What iSold's canvassing letter can teach you

When The Big Property List blog posted up a supposed canvassing letter from iSold, the thing that stood out for me was the mistake on the branch address. It was the same as the address the letter was sent to and made the letter look like a scam.

However, it's actually not a bad example of a canvassing letter (let's ignore the lack of dual fee liability clause as required by the OEA Code of Practice, 4m).

• It looks professional and restrained, not cheap. There is no BIG HEADLINE.
• Despite that, the message "We simply sell homes" comes across strongly and encourages you to read further.
• The writing style focuses on "you" as the reader.
• Equally, it's written from "I", so comes across as quite personal.
• It flatters the homeowner, with compliments about their sought after location.
• It sells the cost savings.
• But then reassures that the property would still be listed on all of the portals and that they're part of the UK's biggest independent estate agent, not to mention Tesco.
• The green call-out box at the bottom is a strong call-to-action.

This puts iSold in Bristol, York and Reading now - and spreading. This letter is a good chance to learn from what they are doing well, as well as how you might combat their marketing tactics!