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Absentee Owner Outreach

Who it's for​

Real estate agents and investors who want to reach owners of investment properties - rentals, vacant lots, second homes - who live at a different address from their property.

The play​

Obtain a list of absentee owner records (mailing address ≠ property address). Mail each owner at their actual home address with a postcard or Notecard that references the investment property they own. The mailer shows a Google Street View photo of their property (the investment address), not their home - making the mail feel highly specific and relevant.

Step-by-step​

Send method: Automated Campaigns → Days After Added — this runs automatically. Set it up once and it fires for everyone you add to the list.

1. Get your absentee owner list​

Sources:

  • County assessor records (public data, available from most counties)
  • Data services - thanks.io offers address append and data services; see Data Services
  • Third-party list providers (ListSource, PropStream, ATTOM)

Required fields: First Name, Last Name, Mailing Address (where they live), Property Address (the investment property). Upload both; the mailing address is where the mail goes.

2. Upload to thanks.io​

Upload your list as a CSV. Map:

  • Address, City, State, Zip → the mailing address (where you send the mail)
  • Absentee Address, Absentee City, Absentee State, Absentee Postal Code → the investment property address

Using the dedicated absentee fields lets you reference the property address with %ABSENTEE_STREET% in your message and image templates. You don't need to use custom fields for this.

3. Set up Street View on your Image Template​

  1. In the nav bar, go to Image Templates.
  2. Click Dynamic Builder.
  3. Set the Background Image to ~STREET_VIEW~.
  4. Add a header and subheader — for example:
    • Header: "Your property at %ABSENTEE_STREET%"
    • Subheader: "Let's talk about what it's worth today."
  5. Save the template.

The postcard will show a Google Street View photo of the investment property - not the owner's home.

4. Create your Message Templates​

In the left navigation, go to Message & QR Templates and create one template per touch. Use these as starting points:

Day 1:

Hi %FIRST_NAME%,

I specialize in working with property owners in this area and noticed you own the property at %ABSENTEE_STREET%.

If you've been thinking about selling or want to know what it's worth in today's market, I'd love to connect - no pressure.

Scan the QR code for a free estimate, or call me directly.

%YOUR_FULL_NAME%, %YOUR_COMPANY%
%YOUR_PHONE%

Save each template — you'll select them in the campaign setup below.

5. Set up the Days After Added campaign​

A 2–3 touch sequence over 60 days significantly improves response:

TouchDayFormatMessage angle
1Day 1Postcard with Subject Property Street ViewInitial outreach referencing their investment property
2Day 30NotecardWarmer follow-up, more personal
3Day 60Postcard or NotecardFinal touch with a market update for their area

To set this up:

  1. Go to Automated Campaigns in the left navigation.
  2. Click Add Automation.
  3. In the Add Automation modal:
    • Select What To Send: choose your postcard or Notecard format.
    • Select An Image Template: choose your Street View image template.
    • Select A Message Template: choose your Day 1 message template.
    • Select A Mailing List: choose your absentee owner list.
    • In the Sending trigger dropdown, select A Number of Days After a Recipient Is Added.
    • Set Enter Day After Added to List to 1 (sends the day after they're added).
  4. Click Save and Add Another to create the Day 30 touch: same list, different message template, enter 30 for the day.
  5. Repeat for Day 60.

When you add a contact to the list, all three touches fire automatically on schedule.

Run this play​

  1. Upload your list as a CSV
  2. Create a Street View Image Template
  3. Create Message Templates for each touch
  4. Set up a Days After Added campaign

Video Guide​