In 2025, real estate investors are constantly looking for ways to stay ahead of the competition and generate more leads. With so many marketing channels available, choosing the right one for your business can feel overwhelming. From traditional methods like direct mail and cold calling to modern approaches like SMS marketing, there’s no shortage of options. Each channel has its own strengths and weaknesses, and selecting the right one can make a huge difference in your real estate investing (REI) business.
In this article, we’ll dive into three of the most popular marketing channels for real estate investors—direct mail, SMS, and cold calling—and discuss how you can use them effectively in 2025. We’ll also explore how using a Real Estate Investor CRM can help you optimize these marketing efforts and close more deals.
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The Importance of Choosing the Right Marketing Channel
When it comes to real estate investing, your marketing efforts determine how quickly and effectively you can acquire new properties, find sellers, and build relationships with potential buyers. However, with so many marketing channels at your disposal, it’s easy to get lost in the noise.
In 2025, it’s essential to adapt your marketing strategies to meet changing consumer behaviors, technological advancements, and new industry trends. This means understanding the strengths and limitations of each marketing method and finding the one that fits your business model, budget, and target audience.
Direct Mail: Tried-and-True, but Evolving
Direct mail has been a staple of real estate marketing for decades, and it’s still a powerful tool in 2025. Whether you’re sending postcards, brochures, or letters, direct mail allows you to reach potential sellers in a highly personal and targeted way.
One of the key benefits of direct mail is its ability to target specific neighborhoods or property owners. For example, if you’re interested in properties that need repairs, you can send letters to homeowners in distressed areas. Alternatively, you can target homeowners who may be facing foreclosure or those who have owned their homes for a long time and may be ready to sell.
Pros:
- Highly targeted and personal
- Physical mail stands out compared to digital messages
- Can reach homeowners who may not be active online
Cons:
- Higher upfront cost than digital marketing
- Slower response time compared to SMS or cold calling
- Requires consistent follow-up to maximize conversions
In 2025, it’s not just about sending generic mailers to random addresses. Successful direct mail campaigns rely on data-driven strategies. The more targeted your mailer is, the more likely it is to get a response. A Real Estate Investor CRM like Left Main REI can help you track leads, identify the best neighborhoods, and personalize your direct mail campaigns to increase their effectiveness.
Although direct mail has a high upfront cost, it can yield high returns if executed properly. With the right messaging and follow-up, you can turn these leads into profitable deals. Additionally, by using direct mail in conjunction with other marketing channels, you can create a multi-touch approach that increases the chances of success.
SMS Marketing: Instant Engagement and High Open Rates
In recent years, SMS marketing has emerged as one of the most effective ways to engage with potential leads. People are more likely to open and respond to a text message than an email or phone call. With an open rate of over 98%, SMS marketing allows you to engage with leads instantly, making it a great choice for real estate investors who want to act quickly.
SMS marketing is highly personal and allows you to communicate with leads in a direct and concise manner. You can send messages to property owners, buyers, or sellers to set appointments, provide property details, or follow up on previous inquiries. Text messages are quick and convenient for the recipient, which makes them more likely to respond.
However, one downside to SMS marketing is that it can feel intrusive if not done carefully. Sending too many messages or messaging at the wrong time can lead to frustration and may even damage your reputation. Therefore, it’s essential to use SMS strategically, ensuring that your messages are relevant and respectful of the recipient’s time.
Pros:
- Extremely high open and response rates
- Quick and cost-effective communication
- Ideal for follow-ups, appointment setting, and appointment confirmations
Cons:
- Incredible scrutiny currently from a legal perspective
- Requires compliance with SMS marketing regulations. TCPA and 10DLC laws make compliant messaging difficult and requires explicit opt-in from prospects
- Can feel intrusive and be offensive if not done correctly
- Limited space for messaging
Using a Real Estate Investor CRM can streamline your SMS marketing efforts. The CRM allows you to segment your leads, track engagement, and schedule automated text messages. This means you can quickly respond to new leads and automate follow-ups, saving time and increasing your efficiency. The ability to set up triggers and workflows within a CRM helps you stay organized and consistent with your messaging, ensuring no lead is left behind.
Cold Calling: The Old-School Approach That Still Works
Cold calling has been a go-to method for real estate investors for decades, and it’s still effective in 2025, especially when combined with modern technology. Cold calling allows you to directly reach property owners, establish rapport, and qualify leads in real time. It’s personal, direct, and gives you an opportunity to gather valuable information right away.
However, cold calling does come with its challenges. It can be time-consuming, and not every lead will be receptive to a call. Rejection is a common part of the process, and it’s important to remain persistent and positive. Furthermore, cold calling requires preparation. You need to have a solid script, know your target audience, and be ready to handle objections.
