Marketing Cost Guide
What’s the Cost of Getting a Deal in Your Market?
How much you should mail is one of the most common questions we get from Ballpoint clients — and one of the biggest areas where investors underestimate what’s needed.
We’ve put together our Cost per Acquisition Market Guide to show — based on millions of mailers — the average cost per market to land a deal. But before you jump to the chart, let’s hit some key marketing truths.
What is Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)?
CPA isn’t your offer number. It’s your total marketing cost to acquire a deal. You can track it overall or by channel. Here, we’re talking specifically about your mailing cost per deal.
Marketing as an Investment
Marketing is not an expense — it’s an investment. You put in dollars to get more dollars out. Mail has a track record of reliable returns when done right. It’s not “pick the cheapest letter and send.” It’s about market-specific nuance, list quality, and message strategy.
Mail vs. Other Mediums
Every lead source costs something — even your time. From radio to cold calling, texting, or ads, each has a CPA. But when measured across reach, scalability, and legality, mail remains the most direct and controllable option. In many side-by-side studies, handwritten mail consistently showed the lowest cost per deal.
Cold texting may seem cheaper upfront, but it comes with two major drawbacks: potential legal risk, and massive back-and-forth labor compared to mail or radio.
“We closed our first flip after mailing. From first drop to sold took just weeks. Senior owner with equity. The system works.”
Using Multiple Mediums — The Exponential Factor
Marketing channels work better together. When you combine mail with digital follow-up or web presence, results multiply. 1 + 1 = 5. Our founder, Ryan Dossey, includes his company URL in every mail piece. Around 50% of his leads now come directly through his website forms after seeing the mailer first.
Money is Energy
“Too expensive” is the wrong mindset. Your spend reflects the energy required to get a deal in that market. In high-cost metros, you may need three times the effort (or door knocks) compared to cheaper, rural markets. Every market has an exchange rate — money, time, or sweat.
What’s More Important Than CPA?
Don’t be fooled by low Midwest CPAs and think you should chase those deals. Profit per deal varies wildly by region. Sure, LA costs 4x more per lead — but you might make 3–4x more per flip too. Context matters.
Here’s Our Guarantee to You
If you mail with us and the results aren’t what you expect, we’ll get on a call and help you troubleshoot it. Sometimes it’s bad data, sometimes volume, sometimes a hidden deal. We’ll help you figure it out.
“Ballpoint has been our biggest lead engine for over a year. We picked up 24 doors and flipped several more thanks to these campaigns.”
Want to Know the Right List and Strategy for Your Market?
