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Generating motivated seller leads is the key to success in real estate investing. Yet, many investors struggle with missed opportunities simply because they fail to answer their phones promptly. Justin Dossey, a real estate marketing expert, shares valuable insights on how investors can optimize their lead-generation process, convert more deals, and scale their businesses efficiently.
From handwritten direct mail strategies to professional call handling, Dossey has built innovative solutions like Ballpoint Marketing and Call Porter that help investors take their businesses to the next level. In this blog, we’ll explore how his expertise can help you consistently generate and convert motivated seller leads.
Why Answering the Phone Matters in Real Estate Investing
In real estate, time is money. Many investors spend thousands of dollars on marketing but miss out on deals simply because they don’t answer their phones. Dossey shares a real-life example of a deal lost simply because a call went unanswered on a Friday night. The seller found another buyer the next morning. This scenario plays out countless times for investors who don’t have an efficient call management system.
With Call Porter, Dossey created a 24/7 live answering service specifically designed for real estate investors. The goal is to ensure that no lead gets missed. Their trained agents understand real estate terminology, making them more effective than generic answering services.
Additionally, Call Porter offers call forwarding options, allowing investors to have their calls forwarded only during specific hours, such as evenings and weekends. This flexibility ensures that investors never miss a lead while still having control over their availability.
Key Takeaway:
If you’re serious about converting leads, you need a system in place to ensure that every call is answered immediately—whether you’re in a meeting, spending time with family, or asleep.
How Handwritten Direct Mail Is Changing the Game
Direct mail remains one of the most effective marketing strategies for real estate investors, but generic, mass-printed mail often gets ignored. Ballpoint Marketing, another company founded by Dossey, specializes in authentic-looking handwritten mail pieces that capture attention and increase response rates.
Instead of using standard printed postcards, Ballpoint Marketing uses actual ballpoint pens to write letters, postcards, and door hangers, making them look genuinely handwritten. This personalization helps investors stand out and gain the trust of potential sellers.
Ballpoint Marketing currently operates with 84 handwriting machines, ensuring consistent output of truly handwritten marketing materials.
Key Takeaway:
Handwritten direct mail is transforming real estate marketing by making outreach more personal and effective. Unlike generic, mass-printed materials that are often ignored, Ballpoint Marketing—founded by Dossey—uses real ballpoint pens to create authentic-looking handwritten letters, postcards, and door hangers. This approach boosts trust and response rates by helping investors stand out to potential sellers. With 84 handwriting machines in operation, the company ensures consistent, scalable production of these personalized marketing pieces.
What’s Working Best in Direct Mail Right Now?
According to Dossey, the most effective mail strategies depend on budget and scale:
- For New Investors: Door hangers are a cost-effective way to generate leads locally, with a minimum order of 250 pieces.
- For Investors with More Budget: Handwritten postcards and first-class letters have been the most effective, especially their Americana-style postcards that evoke a nostalgic feel.
One of the most successful recent campaigns has been the Americana-style postcards, which highlight vintage American themes such as diners, drive-ins, and jukeboxes. These designs resonate with many homeowners and have been particularly effective in markets like Baton Rouge.
Key Takeaway:
If you want to increase your response rates from direct mail campaigns, invest in handwritten marketing materials that feel personal and authentic.
A Complete Lead Generation System for Real Estate Investors
Generating leads isn’t just about sending mailers and answering calls—it requires a streamlined system. Dossey and his team created Lead Engine, a fully integrated solution that includes:
- Deal Machine for property data and list generation.
- Call Porter to handle all inbound calls.
- Ballpoint Marketing to execute high-performing direct mail campaigns.
- A CRM Integration that keeps everything organized in one place.
Additionally, Lead Engine is closely integrated with REsimpli, allowing investors to accurately track lead sources, KPIs, and marketing performance to improve their conversion rates.
With this system, real estate investors can focus on closing deals rather than getting bogged down with follow-ups, missed calls, or scattered lead tracking.
Key Takeaway:
A well-integrated lead management system can save time, improve efficiency, and increase deal conversion rates.
The Importance of Consistency in Marketing
One of the biggest mistakes real estate investors make is inconsistent marketing. Many send out one mail campaign, wait for results, and then start marketing again months later. This leads to gaps in deal flow and lost revenue.