Pros:
- Direct, real-time interaction with potential sellers
- Immediate feedback on interest levels
- Allows for personalized conversation and objection handling
Cons:
- Increasing regulations and companies must understand and comply with local and federal laws in order to stay out of trouble. It’s very important to also comply with Do-Not-Call (DNC) lists
- Time-consuming and requires persistence
- High rejection rates and “spam likely” warnings on phone numbers from carriers can affect answer rates
In 2025, successful cold calling is all about efficiency. By using technology to streamline the process, you can make more calls in less time and track your results. A Real Estate Investor CRM can help by organizing your leads, automating follow-up calls, and integrating your phone system with your CRM. This allows you to quickly log interactions, track results, and follow up with leads without missing a beat.
One of the biggest advantages of cold calling is the ability to engage with leads in real time. Unlike direct mail or SMS, you can gauge the interest of a lead during the call and adjust your approach accordingly. While it may be more labor-intensive, cold calling can generate high-quality leads and provide immediate feedback on your marketing efforts.
Google Ads: High-Intent Leads from Online Searches
Google Ads is one of the most powerful tools for real estate investors looking to capture high-intent leads. When potential sellers or buyers search for terms like “sell my house fast” or “cash home buyers,” your ads can appear at the top of search results.
Pros:
- Instant exposure
- Highly targeted
- Measurable results
Cons:
- Expensive
- Competitive
- Requires expertise in ad optimization and constant monitoring
A CRM can help track conversions from Google Ads, allowing you to optimize your ad spend and follow up with leads efficiently.
Social Media Marketing: Building Brand Awareness and Engagement
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok offer real estate investors the opportunity to engage with their audience, run targeted ads, and build credibility through content marketing.
- Facebook & Instagram Ads: Great for targeting specific demographics
- LinkedIn: Effective for networking with high-net-worth individuals
- TikTok & YouTube: Ideal for video marketing and brand building
A CRM allows you to capture leads from social media campaigns, automate follow-ups, and track engagement across platforms.
TV Advertising: Reaching a Broad Audience
TV advertising can be an effective way to reach a large audience, especially in local markets. It builds credibility and brand recognition, making it easier to convert leads when they reach out.
Pros:
- Broad reach
- High credibility
- Great for brand awareness
Cons:
- High cost
- Limited targeting compared to digital ads
- High quality production requirements
A CRM can help track responses from TV ads by creating unique phone numbers or landing pages to measure engagement.
Radio Advertising: Cost-Effective Mass Marketing
Radio ads are another great way to reach homeowners who may be considering selling their property. Radio can be particularly effective for reaching older audiences or those in rural areas where digital marketing has less penetration.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Good local reach
- Builds brand awareness
Cons:
- Less targeted than digital marketing
- Less measurable than digital marketing
- Harder to track ROI
Using a CRM, you can assign unique phone numbers to radio campaigns and track call volume to determine effectiveness.
Which Marketing Channel is Best for Your REI Business in 2025?
So, which marketing channel should you choose in 2025: direct mail, SMS, or cold calling? The truth is, the best channel depends on your business goals, budget, and target audience.
If you’re focused on reaching a large number of people with a personalized message, direct mail may be the best option. It’s particularly effective if you’re targeting distressed properties or looking to build brand awareness in specific neighborhoods.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for instant engagement and high response rates, SMS marketing could be your best bet. It’s especially effective for follow-ups and engaging with leads who prefer quick, direct communication. However, SMS should be used sparingly and thoughtfully to avoid overwhelming potential leads.
Cold calling remains a powerful strategy for real estate investors who enjoy direct interaction with leads. It can be highly effective when done correctly, but it’s time-consuming and requires persistence. If you have the bandwidth for cold calling, it can provide immediate results and valuable insights into the interests of your leads.
How Left Main REI Can Enhance Your Marketing Channels
No matter which marketing channels you choose, using a Real Estate Investor CRM can help you make the most of your efforts. A CRM centralizes your lead management, allowing you to track all your marketing campaigns in one place. Whether you’re using direct mail, SMS, or cold calling, Left Main REI helps you stay organized, automate follow-ups, and measure results.
With Left Main REI, you can also segment your leads based on their behavior, preferences, and level of interest. This enables you to tailor your outreach and communication strategies to specific groups, increasing your chances of success.
In 2025, the key to success in real estate investing lies in choosing the right marketing channels and using them effectively. Direct mail, SMS, and cold calling all have their advantages and can be highly successful if executed properly. The key is to choose the method that best fits your business model, target audience, and goals.
By leveraging a Real Estate Investor CRM, you can streamline your marketing efforts, automate follow-ups, and track your results—all from one platform. This allows you to work smarter, not harder, and ultimately close more deals in less time. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your real estate business to the next level, integrating these marketing channels with the power of a CRM is the way to go.