lanka, along with my money, and my dream.

The beautiful thing about the mail in todays day and age is that it's 98% junk and 2% meaningful, life changing information. Somewhere buried in that stack of coupons and magazines you never signed up for is a jury summons, a large refund check from your insurance company, an invitation, or if you're lucky; a postcard from a friend. It's the daily lottery we all get to play and you never know what you're going to get. Well, besides junk. You know you're going to get a lot of junk.

What does snail mail have to do with real estate?

I live in a neighborhood that's a heathy mix of homeowners and renters. More importantly than the make up of the neighborhood is that I live in a neighborhood where people talk to each other. Shocking, I know. People know what's going on and there's a proverbial grapevine (neighborhood Whatsapp group in our case) and it doesn't take long for word to travel. Last year it came to my attention that some of the renters in my neighborhood were moving because the owner wanted to sell his house. Upon learning this information, I went through my list of buyers to see if it fit any of their criteria and lo and behold, I found a match. My next step was to write a handwritten letter to the owner introducing myself to them as a local Realtor who lived in the neighborhood and let them know I had a wonderful family looking to purchase a house in their neighborhood. And then I did what we all do when we put a letter in the mailbox. I said a little prayer to make sure it went to the right place, took a moment to marvel at the not-so-modern miracle that is the global mail system, and then promptly forgot about it.

Fast forward a month or so

I get an email from the owner of the house saying he would be interested in selling to my clients. I try and remember what the heck he's talking about and then when I do, get really excited. It worked! A few days later and my buyers were under contract on a great house during a time when most properties were selling for way above asking price in high pressure, multiple offer situations. I can't even begin to calculate the ROI on that 60 cent stamp.

Similarly, there's a house on my street that has been empty every since we moved to the neighborhood in 2019. 2 years ago I wrote a letter to the seller and asked if she was interested in selling. This time, I was writing on my own behalf with the intention of purchasing as an investment property. This time it took 3 months to get a response and it came in the form of a phone call. The lady on the other line began the conversation with, "Hi this is so and so, I RECEIVED YOUR LETTER IN THE MAIL..." I couldn't believe it. The daily lottery paid off. While I've yet to purchase that house, the letter started a conversation that is still going on today.

What's the moral of the story?

Spiritually and emotionally, I truly believe the world would be a better place if people took a few minutes out of their day to send a letter, a postcard, or a handwritten note to tell their loves ones how much they love and appreciate them. It's not just the message, it's the act itself. It causes the sender to pause and reflect on why they're grateful for this person. It forces them to choose words wisely and with purpose. For the receiver, it's a delightful surprise to know that someone took time out of their day and thought of them In a world where every second of our attention is being monetized or manipulated, it's nice to be seen, to be remembered, and to not be sold something.

From a real estate perspective, don't sleep on the mail. If you want to know what's going on with a property, look up where the tax bill gets sent and write a letter. Do you want to live in a certain neighborhood or on a particular street? write letters to the homeowners. In the case with my buyers, the seller did NOT want to sell to another investor. He also didn't want to get the house ready for sale and we brought him a win-win situation. You never know what's going on with people and if you get them with a real, handwritten letter, you might just get them at the "write" time.

What happened to Snail Mail Is Cool ®?

Where are my angel investors at? Who's ready to make snail mail cool again?

A few years ago I was watching Shark Tank and an unassuming young dad with a beard and pony tail from Colorado came on with his company, Felt. The idea? My idea. He was basically me in a parallel university where my developer didn't run off with my money to Sri Lanka. He got a deal from Kevin O'Leary which apparently never came to fruition, however; as of Dec. 2022, the company is still in business with an annual revenue of $1.5-$2 million. Lesson learned.

And if you think I