Dossey shares an example from Baton Rouge, where consistent marketing led to 12 deals under contract in a short period. Even during slow months, his team kept mailing, ensuring a steady pipeline of leads. By the time they hired and trained a new sales rep, they had a full pipeline to work with.
To further drive consistency, Dossey emphasizes tracking KPIs meticulously. Investors should track when leads originated, which marketing source they came from, and how long it took to close each deal. This data helps in making informed decisions rather than reacting to short-term results.
Key Takeaway:
Never stop marketing. Consistency is the key to generating a steady flow of deals and avoiding long dry spells in your business.
Scaling a Real Estate Business: Lessons from Rapid Growth
Justin Dossey has helped scale multiple businesses rapidly, including Call Porter and Ballpoint Marketing. His biggest lessons for growth include:
- Keep Momentum Going: When you find something that works, don’t slow down—scale it up.
- Invest in Partnerships: Strategic partnerships with companies like Deal Machine, REI Sift, and others have played a major role in their success.
- Always Innovate: The real estate marketing space is competitive. Continually introducing fresh marketing ideas keeps you ahead of competitors.
- Hire the Right People: A successful business needs a solid team. Make sure you have the right systems and personnel in place before scaling.
- Seek Expert Guidance: Dossey attributes much of his success to investing in high-level coaching programs, which have provided valuable outside perspectives.
- Personal Development Matters: Dossey works with two coaches—one focused on business growth and another on personal development. He believes that overcoming personal obstacles directly impacts business success.
- Investing in Mentorship & Mastermind Groups: Dossey has spent over $250,000 on coaching and mentorship, emphasizing how surrounding himself with high-level entrepreneurs has been instrumental in his business growth.
- Mindset and Leadership Development: Dossey highlights that leadership is more than just business decisions—it’s about personal growth. He credits his coach, Mike Kitko, for helping him understand that many business struggles stem from personal limitations. Addressing these underlying issues has made him a stronger leader and business owner.
Key Takeaway:
Scaling a real estate business requires momentum, innovation, strategic partnerships, the right team, and continuous personal and professional development.
Justin Dossey has helped scale multiple businesses rapidly, including Call Porter and Ballpoint Marketing. His biggest lessons for growth include:
- Keep Momentum Going: When you find something that works, don’t slow down—scale it up.
- Invest in Partnerships: Strategic partnerships with companies like Deal Machine, REI Sift, and others have played a major role in their success.
- Always Innovate: The real estate marketing space is competitive. Continually introducing fresh marketing ideas keeps you ahead of competitors.
- Hire the Right People: A successful business needs a solid team. Make sure you have the right systems and personnel in place before scaling.
- Seek Expert Guidance: Dossey attributes much of his success to investing in high-level coaching programs, which have provided valuable outside perspectives.
- Personal Development Matters: Dossey works with two coaches—one focused on business growth and another on personal development. He believes that overcoming personal obstacles directly impacts business success.
Final Thoughts: Take Your Real Estate Business to the Next Level
If you’re serious about growing your real estate business, you need a system that ensures:
- Your calls are answered immediately (Call Porter).
- Your direct mail campaigns stand out and generate high response rates (Ballpoint Marketing).
- Your lead management is seamless and efficient (Lead Engine).
Dossey also highlights the importance of mastermind groups and mentorship, having spent over $250,000 in coaching programs to gain insights from top industry experts. Additionally, he emphasizes the role of predictive indexing and personality assessments in team-building. Understanding different personality types helps investors structure their teams more effectively, ensuring that they place the right people in the right roles to maximize efficiency and success.
Start optimizing your marketing, answering more calls, and building a steady pipeline of motivated seller leads today. Don’t let missed calls or ineffective marketing cost you valuable deals. Implement these proven strategies and take your business to the next level.
If you’re serious about growing your real estate business, you need a system that ensures:
- Your calls are answered immediately (Call Porter).
- Your direct mail campaigns stand out and generate high response rates (Ballpoint Marketing).
- Your lead management is seamless and efficient (Lead Engine).
Dossey also highlights the importance of mastermind groups and mentorship, having spent over $250,000 in coaching programs to gain insights from top industry experts.
Start optimizing your marketing, answering more calls, and building a steady pipeline of motivated seller leads today. Don’t let missed calls or ineffective marketing cost you valuable deals. Implement these proven strategies and take your business to the next level.
