Real estate agents in Boca Raton and Palm Beach County are competing for the same listings every day. Digital ads get scrolled past. EDDM — Every Door Direct Mail — puts your name in the hands of every homeowner on a postal route, without a mailing list. Here is exactly how to use it.
Why Direct Mail Still Wins in a Digital-Heavy Market
Most agents pour their budget into digital. That makes sense — <54.2% of real estate marketing budgets go to digital channels in 2024, according to industry research. But that same saturation is exactly why a postcard on a kitchen counter gets noticed.
According to Taradel's 2024 Real Estate Marketing Survey, direct mail is the top marketing tactic realtors use and generates the highest ROI of any strategy. And 88% of those agents plan to keep that investment the same or increase it.
The Data and Marketing Association puts direct mail ROI at 29% on average. That number holds up because physical mail does something an ad cannot: it sits in the home.
In a market like Boca Raton, where seasonal residents, luxury buyers, and long-term homeowners share the same zip codes, a well-targeted piece of mail carries real weight.
What Is EDDM and How Does It Work
Every Door Direct Mail is a USPS program that lets you send marketing materials to every address on a selected postal carrier route. You do not need a mailing list, a mailing permit, or a bulk mail account.
You pick your routes on the USPS mapping tool. You bundle your printed pieces. You drop them at the local post office. USPS delivers to every address.
That is the whole process.
The USPS EDDM Retail rate as of July 2025 is $0.247 per piece. For a typical 6.25" x 11" postcard, compare that to standard first-class mail at $0.68 per piece or traditional bulk mail that requires purchasing a mailing list (typically $200 and up) plus data processing fees. The savings add up fast.
A 1,000-piece EDDM campaign — print plus postage — can run around $450 to $700 total depending on design complexity and paper stock. A comparable targeted mailing with a purchased list often exceeds $1,500.
Why EDDM Works Specifically for Real Estate Farm Areas
The concept of farming a neighborhood is not new. What EDDM does is make it affordable and consistent.
A farm area is a defined geographic zone where an agent focuses sustained marketing efforts over time. The goal is to become the name homeowners think of first when they decide to sell.
Consistent touchpoints build that recognition. Research shows it takes an average of seven contacts before a prospect takes action. A quarterly EDDM rotation across three to five carrier routes gives you that frequency without exhausting your budget.
The USPS EDDM mapping tool lets you filter routes by median household income, median home value, household size, and age distribution. In Palm Beach County, that lets you focus on routes with higher-value homes, snowbird-heavy buildings, or neighborhoods with strong annual turnover — all real strategic advantages for agents working this market.
EDDM Postcard Sizes and Design Requirements
USPS has specific size requirements for EDDM pieces. The most commonly used formats for real estate:
- 6.25" x 9" — compact and affordable
- 6.25" x 11" — standard farm postcard, lots of visual space
- 8.5" x 11" — maximum visual impact, great for luxury listings
- 8.5" x 12" — oversized format, stands out in the mailbox
Every piece must weigh 3.3 ounces or less for EDDM Retail. The piece cannot be sealed in an envelope — it delivers as a flat self-mailer.
Design matters. Studies show that 94% of first impressions are design-related, and real estate listings with professional photography sell 32% faster than those without. Your EDDM postcard is no different. A strong photo of a landmark local listing, clean typography, and a single clear call-to-action perform better than a cluttered piece trying to say too many things.
At Minuteman Press Boca Raton, our graphic design team handles the entire creative process. We know what resonates with Boca Raton and Palm Beach County homeowners because we work in this market every day.
Using EDDM for New Listings: A Practical Approach
When a new listing hits the market, speed matters. Here is a straightforward EDDM campaign structure for a single listing:
One to two weeks before the listing goes live, drop an oversized postcard to a one-mile radius around the property. Lead with professional photography, a clean headline, and your contact information. Include a QR code that goes directly to the listing.
During the active listing period, send a second piece to the same routes, this time leading with open house dates and urgency language around market conditions.
After the sale, a third piece works well as a "Just Sold" mailer. This builds credibility with neighboring homeowners who are evaluating whether to list.
That three-touch campaign across a single listing positions you as the active expert in that neighborhood. Each subsequent listing compounds that effect.
Combining EDDM With Digital for Higher Conversion
The strongest real estate marketing programs do not choose between print and digital. They use both.
EDDM builds physical presence and trust. Digital retargeting keeps you in front of the same people online. When a homeowner sees your postcard on Tuesday and then your Facebook ad on Wednesday, both channels reinforce the same message.
A few practical integrations that work well:
Add a QR code to your EDDM piece that leads to a neighborhood market report landing page. This creates a trackable entry point from your print piece into your digital funnel. You capture an email, they get useful data, and you establish expertise in one move.
