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Absentee Campaigns with iList / SellerAssist

Absentee homeowners (landlords who live at a different address than the rental property they own) represent one of the strongest listing-pillar audiences in real estate. Traditional agent mailers often fail here because they either get mailed to the tenant by mistake or use wordy, low-converting sales pitches.

By combining the thanks.io Dynamic Street View builder with iList / SellerAssist, you deploy a curiosity-driven conversion loop:

  • The visual hook (front): A thanks.io postcard lands in the landlord's personal mailbox featuring a live Google Street View photo of their rental property, with the rental street address (%ABSENTEE_STREET%) printed boldly across the house.
  • The micro-copy (back): Instead of a long paragraph, a one-sentence handwritten-style note sparks immediate curiosity and directs attention to the QR code.
  • The instant offer scan (conversion): Scanning the QR code opens your SellerAssist / iList portal pre-loaded with their exact rental property (CUSTOM2), giving them four automated valuations, interactive property feature adjustments, and instant cash/retail options while firing a lead alert to your phone.
tip

This playbook pairs with Absentee Owner Outreach, which covers the campaign mechanics (Days After Added touches, creative building) in more depth. This page focuses on the iList / SellerAssist integration.

1. Rule #1: Separate the mailing address from the subject property​

Every absentee record has two separate addresses. Separating them correctly during your CSV upload (or API/MCP sync) is the most critical step of the campaign:

  1. Recipient mailing address (where the landlord lives): Maps to thanks.io's primary Address, City, State, and Postal Code fields, so USPS delivers the mailpiece to the property owner - never the tenant.
  2. Subject property address (the rental property): Maps to two specific thanks.io fields so both the Dynamic Street View builder and the SellerAssist QR code work automatically:
    • Absentee Address (%ABSENTEE_STREET%): Map the rental street only (e.g., 350 Heathcote Road) here. This tells thanks.io to pull the Google Street View of the rental property and populates the %ABSENTEE_STREET% merge tag on the front headline and back message.
    • Custom 2 (CUSTOM2): Map the full rental property address (e.g., 350 Heathcote Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583) here. The SellerAssist QR code pulls from CUSTOM2 to automatically look up the property and generate valuations on scan.

Master CSV mapping specification​

CSV column headerMaps to thanks.io fieldMerge tagRequired data & example
full_nameFull Name~FULL_NAME~ / %FIRST_NAME%Owner's full name (John & Sarah Miller)
addressAddress%ADDRESS%Owner's home street (450 Oak Lane Apt 4B)
cityCity%CITY%Owner's home city (White Plains)
stateProvince / State%STATE%Owner's home state (NY)
postal_codePostal Code%POSTAL_CODE%Owner's home ZIP (10601)
emailEmail~EMAIL~Owner's email (jmiller@email.com)
phonePhone~PHONE~Owner's mobile (914-555-0199)
absentee_addressAbsentee Address%ABSENTEE_STREET%Subject rental street only (350 Heathcote Road)
custom2Custom 2CUSTOM2Full rental address (350 Heathcote Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583)

2. The dynamic SellerAssist QR code URL formula​

Every iList / SellerAssist agent has a dedicated domain or subdomain. When configuring your postcard or message template in thanks.io, paste this exact URL formula into the QR Code URL field, replacing the base domain with your own SellerAssist domain:

https://[YOUR_ILIST_DOMAIN]/auto/mail?fulladdress=~CUSTOM2~&name=~FULL_NAME~&email=~EMAIL~&mobile=~PHONE~
  • fulladdress=~CUSTOM2~ passes the full rental property address (street, city, state, ZIP) into SellerAssist so the property dashboard loads immediately, without the landlord typing anything.
  • name=~FULL_NAME~&email=~EMAIL~&mobile=~PHONE~ pre-populates the landlord's contact details into SellerAssist for seamless lead attribution.

3. High-converting Dynamic Street View postcard design​

The postcard uses the Dynamic Image Builder to overlay bold white text with a dark outline directly over the Google Street View of the subject property, paired with an oversized SCAN ME QR code in the bottom-right corner.

Postcard elementDynamic Builder configuration
Background photoGoogle Street View set to Absentee Address (subject rental property)
Top-left brandingBrokerage or team logo with accent underline
Primary headline (middle-left)Wondering How Much A Buyer Might Pay For %ABSENTEE_STREET% RIGHT NOW? (bold white font with black outline)
Sub-headline (below headline)Scan The QR Code To Get 4 Unique Automated Valuations & Make Your Own Adjustments Based On Property Features!
Bottom-right cornerDynamic QR code with SCAN ME center badge, linked to the SellerAssist URL

4. Ultra-short message templates​

%ADDRESS% vs. %ABSENTEE_STREET%

On standard homeowner campaigns, agents use %ADDRESS%. On an absentee campaign, %ADDRESS% is the landlord's personal home. Always use %ABSENTEE_STREET% in your message so the note asks about their rental property.

Touch 1: 6x9 Dynamic Street View postcard (Day 1 - primary send)​

Hi %FIRST_NAME%,

If you're curious about what %ABSENTEE_STREET% might sell for in today's market, scan the QR code now.

Thanks! -Shannon

Touch 2: Windowless letter or postcard (Day 21 - follow-up)​

Hi %FIRST_NAME%,

Just a quick follow-up on %ABSENTEE_STREET%. If you'd like to see 4 automated valuations and cash offer options for the property without disturbing your tenants, scan the QR code now.

Thanks! -Shannon

Touch 3: 6x9 Dynamic Street View postcard (Day 45 - lease check-in)​

Hi %FIRST_NAME%,

Buyer demand is still strong around %ABSENTEE_STREET%. Before your next lease renewal, scan the QR code to see what a buyer might pay right now.

Thanks! -Shannon

5. Building automatically with the thanks.io MCP​

If you're connected to the thanks.io MCP server, you can instruct your AI assistant to build the Dynamic Street View creative, message template, and mailing list automatically. Keep API Test Mode ON inside your thanks.io account settings while testing your setup.

Copy-paste MCP execution prompt​

Using the thanks.io MCP, set up an Absentee Homeowner campaign for my SellerAssist domain [YOUR_ILIST_DOMAIN]:

  1. Build the Dynamic Street View image: Use the thanks.io Dynamic Image Builder to create a postcard front that pulls the Google Street View of the Absentee Property (absentee_address / %ABSENTEE_STREET%), places my logo at the top left, and overlays the headline: "Wondering How Much A Buyer Might Pay For %ABSENTEE_STREET% RIGHT NOW?" with the sub-headline: "Scan The QR Code To Get 4 Unique Automated Valuations & Make Your Own Adjustments Based On Property Features!"

  2. Create the handwritten-style message template: Create a new message with the copy: "Hi %FIRST_NAME%, If you're curious about what %ABSENTEE_STREET% might sell for in today's market, scan the QR code now. Thanks! -[Agent First Name]"

  3. Bind the dynamic SellerAssist QR code: Set the QR code URL to:

    https://[YOUR_ILIST_DOMAIN]/auto/mail?fulladdress=~CUSTOM2~&name=~FULL_NAME~&email=~EMAIL~&mobile=~PHONE~

Video guide​

note

The videos on this page were recorded on an earlier layout of the dashboard, so some screens and names may differ from what you see today.