How We Closed a $450K Listing with This One Simple Letter

We just closed a $450,000 listing using the Yellow Letter System, representing both sides of the deal.

This method is simple, effective, and proven—and if done correctly, your phone will ring.

In this newsletter, I’m including all the resources you need to do the same.

What is the Yellow Letter System?

First, let’s clear something up—the Yellow Letter isn’t actually yellow. The name comes from the old-school method where investors and agents would write letters on yellow legal pad paper to make them stand out. Today, we’ve modernized the process, but the principle remains the same: a personal-looking letter that gets sellers to call you.

The letter itself is short and direct:

📜 "Would you be interested in selling your home at [Property Address] to a client of mine? If so, please call me at [Phone Number]. Thank you.
Ray Copeland"

💡 My name is also signed at the bottom, which appears handwritten when using Yellow Letters Complete.

If you're not reaching out on behalf of buyer clients, you can simply adjust the wording in the letter. Instead of saying 'a client of mine,' you can say:

Dear [Homeowner's Name],

Would you be interested in selling your home at [Property Address]? If so, please call me at [Your Number].

Envelope Details:

• Only include the homeowner’s name and address—no return address for maximum curiosity.

• Handwritten envelopes have the best open rates.

This method works because it feels like a personal request, not a mass-mailed marketing piece.

Getting Seller Data: Your Responsibility as an Agent

Before you can send out letters, you need homeowner addresses. There are two ways to get them:

1️⃣ Pull Data Yourself

• Use your local GIS (Geographic Information System) to pull homeowner records.

• This is a free option, but it requires manual effort to extract, clean, and format the data properly.

2️⃣ Buy Data from The Share Group

• The Share Group provides homeowner lists, making it easier to target specific neighborhoods.

• This option saves time and ensures accuracy.

💡 Regardless of how you get the data, you must have clean, accurate addresses before mailing letters.

In my opinion, to maximize effectiveness, I recommend mailing entire subdivisions or neighborhoods.

Mail Merging & Printing: The Reality of Doing It Yourself

If you plan to print and mail the letters yourself, keep in mind:
✅ You must clean and format your data correctly to merge the letters and envelopes.
✅ Mail merging in Microsoft Word is required for bulk mailing.
✅ You need a high-capacity printer to handle hundreds (or thousands) of letters.

I did this once—and I told myself I would never do it again. It’s extremely time-consuming and not the best use of your time as an agent.

That’s why I highly recommend outsourcing through Yellow Letters Complete.

Why I Recommend Yellow Letters Complete

Since we use Yellow Letters Complete to send our letters, we still pull homeowner data from either GIS or The Share Group. Before sending it to Yellow Letters Complete, I personally clean the data, but you don’t have to.

💡 If you’d rather not clean the data yourself, Yellow Letters Complete will do it for you for an additional cost. Just let Ally know when you email her.

With Yellow Letters Complete, they handle:
✅ Printing and stuffing the letters
✅ Handwritten-style envelopes (done by robots)
✅ Mailing everything to you, ready to drop at the post office

💰 Typical cost: Around $1.50 per letter, depending on volume.

📧 For full-service mailing (FAFSA service), email Ally at [email protected] and mention that Ray Copeland referred you to get a discount!

Resources to Get Started

🔹 Download the Yellow Letter Template
🔹 Get Seller Data from The Share Group
🔹 Order Letters from Yellow Letters Complete

If you want a steady flow of seller leads, this system works—but it only works if you take action. Whether you do it yourself or outsource, start sending letters and let the conversations begin!

Be sure to check out our past newsletters—they’re packed with valuable insights to help you grow your real estate business. And stay tuned—what’s coming next is all about real, money-making actions that move the needle.

Got questions or thoughts? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear from you!

Ray @ AgentBeat