Many real estate agents rely on marketing tools like postcards, email campaigns, or branded magazines to stay visible in their markets. These are valuable, but they’re what we call passive marketing. They work when a client or prospect decides to act—but until then, you’re waiting.
The key to turning your marketing into actual conversations is pairing passive strategies with proactive outreach. This is especially true with print marketing for real estate agents, such as ReminderMedia’s American Lifestyle or Start Healthy magazines. The magazine itself builds trust and familiarity, but when you actively follow up, it becomes a powerful referral engine.
Move from passive to proactive marketing
Think about it this way: mailing a magazine keeps your brand in circulation, but it doesn’t guarantee someone will call you. Including a simple call to action, like a QR code linking to a free home valuation, gives readers a reason to engage. For example, one campaign that included a “Want to know what your home is worth?” QR code generated 33 scans from 429 mailings. That’s 33 warm opportunities created from a single issue.
But even then, you’re still depending on the client to make the first move. The real magic happens when you use the magazine as your reason to reach out directly. You could call a client to ask if they received their copy, mention the recipes or an article you liked, and then naturally transition into a conversation about real estate. Something as simple as: “By the way, a lot of people are asking me about their home values, so I added a free valuation tool on the magazine cover. Do you know what your home is worth right now?” That one question shifts your marketing from a passive reminder into a proactive conversation.
Use data and conversations to uncover opportunities
Proactive outreach becomes even more effective when paired with data. Tools like our Likely to Move score use public records and consumer information to identify people in your database who may be preparing for a move. The data isn’t perfect, but it gives you a reason to check in with contacts who could be entering a transition.
When you call, keep the tone casual and client-focused. Start by checking if they received the magazine, then ask if they’d like to know their home’s current value. If they say yes, you can offer a CMA or market update. If they say no, you’ve still reconnected and reminded them of your role as their agent. Either way, you’ve stayed top of mind.
The same approach works when asking for referrals. Instead of saying, “Do you know anyone looking to buy or sell right now?”—which often draws a blank—frame it around relationships. Share your business goal for the year, explain that you’d love to work with more clients like them, and ask if there’s anyone you could send your magazine to or get to know. Clients feel good about helping, and you’ve removed the pressure of finding someone with an immediate need.
Increase activity to increase results
Ultimately, the difference between closing one deal a year and closing twenty often comes down to activity. Marketing pieces like magazines provide a foundation of trust, but the follow-up calls, texts, and conversations are what drive referrals and new business.
The most successful agents treat their marketing as part of a larger system: they send magazines and postcards regularly, they call and text their sphere, they host client events, and they layer in digital ads to capture new leads. Each piece supports the others, but none of them works as well in isolation.
If you’ve been in the business for years but feel stuck at the same production level, ask yourself: Are you doing enough proactive outreach to match the goals you’ve set? If not, the solution usually isn’t new tools—it’s using your existing ones more consistently and with greater activity.
The bottom line
Print marketing for real estate agents is one of the most effective ways to build long-term trust, but by itself, it’s only passive. To truly generate referrals, use those print pieces as a reason to reach out, reconnect, and start conversations. When combined with smart data and consistent follow-up, your magazine becomes more than a touchpoint—it becomes a conversation starter that leads directly to referrals and deals.
At ReminderMedia, we help real estate professionals pair branded magazines, postcards, automation tools, and lead-generation services with proactive outreach strategies. The result is a complete system that builds relationships, keeps you top of mind, and grows your business year after year.
