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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: 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% on both the front and the message of your creative. You don't need to use custom fields for this.

3. Make a creative with a Street View front​

  1. Go to Creatives → New creative and choose Build it yourself.
  2. Pick a postcard size on the Mail piece step.
  3. On the Front step, choose Street View design.
  4. Under Background, choose Street View. Under Your words, add a Header and Sub-header - for example:
    • Header: "Your property at %ABSENTEE_STREET%"
    • Sub-header: "Let's talk about what it's worth today."
  5. Save the design and continue to the message (step 4 below).

The postcard will show a Google Street View photo of the investment property - not the owner's home. See Creating a creative for every front option.

Optional: apply a curb-appeal or home-improvement effect

The Street View background supports AI effects (Add an AI effect in the Background section). A curb-appeal or "fresh paint" render can help an absentee owner picture the property in a better light. Adds $0.10 per recipient. See Street View AI Effects.

4. Write the message for each touch​

Each touch is its own creative. Write the Day 1 message on the creative's Message step, then name and save it on Review. For the Day 30 and Day 60 touches, duplicate the creative (or make a new one, such as a Notecard) and change the message. 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 creative - you'll pick 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 Campaigns in the sidebar, click New Campaign, and pick your absentee owner list under Use a list you have.
  2. What: pick your Day 1 Street View creative.
  3. When: under When someone joins the list, choose Days after they join and enter 1 (mails the day after they're added).
  4. Review: name the action (e.g., "Day 1") and click Save paused or Start action. The wizard returns to the campaign's page.
  5. Click Add action to create the Day 30 touch: pick the Day 30 creative and enter 30 for the days.
  6. 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. Make a creative with a Street View front
  3. Make a creative for each touch
  4. Set up a Days After Added campaign

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.