Run geofenced social ads to the same postal routes you are mailing. The overlap reinforces your name and listing without doubling your total spend.
Include your Google review link or a short URL to your Zillow profile. In a service business like real estate, trust travels through social proof. EDDM can carry that proof directly into the home.
EDDM Costs vs. ROI: A Boca Raton Agent's Budget Breakdown
Here is a realistic campaign budget for a Boca Raton real estate agent using EDDM for a 90-day farm area push:
Three carrier routes covering approximately 1,500 homes in a target neighborhood. One mailing per month for three months.
Each mailing: 1,500 pieces at $0.247 postage per piece equals $370.50 in postage. Print costs for a 6.25" x 11" full-color postcard at standard stock run roughly $180 to $250 for 1,500 pieces at a professional print shop. Total per mailing: approximately $550 to $620.
Three-mailing campaign total: $1,650 to $1,860.
According to research from the Direct Marketing Association, direct mail response rates in real estate average 2% to 4%. On 1,500 pieces per mailing, that is 30 to 60 inquiries per drop. Over three months, even a 2% response rate from a consistent farm produces 90 to 180 direct engagements.
One listing in Boca Raton at even a modest $500,000 sale price generates a commission that pays for two to three years of EDDM campaigns. The math is not complicated.
What to Avoid With EDDM
A few common mistakes that reduce campaign performance:
Sending once and stopping. Frequency drives recognition. A single drop rarely produces meaningful results. Commit to at least three consecutive mailings before evaluating a route.
Using the same design every time. Vary your message and visual with each mailing. Rotate between a listing spotlight, a neighborhood market update, and a personal introduction or testimonial piece.
Ignoring QR code tracking. Without a trackable element, you cannot measure response. Even a simple QR code to a dedicated landing page tells you which routes are responding.
Skipping professional design. In Boca Raton and the greater Palm Beach County luxury market, presentation signals quality. A low-production postcard communicates low-quality service, whether that is fair or not.
How Minuteman Press Boca Raton Handles Your EDDM Campaign
Minuteman Press Boca Raton manages the entire EDDM process from design to delivery.
Our college-educated graphic designers create postcards sized to USPS specifications with the right margins, bleeds, and file formats to avoid any compliance issues at the post office. We print on professional stock that holds color and texture in the Florida heat — because yes, materials matter here.
We handle bundling, facing slips, and all USPS documentation. You drop off or we coordinate delivery to the local post office. You focus on your clients.
Our design team has worked with real estate agents, brokerages, and mortgage professionals across Boca Raton and Palm Beach County. We understand the local market and we know what a strong real estate postcard looks like.
Call us at 561-392-8626 or stop by to discuss your farm area. We will map your routes, estimate your costs, and get your first campaign in the mail.
CONCLUSION
Every listing you take in Boca Raton or Palm Beach County is a marketing opportunity for the next one. EDDM builds that chain — consistent, affordable, and measurable. Minuteman Press Boca Raton designs, prints, and coordinates every piece. Call 561-392-8626 or request a consultation HERE to get your first EDDM campaign started.
FAQ SECTION
Q: How much does an EDDM campaign cost for a Boca Raton real estate agent? A: A typical campaign targeting 1,000 to 1,500 homes in a Boca Raton neighborhood runs $450 to $700 per mailing including print and postage. Current USPS EDDM Retail postage is $0.247 per piece as of July 2025. Minuteman Press Boca Raton provides all-in pricing so you know your total cost before you commit.
Q: Do I need a mailing list to use EDDM in Palm Beach County? A: No. EDDM delivers to every address on selected USPS carrier routes without a purchased list. You select your routes on the USPS mapping tool, which covers all Palm Beach County zip codes. This eliminates one of the major costs and compliance headaches of traditional direct mail.
Q: What EDDM postcard size works best for real estate marketing in Boca Raton? A: The 6.25" x 11" format is the most popular for real estate farm area marketing. The larger 8.5" x 11" or 8.5" x 12" formats work well for luxury listings where high-impact photography is a priority. Minuteman Press Boca Raton prints all standard EDDM sizes in-house with same-day and next-day options.
Q: How many times should I mail to a farm area before expecting results? A: Most agents see measurable response after three consecutive mailings to the same routes. Plan for a 90-day minimum commitment with monthly drops before evaluating whether to expand or rotate routes. Consistency is the primary driver of EDDM performance.
Q: Can Minuteman Press Boca Raton handle the USPS paperwork for EDDM? A: Yes. We handle all bundling, facing slips, and USPS documentation. You provide your design direction, we handle everything from file prep through post office delivery coordination. Call 561-392-8626 to get started.
